“(7 Edw. 2.) De ducendo Elizabetham uxorem Roberti de Brus,
    usque ad Castrum Rossense.

“Mandatum est Vicecomitibus London quod Elizabetham.  Uxorem Roberti de Brus, quae cum Abbatissa de Berkyngg’ stetit per aliquot tempus, de mandato Regis, ab cadem Abbatissa sine dilatione recipiant, eam usque Ross’ duci sub salva custodia faciant, Henrico de Cobeham, Constabulario Castri Regis ibidem per Indenturam, inde faciendam inter ipsos, liberandam; et hoc nullatenus omittant.

      “Teste Rege, apud Westm. xii. die Martii,
                              “Per ipsum Regem.

“Et mandatum est praefatae Abbatissae, quod praefatam Elizabetham, quam nuper, de mandato Regis, admisit in domo sua de Berkyng’ quousque Rex aliud inde ordinasset, moraturam, sine dilatione deliberet praefatis Vicecomitibus, ducendam pront eis per Regem plenius est injunctum, et hoc nullatenus omittat.

      “Teste Rege ut supra,
          “Per ipsum Regem.

“Et mandatum est dicto Henrico, Constabulario Castri Regis praedicti, quod ipsam Elizabetham de praedictis Vicecomitibus, per Indenturam hujus modi, recipiat, et ci cameram, infra dictum Castrum competentem pro mora sua assignari: 

    “Et viginti solidos, de exitibus Ballivae suae, ei per singulas
    septimanas, quamdiu ibidem moram fecerit, pro expensis suis,
    liberari faciat: 

“Eamque, infra Castrum praedictum, et infra Prioratum Sancti
Andreae ibidem, opportunis temporibus spatiari sub salva custodia
(ita quod securus sit de corpore suo), permittat: 

“Et Rex ei de praedictis viginti solidis, praefatae Elizabethae
singulis septimanis liberandis, debitam allocationem, in compoto
suo ad Scaccarium Regis, fieri faciet.

“Teste ut supra,
“Per ipsum Regem.”

But the day of deliverance was close at hand:  the battle of Bannockburn, so fatal to the English, was fought on the 24th June; and on the 2nd of October the Constable of Rochester Castle is commanded to conduct the wife, sister, and daughter of Robert Bruce to Carlisle (usque Karliolum), where an exchange of prisoners was made.  Old Hector Boece, who, if Erasmus can be trusted, “knew not to lie,” informs us, that “King Robertis wife, quhilk was hald in viii. yeris afore in Ingland, was interchangeit with ane duk of Ingland"[3] [Humphrey de Bohun, Earl of Hereford].  And the aforesaid Barbour celebrates their restoration in the following lines:—­

   “Quhill at the last they tretyt sua,
    That he[4] till Inglond hame suld ga,
    For owtyn paying of ransoune, fre;
    And that for him suld changyt be
    Byschap Robert[5] that blynd was mad;
    And the Queyne, that thai takyn had
    In presoune, as befor said I;
    And hyr douchtre dame Marjory. 
    The Erle was changyt for thir thre.”

W.B.  Rye.