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THE
LIFE
oer
OF
SIR WaULLA           WALLACE,'THE
GOVERNOR GENERAL OF SCOTLAND,
AND HERO OF THE
SCOTTISH CHIEFS.
CONTAINING HIS -PARENTAGE, ADVENTURES, HEROIC
ACHIEVEMENTS, IMPRISONMENTS AND DEATH;
DRAWN FROM AUTHENTIC MATERIALS
OF SCOTTISH HISTORY.
BY PETER DONALDSON.
Ckirurgeon, of the Store-Mount-Lock.
HARTFORD:
PUBLISHED BY S. ANDRUS & SON.
1851.








THE AUTHOR'S ADDRESS,
TO ALL TRUE HEARTED CALEDOXIANS.
It appears no easy undertaking CALEDONIANS, to write the his
tory and do justice to the character of the most illustrious General, consumate Statesman and courageous Warrior, that ever
graced the pages of hlstory, the invincible Hero of SCOTLAND, Sir
WILLIAM WALLACE, the subject of the subsequent Memoir.
To give a just history of the life, adventures and heroic actions of that unparalleled Hero of Caledonia, who was equally
qualified, by extraordinary natural endowments and martial acquirements, to excel in the administrations of the Cabinet and
Tactics of the field, would require a character in letters equal to
that of his hero in peace and in war, in the Court and in the
field, no ordinary pen can do justice to the name of such a chieftain; no common intellect can value his merits; no ignoble soul
can estimate the worth of such a conqueror; let the annals of
Caledonia display his glories; let the pages of her histories speak
forth his virtues; let her biographies depict the renowned character of their Hero: and let his magnanimous deeds be engraved on the memories of all her true-hearted patriots, as long as
the sun shall endure.
In whatever light we view that illustrious warrior, emotions
of love and glory will rise in our hearts, and will irresistibly lead
us to behold him as an example worthy of imitation, and a subject of admiration either as a Christian or a Hero. This is the
great reason I have for writing a history of the Chieftain, it being well known that example has a more powerful influerce on
the human mind than precept, as it predisposes to design, stimulates to action,.and directs how to proceed with success, in the
paths of virtue and glory. It awakens the dormant energies of




6                     ADDRESS.
the soul, and raises the spirits of men, to display the vigour ol
their minds, in the most exalted achievements.
The character of the illustrious Sir William Wallace is replete
with exemplary virtues and heroic actions, which are both calculated to embolden the soul and impassion the heart of every
true-blooded Scotsman. His patriotism, generotity, penetration,
knowledge of human nature; address, courage, fortitude, perse.
verance, endurance and prudence, rank him among the greatest
heroes of the world. Nay, such a degree of martial eminence
distinguished his career, that it is impossible to select a warrior
of ancient or modern times, who can equal him in greatness, or
be compared to him in dignity and magnanimity.
The history of human nature, as it is exhibited in the Scottish character, amply demonstrates that no means have been
more successful, no motive more powerful, to raise the native
energy and to stimulate the native valour of Scotsmen, than
to give a.. lively and accurate description of those wars
in which their heroic fathers encountered dangers, endured
hardships, braved death, nobly conquered or bravely died
in defence of the rights and liberties of their native country. Is there a young Scotsman in existence, who glories in being a native of Scotland, that free and independent Caledonia,
that can read the wonderful achievements of Sir William Wallace, and. of those heroes who fought under his banner, without
feeling a portion of that generous and magnanimous flame which
fired his soul, directed his councils, and sharpened his claymore?
Is there an aged Scotsman in existence, who glories in being a
native of Caledonia, that can recount the glories of her chieftains
and her warriors, without being fired with a love of his country?
Can any Scotsman divest himself of this natural love and fight
against his country? If there be any such among us, let them
be deemed traitors to Caledonia. Awake! awake! to ancient
sentiments of courage; display your native souls, ye true heart.
ed sons of Caledonia? Ruack, Ruack, Chebodi!
You well know, Caledonians, that Sir William Wallace was
the most noble and magnanimous of all the chieftains of Scotland; that he has been admired for his singular virtues and famous exploits, upwards of five hundred years, not only by those
of his own nation, but kings, princes and people of distant countries of the earth courted his favour. And I am conscious, that
his name will be recorded in the pages of our histories, and in the
memories of his affectionatecotntrymen,-till theconsummation of
the natural world. None of the heroes of antiquity, even in
their poetical characters, shone with more illustrious virtues
than did Sir William Wallace; none of the warrior's of Britain,
ever merited the love, esteem, veneration and remembrance of
his countrymen more than he has done in restoring their natural
rights and liberties, in repairing the honour and glory of the na.




