The daily morning journal and courier., 1895-06-24

ter secured from each of them prom
 ise that in event of favorable decision
 he would rule Scotland as a vassal of
 the English king; all being alike for
 getful that behind the whole proceed ings was a fierce, self-willed people,
 nourished in independence and national
 pride, who must be bent or shattered ere the obsequiousness of the claimants
 or the arrogance of the Lord Superior
 could be of any ayail.' After much
 fendal law the prize was awarded to
 John Baliol who immediately cancelled
 the treaty Brigham in which was a dis agreeable clause where Edward ac-
 knowledged Scottish independence and
 then did homage for his Kingdom of
 Scotland" He quickly yielded to the
 demand to hand over the Scottish
 strongholds, and ere the people were
 fully aware of it the country was gar
 risoned by English soldiers. Next
 came arrogance and tyranny, the gall
 lant rise and heroic fall of Wallace, the
 deposing of King" John and the arro-
 gation of the Scottish sovereignty by
 Edward to himself.
 For about ten years Edward had been
 dealing heavy, merciless blows on the Scottish nation and had come to the be- lief that it was finally utterly broken when in the early spring of 1906 some person placed in his hands bond or agreement between the Scottish barons and churchman. With indiscretion most unusual for him he muttered something about Robert Bruce, earl of Carrick r,p kl. siding at the English court. A sum of money and pair of spurs sent by some secret friend. brought the warn ing to the earl and ere the dawn of next day with the horse shoes reversed, he was far on his way to Scotland. He "crossed the Rubicon" and had two pos- abilities in the future-the horrible death of an English traitor or the crown of the Scots. The following year wit | messed the death of the great king Ed ! ward within sight of Scotland while on | his way to give the rebels" another and | final thrashing. His last command be- | Ing to have his bones stripped of the | flesh and never laid to rest till the l last vestige of opposition in Scotland | was plotted out. This command was | IISl E65ctl dth, anu lliC IIltSlIon .iiOSl Oll he death of their great leader turned | pack and buried the remains of the lble, ambitious king beside his queen | Ut Westminster.
 Six years of incredible hardship and 1 oil wrested the Scottish strongholds me after the other from the English till nothing remained of the great ! of Edward l., but the castle if Stirling and that was hard pressed y the kings impetuous brother, Ed yard Bruce.
 Towards the end of 1913 with his usual Edward Bruce agreed with Mowbray, the English governor f Stirling, that if not relieved by the 4th of the following June the castle would be restored to the Scots.
 Edward I. prided himself more on the apture of Stirling than on any other of is achievements in Scotland and it's loss reused the activity ev- n of his indolent son. From the Eng l sh standpoint Stirling must be reliev- q before a certain day and from the { cottish, the relief must be prevented t all hazards, and both nations went ] ) the utmost of their resources. Be- des the entire force of England, Ed ard pressed into service all the Irish, Welsh, and Gascons he could com iand, in all about 100000 men, primar- y to relieve Stirling, but actually to .-subiugate Scotland. To meet the ,rmidable force, Robert Bruce could 1ly raise in his distracted war-drain- l country a force of about 900oO which . 9 posted on the historic banks of the annock Burn in the vicinity of the dis ( lted stronghold. On June 23, 1914, having one day to ,are, the English army / Say, yet fearful to behold, lashing with steel and rough with '
 gold.
 rived at Bannockburn within sight of n e batlements of Stirling, and ineffec- V ally tried to throw a small party c ne man would have been enough) into f e beleagured fortress. il The morrow witnessed the greatest I otorv aver achieved bV Scottish arms Y,