Scotland, the rights of which neither I nor anyone else, so far as I know,
have ever been able to make out. The fact was he was strong, and thought
that he could conquer Scotland. The quarrels between her nobles - most of
them were allied by blood with our own and held possessions in both
kingdoms - gave Edward an excuse to interfere. Scotland was conquered
easily enough, but it was a hard task to hold it. Sir William Wallace kept
the country in a turmoil for many years, being joined by all the common
people. He inflicted one heavy defeat upon us at Stirling, but receiving
no support from the nobles he was defeated at Falkirk, and some years
afterwards was captured and executed here. His head you may see any day
over London Bridge. As he fought only for his country and had ever refused
allegiance to our king, it seems to me that his fate was a cruel one. Then
when all appeared quiet, Robert Bruce raised Scotland again, and was
crowned king. There was war for many years, but at last, at Bannockburn he
inflicted such a defeat upon us as we have never had before. After that
there were skirmishes and excursions, but Edward II was a weak prince, and
it seemed that the marriage of David and the Princess Joan would bring
about a permanent peace between the two countries; but it was not to be
so."

"Many of the English nobles held claims by marriage or grants upon lands in
Scotland. They had, of course, been driven from these when the English were
turned out by Bruce. By the terms of the marriage treaty in 1328 it was
agreed that they should be reinstated. It was a foolish clause, because it
was plain that the King of Scotland could not take these lands again from
the Scotch nobles who had possession of them, many of them being well-nigh
as powerful as himself. At this time Edward Baliol, son of the great rival
of Robert Bruce, was in England. He still claimed the throne of Scotland as
his right. Round him gathered a number of the English nobles who claimed
lands in Scotland. The king offered no hindrance to the gathering of this