ishes and
excursions, but Edward II was a weak prince, and it seemed that the
marriage of David and the Princess Joan would bring about a permanent
peace between the two countries; but it was not to be so."

"Many of the English nobles held claims by marriage or grants upon
lands in Scotland. They had, of course, been driven from these when the
English were turned out by Bruce. By the terms of the marriage treaty
in 1328 it was agreed that they should be reinstated. It was a foolish
clause, because it was plain that the King of Scotland could not take
these lands again from the Scotch nobles who had possession of them,
many of them being well-nigh as powerful as himself. At this time Edward
Baliol, son of the great rival of Robert Bruce, was in England. He still
claimed the throne of Scotland as his right. Round him gathered a number
of the English nobles who claimed lands in Scotland. The king offered
no hindrance to the gathering of this force, for I doubt not that he
was glad to see dissension in Scotland, which might give him some such
pretext for interference as that which Edward I had seized to possess
himself of that country. At first Baliol was successful, and was crowned
at Scone, but he was presently defeated and driven out of Scotland.
The Scots now made an eruption across the frontier as a retaliation
for Edward's having permitted Baliol to gather a force here for his war
against Bruce. King Edward was on the point of starting for Ireland,
and he at once hastened north. He defeated the Scots at Halidon Hill,
captured Berwick, and placed Baliol upon the throne. Bruce fled to
France, where he was supported and encouraged by the French king."

"The ill feeling between Edward and Phillip of Valois had gone on
increasing ever since the former had been compelled to take the oath of
allegiance to the latter, but outwardly the guise of friendship was
kept up, and negotiations went on between the two courts for a marriage
between the little Prince of Wales and Joanna, daughter of the French
king."

"The aid which Phillip gave to Bruce increased the bad feeling, and
Edward retaliated for Phillip's patronage of Bruce by receiving with
the greatest honour and courtesy Robert of Artois, a great feudatory of
France, who had been banished by King Phillip. For a time, although
both countries were preparing for war, peace was not broken, as Edward's
hands were full in Scotland, where Baliol having bestowed immense
possess