The Follies of the King - Plaidy Jean (электронная книга TXT) 📗

possible without Gaveston. Then there was trouble from the North.

The Scots had rejoiced in the death of Edward the First and the accession of his son which had resulted in their salvation. Scotland under Robert the Bruce had grown stronger, as England under Edward the Second had become weaker.

Bruce was just the man to take advantage of such a position. He had gradually but steadily begun to free his country from the English domination set up by Edward, the Hammer of the Scots.

It was clear, that the second Edward had no heart for a fight.

He was not the strong warlike figure that his father had been. He had retired from the scene of action as soon as it was possible for him to do so and had left the Earl of Richmond in the north, bestowing on him the title of Guardian of Scotland. His task was far from enviable and intermittent warfare between the Scots and English and recently Bruce had made raids over the border into

England on each occasion returning with valuable spoils.

The situation was becoming dangerous. One by one those fortresses held by

the English were falling to the Scots. Edward groaned and cursed the Scots but he did little to prevent the disintegration of power. Bruce, inwardly exultant, often wondered what Great Edward would think if he could see what was

happening Had he lived, the conquest of Scotland would have been brought

about. Indeed, it was a happy day for the Scots when he died and his son took the crown.

The Scots had no respect for Edward and an army without a leader, however

well equipped, could not fail to arouse wild hopes in the hearts of its opponents.

One by one the fortresses fell. Perth, Dumfries and Roxburg were taken.

Linlithgow had been cleverly taken when a soldier from the Douglas clan,

disguised as a carter, had asked leave to take a hay cart into the castle. As it drew up in the gate‚ way beneath the great portcullis, from under the hay armed men sprang out, entered the castle and took the defenders by surprise. Such incidents put heart into Bruce’s army. They were not so well equipped as the English and must rely on cunning. It seemed they had plenty of this and under Bruce’s leadership, their hopes ran high.

The Castle of Edinburgh seemed to present the greatest difficulty of all as it was surrounded by three sides which were declared to be impassable precipices.

The Scots were in despair when one of the soldiers came to his commander

Randolph and told him that as a youth he had had a mistress who was in the Castle and he had cut out steps in the cliff face so that he might visit her. He realized that every time he had visited her he had risked his life but he had come through safely and now he could show them the way.

They decided to try it and with the aid of rope ladders actually made their way up the steep cliff-face to the walls of the castle. They ascended, invaded the castle, killed the unsuspecting sentinels and took it.

This was the greatest triumph and incidents like this were, said Bruce, worth a thousand men.

At this time only three important castles remained in English hands: Stirling, Dunbar and Berwick. Of these, Stirling was the most important and Bruce

decided that they must take it, but the castle was well defended and Bruce knew that to attempt to storm it would mean the loss of men and ammunition which he could ill afford to lose. As a great soldier, he was less sangillnary than his men and he realized they would achieve successes in the existing circumstances it would be a very different matter if the English army marched up to Scotland.

However, the more fortresses he could wrest from them before the main attack the better, and Stirling was of the utmost importance.

Therefore he sent his brother Edward Bruce to besiege the castle; Edward

harried its occupants in every way and the Governor, Sir Philip Mowbray, was unable to procure the supplies he needed. Edward Bruce however lacked

astuteness of his brother and was beguiled by Sir Philip into conferring with him. To take the castle would be expensive for the Scots in men and arms;

moreover there was a possibility that the operation might not be successful.

‘Edward’s armies are on the way to defend Stirling,’ was Sir Philip’s

argument. ‘I can hold out until they arrive. This could spell a defeat for you which could be disastrous to the Scottish cause.’

Edward Bruce replied that all knew the nature of the King of England. He

was not like his father. It seemed like he had no intention of bringing an army to Scotland. In which case in due time the Scots would have Stirling as they had Edinburgh, Linlithgow and the rest.

‘That is true,’ replied Mowbray. ‘So I will make a truce with you. If the

English army is not within three leagues of this castle by the Feast of St John the Baptist, I will surrender to you without the loss of one life on either side.’

Edward Bruce agreed. When his brother Robert heard what he had done he

was greatly displeased but, determined to make the best of the situation, he began to see that the arrangement would give him a chance to gather together an army to stand against the English should they come.

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Pembroke came in haste to Edward. ‘My lord,’ he said, ‘you will see the

urgency of this matter. Mowbray must be relieved at Stirling and we have little time in which to do it.’

Edward sighed. ‘These tiresome Scots.’

Pembroke went on a trifle impatiently: ‘Mowbray is a gallant soldier and a faithful servant. He needs assistance and he must have it.’

‘Then, let us send it.’

‘My lord, that is not enough. Since your father’s death we have lost a great deal of that which he gained. One by one the garrison towns are slipping away from us. We must stop this and the only way to do it is to amass an army and march on Scotland.’

‘The barons?’

‘It is an opportunity to unite them in a single cause. No matter what their quarrels with each other, their duty to the Crown remains. I am ready to forget my differences with Warwick until this matter is resolved and so must they.’

‘I see this could be so,’ said Edward.

‘There must be a full scale invasion from sea and land. The Scots have a

great leader in the Bruce. Never have they been so united? even under Wallace.

Now is the time, my lord. If we allow Stirling to fall into the hands of the Scots it will be a disaster. We owe it to Mowbray to send relief as soon as it is possible.’

‘It shall be done,’ cried Edward. He felt a sudden enthusiasm for the fight.

‘It was true that it would bind the barons together and he was tired— and a little afraid— of their continual bickering. It would help him to forget Gaveston.

People were always comparing him with his father, now they should see that he could be warlike too. He would teach the Scots a lesson.’

‘We should summon the earls and barons without fail,’ said Pembroke

‘Let it be done,’ answered Edward.

Within a few days the commands were issued to eight earls? among them

Lancaster— and eighty-seven barons.

They were to meet at Berwick by the tenth day of June.

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Preparations went on apace. Edward ordered that a fleet of twenty-three

vessels be assembled at the Cinque ports and their purpose was to invade

Scotland.

In all this Pembroke was beside the King. He tried to instill into Edward a respect for his opponent. It would not be the first time Pembroke had faced Bruce. He had been victorious against him at Methven and beaten by him at

Loudoun Hill and he knew him for a formidable foe. Edward laughed aside his warnings. Bruce was a man to be reckoned with, yes, he accepted that. But such an army would come against him that his would be completely outnumbered.