ADDRESS.                       7
tion, and in redressing their wrongs. All his superior wisdom, all
his strength and valour of soul and body, were gratuitously employed in the services of his country. In his government he dispensed the laws of equity and justice, in his campaigns he procured their iiberty and independence; in his administrations he preserved the people from the anarchy of sedition at home, and
maintained their rights against the designs of foreign invasion.lie was the Friend of man, the Protector of their persons, the
Preserver of their liberties and their laws, the Defender of their rights and Avenger of their wrongs. None in the
thirteenth century was found a parallel to his character, none
in the annals of human history or tradition had the welfare of
their country nearer their hearts. Born the benefactor of his
country he united all the qualities necessary for an illustrious career. Nature seems to have endued him with all the transcenoant virtues of greatness, dignity, fortitude, integrity, benevolence,
goodness and severity of soul, that endeared him to the hearts of
all men; she endued him with such an amazing strength and
hardiness of body too, that rendered him at once the glory of his
companions in arms, and terror of his enemies in war. He was
called by his country to the defence of her liberties; he nobly
vindicated her rights, and triumphed gloriously over her enemies;
he thrice delivered his country from the dominion of a foreign
usurper; he thrice laid the pillars of her national independence
on the foundations of unalterable equity and justice, with a wisdom in the cabinet equal to his glory in the field; and the love of
his country shone conspicuously through all his administrations
and achievements. He accepted the reins of government to save
his country from a foreign invader; he wielded his Claymore to
maintain her rights and liberties; he voluntarily resigned them
to preserve her peace, and retired into the shades of a private
life to heal her bleeding wounds. A spectacle so grand and
sublime was contemplated by the people of different regions of
the earth, with the profoundest admiration. The name of Wallace was revered by his friends and dreaded by his enemies;
even kings of other nations courted his favour; the robbers of the
ocean bowed to his invincible arm; the power of England was
crushed hy him, and his fame resounded from the uttermost
boundaries of Europe and Isles of the ocean.  His highest
ambition was the happiness of his country, and the welfare of
her sons.. He was brave in his youth, invincible in battle, illustrious in all social virtues, unparalleled in magnanimity, and
great in his death, bequeathing to posterity the inheritance of
valour, which have been sufficient to raise a monument of esteem
in the glowing hearts of his countrymen,- in all succeeding ages.
He lived the unrivalled ornament of his age, and departed in
possession of the praises of an affectionate, mourning people.




8                     AADDRESS.
The history of such a Hero will doubtless be hailed by al
true-hearted Scots with joy. It will contain a circumstantial
narrative of the most famous war, that ever occupied the sons
and fields of Britain, carried on between the realms of England
and Scotland for the space of forty years; the one unjustly in-ading, the other nobly defending the rights and liberties of de-,oted Caledonia. A war which produced amazing alterations
both in the general government, and in the rising and falling of
many families of distinction in the nation; the one betraying, the
other maintaining her liberties and her laws. And to render the
whole of the history of this renowned warrior complete and consistent, we shall here enumerate the causes, occasions, necessities, &c. of that war, in which our hero so nobly signalized himself as the just governor, the wise legislator, the benevolent protector of his country. When Alexander the III., king of Scotland, who terminated a succession of Princes that swayed the
Scottish sceptre for the space of eight hundred years, was killed
by a fall from his horse over the west craigs of Kinghorn, he left
no issue of his body to succeed him on the throne. and his grand
daughter Margaret of Norway, commonly called the Maid of
Norway, became the nearest heiress to the crown. She being an
infant at the time of the king's death, a Convention of the Estates of Parliament was held at Scone, and the immediate government of the kingdom was committed to the administration of
Six Regents, William Frazer, Bishop of St. Andrews, Duncan
Macduff, Earl of Fife, Alexander Cummin, Earl of Buchan, Robert Wiseheart, Bishop of Glasgow, John Cummin, Lord of Badenoch, and James Stewart, the Grand Steward of Scotland,
who governed the realm for the space of seven years. During
this period, Edward the I. King of England, knowing that his
sister's grand daughter, child of the King of Norway, was the only surviving person of all the posterity of Alexander, as lawful
heiress to the kingdom of Scotland, was ambitious, and sent Ambassadors to the Estates to desire Margaret of Norway in marriage for his eldest son, Edward, with a design to annex Scotland,o the dominions of his crown.
Ambassadors from Edward of England, and Eric of Norway
met at Bryham, near Shelson, on the 18th of July, 1290, with full
powers to negotiate and settle the conditions of the marriage.The Parliament agreed to the marriage, as being advantageous
to the Kingdom; but they took good care in settling tne conditions, that all provisions were made to secure the independence
of the kingdom in case of death, and to guard against every danger that might arise from so near an alliance with so powerful
and ambitious a monarch. In the matrimonial treaty it was
stipulated that the Scots should enjoy their ancient laws, liberties and customs; that in case Edward and Margaret should be




