Link LinkThe better to understand the honourable and eventful history of the noble king Edward of England, who was crowned in London on Christmas-day, in the year 1326, in the lifetime of the king and queen his parents, we must remark a common opinion of the English, of which there have been proofs since the time of the gallant king Arthur, that between two valiant kings of England there is always one weak in mind and body; and this is apparent in the example of the gallant king Edward, of whom I now speak; for true it is that his grandfather, called the good king Edward the First, was brave, wise, very enterprising, and fortunate in war. He was much engaged against the Scots. He conquered them three or four times without their being able to gain any advantage over him.
When he died, his son by his first marriage succeeded to the crown, but not to the understanding or prowess of his father, for he governed his kingdom very unwisely, through the evil counsels of others, the ill consequences of which he afterward suffered severely, as you will see; for soon after his coronation, Robert Bruce, king of Scotland, who had given so much and so frequent trouble to king Edward above mentioned, and who knew well his valour, reconquered all of Scotland, and took besides the good town of Berwick. He burnt and destroyed a great part of the country, four of five days march within the realm at two different times: he afterward defeated the king and all the barons of England(1), at a place in Scotland, called Sterling, in a pitched battle, when the pursuit lasted two days and two nights, and the king of England, accompanied with a few followers, fled to London. But, as this is no part of our matter, I shall here leave off.
