camp-followers, whom they
mistook for reinforcements to the enemy, spread panic through the English
host. It broke in a headlong rout. Its thousands of brilliant horsemen were
soon floundering in pits which guarded the level ground to Bruce's left, or
riding in wild haste for the border. Few however were fortunate enough to
reach it. Edward himself, with a body of five hundred knights, succeeded in
escaping to Dunbar and the sea. But the flower of his knighthood fell into
the hands of the victors, while the Irishry and the footmen were ruthlessly
cut down by the country folk as they fled. For centuries to come the rich
plunder of the English camp left its traces on the treasure-rolls and the
vestment-rolls of castle and abbey throughout the Lowlands.

[Sidenote: Fall of Lancaster]

Bannockburn left Bruce the master of Scotland: but terrible as the blow was
England could not humble herself to relinquish her claim on the Scottish
crown. Edward was eager indeed for a truce, but with equal firmness Bruce
refused all negotiation while the royal title was withheld from him and
steadily pushed on the recovery of his southern dominions. His progress was
unhindered. Bannockburn left Edward powerless, and Lancaster at the head of
the Ordainers became supreme. But it was still impossible to trust the king
or to act with him, and in the dead-lock of both parties the Scots
plundered as they would. Their ravages in the North brought shame on
England such as it had never known. At last Bruce's capture of Berwick in
the spring of 1318 forced the king to give way. The Ordinances were
formally accepted, an amnesty granted, and a small number of peers
belonging to the barons' party added to the great officers of state. Had a
statesman been at the head of the baronage the weakness of Edward might
have now been turned to good purpose. But the character of the Earl of
Lancaster seems to have fallen far beneath the greatness of his position.
Distrustful of his cousin, yet himself incapable of governing, he stood
sullenly aloof from the royal Council and the royal armies, and Edward was
able to lay his failure in recovering Berwick during the campaign of 1319
to the Earl's charge. His influence over the country was sensibly weakened;
and in this weakness the new advisers on whom the king was leaning saw a
hope of destroying his power. These were a younger and elder Hugh Le
Despenser, son and grandson of the Justiciar who had fallen beside Ea