David II the Bruce 213History(Bloomington: Indiana Universal Press, 1987);
Janet Martin, Medieval Russia, 980–1584 (Cambridge:
Cambridge University Press, 1995).
Dante Alighieri SeeALIGHIERI,DANTE.
Datini, Francesco di Marco(ca. 1335–1410)success-
ful merchant
Born at Prato about 1335, son of an obscure family of
shopkeepers, orphaned by the PLAGUE of 1348,
Francesco di Marco da Prato traveled as a young man to
AVIGNON, where he gained commercial success. He
returned to settle in TUSCANYin 1383 but continued his
business activities all over the Mediterranean and north-
ern Europe. Though feeling guilty about the morality of
his businesses, he expanded and diversified them until
about 1400, even gaining a foothold in FLORENCE. Lack-
ing an heir, he left his fortune to a lay charitable institu-
tion. Centuries later, by chance his singularly rich fund
of archives and correspondence was discovered, includ-
ing 150,000 letters of a business and personal nature. He
died without legitimate offspring on August 16, 1410, in
Prato.
See alsoUSURY.
Further reading:Philip Gavitt, Charity and Children
in Renaissance Florence: The Ospedale degli Innocenti,
1410–1536(Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press,
1990); Iris Origo, The Merchant of Prato: Francesco di
Marco Datini(1957; reprint, New York: Penguin Books,
1963); Richard C. Trexler, Public Life in Renaissance Flo-
rence(New York: Academic Press, 1980).
David I(1080/85–1153)king of Scotland
Born in SCOTLANDbetween 1080 and 1085, the sixth
and youngest son of King Malcolm III (1058–93) and
Saint Margaret of Scotland (1046–93), he grew up at the
Anglo-Norman court of HENRYI of ENGLAND, who was
married to his sister. On the death of his brother Edgar
(r. 1097–1107), king of the Scots, David received the
southern parts of Scotland, while another brother,
Alexander I (r. 1107–24), held the north. From his sup-
posedly chaste marriage to the Anglo-Saxon Matilda in
1113, he gained the earldom of Huntington in England.
In April 1124, when Alexander I died, David succeeded
him as king of Scotland. Bound by an oath of fealty in
1127, he recognized Matilda (ca. 1102–67) as the heir
of King Henry I. When Stephen (1135–54) took the
throne in 1135, David invaded England and fought a
series of battles for Matilda. In 1136 David was granted
in return the earldom of Cumberland and in 1139 of
Northumberland for his son. In 1141 David again
fought Stephen on behalf of Matilda and her son, the
future HENRYII, whom David later knighted in 1149.
During this conflict David was captured at the Battle
of the Standard and held for a short period; but he even-
tually escaped.ACCOMPLISHMENTS FOR SCOTLAND
From then on he stayed in Scotland and established a
competent government. He promoted the growth of
towns, such as EDINBURGH. David expanded his feudal
ties by receiving into his service an evolving Anglo-
Norman aristocracy, which was from then on to play a
role in the political and cultural history of Scotland.
David was a patron who reorganized the church accord-
ing to continental models, established five bishoprics and
numerous churches, and founded 12 abbeys. His reign
was considered an era of greatness for Scotland. Regarded
as a saint by some, he died on May 24, 1153, at Carlisle
in Cumberland in northern England.
Further reading: Alan O. Anderson, ed., Early
Sources of Scottish History, A.D. 500–1286(London: Oliver
and Boyd, 1922) 1.169–222; A. D. M. Barrell, Medieval
Scotland(Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2000).David II the Bruce (1324–1371)king of Scotland
David was born on March 5, 1324, in Dunfermline, the
son of ROBERTI THEBRUCE. In accordance with an Anglo-
Scottish treaty, he was married on July 17, 1328, at the
age of four to Joan (1321–62), the sister of the future
king EDWARDIII. He was annointed king on November
24, 1331, but spent most of his reign outside SCOTLAND,
in exile or in prison. David first left his country as the
result of the success of a rival who was a vassal of Edward
III. David spent seven years (1334–41) in FRANCE. He
fought with the French against Edward III in the early
campaigns of 1339–40 in the HUNDREDYEARS’WAR.
In 1341, after gaining the upper hand in Scotland
with French help, David returned, where he became
engaged in a series of wars with England. In 1346 while
King Philip VI (r. 1328–50) of France was fighting the
English at Calais, David invaded England. However, he
was defeated and captured at Neville’s Cross on October
17, 1346. He spent the next 11 years in a LONDONprison.
On October 7, 1357, he was released for a promised enor-
mous ransom of 100,000 marks, which was well beyond
Scotland’s resources. David, who was childless, agreed to
recognize Edward or a descendant as his successor, in
return for the cancellation of the ransom. This proposal
was opposed by his nephew and successor, Robert II (r.
1371–90). It was also rejected in 1364 by the Scottish
parliament; but ultimately the entire ransom was paid.
David’s last years were marked by his unpopularity and
by opposition to his extravagant expenditures. About to
marry again, he died February 22, 1371, in Edinburgh.
Further reading:A. D. M. Barrell, Medieval Scotland
(Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2000); Ronald
Nicholson, Scotland: The Later Middle Ages(Edinburgh:
Oliver & Boyd, 1974), 123–83.