Scotland under her early kings, Volume 1 (of 2) : $b a history of the kingdom to the close of the thirteenth centuryRobertson, Eben William
History
Scotland under her early kings, Volume 1 (of 2) : $b a history of the kingdom to the close of the thirteenth century
Robertson, Eben William
Scotland -- History -- To 1603
Immediately after the conclusion of the ceremony at York, Henry granted
license to William to march an army into Galloway, empowering him to
seek out and seize the murderer, and bring him before the court of his
liege lord for punishment.[427] Gilbert submitted without resistance;
and, in the autumn of the following year, William again presented
himself at the court of Henry, [Sidenote: A. D. 1176.] with the lord
of Galloway in his suite; but a fine seems to have been considered as
a sufficient atonement for fratricide, and, upon the 9th of October,
Gilbert swore fealty to the English king, giving up his eldest son
Duncan as a hostage for his allegiance, and purchasing the royal favour
at the price of a thousand marks of silver. No sooner had he returned
to his principality than, driving out of the province all who were
not of native origin, he denounced the penalty of death against every
true-born Galwegian who dared to acknowledge that he held his lands
of the king of Scots. His hatred against William was intense, and as
no fear ever seems to have crossed his mind that he might forfeit the
newly acquired favour of Henry by hostilities against his subject and
ally, until the day of his death the Galwegian prince never omitted
an opportunity of harassing and plundering the neighbouring provinces
of Scotland; nor did his estimate of Henry’s character prove to be
incorrect.[428]
Few kings who lived in that age were fortunate enough to escape a
collision with the Church of Rome, nor was William destined to be
amongst the number. His quarrel with Pope Alexander III. arose out
of a dispute connected with the bishopric of St. Andrews. Upon the
death of Bishop Richard in 1178 the chapter elected John Scot to
the vacant see; but the king, who had destined the bishopric for
his own confessor Hugh, and was not accustomed to be dictated to in
matters of church patronage, ordered his nominee to be installed and
consecrated by the Scottish bishops, [Sidenote: A. D. 1180.] whilst
the pope, espousing the opposite side, commissioned his legate, the
sub-deacon Alexis, to consecrate John. Yielding to the advice of his
clergy, William offered no opposition to this proceeding, but he swore
by the arm of St. James--his favourite oath--that the same kingdom
should not hold himself and John Scot, and after the conclusion of
the ceremony he effectually frustrated the intentions of the pope
by banishing John, with his uncle Matthew, bishop of Aberdeen, and
all his relations, from the country. Alexander, highly exasperated,
retaliated by threatening to extinguish the liberties of the Scottish
Church which he had hitherto protected, and he engaged the king of
England to interfere in his behalf, conferring the office of legate for
Scotland upon the archbishop of York, and authorizing that prelate to
excommunicate William, and to lay his dominions under an interdict if
he still persisted in his determination. [Sidenote: A. D. 1181.] It was
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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