A.T. 1291. THE OBJOTATIOHOF THE E3K0 OE BCOTLAITD. 487 that most strongly fortified city of Acre, which was situated near the coast, on the borders of the Holy Land. Alas ! for a grief more lamentable than the groans of Jeremiah the prophet. He lamented in sad dirges the destruction of the old Jerusalem, which was a refuge only to proselytes and Jews. But Acre was a singular place of protection to all nations who were subject to the laws of the orthodox faith, and who came from distant countries to avenge the injuries inflicted on their Creator, who had watered with his own blood the land of promise which belonged by hereditary right to those his sons who were distinguished by his own name. The ordination of the king of Scotland. The same year, on the Tuesday next after the Ascension of the Lord, Florence, count of Holland, Robert de Bruce, John de Balliol, John de Hastingee, John Comyn, Patrick de Dunbar, John de Vesci, Nicholas de Seules, and William de Ros, each of them claiming and demanding a hereditary right to the kingdom of Scotland, by unanimous consent voluntarily and harmoniously submitted their claims to the jurisdiction, decision, and sentence of the lord Edward, the illustrious king of England, as the superior lord of the aforesaid kingdom of Scotland, in the following form :— " Edward, by the grace of God, king of England, &c. to his beloved in Christ, the prior and convent of Merton, sendeth greeting. We send to you, under the seal of our exchequer, appended to this present letter, a copy of some letters which are deposited in our treasury, according to the following tenor :— "To 1 all these who shall see or hear this present letter, Florence, count of Holland, Robert de Bruce, lord of Annan dale, John Balliol, lord of Gal way, John de Hastinges, lord of Abergavenny, John Comyn, lord of Badenoch, Patrick of Dun bar, count de la Marche, John de Yescy, on the part of his father, Nichol de Seules, and William de Ros, with health in God : As we consider that we have a right to the kingdom of Scotland, and as we think fit to prove, challenge, and assert this right before him who has the greatest power, jurisdiction, and reason to try our right, and as the noble prince, sire Ed 1 This and the next letter are in old French in the Chronicle, and the translation is also given in Latin.