Bruce invades England

The towns of Hexham and Corbridge were burnt; and his army, by a forced march, surprised the opulent city of Durham during the night,slew all who resisted him, and reduced a great part of it to ashes. The castle, and the precincts of its noble cathedral withstood the efforts of the Scots, but the rest of the city was entirely sacked; and so great was the spoil, that the inhabitants of the bishoprick, dreading the repetition of sucli a visit, offered two thousand pounds to purchase a truce. The terms upon which Robert agreed to this, strongly evinced the change which had taken place in the relative position of the two countries. It was stipulated by the Scots, that they should have free ingress and egress through the county of Durham, whenever they chose to invade England; and with such terror did this proviso affect the inhabitants of the neighbouring country, that the counties of Northumberland, Cumberland, and Westmoreland, contributed each a sum of two thousand pounds to be included in the same truce.J During this invasion, Bruce established his head-quarters at Chester, while Sir James Douglas, with his veteran soldiers, who were well practised in such expeditions, pushed on, and having sacked Hartlepool, and the country round it, returned with many burgesses and their wives, whom he had made prisoners, to the main army.

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