"
"I hope that it will be long before our kings march against Scotland
again. The ill success of all our efforts should have taught them that,
do what they will, they will never conquer Scotland; and Henry is not
likely to court another failure, such as he met with two years since.
'Tis not like the wars with the Welsh. They are a different people,
speaking in a different language, while we and the lowland Scots are of
one blood and one language--scarce a noble in Scotland who is not of
Norman descent--and a quarrel between us seems, to me, almost as bad as
a civil war."
"I hope that all will come to think so, some day, Oswald; but as long
as the two kingdoms stand apart, with various interests and different
alliances, it will hardly be likely that there will be a permanent
peace between them."
"That is so," Oswald agreed. "'Tis the part that Scotland plays by her
alliance with France, and the aid she gives her by always choosing the
time when we are fighting there to fall upon us, that keeps the trouble
afoot. If Scotland would hold herself aloof from France, I see no
reason why we should interfere with her in any way."
"No good has ever come to us from such alliance. No French army has
ever gone to Scotland, to aid her when pressed by Englishmen.
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