Edward asked the guardians of the realm to come up with some documentary evidence as to why he was not, in fact, their feudal overlord, to which he got a wonderfully canny contradiction, not at all what he wanted to hear. Sire, they said, the "bona gentes", the responsible men who have sent us here, know full well you couldn't possibly make so great a claim unless you actually believed you had a right to it. But of this right, we know nothing. Which is as much to say, look, you can't be completely off your head to come up with this sovereignty stuff, but actually it's all news to us, chum, since the Scottish realm on this side of the river is held tribute to no one but God. We don't have to prove a thing. It's for you to come up with a supermonk with the perfect charter. Why don't you let us know when you have it?


爱德华要求那些苏格兰的守护者，给出书面证据说明。他为何不能成为他们的最高统治者，结果却使他陷入一个十分尴尬的境地，与他幻想中的答案完全背道而驰。陛下，他们说道，上帝让我们在这片土地上繁衍生息。您应该十分清楚，自己无权擅作主张。除非您确信自己有权这么做，但我们对您的这一权力毫无所知。这就相当于是在说，给我听好了，你别痴心妄想了，想统治我们是不可能的。不过朋友，这倒真是稀奇事。因为在河这一侧的苏格兰领土，只归圣主耶稣。这一点无需我们证明，而你则需要得到神灵的特许，何不在你获准时通知我们一声。