III. Letter from Sir Francis Palgrave, K.H., F.R.S., to Hudson Gurney, Esq. V.P. upon Three Documents of the Reign of Edward I. preserved among the Exchequer Records at Westminster, relating to Scottish Prisoners

Amongst the documents relating to Scotland of the reign of Edward I. Rymer has printed one (new edition, vol. i. p. 994) to which he gives the following title: “Instrumentum continens nomina plurimorum nobilium Scotiæ fautorum Roberti de Brus qui missi sunt ad diversa castra in Angliam,” including, amongst the mandates for the custody of other prisoners, the well-known order directing the confinement of the Countess of Buchan in a cage at Berwick, and which instrument is quoted by Rymer as being in this repository. I do not, however, find amongst the muniments any one such instrument; but, instead thereof, there are three distinct documents, apparently Orders made by the King in Council, and in which, the several directions for the modes of disposing of these captives were from time to time varied and altered, and in a manner highly deserving of attention. The document given by Rymer, is in fact an instrument framed by him by a consolidation of these orders, not distinguishing where one begins and another ends; and in this process, he has concealed the most remarkable features, namely, the modifications which the orders sustained in their different stages. The documents are all intended for publication by his Majesty's Commissioners on the Public Records, in the volume which is to contain the inedited Scottish documents; but, in the mean while, I trust that a summary of some of the particulars which they disclose, will not be unacceptable to this Society.