f Wales, but that the two kingdoms should remain
absolutely independent of one another. Unfortunately, the Maid of
Norway, as the child was called, died on her way to Scotland, and this
plan for establishing friendly relations between the two countries
came to naught. If it had succeeded three centuries of war and misery
might possibly have been avoided.

8. =Death of Eleanor of Castile. 1290.=--Another death, which happened
in the same year, brought sorrow into Edward's domestic life. His wife
Eleanor died in November. The corpse was brought for burial from
Lincoln to Westminster, and the bereaved husband ordered the erection
of a memorial cross at each place where the body rested.

[Illustration: Effigy of Eleanor of Castile, queen of Edward I., in
Westminster Abbey.]

9. =The Award of Norham. 1291--1292.=--Edward, sorrowing as he was,
was unable to neglect the affairs of State. On the death of the Maid
of Norway there was a large number of claimants to the Scottish crown.
The hereditary principle, which had long before been adopted in regard
to the succession to landed property, was gradually being adopted in
most kingdoms in regard to the succession to the crown. There were
still, however, differences of opinion as to the manner in which
hereditary succession ought to be reckoned, and there were now many
claimants, of whom at least three could make out a plausible case.
David, Earl of Huntingdon, a brother of William the Lion, had left
three daughters. The grandson of the eldest daughter was John Balliol;
the son of the second was Robert Bruce; the grandson of the third was
John Hastings. Balliol maintained that he ought to succeed as being
descended from the eldest: Bruce urged that the son of a younger
daughter was nearer to the common ancestor, David, than the grandson
of the elder: whilst Hastings asked that Scotland should be divided
into three parts--according to a custom which prevailed in feudal
estates in which the holder left only daughters--amongst the
representatives of David's three daughters.[15] Every one of these
three claimants was an English baron, and Bruce held large estates in
both countries. The only escape from a desolating civil war seemed to
be to appeal to Edward's arbitration, and in =1291= Edward summoned
the Scots to meet him at Norham. He then demanded as the price of his
arbitration the acknowledgment of his position as lord paramount of
Scotland, in virtue of which the Scottish kin