BBC History UK 04.2020

Declaration of Arbroath

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Michael Brown is professor of Scottish history at

the University of St Andrews. He is the author of

The Wars of Scotland, 1214–1371 (Edinburgh, 2004)

This was no defensive

or apologetic text.

Having stated their

cause, the letter’s

authors questioned

the pope’s position

Monarch of the glen

A memorial to the battle of Glen Trool

in 1307, when Robert Bruce led the

Scots to victory against an English

army. The stone was placed in 1929 on

the 600th anniversary of Bruce’s death

in a common cause to recover the Holy

Land, which had been lost three decades

earlier. To achieve this, John sent cardinals

to proclaim a truce between England and

Scotland. While Edward II accepted it,

Robert did not.

As the papal letters did not address him as

king, Robert refused to open them. Intent on

the capture of Berwick on the English border,

he would not let the English off the hook, and

on 1 April 1318 his men took the town by

stealth. Bruce’s commander, the grimly

humorous James Douglas, joked that he

entered Berwick as happily as if he had

entered paradise. Two months later, his

chances of paradise diminished when

Douglas and his master were excommu-

nicated by Pope John. John severed the

links between the king and other

Christians, and also

suspended the duties

of the clergy in Scot-

land through an inter-

dict. These moves were

a threat to a ruler who,

be satisfied with what he has... and leave us

in peace”? If Pope John’s stubborn attitude

to Scotland persisted it would leave Christen-

dom exposed to daily attacks and “tarnish

the memory of your holiness”.

Did the declaration achieve its goal?

There was no reversal of papal policy, but the

sentences on Bruce and his kingdom were

suspended and Robert’s royal title was

employed in papal correspondence.

As a diplomatic device written by Bernard,

abbot of Arbroath, and a group of clerks in

the king’s chancery – and drawing on

classical texts and historical precedents – the

declaration can seem mundane. However,

this context should not diminish the letter.

Produced at a moment of real crisis, it con-

tains a daring argument being articulated via

powerful language.

Both the argument and language speak

beyond the events of 1320. Even if it was not

meant as a template for popular sovereignty

when it was written, it did express the idea

that the cause was not simply about the

claims and ambitions of rival rulers. The

authors saw the struggle as something bigger

and more universal. Though they spoke in

the declaration of the threat to “poor little

Scotland”, they were confident that, from

a small country, big ideas could emerge.

despite his military successes, could not be

certain of the loyalty of his subjects.

Small country, big ideas

The need to moderate the pope’s hostility

prompted a concerted response. Having

finally agreed a truce with England, in spring

1320 Robert dispatched a mission to the papal

court. His emissaries carried letters probably

from the king and clergy, and one from the

barons and community of the realm. This

last letter was the Declaration of Arbroath.

(Although the letter cited Arbroath as the place

from which it was issued, it had probably

been crafted elsewhere in the royal chancery.)

It was a text with a very specific purpose.

It laid out the justice of the Scottish cause to

a hostile audience. It also demonstrated that

it was not Robert’s individual ambition that

lay behind the struggle but the will of the

Scottish people, who would continue to fight

for their liberties even if Robert abandoned

them. This goal underpinned the passage that

captured the attention of modern readers, but

it was not the culmination of the letter.

Despite its aims, this was no

defensive or apologetic text.

Having proclaimed their own

cause, the authors proceeded to

question the pope’s position.

Why did he chastise the Scots for

their defence of their liberties

rather than “admonish and exhort

the king of England who ought to

To listen to the episode of

BBC Radio 4’s Making History that

covered the Declaration of Arbroath,

go to bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01qdvlt

Pope John XXII wanted to unite LISTEN

Christian rulers and regain the

Holy Land from the Muslims

Declaration of Arbroath

GETTY IMAGES

MichaelBrownis professorofScottishhistoryat

theUniversityofStAndrews.Heis theauthorof

The Wars of Scotland, 1214–1371(Edinburgh, 2004)

Thiswasnodefensive

orapologetictext.

