=6. Coronation of John.=--John was duly crowned and enthroned on the Stone of Destiny, after which he renewed his homage to Edward, in 1292. He then summoned the Estates at _Scone_. This was the first meeting of the Estates which was called a _parliament_. John was not popular with his subjects, who looked on him as a tool in the hands of Edward. Before many months had passed _Roger Bartholomew_, a burgess of Berwick, being dissatisfied with a decision given against him in Scotland, appealed to Edward, who named a council at _Newcastle_ to hear the case. This was a direct violation of the treaty of Brigham, and Edward obliged John to sign a discharge and renunciation of this treaty and of any other document then in existence which might call in question his superiority. Another appeal was made a few months afterwards against the decision of the Estates by a Scot of the old kingdom, _Macduff_, the grand-uncle of the Earl of Fife, and this was followed by appeals respecting the lands of the houses of _Bruce_ and _Douglas_. John was summoned to appear before the Parliament of England, was voted a contumacious vassal, and commanded to give up the three principal strongholds of his kingdom into the hands of his over-lord till he should give satisfaction. =7. French Alliance.=--In 1294 war broke out between France and England, and John, with the nobles and commons of his kingdom, entered into an alliance for mutual defence with _Eric of Norway_ and _Philip of France_ against Edward. This was the beginning of the foreign policy maintained in Scotland for several centuries, until the _Reformation_, when religious sympathy got the better of national hatred, and Roman Catholic France became more dreaded than Protestant England. In compliance with this treaty a Scottish army crossed the Border and swept and wasted the northern counties.