Wallace was now invested with the title of governor of Scotland; in name of king John; and from that period the spirit of jealousy and distrust inflamed the Scottish nobles.
During these transactions, Edward was in Flanders, but upon his return to England, he summoned the Scottish barons to a parliament at York. The Scots disobeyed, and the incensed monarch advanced to the borders. A body of English, commanded by Aymer de Valloins, earl of Pembroke, landed in the north of Fife. Wallace attacked and routed them in the forest of Black Ironside. Edward now encamped between Edinburgh and Linlithgow, while the Scots assembled all their strength in the interior part of the country. Robert Bruce and John Comyn of Badenoch advanced to Falkirk at the moment that Edward had given or ders to his army to make a retrograde movement to wards the borders, in consequence of a mutiny among the Welsh.
Edward prepared to attack them. Wallace ranged his infantry at the side of a small eminence in the neighbourhood of Falkirk. The English were divided into three lines; Edward commanded the reserve; his chief dependence was upon his cavalry, which attacked the Scottish infantry on both flanks at once. The shock was gallantly withstood, but a total rout ensued. Wallace succeeded in securing his retreat with a faith ful band, and burnt the town and castle of Stirling. Bruce, who had not been in the engagement, upon hearing of the defeat of his countrymen, burned the castle of Ayr, to prevent the pursuit of Edward, and then retired. After reducing Bruce's castle of Loch maben in Annandale, the conqueror retired by the western borders. Wallace was superseded as regent by the bishop of St. Andrews, Robert Bruce, and John Comyn, who were chosen regents in the name of Baliol. They applied to the Pope and the king of France for aid. The Pope wrote to Edward, command ing him to abstain from any further attempts upon Scotland, and asserted his claim as liege lord.
Edward and his parliament were inflexible, and the pontiff judged it prudent to abate his claims; but by the mediation of France a short truce was concluded between the English and the Scots; and a second truce for one year was subsequently agreed upon. After the expiration of it, Edward sent an army into Scotland, but Comyn and Simon Fraser attacked and defeated them successively. The Pope and the king
of France proved faithless allies to the Scots, and Ed ward, disengaged from foreign war, bent his whole force to subdue Scotland. Unable to oppose the ene my, the Scots declined meeting them, and Edward marched to the northern extremity of the kingdom, ravaging the open country, reducing the castles, and receiving the submission of the nobles.
Stirling castle was the only fortress that remained in possession of the Scots. Comyn assembled an army, and encamped on the south bank of the Forth, to make a final stand for the national liberty. Edward, having discovered a ford, crossed the river at the head of his cavalry, and the Scots fled in every direction. Bruce surrendered himself to the English warden. Comyn and his followers submitted to the conqueror. Wallace and Sir Simon Fraser were excluded from the capitu lation.
By the command of Edward, a parliament assem bled at St. Andrews, and sentence of outlawry was pronounced against Wallace, Fraser, and the garrison of Stirling castle. That fortress, after a defence of three months, surrendered at discretion, and Wallace was given up to the mercy of Edward. He was ar raigned at Westminster as a traitor, and executed.
Edward now proceeded to make a total settlement of the government of Scotland, and for the administra tion of justice to the people. Sheriffs were appointed in the different districts of the kingdom, and the an cient forms were preserved. An indemnity was granted to the Scots under easy conditions, and fines were imposed upon the delinquents.
Scotland was now apparently reduced as a conquer ed province under the dominion of Edward. Bruce, the competitor of Baliol, had submitted to the decision of Edward. His son had served under the English banners, and in Comyn and the earl of Carrick, the factions of Baliol and Bruce may be said to have re vived. Bruce had the address at first to soothe and amuse the king; but, escaping from England, he inter cepted a messenger who was the bearer of letters from Comyn to the English king, advising his own imme diate imprisonment or death. Bruce, therefore, re paired to Dumfries, and obtaining an interview with Comyn before the great altar in the church of the Mi norities, stabbed him and fled.