14 THE HISTORY OF him, (pretending to be the protector of Robert Bruce's right) he fent prifoners to London. Having inthis caftle intercepted divers of John Cumming’s friends, he procured them to draw him to a parley with him; in which he fo blinded him with the hopes of the king- dom, and with fear of utter undoing, that he joined him- felf and his friends to the Englifh ; who, by this accef- fion,eafily paffed forward with the courfe of victory, as far as the utmoft bounds of Rofs: and in his back com- ing, carried away with him into England all books, regi- fters, hiftories, laws, and monuments of the kingdom : and among others, the fatal marble chair, where upon the former Scots Kings ufed to be crowned at Scoon, on which was engraven a prophecy,bearing,‘That where- ever this chair fhould be tranfported, the Scots fhould command there.’ He carried alfo with him all the learned men and profeffors of Scotland, among others the famous Doctor John Duns, furnamed Scotus, thinking thereby to difcourage and effeminate the minds of the Scots, that they fhould caft off all care of recovering their liberty, the memory thereof being drowned in oblivion. At his return into England, he left his coufin, Sir Aymer Vallance, carl of Pembroke, viceroy, having fortified all the caftles with ftrong gar- rifons. The Scots who flood for the liberty of their country, being forfaken by John Cumming, fent earneft, letters to France to move Wallace to return. He was then mak- ing war upon the Englifh in Guienne; but hearing the mifchiefs of his country, he obtained leave of the French king to return; and fecretly gathering fome of his old friends, recovered divers caftles and towns in the north, and having greatly increafed his army, be- fieged St. Johnftoun, till it furrendered. But as he proceeded in the courfe of his victories, he was betray- ed by his familiar friend, Sir John Monteith, to Ay- mer de Vallance, who fent him into England, where, by king Edward’s command, he was put to death, and his body quartered, and fent into the principal cities of Scotland, to be fet up for a terror to others. Notwithftanding, this cruelty prevailed little for the affuring of king Edward’s conqueft; new enemies ari-
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