han the others, either thought it dangerous to admit so
many secret enemies into the kingdom, or found it difficult to wrest
from his own followers the possessions bestowed on them as the reward
of former services; and he had protracted the performance of his part of
the stipulation. The English nobles, disappointed in their expectations,
began to think of a remedy; and as their influence was great in the
north, their enmity alone, even though unsupported by the King of
England, became dangerous to the minor prince who succeeded to the
Scottish throne.

{1332.} Edward Baliol, the son of that John who was crowned king of
Scotland, had been detained some time a prisoner in England after his
father was released; but having also obtained his liberty, he went over
to France, and resided in Normandy, on his patrimonial estate in that
country, without any thoughts of reviving the claims of his family to
the crown of Scotland. His pretensions, however plausible, had been so
strenuously abjured by the Scots and rejected by the English, that he
was universally regarded as a private person; and he had been thrown
into prison on account of some private offence of which he was accused.
Lord Beaumont, a great English baron, who, in the right of his wife,
claimed the earldom of Buchan in Scotland,[**] found him in this
situation; and deeming him a proper instrument for his purpose,
made such interest with the king of France, who was not aware of the
consequences, that he recovered him his liberty, and brought him over
with him to England.

* Rymer, vol. iv. p. 384.

** Rymer, vol. iv. p. 251.

The injured nobles, possessed of such a head, began to think of
vindicating their rights by force of arms; and they applied to Edward
for his concurrence and assistance. But there were several reasons which
deterred the king from openly avowing their enterprise. In his treaty
with Scotland he had entered into a bond of twenty thousand pounds,
payable to the pope, if within four years he violated the peace; and as
the term was not yet elapsed, he dreaded the exacting of that penalty by
the sovereign pontiff, who possessed so many means of forcing princes to
make payment. He was also afraid that violence and injustice would every
where be imputed to him, if he attacked with superior force a minor
king, and a brother-in-law, whose independent title had so lately been
acknowledged by a solemn treaty. And as the regent of Scotland, on e