Others, afraid of the difficulties, laid that, eon-fidering all things, as well the quantity of pro-vifion neceffary for fo large an army, as the harçllhips they would be cxpofed to in the win-ter feafon, when eroding the Cumberland njoun-tains, they might lofe more than they could gain. Thus were affairs managed. 'Xhc Englifh army returned, with the king and barons, by the way they had. entered Scotland, but not before they had deftroyed the greater part of that country. News was brought to the admiral of France that the Englifh were retreating homeward. They called a council to determine how to act, when it was refolved that, as their provifion be-gan to fail, they would return to Scotland,' for they were now in a poor country, having ruined all round Carlifle, and the lands of lord Clifford, lord Mowbray and the bifliop of Carlifle ; but the city of Carlifle they could not conquer. The French faid among themfelves, they had burnt in the bifliopricks of Durham and Carlifle more than the value of all the towns in the kingv dom of Scotland. The French and Scots marched back the.way they had come. When arrived in the low-lands, they found the whole country ruined; but the people of the country made light of it, faying, that with fix or eight flakes they would foon have new houfes, and find cattle ènow for provifion : for the . Scots had ' driven them for fecurity to the forefts. You muft; however, know, that whatever the French want-ed to buy, they were made to pay very dear tor; and 75