Angus aka Forfarshire, Scotland, British Isles

Chronicle of Walter of Guisborough. John (age 47), by the grace of God, King of Scotland, to all those who see or hear these present letters, greeting. Whereas we, through evil and false counsel, and by our own simplicity, have grievously offended and angered our lord, Edward, by the grace of God King of England, Lord of Ireland, and Duke of Aquitaine, in many ways, that is to say: While being and remaining under his faith and in his homage, we made an alliance with the King of France against him, who was then and still is his enemy; And we contracted a marriage with the daughter of his brother, Sir Charles; And we tried to harm our lord the King of England, aiding the King of France with all our power, by war and in other ways; And afterward, through the same evil counsel, we withdrew from our lord the King of England, renouncing his homage and fealty by formally rendering it back to him; And we sent our people into his land of England, to commit arson, to take plunder, to kill people, and to do many other damages; And in the land of Scotland, which is of his fief, we placed and established armed men in towns, castles, and other places, to defend the land against him and to deny him his rightful lordship. Because of these acts and said transgressions, our lord the King of England entered the land of Scotland by force and has taken and conquered it, despite the power we mustered against him; which he could rightfully do, as lord of his fief, since we had done him homage and yet committed the aforementioned wrongs. For which reason, we, being in our full power and free will, have rendered the land of Scotland and all its people, with all their homages, back to him. In testimony of this, we have had these our open letters made. Given at Brechin on the tenth day of July, in the fourth year of our reign [1296].¹

Johan, par la grace de Dieu, rey d'Escoce, a touz ceaux qui cestez presentz lettres verrount ou orront, saluz. Cum nous par mauveys counsaile e faus, e par nostre symplese, eioms grevousement offendu et coruce nostre seignor Edward, par la grace de Dieu roy d'Engleterre, seignour d'Yrland, et duc d'Aquitaigne, en meiutes choses; ceo est assavoir: Nous, esteant e demorant a sa feie en sun homage, de faire aliaunce au roy de Fraunce countre lui, qui dunke estoit e uncore est sun ennemy: a fere mariage ove la fille son frer sire Charles: e pur nostre seignor grevere, et le rei de Fraunce eidere e a tout nostre poer, par guerre e en altres maners: e puis, par nostre mauveis conseil avantdit, defere nostre signor le roy d'Engleterre et nous mettre hors de son homage e sa feie, par le homage rendre: e ausi noz gentz envoier en sa terre d'Engleterre, pour fere arsons, praies prendre, homicides fere, et autrez damages plusors: e la terre d'Escoce, la quele est de son fee, de gentz dez armes, en villes, chastells, et aliours mettre et estabiler pur la terre defendre encountre lui et pur son fee lui deforcier;-Por lez quelez chosez et trespasses desousdit, nostre seignor le roi d'Engleterre avantdit est en la terre d'Escoce entre, et a force lad pris e conquis, non osteant le poer que nous avons mys encontre lui; la quele chose il poet fere de dreit, com seignor de son fee, puisque nous lui avons le homage rendu et fet les choses avantditz. Pur la quele chose nous, esteant en nostre plein poer e nostre fraunche volunte, lui avoms rendu la terre d'Escoce e tout la gent ove touz lour homages. En tesmoignaunce de quele chose nous avoms fet fere cestez noz lettres overtz. Donez a Bregchine le dysme jour de Jule l'an de nostre reigne quart.

Note 1. In the Treasury of the Receipt of the Exchequer is preserved an Original Instrument, verbatim the same as the preceding document, with the exception of the date, which is as follows: "Donees a Kyncardyn le secund jour de Jul', an de nostre regue quart." i.e. "Given at Kincardine on the second day of July, in the fourth year of our reign. Rymer, Fœdera, 1.841.