MARGARET 0Γ FRANCE, limi ÊttttE nî iìiniitrìi φ fmï. CnAPTEK I, Edward's widowhood—Disputed succession io the Scottish crown—The States acknowledge Edward's superiority, and appoint him their arbitrator—Pleadings of the claimants—Decision in favour of Ballai—He accepts ihecrown as Edward's vassa, —Edward endeavours to crush the Scotch by tyranny—Quarrel with France—Its cause—Edward cited to appear before Philip—Be falls in love with Planche la Belle—Is contracted to her—Endeavours to mediate a peace—Is swindled out of Gascony—Cheated out of his betrothed—In a marriage agreement, Margaret of France named in her stead—War ensues—Rebellion of the Welch suppressed—The Scotch defeated—Baliol deposed—The regalia of Scotland brought to England— Edward raises money toprosecute the war on the continent—His extortions resisted —Parliament obtains the right of raising the supplies—His doings in Flanders— War with Scotland—William Wallace—Edward overcomes the Scots—Returns to London in triumph—The Pope arranges a peace with France, *^^fcjfë$£%t' ROM the periodwhen entries that occur in the State rolls, the WBf&Èfi Lleanora of Castile Wardrobe accounts, and other manu yWi^W^isM 'was consigned to script records of the era—documents of the tomb, nine years unquestionable authenticity, but which, passed away ere Eduntil a comparatively recent period, have ward the First again mouldered in the neglected dust of the entered the married archives of England. In truth, Edward state. According to sought and found solace from his sorrow the contemporary chroniclers, the proin the council of state and the turmoil trac ted widowhood of the active, energetic of battle. To his towering ambition Edward was a truly forlorn and wretched and daring chivalric energies, the at one. This,however, maybe questioned. tempt to subjugate Scotland and a war That for a period he felt severely the with France, afforded busy occupation; loss of his "dear Queen," is not to be and as it is well to weave through this doubted; but that he moped, mourned, volume an unbroken thread of history, and continued miserably melancholy we will commence these memoirs with a from the hour of her death until he again sketch of the leading events that occuentered the holy pale of matrimony, is pied the attention of Edward the First neither probable nor consonant with the during the period of his widowhood,