English defeated at Roslin
Segrave marched from Berwiok towards Edinburgh, about the beginning of Lent, with an army of twenty thousand men, chiefly consisting of cavalry, commanded by some of Edward's best leaders. Amongst these were Segrave's brothers, and Robert de Neville, a noble baron, who had been engaged with Edward in his Welsh wars. In approaching Raslin, Segrave had separated his army into three divisions; and not meeting with an enemy, each division encamped on its own ground, without having established any communication with the others. The first division was led by Segrave himself; the second probably by Ralph de Manton, called, from his office, Ralph the Cofferer; the third by Neville. Early in the morning of the 24th February, Segrave and his soldiers were slumbering in their tents, in careless security, when a boy rushed in, and called out that the enemy were upon them. The news proved true. Sir John Comyn the governor, and Sir Simon Fraser, hearing of the advance of the English, had collected a force of eight thousand horse, and marching in the night from Biggar to Roslin, surprised the enemy in their encampment. Segrave's division was entirely routed; he himself, after a severe wound, was made prisoner, along with sixteen knights, and thirty esquires; his brother and son were seized in bed, and the Scots had begun to collect the booty, and calculate on the ransom, when the second division of the English army appeared. A cruel but necessary order was given to slay theprisoners; and this having been done, the Scots immediately attacked the enemy, who, after an obstinate defence, were put to flight with much slaughter.
The capture of Ralph the Cofferer, a rich booty, and many prisoners, were the fruits of this second attack, which had scarcely concluded, when the third division, led by Sir Robert Neville, was seen in the distance. Worn out by their night-march, and fatigued by two successive attacks, the little army of the Scots thought of an immediate retreat. But this, probably, the proximity of Neville's division rendered impossible; and after again resorting to the same horrid policy of putting to death their prisoners, an obstinate conflict began, which terminated in the death of Neville, and the total defeat of his division. There occurred in this battle a striking but cruel trait of national animosity. Ralph the Cofferer had been taken prisoner by Sir Simon Fraser; and this paymaster of Edward, though a priest, like many of the ecclesiastics and bishops of those fierce times, preferred the coat of mail to the surplice. On the order being given to slay the prisoners, Sir Ralph begged his life might be spared, and promised a large ransom. "This laced hauberk is no priestly habit," observed Fraser; "where is thine albe, or thy hood! Often have you robbed us of our lawful wages, and done us grievous harm. It is now our turn to sum up the account, and exact its payment." Saying this, he first struck off the hands of the unhappy priest, and then severed his head with one blow from his body.The remains of the English army fled to Edward, in England; and the Scots, after resting from their fatigues, collected and divided their booty, and returned home.