sh
army crossed the English Border, and ravaged with merciless severity the
districts of Redesdale and Tynedale. The monasteries of Lanercost and
Hexham were given to the flames, towns and villages destroyed, and the
surrounding country laid waste. The Scots returned laden with booty. But
the success which had crowned their arms was of doubtful utility. It only
served to fan the flame of vengeful ire in the breast of the English King,
who now resolved on the complete subjugation of the country. He marched
against Dunbar with an army of ten thousand foot, and a thousand heavy
armed horse. The Scots opposed his progress with an army much superior in
point of numbers, and occupying a position of great strategic importance
on the heights above Spot. As the English army had necessarily to deploy
in passing along the valley it was supposed that the ranks had somehow
fallen into confusion. The Scots precipitately rushed upon the enemy, only
to find, to their dismay, that the English army was under the most perfect
discipline, and ready for the attack. After a short resistance the
Scottish columns were thrown into inextricable confusion, and were routed
with great slaughter, leaving ten thousand brave soldiers dead in the
field. History has a strange knack of repeating itself. Three hundred and
fifty years after, the Scottish covenanters committed a similar blunder at
the same place when opposing the progress of Oliver Cromwell, and with an
equally disastrous result. The progress of Edward now partook of the
nature of a triumphal march. He threw his army upon Edinburgh, and in the
course of eight days made himself master of the Castle. He then proceeded
to Perth, where he received the submission of Baliol, who seemed anxious
to rid himself of an office the duties of which he was constitutionally
unfit to discharge. The King continued his march to Aberdeen, and from
thence to Elgin, without resistance. The nobles hurried into his presence
to tender their submission. With indecent haste they renounced the
alliance with Bruce, and took the oath of fealty to the destroyer of their
country's liberties. It was a dark and tragic hour in Scottish history.

As Edward returned on his way to Berwick, where he proposed holding a
Parliament, he visited Scone, and took with him the "famous and fatal
stone" upon which for many ages the Scottish Kings had been crowned and
anointed. "This, considered by the Scots as the national Palladium, along