medieval-atlas/events-from-about-850-to-1460/94

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The succession, diplomacy and war The seven cities shown on the map indicate the destinations ofsome 35 major political embassies which left Scotland between the accession of John Balliol and the death of Robert I. The cities are representalive only: Paris of the French court; Avignon and Rome of the Papal curia; London and Newcastle of the English court; Bergen of the Norwegian court. The embassies do nOI include ecclesiastical (i.e. for the ordinalion of bishops) or trade missions (Le. to the Ba~ic cities). unless these are known also 10 have been importanl in political tenns. Missions 10 France and the papacy make up the vast majority of these embassies: Dublin features only once (13 15). Norway only twice (1299 and 1302) and mO~1 of the English missions took place after Bannockbum. aimed specifically aI negotiating either truces or a 'final peace'. The limited number of destinations is indicative of the rela+ tive isolation or Scotland during the war with England. Scottish envoys were consistently welcome only in the French court. (The Pope, as the leader of Christendom. had a duty to recei ve envoys. but it would not be true to say that the Scots were always we1come~) Scotland's active allies were few. The fact. however. thatlrade continued with the Italian and Baltic city states. the Empire and the Spanish kingdoms. indicates that England's allies. although many and powerful. were not necessarily anti-Scottish. Despite English protestations. trade and other peaceful links continued largely as usual. Most of Scotland's political diplomacy, however. was patently anti-English. and il is thus no surprise to find Iha! Scottish envoys visited only powers which also had quarrels with the English NORWAY Sergen 0• 0 '" .,.'" Paris FRANCE • Avignon ITALY G .Rome U Scottish embassies abroad 1292 to 1329 NHR 94

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