37. Edward said Baliol ought to be king, and he was crowned accordingly; but the English monarch soon began to find fault with him, and at last went to war, for he made up his mind to try to unite England and Scotland into one kingdom, and to be the king of both countries himself; but he did not succeed, although he dethroned Baliol, and was at war with Scotland for nearly eleven years. 38. I dare say you have heard of a renowned Scottish chief, called Sir William Wallace. He fought bravely for his country in these wars, but he was taken prisoner at the battle of Falkirk; and, I am sorry to say, king Edward was so cruel and unjust as to have his head cut off. 39. But this did not put an end to the war, for another chief, Robert Bruce, grandson of him before-mentioned, took the place of Wallace, gained several victories, and was crowned king. 40. The two sovereigns then prepared for a long war, and Edward was on his way to Scotland, with his army, when he was taken ill, and died in the year 1307, having reigned thirty-four years. 41. His son, Edward the Second, was so careless of every thing but his own pleasure, that he neglected the affairs of both England and Scotland, so that the Scots recovered all they had lost; and when, at last, the king was persuaded to renew the war, he met with such a terrible defeat at the battle of Bannockburn, that the Scots are proud of it to this very day. 42. There is nothing more worth telling about the reign of Edward the Second, whose misconduct caused many of the barons to rebel, and he was, at last, made prisoner by them, and cruelly murdered, in Berkeley castle, in 1327, having reigned about twenty years. 43. His son, Edward the Third, was scarcely fifteen, at the time of his father’s death; but he was a very clever prince, and soon began to manage the affairs of the country himself. 44. He married a Flemish princess, named Philippa, who was much beloved by the English people, as, indeed, she deserved to be, for she was both good and beautiful, as well as one of the cleverest ladies of her time, and she employed her talents in doing all the good she could for England. 45. She knew that the people of her own country, which was Flanders, had grown rich by their trade and manufactures, so she did all in her power to increase the trade of England, and paid a number of Flemish weavers to come over here and settle at Norwich, that they might improve the people there, in the art of making woollen cloth and stuffs, for which a manufactory had been established by Edward the First. 46. She also founded several schools, and was a friend to those who distinguished themselves by their learning. 47. I must not forget to tell you that Chaucer, the first great poet that wrote in English, lived at this time, and received much kindness from the king and queen.