more Bruce theories

["Spirit One Email" <laurel@spiritone.com>]

Cousins,
    Glad to have learned about  the writeup on King Bruce's death on the
Douglas Clan website.  Time and again we can benefit (or be more confused)
by reading about an event from another perspective.  Every story has so many
details that story tellers must leave out .  And each makes their decision
about what is important to emphasize.
We learn from the Douglas' that:
During the 12 days at Sluys, Flanders the men remained on board as they
lavishly entertained.  So many questions come to mind with this statement.
WHY, WHY, WHY.
    A.  Why can't I find it on my map?  Name change?  What?
    B.  Why did they go to Sluys?  Were there known people to pick up.

    C.  Why were they doing the entertaining?  If there were entertainment,
it would seem more logical for the local government to conduct it in honor
of Bruce who was victorious against their enemy England.  Haven't checked
Flanders history at this time.  They were allied with Spain at times.  This
might explain an important connection of events. But that doesn't explain
why Douglas was doing the lavish entertaining.  In this case it seems that
King Alfonse's ambassadors would be doing the entertaining.

   D.  Were they trying to entice knights to go to Jerusalem with them, but
instead found only reluctance because so few ever returned from that place.
Did they then form an alternate plan to make Bruce's heart a catalyst for a
Spanish Crusade against the Moors. Perhaps the knights envisioned a more
glorious mission for Bruce's heart if it were taken into a battle that drove
out the Moors instead of just the trip to Jerusalem.

As the Douglas website tells us, Bruce only asked that his heart be taken to
Jerusalem as a symbolic act of his wish to make the journey himself.  If he
would have taken the journey, he would have returned and so Bruce expected
his heart to return and be buried also at Melrose Abby.  So taking his heart
into this battle would be symbolic to all the knights that this so brave
King was there with them.  Nothing too new in these thoughts except a sense
of mission to Seville and the rallying cry all over Europe for an all out
battle near a Christian country, with much safer supply lines, and a
reasonable chance to win and stay alive.  The Holy Land had been entirely
lost in 1291.  Here was a new generation of younger sons chomping at the bit
to go on a Crusade as their forefathers had.
  E.  Or were they there for 12 days to get their ship refitted--why the
lavish party?
  F.  Or were they waiting for the winds to change?  Why would they spend so
much money on this party when they might need it desperately later on the
trip to Jerusalem?  Was this poor stewardship and shortsightedness or part
of a predetermined effort to rally support to Seville.  But what was at
Sluys that aided this plan?