that reason, and also because it was known that Parliaments were called only to get money grants, both members and people had but little love for them.
6. War with Scotland.—From these reforms and changes which concerned England alone, we must now turn away to Edward’s dealings with Scotland. In 1286, Alexander III., king of Scotland, fell over a precipice and was killed. His grand-child, Margaret, daughter of the king of Norway, was his nearest heir. This little maid was going to Scotland to be made queen, when she died, and the throne was left vacant. There were many claimants among the late king’s relations, those having the best claim being John Balliol and Robert Bruce. The Scotch lords could not agree upon a king, and asked Edward to decide. The English kings always claimed to have the supremacy over the Scotch kings; but this claim was not always allowed. Before Edward would consent to decide who should be king, he called the Scotch Parliament together at Norham, near the border, and made them promise that whoever should be chosen, should give him homage as the feudal lord of Scotland. He then decided in favor of Balliol, who did homage to Edward, and became king of Scotland. Edward was an exacting lord, and wished to have cases, which had been tried before Scotch courts, taken to English courts for final settlement, and this demand the Scotch resented. Very soon Balliol found his position very unpleasant, and taking advantage of a war going on in France between Edward and the French king, threw off Edward’s yoke, crossed the border, and ravaged Cumberland.
Edward was now very angry, and marching north with a large force, stormed Berwick, and massacred its inhabitants. He then seized Edinburgh, Stirling, Perth, and Montrose. At Montrose, he took Balliol prisoner, and then appointed an English Council to govern in his stead. To humble the Scotch still more he carried off to England the crown jewels, and the “sacred stone,” on which the Scotch kings were wont to be crowned at Scone. This stone, it was said, was the very stone on which Jacob had rested his head at Bethel, when he saw the angels ascending and descending the ladder from heaven. The stone was put into the seat of the royal chair at Westminster Abbey, and on it kings and queens have been crowned to this day. Wherever this stone went, according to a