ADDRESS.                       9
without any issue, the kingdom should rettlrm free, independent
and absolute, to the next Scottish heir; that in case Edward
should die before Maigaret, without issue by her, the body of
Margaret siould be remitted to Scotland free and independer.t;
that the military tenants of the crown, and other subjects, should
not be obliged to do homage to him; to swear fealty; to elect or
be elected to any office, or to do service in any place that had
usually been performed in Scotland; that the kingdom of Scotland should have its Chancellor, Officers of State, Courts of J ustice and all other public courts, as formerly; that a new great
seal should be made and kept by the Chancellor, with the ordinary arms of Scotland, and the name of no one, but the Queen
engraved upon it; that all papers and records belonging to the
crown should be lodged within the Kingdom, that no duties, taxes or levies of men, should be raised in Scotland, but such as had
been usual; that the King of England should pay the Pope one
hundred thousand pounds, for the use of the Holy Wars i and
that himself and his dominions should be excommunicated and
laid under an interdict if he did not religiously observe all these
Articles
These articles were agreed to and ratified by Edward. After
reading those stipulations, which seemed to have been formed by
the wisest heads and established on the surest foundations, who
can say "that the Scots of those ages were an ignorant and barbarous people," as some have inferred? no better precautions
could have been devised by the most enlightened statesman of
posterior ages to secure the liberty and independence of the
iningd1om.
Treacherous Edward, Caledonians, did not hold his treaties sacred, and he violated his contract a short time after its ratification, by appointing one of his subjects to act in Scotland as Lieutenant for his son, requiring the Scots to deliver up all their Castles and strong holds into his hands, which clearly manifested
his designs to wrest the terms of the treaty to answer the purposes of his ambition, regardless of the conditions of it, that were
any wise unfavourable to his views. Edward to effect his ends
in a more formal manner, applied to the Pope for a dispensation
to sanction a marriage between his son and his good niece, the
Maid of Norway, who was not yet marriageable. Having obtained his object and regained the friendship of the Scottish nobles, he joined with them in applying to the King of Norway, to
ratify his treaty, by sending the young Queen home to her kingdom. The Norwegian King was unwilling to transmit his young
child to the care of strangers, but the importunities and artifices
of Edward and persuasions of the Scots, prevailed upon him to
send his daughter. The fond hopes of the Scots and Edward




