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Show 44 ATROCIOUS JUDGE • [A. D. 1201. pute by a solemn decision of the controversy after ull parties should have been heard, the Scotch nobilily in an evil hour aoTceJ to refer it, according to ih f~1 , hi on of the age, io the a arbitration of a neighboring ov )reign, und fix eel n pon Ed-ward I. of England, their wily neighuor. 'The Scoui~h nobles beincr incluccd to cro ... s tllC River Twc ,d, and to a~scmble in lJ the presence of Edward, under pretence that he '''a ~ to act only a arbitrator, Sir Roger de Brabacon by his onl<'r addresf-' ed them in French, (the language th n spoken Ly the upper cla se both in Scotland and l~ngland ) <11 'closing the alarming pre ten· ion about to be set up. A public notary and witnc se were in attenflance, and in their pre ~ence the a~"umed vas al were fornudly called upon to do homage to Edward a"' their suzerain, of \Vhich a record was to be made for a lasting memorial. 'The Scot~ ~aw too late the imprullencc of which they had been guilty in choo~ing such a crafty and povverful arbitrator. For the pre:ent they refused the required recognition, saying that " they must have time for deliberation, and to con ult the ab -·ent 1nembers of their different orders." Brabacon, after ad vi ~ ing with the king, con. cnted that they ·hould have time until the following day, and no longer. They in i t c1 on further c1eby, and showed such a determined spirit of r ~i. ·tan ·e, that tbeir reque ~ t wa granted; and the fh·.~t day of ,June following wa fixed for the ceremony of the r ecognition. Br~1 bacon allowed them to depart; and a copy of hi~ paper, containing the proof: of the alleged superion"ty and direct dvnu"nion of the Engli. h kings over Scotland, wa., put in to their hand'lie then returned to the ·outh, where hi.~ prc ~en ·e wns required to as 'i ~ t in the ad mini tration of j u Lice, leaving the Chancellor Burne! to complete the tTansaction. Although A. D. 1291.] ROGER LE BRABACON. 45 the body of the Scottish nobles, as well as the body of the Scottish people, would resolutely have ·with Loocl the demand, the competitors for the throne, in the hope · of gniniug Edward' - favor, ucce. ively acknowledg(~ cl hi111 a· their liege lord, and their example wa.' followed by ahnost the whole of tho.-e who then con, titutell the '<"ott i:'h Parliament.* Bruce afterward pleaded hi ' own cau:c with grrai dexterity, and n1any ·uppo. eel that he would ,'UCCL'('Ll. Upon the doctrine of ~representatt"on, which is f~uniliar to u~, Buliol seems clearly to have the better claim, a· he was de ·cendcd fr01n tbe eldet:it da.ughter of the Earl of Iluntinguon : but Bruce wa one degree nearer the common . tock ; and this doctrine, which was not then :finnly e tabli hcd, had never been applieu to the de:)cent of the crown. vVhcn l~clward I. dctennined in f~tvor of Baliol, inOuenced probably les · by the arg Uine nt in his favor than by the consideration that from the w )akness of his character he was likely to be a lnore suunlis ive Yas-. al, R obert de Tint com.plained bitterly that he wn~ wronged, and resolutely refu cd io acknowledge the title of his rival. lie rctir cl in di::;gust to his ca tlc of Loclunabcn, where he died in N ove1nber, l295. "'\Vhile resident in England, he had married I abel, daughter of Gilbert de Clare, Earl of Gloucester, by whom he had , (~vera! son ~ . Robert, the on of Robert the eldest, became Robert I. of Scotland, ru1cl one of the O'reatc t of h eroes. "'\Vhen judgn1ent had been given in favor of Baliol, Brab.lcon wa still employed to as. ist in the plan which ha<l been * Just like our northern candidates for the presidency, and the doughface politicians who contrive to get chosen to Congress by northern constituencies, whose rights they then barter away and betray.- Ed. |