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54 PARLIAMENT OF LINCOLN OF 1316 January measures for the defence of Scotland, and it responded by a grant of men and money. Contemporaries, however, were shrewd enough to see that the dominating personality was not Edward himself, but his cousin, Thomas, earl of Lancaster. Though the king himself arrived at Lincoln on 27 January, 1 the day fixed by writs issued three months before, 2 Thomas and some of his friends did not appear till 12 February. 3 Routine business only was transacted before their arrival. Afterwards, the king had to make concession upon concession. He reaffirmed his acceptance of the ordinances, stated his readiness to observe the forest perambulations of Edward I's days, and expressed his appreciation of Lancaster and other magnates of the realm. Finally, he invited Lancaster to become chief of the council, and only after delay and on definite conditions did Lancaster consent. It is significant that the chief contemporary chroniclers make no mention of the grant for the Scottish war, whereas all give prominence to the settlement with Lancaster, 4 and to. one that seemed the sole fact worthy of record. 5 The roll of the parliament, drawn up by ' William of Airmyn, clerk of the chancery of the king, specially nominated and deputed by the same king for this purpose ', 6 states that the offer was made ' die Martis proxima ante Carniprivium 7 This date was assumed to be 17 February 1316 by Palgrave in his edition of Parliamentary Writs, 8 which contains a shortened version of the roll ; by Stubbs in his Constitutional History ; 9 by Mr. Arthur Hughes in a paper on this parliament read before the Royal Historical Society ; 10 and by Mr. J. C. Davies in his book on The Baronial Opposition to Edward II. 11 Professor Tout, 12 on the contrary, takes the date to be Shrove Tuesday, 24 February. Now we know that the grant for the Scottish war was made on 20 February, 13 and that on that same day the knights and burgesses went home. 14 If Mr. Tout's date is accepted, it follows that parliament continued to sit after the departure of the commons, and that it was in their absence that ' the most stirring scenes in its history took place 15 This is not in itself improbable. 1 Exchequer Accts. 376/26. 2 16 October 1315: Pari. Writs, n. i. 152. 3 Rot. Pari. i. 350. 4 Ann. Lond., p. 237, Gesta Edw. auct. Bridl., p. 49, Vita Edw. auct. Malmcsb., p. 218, all in Chron. Edw. I and II (Rolls Series), vols, i and ii. 5 Flores Hist. (Rolls Series), p. 173. 6 Rot. Pari. i. 350. 7 Ibid. p. 351. 8 ii. ii. 175. 9 ii. 369, note (Library edition, 1880). 10 Transactions, New Series, x. 47. u p. 412. 12 The Place of Edio. II, p. 105. I3 Rot. Pari. i. 351. 14 They received expenses up to the Friday after St. Valentine's Day : Col. Close Rolls, 1313-18, pp. 326-7. 15 Op. cit., p. 105. Among these was a violent quarrel, ending in bloodshed, between