The Chronicles of Sir John Froissart

Chapter XXXIII

David, king of Scotland, forms an alliance with Philip, king of France

About this time, the young king David of Scotland, a great part of whose kingdom was seized by the English, which he could not recover from the power of the king of England, quitted Scotland, with the queen and a few of his followers. They arrived at Boulougne, and thence came to Paris, where the king magnificently received them, gave them one of his castles to reside in as long as they chose, and supplied them with money for their expenses, upon the condition that the king of Scotland would never make peace with the king of England but with his consent; for the king of France knew well that king Edward was taking every measure to make war upon him.¹ The king of France detained the king and queen of Scotland a long time; they had everything they wanted delivered to them, for but little came from Scotland to support their state. He sent also ambassadors to those lords and barons who had remained in Scotland, and were carrying on the war against the English garrisons, offering them assistance, if they would not consent to any pacification or truce without his approbation, and that of their king, who had already promised and sworn the same thing.

The Scottish lords assembled, held a conference on the subject, agreed most willingly to this request, and sealed and swore to what their king had promised. Thus was this alliance first formed between the kings of France and Scotland, which lasted for many years. The king of France sent men at arms into Scotland to carry on the war, under the command of the lord Arnold d'Andreghen, afterward marshal of France, the lord Garencieres, and many other knights and esquires. King Philip imagined that the Scots would find the English too much employment at home, for them to be able to cross the sea; or if they did, at all events in too small numbers to hurt or molest him.

Notes:

1: "In such circumstances it became necessary to provide a place of refuge for the young king and his consort; Malcolm Fleming found means to convey them from the castle of Dunbarton into France, where they were honourably entertained."

"Whether David II was conveyed into France, after the battle of Duplin, in 1332, or after the battle of Halidon, 1333, is a question of little importance. Our later authors have decided in favour of 1333, and not without plausible reasons: the chief is, that Balloil, the 23rd of November, offered to marry Johanna, the infant consort of David Bruce; Foed. tom. iv. pp. 536-539; which he would not have done, had she been conveyed immediately after the battle of Duplin, 12th August, 1332. This is a more specious argument that any thing drawn from the Chronicle of Froissart, where dates and facts are strangely misplaced and confounded, as the manner is in colloquial history." - Lord Hailes' Annals.

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