under the seal of the
commonalty addressed to the king, the queen, and members of the king's
council praying that the courts of King's Bench and Exchequer might not be
removed from Westminster to York.(435) The removal was inconvenient to the
city merchants, whatever advantage might accrue to those dwelling in the
north of England. Negotiations between the City and the king on this
subject were protracted for some weeks; the king at length promising that
the courts should return to Westminster as soon as the country was in a
more settled state.(436)

(M263)

The campaign against the Scots brought little credit to either side, and
terminated in a treaty, the terms of which were for the most part arranged
by Mortimer and the queen-mother. One of the articles of peace stipulated
for the surrender of all proofs of the subjection of Scotland; and
accordingly the abbot of Westminster received orders to deliver up the
stone of Scone to the Sheriffs of London for transmission to Isabel, who
was in the north.(437) This the abbot refused to do--"for reasons touching
God and the church,"--without further instructions from the king and his
council.(438)

When negotiations were opened in 1363 for the union of the kingdoms of
England and Scotland, it was proposed that Edward should be crowned king
at Scone on the royal seat (_siege roial_) which he should cause to be
returned from England. These negotiations, however, fell through, and the
stone remains in Westminster Abbey to this day.(439)

The treaty which had been arranged at Edinburgh (17 March, 1328), was
afterwards confirmed by a Parliament held at Northampton, in which the
city was represented by Richard de Betoyne and Robert de Kelseye.(440)

(M264)

When the terms of this treaty of Northampton (as it was called) came to be
fully understood, the nation began to realise the measure of disgrace
which they involved, and Mortimer and the queen became the objects of
bitter hatred. Henry, Earl of Lancaster, the king's nominal guardian, had
grown weary of his false position, and of serving only as Mortimer's tool.
Determined to throw off the yoke, he refused to attend a parliament which
met at Salisbury in October (1328),(441) unless certain changes in the
government and in the king's household were first made. In the meantime,
Bishop Stratford of Winchester and Thomas, Lord Wake, two of his
supporters, had paid a visit to the city and had endeavoured to rouse the
citizens t