expedition to France, so long delayed, terminated in March 1298 in a truce of two years, which was renewed in 1299 and turned into a peace in 1303. As a pledge of the arrangement Edward married Margaret, the sister of Philip, in 1299. The Scots thus lost at first the active help of their new ally. Immediately on his return Edward resumed the attack upon them, and the victory won at Falkirk in July 1298 proved his continued superiority, while it served to stimulate the national aspirations of the Scots, and, what was even more important, taught them that, if they were still to be free, they must learn to act as a united people. [Sidenote: Affairs in Scotland after the fall of Balliol. ] Wallace’s victory at Cambuskenneth had earned for him the jealousy instead of the confidence of the Scottish nobles; the defeat at Falkirk was made an excuse for declining his leadership and clinging to the shadowy royalty of the imprisoned Balliol. They chose a council of regency to govern Scotland in his name. Three regents were elected; the bishop of St. Andrew’s was one; the other two were John Comyn, lord of Badenoch, and Robert Bruce, Earl of Carrick; sons of two of the lords who had competed for the crown when Balliol was chosen. Wallace was not even named. Some small successes now fell to the Scots: in 1299 they compelled the English garrison in Stirling Castle to capitulate; in 1300 they foiled the invading army by avoiding a pitched battle, and, at the close of the campaign, obtained by the mediation of the French a truce which lasted till the summer of 1301. It was just then that Boniface VIII., had laid claim to the suzerainty of Scotland, and Edward’s time was spent during the truce in obtaining from his barons a unanimous declaration against that claim. This, as we saw, was done in the parliament of Lincoln. Although the papal argument was one to which Edward could not refuse to listen, Boniface’s influence with Archbishop Winchelsey gave him more trouble than the illusory claim. The Scottish campaign of 1301 was a repetition of that of the preceding year; Edward spent the winter in the country and built a castle at Linlithgow; and another truce was made, which lasted to the winter of 1302. [Sidenote: Campaign of Edward in Scotland. ] [Sidenote: Capture and execution of Wallace. ]