The justiciaries were holding their court when this event happened. They surrendered to Bruce; and were permitted to retire out of Scotland unmolested.
Robert Bruce was crowned at Scone in the thirty second year of his age; but he had many serious ob stacles to surmount in his progress to sovereign power; yet no sooner was the royal standard displayed, than multitudes hastened to fight for their country.
When Edward was informed of the revolution in Scotland, he appointed the earl of Pembroke to he his deputy in that kingdom; and vowed that he would take vengeance on Robert Bruce. A messenger was despatched to the Pope, complaining of the slaughter of Comyn and the violation of the sanctuary, on which he issued an order to excommunicate Bruce and his adherents.
The first enterprise of the Scots against the English was unsuccessful. Robert retired with the remains of his party into Atholl; thence to Breadalbane, where he was attacked by the lord of Lorn, who had married Comyn's aunt. The royalists were overpowered, but effected their retreat. The king and Douglas passed over Loch-Lomond, and the former, to elude the search of his enemies, crossed over to the island of Rachlin in Ireland.
The queen and daughter of Bruce were delivered to their enemies; Nigil, his brother, was condemned and executed; the earl of Athol and Sir Christopher Sea ton experienced a similar fate; Sir Simon Fraser was beheaded at London, and his head placed on the point of a lance, near the head of Wallace. Many other Scotchmen of inferior rank were punished capitally; and the Cardinal Legate solemnly excommunicated Bruce and his adherents at Carlisle.
At the approach of spring, Bruce secretly crossed over into the Isle of Arran, while Douglas passed into Douglasdale; and gaining possession of Douglas castle, put the English garrison to the sword.
The earl of Pembroke advanced into the west of Scotland to encounter Bruce, but the latter was victo rious. Meanwhile Edward, who had wintered at Car lisle, made preparations for quelling the insurrection in Scotland; but he died as soon as he came in sight of the country, ordering that his corpse should accom pany the army into Scotland, and remain unburied until it should be subdued. Edward the Second, who succeeded his father, marched into Scotland; and hav ing advanced as far as the frontiers of Ayrshire, re turned to England. Pembroke was superseded in his command as guardian of Scotland, and the earl of Richmond was appointed in his room. Bruce now
made an unsuccessful attempt upon Galloway. He was more fortunate in the north of Scotland, which he overran without opposition.
The ensuing year, he defeated another army com manded by Buchanan and Mowbray, near Inverury in Aberdeenshire. Though then labouring under a se vere disease, he led on his troops, and routed the enemy. The castle of Aberdeen was stormed, the garrison were put to the sword, and the fortifications razed. His brother Edward invaded Galloway, and subdued the country; and the Lord of Lorn was chas tised for his treatment of Robert after the battle of Methven. In the mean time, by the mediation of Philip, king of France, a truce was concluded, in which neither party was very sincere. An ill-con certed expedition was made by the English monarch. He penetrated to Renfrew, but the Scots avoided the encounter, and he retired to Berwick.
Robert now resolved to transfer the war to England, and ravaged the county of Durham. After his return, he besieged and took the town of Perth, which was plundered and burnt. The Scots again invaded Eng land, and desolated the county of Durham. The cas tles of Roxburgh and Edinburgh were taken by sur prise. Many other fortresses in the southern counties were won by the Scots. With his success the num ber of Bruce's partisans increased, and he invaded Cumberland, and plundered the Isle of Man.
Stirling castle was besieged by Edward Bruce, the king's brother. Edward made vigorous preparations for relieving it, he ordered a fleet to be assembled for invading Scotland, and the whole force of England was ordered to meet the king at Berwick. Bruce ap pointed a general rendezvous of his forces at the Tor wood, between Falkirk and Stirling. Their number was about 30,000, besides an undisciplined multitude of about 15,000. The Scots posted themselves at Bannockburn, about two miles from Stirling; and after a warm action, the English fled with precipitation; and Edward, pursued by Douglas with sixty horse men, rode to Linlithgow, nor was he allowed a mo ment's respite until he reached Dunbar, sixty miles from the field of battle. He was there received by the earl of March, who conveyed him by sea into England. Stirling castle immediately surrendered; and Mow bray, the governor, entered into the service of Robert: Robert now conceived the opportunity favourable for settling the succession to the crown.