olemnly crowned at Scone in
the month of September, 1332, fondly imagining that he had permanently
conquered the patriotic Scottish nobles who had opposed him. His
reign, however, only lasted for a few months. The leaders of the
national party suddenly assembled a force, and attacked him, while he
was feasting at Annan, in Dumfriesshire, where he had gone to keep his
Christmas. A body of horse under Sir Archibald, the young Earl of
Moray, and Sir Simon Fraser, made a dash into the town to surprise
Balliol, and he escaped only by springing upon a horse without any
saddle, leaving behind him his brother Henry slain. Balliol escaped to
England and was kindly received by Edward III., who afterwards made
fresh expeditions into Scotland to support him. "Whenever the English
king appeared the Scots retired to their mountain fastnesses, while
Edward and his army overran the country with little opposition, burnt
the houses, and laid waste the lands of those whom he styled rebels;
but whenever he returned to England they came forth again, only the
more embittered against the contemptible minion of the English king,
the more determined against the tyranny of England. The regent, Sir
Andrew Murray, pursued, with untiring activity, Balliol and his
adherents. When Edward marched homeward to spend in London the
Christmas of 1336, he left Scotland to all appearance prostrate, and
flattered himself that it was completely subdued. Never was it further
from such a condition. Only one spirit animated the Scottish
nation--that of eternal resistance to the monarch who had inflicted on
it such calamities, and set a slave on its throne."[23]

COTTAGE CHRISTMAS-KEEPING IN THE FOURTEENTH CENTURY.

At this period the greatest of the Bishops of Winchester, William of
Wykeham, was a schoolboy. He was born of humble parents, educated at
Winchester school, and afterwards became secretary to Uvedale, Lord of
Wickham Manor, through whom he was introduced to King Edward III. In
his interesting "Story of the Boyhood of William of Wykeham," the Rev.
W. A. C. Chevalier thus pictures William's Christmas holidays:--

"Three days after William's arrival home was Christmas-eve. There were
great preparations in the cottage for spending Christmas worthily, for
if there was one thing more than another that John Longe believed in,
it was the proper keeping of Christmas. It was a part of the worthy
yeoman's faith. He was a humble and thorough believer in all th