10                     ADDRESS.
were totally frustrated, in the death of the young Princess, on
the Orkney Isles, where the Ambassadors were obliged to caonvey
her on shore, on account of her sickness.
The Estates of Scotland soon perceived the coming confusion
of a disputed succession, intestine discord, and anl unavoidable
war with the ambitious Monarch of England. The death of
their young Queen bereaved them of the surest pledge of peace
and liberty, and was attended with the most fatal consequences
bhat ever followed the demise of the greatest personages.
In this disputed succession, two principal competitors out of
thirteen, who seemed to have prospects of ascending the Throne,
appeared first to enter their respective claims to the Kingdom.
Deverguild the daughter of Margaret, the first daughter of David, Earl of Huntington; and Robert Bruce, the son of Isabel
the second daughter of David, Earl of Huntington, respectively
claimed the crown. Deverguild, because she was the nearest
Heiress; the grand son of David, Bruce, because he was the
nearest Heir, the grand son of David. Deverguild's pretensions
were grounded on the custom of the country, whereby the nearest Heir or Heiress, descended from the same David, through an
eldest daughtei, and Bruce, insisted on the Sex, proving, that
males, in equal degrees of propinquity of blood ought to be preferred before females; so he denied the justice of a grand daughter, inheriting the Kingdom, while a grandson, even of a second
daughter was alive. Bruce also contended that he was a degree
nearer in his claims to the throne, being a grandson, than John
Baliol, who was only a great grandson; as for Deverguild, who
stood in an equal degree, he was to be preferred to a female
Heiress. The Scottish Parliament could not decide this controversy at home, because of the powers of each party, the whole
land being divided in two equal factions, which although it
should have been equitably determined by the Estates, would
not have stood to the award, whence a civil war would have been
the consequence. So they unanimously chose Edward, King of
England, Umpire in Arbitration, in this important affair. The
majority of the Arbitrators decided it in favour of John Baliol,
although he was inferior in powers and popularity. Edward,
knowing this circumstance went to Bruce, whom, being legally
cast by their votes, he thought would accept of the crown under
him. Bruce answered him in the following words., " I am not
so eager of a crown as to accept of it, by abridging the liberty my
ancestors have left me," and he was immediately dismissedEdward then offered the under-government of the realm to Baliol, who greedily accepted it under any condition he pleased to
propose to him. So Baliol was crowned, and declared King of
Scotland, at Scone, six years and nine months after the death
of Alexander.




ADDRESS.                      11
In a snit t time after the coronation of Baliol, Dulcan Mac.
duff, Earl of Fife, was murdered by the Abernethians, which
was then a rich and powerful family, in Scotland, and who had
previously accused Macduff's brother before the Assembly of
Estates of depriving them of their lawful possessions: Baliol
decided in favour of the Abernethians, and Macduff was thereby dispossessed of the lands in dispute, Macduff was doubly
displeased at the partial King, because he was injured, and because the murderers of his brother were left unpunished. He
immediately appealed to Edward and desired that Baliol might
be made to answer before him, touching the matter and his decision; Baliol was not permitted in parliament to reply by proctor,
but compelled to plead his own cause in a lowerplace of the house.
IHe bore the affront silently for the present, but as soon as he departed, flames of anger and revenge burned in his breast. He
occupied all his time for sometime afterwards, in conciliating
the minds of his subjects, and in meditating revenge on Edward by a general revolt. Meantime a controversy arose between the French and the English, which terminated in a war.
Embassies came from both nations; the French sent Ambassadors to renew the ancient league, the English sent them to demand aids from their Scottish Provincials, in the war. Both
Embassies, were referred to the Council of the Estates, who,
being prone to vindicate their independence, decided to renew
the league with France, and to renounce all allegiance to England, and to retrieve the loss of their rights and liberties.
Edward immediately made a truce with the French in order
to chastise the Scots, hoping to subdue them in a single cam
paign. Accordingly he sent his fleet, designed for France,
against Scotland. The Scots attacked this fleet in the mouth of
of the river Tweed, destroyed and took eighteen of their ships
and put the rest to flight. Edward when he heard of this disaster, gave loose to his furious temper and breathed out revenge.
Edward then carried a great army into Scotland, attacked Berwick, but could not take it. He then pretended to abandon the
siege and caused a rumour to be spread by some Scots of Bruce's
party, whom he himself had foste.ed, that he dispaired of carrying it, and that Baliol was coming with a large army to raise the
siege. Upon which rumour all the chief men of the Scots garrison
issued forth unsuspectingly to receive their King honourably, in a
promiscuous multitude, horse and foot. At that fatal moment,
Edward sent a company of horse among them and killed and
rode them down, seized the nearest gate, and took the town.Then he followed with his foot, and slaughtered all sorts of peo.
ple. Seven thousand Scots were slain in that inauspicious day
with all the flower of the nobility of Lothian and Fife.  O ye
credulous and unsuspecting Caledonians, why did you lay your



12                     ADDRESS.
selves open to subtle Edward's stratagems! then Edward sue
cessively defeated the Scots, reduced all the garrisons, took Baliol, and sent him to the Tower of London. He then summoned all the surviving NoLles to attend him at Berwick, and compelled them to swear fealty to him, appointing John Warren,
Commander in Chief, and Hugh Cressingham, Lord Chief Juslice in his conquered Provinces of Scotland. During this state
of subjection, when all the Castles and strong holds of the country were garrisoned by English soldiers, and the whole land
groaned under a foreign usurpation for nine years, the noble soul
of Sir William Wallace could not rest to see his country ravaged by sangninary oppressors. Thus, when the nobility had
neither power nor courage to undertake their own liberation,
WILLIAM WALLACE, a man descended of an ancient and noble family, arose to restore her liberties and maintain her
riges.




