Life of Sir William Wallace of Elderslie, Vol. 2 (of 2)Carrick, John D. (John Donald)
History
Life of Sir William Wallace of Elderslie, Vol. 2 (of 2)
Carrick, John D. (John Donald)
Wallace, William, Sir, -1305
The intentions of Edward to curtail the power of his barons, and render
them more subservient to his will, were most unequivocally displayed
in his proceedings towards Bigod, Earl of Norfolk, immediately after
his return from the conquest of Scotland. The imperious language of
the tyrant, and the bold and determined conduct of the vassal, the
reader will find narrated in the extracts from Dr Lingard, inserted
in the concluding chapter of the narrative. The plans of Edward for
the extinction of British freedom, were such as have been generally
resorted to by other despots, who have encroached upon the rights of
their subjects or neighbours. While the Scots were summoned to fight
his battles in France, the Welsh were marched to Scotland to assist in
the subjugation of that country; and had the former remained passive
under the yoke, there is every reason to believe that they would soon,
in their turn, have been employed to enforce the arbitrary measures of
the ambitious monarch upon the subjects of his native kingdom. Thus
Scotland, England and Wales, would have mutually assisted in rivetting
the fetters of each other.
E.
THE SETONS.
Page 26.
With respect to the fate of Christell of Seyton, some little inquiry
may be necessary. It is well known, that a person of his name appears
to great advantage in the history of the struggles of Bruce, and
afterwards became a martyr in his cause; of course, he could not have
been the individual mentioned in the text. It appears from various
sources, that there were three of the Seyton family, of the name of
Christell, grandfather, father, and son. If any of these were killed in
the above battle, it must have been the second, for the first, “a man
given more to devotion nor worldliness,” died in the reign of Alexander
III. As the other two were both engaged in the contest for independence
along with Wallace, the following account of them may be interesting
to the reader. It is taken from the History of the House of Seyton, by
Sir Richard Maitland of Lethington, and lately printed by the Maitland
Club, from the MS. in the Advocates’ Library.
“OFF CHRISTELL SEYTOUN,
THE SECUND OF THAT NAME.
“Christell the secund of that name succedit to Christell the first,
his father, in the tyme of Allexander the Thryd, and was ane nobill
man, and did mony gud actis aganis the Inglismen, quhen the Crowne
was desolat and in pley betuix the Bruce and the Balioll. Quhilk
Christell, quhen he micht nocht brouk the lawland of Lowthyane, quhair
was his duelling place, duelt and remainit wyth his kyn and freyndis in
Jedburgh forrest, ay awating his tyme contrare the Inglismen; and deit
in the tyme of William Wallace.”
“OFF CHRYSTELL SEYTOUN,
THE THRYD OF THAT NAME.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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