summon the King of Scots himself to appear in his presence." He
then compelled Baliol formally to renounce and cancel not only the
Treaty of Brigham, but every stipulation of the kind "known to
exist, or which might be thereafter discovered." Another appeal
followed, and Baliol was cited to appear personally, but refused;
he was thereupon declared contumacious by the English parliament,
and a resolution was passed that three of the principal towns of
Scotland should be "seized," until he gave satisfaction. All this
was a manifest usurpation, even allowing Edward's claims to supremacy
to be well founded.

At this moment Edward became involved in a quarrel with his own
lord superior Phillip, king of France, by whom he was in turned
summoned to appear under the pain of contumacy. Edward met this
demand by a renunciation of allegiance to Phillip and a declaration
of war, and called upon Baliol for aid as his vassal; but Baliol
was also a vassal of the French king, and had estates in France
liable to seizure. He therefore hesitated. Edward further ordered
him to lay an embargo upon all vessels in the ports of Scotland,
and required the attendance of many of the Scottish barons in his
expedition to France. Finding his orders disobeyed, on the 16th
of October Edward issued a writ to the sheriff of Northampton,
"to seize all lands, goods, and chattels of John Baliol and other
Scots."

The Scotch held a parliament at Scone. All Englishmen holding office
were summarily dismissed. A committee of the estates was appointed
to act as guardian of the kingdom, and Baliol himself was deprived
of all active power; but an instrument was prepared in his name,
reciting the injuries that he and his subjects had sustained at the