THE LIFE
ADVENTURES AND ACHIEVEMENTS,
OF THE CELEBRATED
SIR WILLIAM WALLACE,
GOVERNOR GENERAL OF SCOTLAND.
SIR WILLIAM     WALLACE was descended o
an ancient and noble family. He was the son of Sit
Malcom Wallace, of Ellerslie, whose progenitors were
the ancient knights and baronets of Craigie. His
mother was daughter of Sir Ronald Crawford, High
Sheriff of Ayre. He was born in 1288, during the
reign of William, surnamed the Lion, and the usurpation of Donald, Lord of the isles. In his childhood,
he lived with his parents at Ellerslie, and fled with
them from place to place during Edward's nine years'
usurpation and oppression, in domineering over them,
when their country was reduced to a mere province
under the martial laws of foreign invaders.
Sir William Wallace, even in his youth, before he
arrived at the seventeenth year of his age, could not
refrain from molesting the oppressors of his country.
For, in 1302, when Edward cruelly oppressed the
land, had destroyed all the ancient monuments and
records, and shed much innocent blood, Malcom Wallace, the father of our hero, was forced to flee with
his eldest son Malcom, into Lennox, among his re



14               THIE LIFE OF
lations, to avoid the fury of the English soldiers, and
-     Crawford, his mother, retired to Kilspendie, in
the Carse of Gowrie, upon the banks of the Tay, in
Perthshire, and lived privately with her son William,
in his uncle's house, during the time of war and bloodshed. Thence William Wallace was sent to Dundee,
and was educated by John Blair, who afterwards became his chaplain, and lived to record his adventures.
As he advanced towards his seventeenth year, he became a youth of uncommon sprightliness, gaiety,
beauty, comeliness, and elegance, and endued with
great agility and superior strength of body and mind.
His peculiar dress distinguished him among the people and the oppressors of his country, who held the
town of Dundee, and all other towns of the land by
military garrisons, were the object of his hatred. He
was clothed in garments of gemming green, had a
Tartan bonnet on his head, a philabeig down to his
knees, Tartan hose upon his legs up to the middle of
the calves, and a plaid over his shoulders, according
to the ancient custom of the Scottish nation. Indeed
he was a noble and comely youth, both in dignity of
soul and majesty of stature, in vigour of intellect, and
singular strength of body. When he arrived at the
30th year of his age he was full nine quarters high
in stature, three quarters broad between the shoulders; had big, well-shaped, bra-ny limbs; a strong,
sonorious voice; burning brown hair; light eyebrows, quick, piercing, bright eyes; long, round and
well-proportioned visage; a neat square nose; round
ruddy lips; a high breast; a thick strong neck 
large long arms, with swinging hands; a fine sanguine colour in countenance; a beautiful face; with




SIR WILLIAM WALLACE.             15
becoming gravity of speech; mildness in peace and
fierceness in war, that distinguished him from the rest
of mankind.
On Wallace's virtues, and his person rare,
None in his age could e'er with him compare.
His strepgth was equal to two of that of Robert
Bruce, and the strength of Bruce was equal to that of
any other two highland Scots. His sword was a strong,
long, massy, broad claymore, of the best tempered
steel, about five feet in length, made to be wielded
with both hands occasionally, well calculated to sweep
the field of battle, and make dreadful chasms in the
ranks of his enemies. He always wore a steel cap
and helmet on his head; an armour of the closest and
best workmanship; two gloves of steel; a close
habergeon: an orby shield of impenetrable material;
a dagger hanging at his belt; and all covered with
a mantle, plaid cloak, or priest's gown in disguise,
when he lurked in the hills, and spied places and parties of his enemies. He had no harness for his face,
choosing rather to leave it bare for the shield's and
claymore's defence.
Young Wallace, even in his youth, before he was
able to wield his broad claymore or glittering spear,
grieved at the injuries done to his country by their
cruel oppressors.  His soul boiled with. inward rage
at their barbarities, and he was fired with the passion
of avenging the blood of his countrymen, and the pot
lution of his countrywomen, whom the English had
killed or ravaged in all parts of the land. " Alas,
said Wallace, shall my country suffer such tyranny,
and shall the Southerons daily increase to devour the
residue of our fields, possess our habi'ions, cities,




