Wars in Scotland and Wales

Edward I Longshanks, (1272-1307) the son of Henry III was probably the greatest warrior in English history. He came to the throne in 1272 and tried to live by the ideal of Christian Knighthood. His father died when Edward was returning from a crusade in Palestine, where he struggled bravely and achieved another truce with the Turkish Sultan. Before coming to England he stopped in Rome and paid a visit to the Pope`s court. This fact helped much and during his reign he did not have problems with the Church. Edward was loved by people. When Edward was crowned, the English organized feasts in London and they say that instead of water the fountains were filled with wine. He spent most of his life in war campaigns trying to unite England, Scotland and Wales and for some period he also had to fight against the French king. But at the same time he is known for establishing some new feudal laws and gathering the Great Council, which also known as Model Parliament (1295). Edward`s Wales wars took place (1277-1282). (The story says the Welsh believed an ancient prediction that the Prince of Wales would become the king of England when English money was round). Llywylin, the Prince of Wales, refused to swear loyalty to Edward and Edward started the campaign. It continued for several years and in turn the king and the prince won, though Edward was more successful. Edward captured Llywylin`s bride Eleanor of Monfort and kept her in London for 2 years hoping that Llywelyn would submit to the power of England. At last the Prince of Wales and his brother David were defeated and brought to order. By the Statute of Wales (1284) the principality was annexed to the English crown. The king`s son was proclaimed Prince of Wales and since that time heirs have had this title. (There is a legend how the title was given to the king`s son. After Llewylin`s death the nobility demanded that the new leader should speak no word of English, should have no sins and be born on the Welsh soil. Edward ordered them to come in a week and when they came he showed them his newly-born son who answered their demands fully. They realized that they were deceived but agreed to receive the new Prince of Wales). Scotland was another territory, which Edward aimed at joining to England. In 1286 Alexander the king of Scots died and the throne was to go to his little granddaughter Margaret. Edward proposed to the girl to marry his little son but when the princess came to England, she died, and a sort of Civil War began in Scotland. Edward managed to submit Scotland partially and appointed a certain John Baliol the ruler. Some time later Baliol renounced his dependence on England and Edward set off to Scotland. Two most famous Scottish national heroes lived in those times. They were William Wallace and Robert Bruce. Wallace was a noble man, famous for his hatred of Englishmen. Once he killed an English officer who insulted his native Scottish pride, escaped and organized a kind of guerilla units to fight against the English. Soon he became the leader of the resistance. In 1296 he destroyed the English army in a battle in which more than 15 thousand people died. Soon after it Edward gathered a larger army and invaded Scotland again. Now it was he who won the battle of Falkirk. He cruelly suppressed the resistance and killed not only the soldiers but also villagers and town residents to prevent them from helping Wallace. Wallace escaped to the mountains where he continued to plan another wave of resistance against England. Edward was firm in his plan to catch Wallace and some years after it he was betrayed by a friend of his, brought to London, sentenced to death and then cruelly executed. The next year Robert Bruce, a Scottish aristocrat, was proclaimed king and Edward continued his struggle. He attacked Bruce and defeated his army, but did not catch the leader. Bruce fled away and Edward was preparing for the next, as he hoped final battle. He was 69, he had been reigning for 35 years but he was full of intention to yield Scotland and join it to England. He led the army but soon died in a camp. His hatred and desire to crush the Scots were so intense that before his death he ordered his son to carry his bones before the army and inspire the soldiers in this way. His son did not obey his order and buried him in Westminster Abbey. Edward I got the nickname "The Hammer of Scots".

I. Read the text, translate it into Russian.

II. Memorize the words, answer the questions: