killed with impunity, as Irish excluded from the CHAP. protection of the English law.

To check, not to reprefs, the diforders of the kingdom, was all that could be expected from the efforts of this parliament and the chief governor. Turbulence remounted to its former height in the abfence of the two great barons, Fitzjohn, head of the Geraldines, and De Burgo earl of Ulfter, who went to affift king Edward the first in his war in Scotland. Piers Gavafton, the favourite of Edward the fecond, appointed chief governor in 1308, a man of activity and fpirit, afferted the authority of government by military operations, and reduced the country for a time to a state of comparative quiet; but a ftorm seemed to be gathering on the fide of Ulfter where Richard de Burgo, affecting in oppofition to the king's vicegerent the state of an independent prince, held a court in the town of Trim, and conferred the honour of knighthood in regal ftile. The recall of Gavafton prevented the hoftilities apprehended, and Sir John Wogan, re-appointed to the government, endeavoured by the fummoning of parliaments to preferve the public peace. the haughty spirits of the barons, controlable only by fuperior force, continued ftill to agitate the nation. De Burgo, entering Thomond with an army for the enforcement of fome claims, was encountered by the Geraldines conducted by Richard de Clare, and on the total rout of his forces remained

;

But

IX.

a prisoner with the enemy. Conditions were im- 1311. posed by the victorious party, and an accommodation enfued which ended in a matrimonial alliance.

Two

IX.

CHAP. Two principals of the Geraldines, Maurice and Thomas Fitzjohn, afterwards the heads of the illuftrious houses of Defmond and Kildare, were married to two daughters of De Burgo; "and the union of these noble families," fays Leland, "feemed to promise lasting tranquillity to Ireland, at the moment when new enemies and new disorders were on the point of reducing this unhappy country to an extremity of distress beyond all its former fufferings."

СНАР,

CHA P. X.

Retrospect of the history of Scotland-Scottish intercourfe-Pictish kingdom in Ireland-Bruce's invafion-Fedlim's defection-Roderic's ufurpation Fedlim's death-Progress of Bruce -- Measures for defence-Retreat of Bruce-Hideous famineMortimer chief governor-Battle of DundalkDeath of Edward Bruce-Decline of the English in Ireland--Manners-Nefarious profecutions for forcery and herefy-Acceffion of Edward the thirdA baronial feud-War of O'Brien-Horrid cruelty -Vigour of Sir Anthony Lucy-Dishonourable peace -Palatinates-Affaffination of de Burgo.-Further

decline.

X.

Hiftory of

Scotland.

SCOTLAND, the northern part of the great island CHAP. of Britain, called Caledonia by the Romans, probably from a Celtic term fignifying woods, was found inhabited in the first century of the Chriflian era by a people of Gothic race, better known afterwards by the name of Piks or Picts, the ancestors of the modern Lowland Scots; but its more ancient inhabitants appear, from the investigations of our great antiquarian, John Pinkerton, to have been Cumraig Celts, who had been partly expelled by the Picts, partly driven into the countries of Galloway and Clydfdale. Invaded by the Romans, about the feventy-ninth year of the Chriftian era, under Julius Agricola, who advanced as far as the Grampian mountains, and afterwards vifited by other

generals,

X.

CHAP. generals, Scotland was abandoned by thofe conquerors, who thus limited their empire on that fide to the country of South Britain.

Before the dereliction of South Britain by the Romans in the beginning of the fifth century, the northern barbarians of the island, who made preda tory wars on the Roman province, were diftinguished into two nations, the Picts and Scots. The latter were Irish, who paffed into Scotland for the purpose of joining in expeditions for plunder, and fettled a colony in the country of Argyle and the neighbour. ing parts, whence are defcended the modern Highlanders. In the Saxon invafions of Britain a colony of Angles took poffeffion of the eastern parts of Scotland bordering Northumberland. The Anglic monarchy, called the kingdom of Northumberland, far the greatest of the Heptarchy, extended to the Frith of Forth, and held in fubjection the people of Strathclyde in the fouth weft,. a people of Cumraig ancestry, congenerous with the Welch. About the year 685, the Pias recovered the country as far as the Tweed, and thus reduced the Northumbrian kingdom into far narrower limits. By fome unknown events, about the year 843, Kenneth, king of the Picts, united Scotland into one kingdom, but the country affumed not this name before the beginning of the eleventh century. The transferring of the name of Scotia to North Britain, a name until then appropriated to Ireland, is fuppofed to have arisen from the vanity or affectation of the Irish clergy who were established in North Britain,

and were the fole inftructors of the people in letters CHAP. and the doctrines of christianity.

The government of Scotland, whenever, or by whatever means, reduced into one monarchy, was in fact a feudal ariftocracy, the power of the monarch being little more than nominal. The Scots, genetally in a state of amity, though fometimes at war with their English neighbours, were actuated with no extraordinary degree of antipathy toward this nation till the time of Edward the firft of England. This monarch on the deaths of Alexander the third of Scotland, and of his grand daughter and heiress, Margaret, called the maid of Norway, in 1294, taking advantage of a difputed fucceffion, endea voured to unite North Britain, under his government, into one kingdom with England. Making a temporary conqueft of the country in 1296, and twice afterward fubduing the Scots who had revolted, he would, if he had lived a few years longer, moft probably have fucceeded in a defign ultimately of great advantage to both kingdoms. But from the bloody wars of Edward, whose conqueft was left incomplete by his death at Carlisle in 1307; originated an inveterate national enmity, the cause of many fubsequent calamities. In the reign of his despicably weak fon and fucceffor, Edward the fecond, the Scots established the independence of their kingdom, under Robert Bruce, who defeated the English forces in the decifive battle of Bannockburn in 1314.

1

X.

From the proximity of the Scottish to the Irish Scottish incoasts, a mutual intercourse of their inhabitants had

tercourfe.

VOL. I.

M

naturally