16               THE LIFE OF
towns, villages, deflour our maidens and kill our sons.
Oh that I had ten thousand at my command, I, even
I in my youth, would crack their curpons," and began to contend with individual Saxons, and often deprived them of their lives in open combat, as the subsequent history will show.
One day, it happened before he left Dundee, just
at the commencement of his martial career, that an
insolentyoung Englishman, the son of Selbie, the Constable of the town, insulted him and attempted to wrest
his knife from him, uttering the following insult, "Scot
whatthe de'il clad you in a suit so gay, a horse's
mantle is the apparel of your kind, and a Scot's whittle at your belt rough roulin shoes, or any common
trash, serve such whore's sons, to plash through the
dubs; give me that knife, hanging under thy girdle,"
and immediately endeavoured to snatch it from him
by force; but Wallace would not be deprived or robbed of his knife, and replied, "Nay, pardon me, Sir,
I know better things, forbear, I entreat thee, it both
defends me and cuts my meat." Young Selbie, however, would not desist, and Wallace would not be insulted and robbed of his knife, neither could he endure such an affront or insult with impunity. He
seized young Selbie by the collar and instantly dispatched him on the spot, in the midst of his companions. The guard pursued him in great fury to avenge
the death of the young squire at the expense of the
blood of Wallace, who being amazingly strong and
swift of foot, escaped out of their hands, sparing none
who attempted to stop his flight.
The Saxons keenly pursued him, and being extausted with running he rushed into an Inn, which




SIR WILLIAM WALLACE,           17
he knew to be a harbour for the oppressed Scots, crying, " Help, help, save my life from cruel Southeron
law," the good woman of the house, who perceived
his dangerous predicament, quick as lightning dressed
him in a russet gown, covered his head with an old
soiled curch, put a white worn cap on his head over
all, and set him down to spin, just as the furious soldiers entered the house in search of him; she gave
him the rock and the distaff, and he began to spin
and sing, and appeared totally indifferent at the sudden appearance of the Saxon guards in search of
Wallace. There he hummed his song and spun, until they departed to some other place in pursuit of
him; then he revived-lie laughed and rejoiced at
his own escape, and in their disappointment.
The guards then ran up and down like furious
madmen, crying " Burn the Scots, burn the Scots,
leave none of them alive in town;" but the good woman kept young Wallace until night, secured him
from the hand of the Southerons; and in the morning long before day conveyed him secretly through
a back path which led privately along the rivulet,
which ran through the town, and he quickly escaped
to his uncles retreat in the Carse of Gowrie.
Meantime his mother having heard of the great
peril of her son, her beloved young William, despaired of his life among the cruel Southerons, and proceeded in all haste and anxiety to see what became
of him.'ro her great surprise and joy she met him
hasting to Kilspindie. The benevolent old parent
could not refrain from tears, when he began to tell h,,
of dispatching young Selbie, the pursuit of his enemies, and his providential escape from their sangui



is.             THE LIPEC OF
nary hands; she exclaimed in expressions of dread,
gladness and sorrow,' Oh bless me, my son, can I
believe mine eyes? is it possible that you have passed
the danger? sure Providence is more than kind in the
last extremity of fortune."  And as he informed her
of his dangerous situation she wept and often said in
sighs and tears, " Alas  my son, ere you leave off
your pranks thine enemies will fang thee." " Mither,"
answered young Wallace, " I would rather see them
hanged upon a tree, methinks we should withstand
these Southeron oppressors, that possess our land."
His aged uncle soon received the doleful news of
Selbie's death and of Wallace's peril; was filled with
grief, and dreaded the consequence of such a rash act
to the adventurous youth. Meantime the English
held a court of Justice at Dundee and prepared to
avenge the death of their squire Selbie on the heads of
the Scots, and Wallace could sojourn no longer at
Kilspindie with his uncle, in the Carse of Gowrie. His
mother clothed herself in the garments of a pilgrim,
and disguised her son, and departed in great haste to
their relations in Dunipace, in Sterlingshire, where a
great Parson of an opulent estate, a devout man,
named Richard Wallace, his paternal Uncle, who entertained them with every kind of hospitality and con
versation, about the great tribulations of the land,
intreating them to remain with him, till God should
send better days. But brave Wallace replied in the
ardour of his soul, "I hasten to the west, our kind
kindred are massacred there; were I at home I would
be avenged on the English for the blood of my relations."  The grave old Parson sighed in goodness,
saying, "I doubt that it will be long e'e-r that time
come; " come weal, come woe," answered Wallace.




