Nor were the Scottish towns of this period in any way behind the cities of the Continent. _Berwick_, the richest and the greatest, was said by a writer of the time to rival London. _Inverness_ had a great reputation for shipbuilding. A ship which was built there called forth the envy and wonder of the French nobles of that time. But this happy state of things was brought to an end by the death of the King, and the long years of war and misery that followed went far to sweep away all traces of the high state of civilization and prosperity that had been reached by the country in this, the golden age of Scottish history. CHAPTER III. STRUGGLE FOR INDEPENDENCE. _The Regency_ (1)--_the Interregnum_ (2)--_Council at Norham_ (3)--_Edward's decision_ (4)--_John_ (5)--_his coronation_ (6)--_French alliance_ (7)--_Edward's first conquest_ (8)--_English government_ (9)--_Wallace's revolt_ (10)--_surrender at Irvine_ (11)--_battle of Stirling_ (12)--_battle of Falkirk_ (13)--_capture of Wallace_ (14)--_attempted union_ (15)--_Bruce's revolt_ (16)--_his coronation_ (17)--_Edward's proposed revenge_ (18)--_Bruce's struggles_ (19)--_battle of Bannockburn_ (20)--_results of the victory_ (21)--_Bruce's comrades_ (22)--_summary_ (23). =1. Margaret, 1286-90. The Regency.=--Within a month from _Alexander's_ death the _Estates_ met at _Scone_, and appointed six regents to govern the kingdom for _Margaret_, the _Maiden of Norway_, a child of three years old, who, on the death of her grandfather Alexander, succeeded to the throne. Three of these regents were for the old kingdom, the land north of the _Scots Water_, and three for Lothian with Galloway. This division seems to show that the different tenure of these provinces was still understood and acted on. The _Scots_ of the original Celtic kingdom and the _Englishmen_ of _Lothian_ still kept aloof from one another. In the meantime _Robert Bruce_, a _Norman_ baron whose forefathers had settled in _Annandale_ in the twelfth century, made an attempt to seize the crown by force. He laid claim to it by right of his descent from _Isabella_, the second daughter of _David_ Earl of Huntingdon, brother of _William the Lion_, and appealed to _Edward the First_ of England as over-lord to support him in his supposed right. At the same time other appeals against him were made by the seven _Earls of Scotland_, by _Fraser_ bishop of St. Andrews, and by the _Community_. Edward did not encourage Bruce, but on the contrary he agreed to the proposal of the Estates that the _Lady Margaret_ should be married to his eldest son _Edward_. By the treaty of _Brigham_, in 1290, this agreement was accepted by the Clergy, Nobility, and Community of Scotland. This treaty provided that the rights and liberties of Scotland should remain untouched; that no native of Scotland was to be called on to do homage or to answer for any crime