e
of a French and Scottish war he resolved not to encourage his enemies by
a pusillanimous behavior, or by yielding to their united efforts.

{1296.} He summoned John to perform the duty of a vassal, and to send
him a supply of forces against an invasion from France, with which he
was then threatened: he next required that the fortresses of Berwick,
Jedburgh, and Roxburgh should be put into his hands as a security during
the war; he cited John to appear in an English parliament to be held at
Newcastle; and when none of these successive demands were complied with,
he marched northward with numerous forces, thirty thousand foot and four
thousand horse, to chastise his rebellious vassal. The Scottish nation,
who had little reliance on the vigor and abilities of their prince,
assigned him a council of twelve noblemen, in whose hands the
sovereignty was really lodged, and who put the country in the best
posture of which the present distractions would admit. A great army,
composed of forty thousand infantry, though supported only by five
hundred cavalry advanced to the frontiers; and after a fruitless attempt
upon Carlisle, marched eastwards to defend those provinces which Edward
was preparing to attack. But some of the most considerable of the
Scottish nobles, Robert Bruce, the father and son, the earls of
March and Angus, prognosticating the ruin of their country from the
concurrence of intestine divisions and a foreign invasion, endeavored
here to ingratiate themselves with Edward by an early submission; and
the king, encouraged by this favorable incident, led his army into the
enemy's country, and crossed the Tweed without opposition at Coldstream.
He then received a message from John, by which that prince, having now
procured for himself and his nation Pope Celestine's dispensation from
former oaths, renounced the homage which had been done to England,
and set Edward at defiance. This bravado was but ill supported by the
military operations of the Scots.

* Rymer, vol. ii. p. 692. Walsing. p. 64. Heming. vol. i. p.
84 Trivet, p. 286. t Heming. vol i. p. 75.

** Rymer, vol. ii. p. 607. Walsing. p. 66. Heming. vol. i.
p. 92.

Berwick was already taken by assault: Sir William Douglas, the governor,
was made prisoner: above seven thousand of the garrison were put to
the sword: and Edward, elated by this great advantage, despatched Earl
Warrenne with twelve thousand men to lay siege to Dunbar, which wa