SIR WILLIAM WALLACE.            19
"I will pursue my purpose.'" The old man inculcated the national maxim on his mind, i. e. "' that li..
berty was the best of human blessings, and that without it life was not worth enjoying," which cherished
the best of his genuis, and matured those dispositions
which were to bless his country, and gain him the
laurels of immortal fame; and he bade his uncle' Adieu."  Wallace and his mother winged their
flight to Ellerslie, and in the morning sent for Sir
Ronald Crawford, her brother, who informed them,
with sorrow of heart and tears, that her husband, and
her eldest son, William's father and brother, were
slain by the cruel English soldiers. He told them of
the valour of Malcom Wallace; how he hewed the
English down after his hough sinews were cut, and
Malcom, the younger, who fell in the field of Lochri-ben, in defence of their country. The soul of
y.:ing William was fired on that relation with love
cd glory, and desire of vengeance; and he secretly
designed to retaliate on the heads of the English at;.:-ne future period, when time and opportunity should
sorve his ends.
Mrs. Wallace, his mother, persuaded Sir Ronald
Crawford, her brother, to petition Lord Percy, thel.
Lieutenant General of Scotland, for permission to live
qietly at Ellerslie, for she was bowed down with
sorrow and cares in a good old age. Sir Ronald ob
tained a protection for his sister, but William Wallace
disdained to remain under their protection, and pro
cteded to Richardstown, and lived some time with
his uncle Sir Richard Wallace, who had been a warrEor of great valour, renown, wisdom and opulence.
Vallace arrived at his uncles house in February, and




20               TIlE LIFE OF
in April went out for diversion and amusement, to
angle in the water of Irvine, not dreading the attack
of his enemies. But, having fished successfully for
some hours, accompanied with a boy to carry the bag,
Lord Percy and his suite came riding along, and
excited some degree of uneasiness in the mind of
Wallace, because he had forgot to bring his sword
with him. Five of Percy's guards in green uniform,
mounted on their troopers, advanced to Wallace, and
in blustering language accosted him with tyrannical
expressions, " Zounds Scot, we shall have thy fish."
Wallace in graceful modesty replied, " I will share the
half with you most cheerfully."  But one of them answered, "that would be too little," and alighted and
snatched them all from the boy. Then Wallace said
" I am sure in modesty you will leave us some, if ye
are gentlemen; let an aged Knight that lives in yonder house, have some, pray be so generous." The
English robber answered, " you clown, the river has
enough in store, we serve a lord, who shall dine upon
these ere long.'"  Wallace replied in burning vengeance, "Thou art in the wrong, whom hast thou
here, faith thou deservest a blow;" the Southeron
then began to abuse Wallace, saying " poor prattling
Scot, how darest thou talk so contemptuously," and
rushed on Wallace with his drawn sword, but Wallace being dexterous and strong parried it off with his
pole-staff and laid him on the ground, snatched up
his sword and with one back stroke clave his neck in
two. The other four pillagers, when they saw their
companions slain in their presence, alighted from
their horses, rushed upon Wallace with all their
united force, and completely surrounded him; but




SIR WILLIAM WALLACE.           21
Wallace nobly stood his ground, against the f6ur in
arms, and fiercely struck at one upon the head, and
his glancing Claymore cut through his collar-bone;
he struck another on the arm and laid both hand and
sword on the ground together; another he slew with
a back sweep of his sword, and the other two fled for
their lives. The silly cowards informed Lord Percy,
that three of their comrades were slain, and he saw
their own two bloody heads, and asked them how
many enemies they had encountered. They answered "    ONE."  " A devil surely," replied Percy, " since
one has killed three and put two to flight, cowardly
coxcombs pack ye out of my sight. It seems the
Scot has fought most manfully for me this day, in
faith he shall not be sought; was ever such a defeat
heard of before in any land, ye whore's son's birds,
let a Scots pole staff command five English swords."
Meantime Wallace mounted one of the Southeron
horses, and carried the other two along with him to
Richardtown, to his uncle. The good old knight
was surprised at the news of Wallace's encounter and
victory, and almost fainted in the presence of his intrepid nephew; counselled him to keep it secret, con
cluding that " for such fishing sports you may pay
dearly, if it should be known."  "Uncle," said the
undaunted Wallace, " I will push my fortune now
where I can expect success, since I can nolonger
evade the eye of mine enemies, I will try the English
geldings how they ride." The good old man consented, and gave him a purse of gold. Wallace
kneeled'down and humbly took his leave, and the
aged knight holding him by the hand. said in love




