ON Christmas-day, 1326, King Edward III. was crowned King of England, at the palace of Westminster, in the sixteenth year of his age; and about Easter in the follow

ing year, Robert Bruce, King of Scotland, sent a message of defiance to him and all his countrymen, informing them that it was his intention to enter England, and burn it as far as he had done on a former occasion, after the defeat of Stirling, in which the English suffered so much. The young King and his council, on receiving this intelligence, published it

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throughout the kingdom, and ordered that all the nobles and others, properly accoutred and accompanied, according to their different ranks, should come to York upon Ascension-day. They also sent a considerable body of men-at-arms to guard the frontiers of Scotland, and messengers to Hainault, to Sir John de Hainault, lord of that country, begging him most affectionately to assist in this undertaking, and to join them at York on Ascension-day, with as many followers as he could bring. Sir John and his company

reached York by the time appointed, and were heartily welcomed by King Edward, the Queen Isabella his mother, and all the barons. The handsomest suburbs of the city were assigned for their quarters, and Sir John and his household had the monastery of the White Friars allotted to them. I cannot tell you the names of all the valiant men who came over with Sir John de Hainault, but they were very many, not only from Hainault, but also from Flanders and Brabant. After staying a short time at York, the King issued a proclamation by his marshals, that every one should be provided, in the course of the ensuing week, with carts, tents, and all other necessaries for the march towards Scotland: and when all were properly equipped, the King and his barons left the city and encamped six leagues from it. On the third day the army dislodged, and before daybreak marched till they came to the city of Durham, at the entrance of a country called Northumberland, which is wild, full of deserts and mountains, and poor in everything except

cattle. Through it runs the river Tyne, and upon this river is situated a town, called Newcastle-upon-Tyne, where was the Lord Marshal of England with a numerous army to guard the country against the Scots.

At Carlisle was a considerable body of Welshmen, under the command of Lord Hereford and Lord Mowbray, appointed to defend the passage of the Eden, for the Scots could not enter England without crossing one of these rivers. Until they arrived at the above town, the English could get no information respecting the Scots, who had passed the river so privately, that neither the men of Carlisle nor those of Northumberland had the smallest knowledge of it. I must tell you, that the Scots are a bold and hardy race; and whenever they make an invasion into England, they march from twenty to four and twenty miles without halting, for they are all on horseback, except the camp followers. The knights and squires are well mounted on large bay horses, and the common people on small galloways. On account of the mountains, which they have to pass in Northumberland, they bring no carriages with them, neither do they carry provisions of bread or wine, for their habits of abstemiousness are such, that in time of war they will live long on halfsoddened flesh without bread, and drink river water instead of wine. They have, therefore, no occasion for pots or pans, for their custom is to dress the flesh of their cattle, in the skins after they have taken them off; and being sure to find plenty of cattle in the country which they invade, they never think of carry

ing any with them. Under the flaps of his saddle each man has a broad plate of metal, and behind his saddle a bag of oatmeal; and when they have eaten too much soddened flesh, and their stomachs appear weak, they place this plate over the fire, mix the oatmeal with water, and when the plate is heated, put a little of the paste upon it, and make a thin cake like a cracknel or biscuit, which they eat to warm them. In this manner, on the present occasion, the Scots entered England, burning and destroying wherever they went. They seized more cattle than they knew what to do with. Their army consisted of 4,000 men-atarms, knights and squires, well mounted, besides 20,000 men, bold and hardy, armed after the manner of the country, and mounted upon small hackneys that are never tied up or dressed, but immediately after a day's march are turned out to pasture on the heath or in the fields. This army was commanded by two valiant captains. The King of Scotland, who was himself a very brave man, but at the time very old and labouring under leprosy, appointed for one that gallant knight, the Earl of Moray, so renowned in arms, and the other was Sir James Douglas, esteemed the bravest and most enterprising knight in the two kingdoms.

When the English King and his host had seen the smoke of the fires which the Scots had made, an alarm was immediately sounded, and every one ordered to dislodge and follow his banners. All, therefore, withdrew to the fields armed for immediate combat. Three battalions of infantry were formed, each having two wings,

composed of five hundred men-at-arms, who were to remain on horseback. It was said that there were 8,000 men-at-arms, knights and squires, and 30,000 men armed and equipped, half of whom were mounted on small hackneys, and the other half were countrymen on foot sent by the different towns, and paid by them. There were also 24,000 archers on foot, besides all the crew of followers of the army. Thus, drawn up in battle array, they marched after the Scots, towards the place whence the smoke came, until it was night; the army then halted in a wood, by the side of a small river, to rest themselves, and wait for the coming up of their baggage and provisions.

The Scots had burnt and pillaged all the country within five miles of this spot, without the English being able to come up with them. At daybreak the next morning all were armed, and with banners displayed, marched in good order over mountains and through valleys, but still they could not come up to the Scots, for there were so many marshes and dangerous places about them, that it was ordered that no one, except the marshals, should quit his banner. When it drew towards night, the cavalry, and those who attended the baggage, more especially the infantry, were so fatigued that they could march no further.

The English lords now saw that they followed the Scots to no purpose; and that even if the Scots were willing to wait for them, they might post themselves on some mountain, or on some dangerous pass, where they could not be attacked but at extreme disadvantage.