Havingstatedtheir

cause,theletter’s

authorsquestioned

the pope’s position

Monarchoftheglen

A memorialto thebattleof GlenTrool

in 1307,whenRobertBruceled the

Scotsto victoryagainstan English

army.The stonewas placedin 1929on

the 600th anniversary of Bruce’s death

ina commoncausetorecovertheHoly
Land,whichhadbeenlostthreedecades
earlier.Toachievethis,Johnsentcardinals
toproclaima trucebetweenEnglandand
Scotland.WhileEdward II accepted it,
Robertdidnot.
Asthepapallettersdidnotaddresshimas
king,Robertrefusedtoopenthem.Intenton
thecaptureofBerwickontheEnglishborder,
hewouldnotlettheEnglishoffthehook,and
on1 April 1318 hismentookthetownby
stealth.Bruce’scommander,thegrimly
humorousJamesDouglas,jokedthathe
enteredBerwickashappilyasif hehad
enteredparadise.Twomonthslater,his
chancesofparadisediminishedwhen
Douglasandhismasterwereexcommu-
nicatedbyPopeJohn.Johnseveredthe
linksbetweenthekingandother
Christians,andalso
suspendedtheduties
oftheclergyinScot-
landthroughaninter-
dict.Thesemoveswere
a threat to a ruler who,

besatisfiedwithwhathehas...andleaveus

inpeace”?If PopeJohn’sstubbornattitude

toScotlandpersistedit wouldleaveChristen-

domexposedtodailyattacksand“tarnish

thememoryofyourholiness”.

Didthedeclarationachieveitsgoal?

Therewasnoreversalofpapalpolicy,butthe

sentencesonBruceandhiskingdomwere

suspendedandRobert’sroyaltitlewas

employedinpapalcorrespondence.

Asa diplomaticdevicewrittenbyBernard,

abbotofArbroath,anda groupofclerksin

theking’schancery– anddrawingon

classicaltextsandhistoricalprecedents– the

declarationcanseemmundane.However,

thiscontextshouldnotdiminishtheletter.

Producedata momentofrealcrisis,it con-

tainsa daringargument being articulated via

powerfullanguage.

Boththeargumentandlanguagespeak

beyondtheeventsof1320.Evenif it wasnot

meantasa templateforpopularsovereignty

whenit waswritten,it didexpresstheidea

thatthecausewasnotsimplyaboutthe

claimsandambitionsofrivalrulers.The

authorssawthestruggleassomethingbigger

andmoreuniversal.Thoughtheyspokein

thedeclarationofthethreatto“poorlittle

Scotland”,theywereconfidentthat,from

a small country, big ideas could emerge.

despitehismilitarysuccesses,couldnot be

certain of the loyalty of his subjects.

Smallcountry,bigideas

Theneedtomoderatethepope’shostility

prompteda concertedresponse.Having

finallyagreeda trucewithEngland,inspring

1320 Robertdispatcheda missiontothepapal

court.Hisemissariescarriedlettersprobably

fromthekingandclergy,andonefromthe

baronsandcommunityoftherealm.This

lastletterwastheDeclarationofArbroath.

(AlthoughthelettercitedArbroathastheplace

fromwhichit wasissued,it hadprobably

beencraftedelsewhereintheroyalchancery.)

It wasa textwitha veryspecificpurpose.

It laidoutthejusticeoftheScottishcauseto

a hostileaudience.It alsodemonstratedthat

it wasnotRobert’sindividualambitionthat

laybehindthestrugglebutthewillofthe

Scottishpeople,whowouldcontinuetofight

fortheirlibertiesevenif Robertabandoned

them.Thisgoalunderpinnedthepassagethat

capturedtheattentionofmodernreaders,but

it was nottheculminationoftheletter.

Despiteitsaims,thiswasno

defensiveorapologetictext.

Havingproclaimedtheirown

cause,theauthorsproceededto

questionthepope’sposition.

WhydidhechastisetheScotsfor

theirdefenceoftheirliberties

ratherthan“admonishandexhort

thekingofEngland who ought to

Tolistento theepisodeof

BBCRadio4’sMakingHistorythat

coveredtheDeclarationof Arbroath,

gotobbc.co.uk/programmes/b01qdvlt

PopeJohnXXIIwantedto unite LISTEN

Christianrulersand regainthe

Holy Land from the Muslims