Do not distress yourself, lady! I think the chances are but small.
Sir William will have to dispose of Robert Bruce first!
But you are to be slain, Sire. It is all plotted. He says that the Pope has accepted your letter. The great letter of Arbroath. And has agreed to recall his excommunication and to urge a peace upon the English. He is sending a messenger, an envoy-I mind not what they call them-to Berwick. To have a truce signed, preparatory to peace.
Before yourself and the King of England… I faith-de Soulis is
well informed! I myself but learned of this a week past. The coming of this nuncio.
He learned it from the King of England, Sire. I told you, he serves England. On your way to Berwick, for this, you will be attacked and slain. In the Pease Dean, where the hills come down to the sea. It is all arranged for. Men chosen …
Robert-the shame of it! The foul and filthy shame!
Elizabeth exclaimed, coming to grasp his arm.
Oh, my dear -that men, your own men like these, should be so vile!
Aye. Shame, indeed. De Soulis never loved me. He was ever my brothers man, not mine. But these others-David Brechin, Logic, Maxwell, Barclay, Graham-Graham whose father died gallantly fighting the English at Dunbar! The King shook his head.
What is this evil of treachery, this canker that ever and anon grows in the heart of this people? He drew himself up and pointed at the Countess.
And you, madam! You say this was all plotted. For long. You must have known of it, in part. The grasp for the throne.
To be so advanced, it must have been plotted for long. Yet only now do you come to me! Because because you are no longer to be the Queen! This is the worth of your loyalty?
Joanna of Strathearn shook her head, wordless.
Very well. Is there aught else that I should know, woman? No?
Then you have my permission to retire. Go. I shall not thank you for what you have done, I think! Remain meantime in this house.
But-keep out of my sight! Now-I want Walter Stewart…
When the Steward came pounding down the stairs, Bruce was calm, specific, but harsh.
Walter-there is a plot against my life and crown. William de Soulis. At Berwick. I want him. I want him taken, forthwith and brought in custody. For trial. This parliament called for Scone, on the 4th of August. Twelve days hence. I want him there, to stand trial, before all. And not only he. I want David Brechin, John Logic, Walter Barclay, Eustace Maxwell, Patrick Graham, and so many others as are in their fell company. A large party. Therefore you will need many men. Go to Douglas, Warden of the Marches.
At Roxburgh. Berwick is his responsibility, de Soulis governor under him. He will aid you. It is understood?
By the Massa plot! Against Your Grace? I will not believe it, cannot conceive it…
You are not asked to believe it, man! But do as I command.
Forthwith. You have the names? Soulis, Brechin, Logic, Barclay, Maxwell, Graham. And all such others as may be implicated. I want all such before parliament at Scone, twelve days hence. But be discreet about it, Walter. I do not want any to get word that their schemes are known, and escape over the Border into England.
See to it…
And so there was another great assembly in the refectory of another great abbey, in slightly smaller hall if more ancient, Scone of the Moot-hill and the Stone of Destiny, dynastic heart of Scotland, on the 4th of August 1320. Again it was hugely attended, since this parliament was to hear, consider and pronounce upon the holdings and titles of lands in dispute. But before this judging, another was thrust unexpectedly upon the delegates.
Trial before parliament was quite a normal procedure, for treason, where the accused could be assured of a fair hearing and not be at the mercy of the Crown-although sentence on any condemned was usually left to the Crown. The King presided, but he seldom took any active part in the proceedings, content to leave all to his officers. The accused spoke for themselves and could attempt to sway the assembly as best they might.
On this occasion those in charge were distinctly surprised that there was little or no attempt by the prisoners to excuse themselves, or even to seek support and sympathy. All the principals to the plot had been captured and were present, save for one who had been implicated later, and then had been found to be seriously ill at his own house of Methven, not far away-the same Sir Roger Moubray who had betrayed Bruce at the Battle of Methven soon after his coronation. Also the Countess of Stratheam was not present; her attendance would have been off-putting and unsuitable; and fortunately, her evidence was not necessary.
The fact was, William de Soulis had confessed readily enough to the entire indictment. He was ever a fiercely proud man, and found it beneath his dignity, once things had gone unredeemably wrong, to deny, argue or plead. Throughout the hearing at Scone he kept a lordly silence. The others in some measure took their cue from him, as leader-although Sir Gilbert de Malherbe, Lord of Dunipace, always a shifty character, broke down after a bit and disgraced the knightly code, shouting and beseeching wildly, to the distaste and embarrassment of all present, his co-defendants in particular.
David de Brechin, around whom most interest centred, as the Kings nephew and because of the esteem in which he was held for gallantry on Crusade as on games-field and tourney-ground, contended briefly that he had taken no part in the conspiracy;
but admitted that he had known of it and had taken no steps to
controvert it. There was some sympathy for a fine and handsome young man led astray-until it was revealed that he had in fact been in English pay for years, whereupon all turned against him and his fate was sealed. Maxwell, Barclay and Graham all strenuously denied any involvement in the plot. All they admitted was that they were friends of de Soulis, and had been approached, in some fashion, to take part in a protest against the Kings policy on the assize of lands; but none knew of any plan to kill or replace the monarch. De Logic, and a Liddesdale esquire named Richard Broun, who was said to have acted as principal go-between, maintained only a rigid silence.
So, much more quickly than might have been expected, the thing was over. Maxwell, Barclay and Graham were acquitted.
The rest, including the absent Moubray, were found guilty, and worthy of death, the accepted penalty for high treason, and turned over formally to the King, for sentence at his pleasure. Then, relievedly, the parliament moved to the next business.
This was an announcement by the Chancellor of the reported comparatively favourable reaction of the Pope to the Declaration of Arbroath, and the proposed truce with England. Men heard the first with satisfaction, but the second with doubts. Truces were of little interest to the Scots, since they were so regularly and wantonly broken. But the withdrawal of the papal anathema was something different, a major success and an augury for the future.
They passed on to the vexed and prolonged business of land titles and tenures. Many had come prepared to fight the entire policy; but the conspiracy against the King, shaking all, had the effect of deflating the opposition. The difficult and controversial business went through with the minimum of trouble and delay. By such extraneous influence did a major land reform go through.
Later, with time unexpectedly to spare, Bruce called a Privy Council, to aid him decide on the sentences to be imposed. The decision had to be his own, however.
By common consent, all waited for William Lamberton, the senior of the Lords Spiritual, to answer the Kings question first.
He shook his head.
In sorrow I must say it, Sire. But for the weal of the realm, and the
security of our nation, there can be but one due decision. All should