ward, by the grace of God king of England, proves to us by good and sufficient reasons that the sovereign lordship of the aforesaid kingdom of Scotland, and the right of jurisdiction to hear, and try, and decide our right belongs to him : We, o f our own will, without any kind of force or distress, do consent, concede, and allow to receive our right of and from him, aa sovereign lord of the country. And we do consent for ever, and promise that we will hold and keep as firm and stable this his décision, and that he shall give the kingdom to him who shall best establish his right before him. In testimony of this, we have set our seals to this writing. Done and given at Norham, on the Tuesday next after the Ascension, in the year of grace twelve hundred and ninety-one." " To all those who shall see or hear this present letter : Florence, count of Holland, Robert de Bruce, lord of Annandale, John Balliol, lord of Galway, John de Hastinges, lord of Abergavenny, John Comyn, lord of Badenoch, Patrick de Dunbar, count de la Marche, John deVescy, for his father, Nichol de Seules, and William de Ros, with health in God. We have conceded and granted of our own free will, and by an assent given without any distress, to the noble prince, sire Edward, by the grace of God king of England, that he, as sovereign lord of the land of Scotland, may weigh, try, and decide our challenges and our claims which we pretend to prove and assert in support of our right to the kingdom of Scotland ; and we are ready to receive it from him, as sovereign lord of the country ; promising for ever that his act and deed shall be and shall remain firm and stable, and that he shall assign thè kingdom to him who shall establish his right before him. But since the aforesaid king of England cannot in any manner take cognisance of our claims, nor come to a decision without a judicial investigation, and as judgment ought not to be without execution, and as execution cannot be duly done without possession and seisin of the aforesaid land and castles : we do consent, concede, and allow that he, as sovereign lord, in order to perform the actions aforesaid, shall have seisin of all the lands and castles of Scotland, in order that right may be done and performed to the petitioners, in such a manner as shall seem fit to him; on condition, however, that before seisin of these lands and castles is given him, he shall give just and sufficient security to the claimants and to the guardiane and commonalty of the kingàom of Scotland, that he will restore