The history of Scotland Author:Robert Chambers Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: one side of his little palfrey, and the King of Scots riding on the other. While David was a prisoner in England, the country fell naturally under the authori... more »ty of his nephew and heir presumptive, Robert, the High Steward of Scotland, grandson of Robert Bruce by his only daughter Marjory. This person, who happened to be six or eight years older than his royal uncle, and of a virtuous character, conducted the affairs of the kingdom with discretion. Edward, in 1356, led into the country an army much greater than that with which he gained the battle of Cressy; yet, by the prudence of the Steward in avoiding a general rencounter, and by the natural peculiarities of the country, which were its best defence, he was obliged to return without attaining his object. It may thus be seen that, even without the animating presence of a king, who was in that age considered the natural leader of the national armies, Scotland was still able to protect her independency. The admiration, however, with which this may be regarded, becomes yet greater when we hear of the constancy displayed by the country under a severer trial which was about to befall it. Edward, having found five invasions of Scotland unavailing, now changed his policy. He resolved to win Scotland by smoother means. In the first place he concluded a peace with the country, and for a ransom of a hundred thousand merks restored its monarch. He then threw his own country open to the visits of the Scottish nobles, and, by affecting generous feelings towards them, and towards Scotland generally, endeavoured to overcome the prejudices of the people. By a long and complicated series of intrigues, he at length attached a large party to his interest; and, strange to say, King David was at its head. The king, it appears, had now no hope of ...« less