Robert Baston facts for kids

Robert Baston was an English friar who belonged to the Carmelite order. He lived around the year 1300. He was also the leader, or prior, of the Carmelite abbey in Scarborough.

Early Life of Robert Baston

Robert Baston was born near Nottingham, a city in England. People at the time thought he was from a famous family. He became well-known for writing beautiful poems. At Oxford University, he was even called a "rhetorician" and a "poet." This meant he was very skilled at writing and speaking.

King Edward I is said to have taken Robert Baston to Scotland. This happened during the siege of Stirling Castle in 1304. The king wanted Baston to write poems praising his victories. Later, King Edward II also took Baston to Scotland. This was for another battle to help Stirling Castle, which led to the famous Battle of Bannockburn.

Forced to Write Poems

Scottish historians enjoy telling a story about Robert Baston. They say that during the Battle of Bannockburn, he was captured by Robert the Bruce, the Scottish king. King Robert the Bruce then forced Baston to write a poem about the English defeat. This was the price for Baston's freedom.

Baston's poem about this battle used a special style called "rhymed hexameters." This means each line had six strong beats. The rhymes in his poem were not always regular. One part of his poem described Robert the Bruce before the battle:

Cernit, discernit acies pro Marte paratas;

Tales mortales gentes censet superatas.

Some people thought these verses were very good. However, Scottish writers later pointed out their flaws. English writers said the poem was not perfect because Baston wrote it unwillingly. He was forced to praise the defeat of his own country.

Robert Baston and the Carmelites

Robert Baston played a part in a special gift for the Carmelite friars. A historian named Anthony à Wood tells the story. During the Battle of Bannockburn, when it looked like King Edward II would lose, Baston told the king to pray to the Virgin Mary. Baston promised the king would be safe if he prayed.

Edward II then promised to build a home for the Carmelite friars if he returned safely. He kept his promise in 1317. The king gave the Carmelites his large house called Beaumont Palace in Oxford. This house was just outside the city walls. It was big enough for twenty-four friars. In 1318, Robert Baston was allowed to hear confessions in the Diocese of Lincoln.

Other Works by Robert Baston

Besides the poem about the siege of Stirling, Robert Baston wrote many other works. He wrote poems about the second war with Scotland. He also wrote poems about different parts of the world. Some of his writings were critical of popes, cardinals, and kings. He also wrote about priests who lived too luxuriously.

Baston also wrote a discussion about the story of Dives and Lazarus. He wrote a book against "artists," which might have meant people who followed certain philosophical ideas. He created other poems, rhythms, tragedies, and comedies. He also collected "Synodal Orations," which were speeches given at church meetings. Some of Baston's poetic works can still be found in the British Museum.

Historical Mistakes About Baston

Historians have sometimes made mistakes about Robert Baston's life. For example, one historian, Pitts, wrote that Baston died in 1310. However, this was four years before the Battle of Bannockburn, which Baston wrote about! Another historian, Bale, also seemed to have a similar error.

It seems that some historians might have confused two different events. They might have thought Robert Baston was in Scotland twice. They mixed up the siege of Stirling under King Edward I with the siege of the same castle under King Edward II. The mistake might have started with an early historian named Leland, and others simply followed his information.