22              THE LIFE OF
and affection, 6 when that is done send for more, I
pray my dear nephew, and God speed."
Firm to his resolution he spared neither great nor
small of the English, who fell in his way. For those
heroic actions he was out-lawed by them and compelled during the inclement winter of 1207, to live in
the fields, the woods, the mountains and the dens of
the earth, where he wandered exposed to all the hardships and privations that human nature could possibly
sustain. The ardent love of freedom, and his implacable hatred of the English oppressors of his country, harrowed up all the passions of his soul, and as
an eagle hunting for his prey, he panted for revenge
upon their heads. He lost no opportunity to attack
them by surprise, while he lurked in the woods and
mountains.
WALLACE KILLS THE BULLY WITH ONE STROKE OF HIS OWN STAFF,
IN AYRE.
After the angling exploit, Wallace withdrew a little while to Ochter-house and Longland-wood, to
avoid the fury of his enemies. When the rumour of
hlis fishing sport was supposed to have vanished, he
repaired to the town of Ayre, in disguise, to reconnoiter his enemy's security and exposures. He alighted from his horse in Longlandwood, and gravely
walked to the cross in the town of Ayre, where Lord
Percy commanded the garrison of Englishmen; appeared nothing daunted; walking briskly round, and
viewed all the barbarous crew, wallowing in luxuries




SIR WILLIAM WALLACE.            23
and the spoils of his country. Wallace could scarce
restrain his passion and youthful ardour against the
cruel invaders and oppressors of his beloved country.
But to divert his attention from manifesting his hatred
to the enemy, Wallace went to see a huge English
clown, who boasted greatly of his matchless strength,
and who challenged the Scots at the bearing of burdens, and blows on his body. As Wallace approached
him to see the sport, " I will bear a greater burden,"
said the prince of sots, " than any three good sturdy
Scots, or I will permit and bear a blow with a staff
like a stage dancer's pole for one single groat from
the hand of the strongest Scot."  He could not refrain from laughing at the temerity of the fool, and
said to the Champion of the Southerons, "I am ready
and willing for one Scot's blow, to give an English
shilling."  The wretch immediately accepted of the
money and soon reaped the fruits of his folly; for
Wallace being actually endowed with the strength of
four ordinary Scots, gave him such a blow on the
back that clave his rig bone, and he instantly sunk
in death. A solemn silence prevailed like a calm before a storm, for a few minutes, till the guards of the
town were informed of the death of their Champion.
The Southerons armed with swords and spears immediately surrounded him; but still he appeared undismayed in this perilous situation, he cocked his steel
bonnet and began to defend himself by the same staff
with which he killed the churl. At the first blow he
dashed out the brains of one, struck another's bayonet
and killed him. The staff was split and riven by its
collision with the steel of his enemy; but happily he
had a sword concealed within the skirt of his gar



24                THE LIFE OF
ment, which he immediately drew with awful grace
and majesty and swung the trusty steel to clear his
way towards his steed. In cutting through the host
of numerous foes he was sorely pressed in the rear by
two strenuous warriors. His anger was kindled, and
like a lion in his strength he turned his eyes and swung
his weighty Claymore, slew the foremost, and clave
the second down through the body.   Five Southerons were laid dead upon the ground, all killed by
one bold Scot, in the midst of hundreds of his enemies. In the mean time Wallace having cleared and
forced his way, mounted his trusty steed and scampered off to Longlandwood, pursued by companies
of horse and foot.  In the thi6ket of the wood
he eluded the search and sight of his enemies, and
was supplied with provisions and all necessaries
from Ochter-house, during his concealment in Long.
landwood. Wallace having become impatient in his
lurking place, and being desirous of reviewing the
garrison of the enemy, returned in disguise to Ayre.
But ah! it proved a fatal day, I wish to Jove that hoe
had stayed away.
WALLACE KILLS LORD PIERCY'S STEWARD AND 19 TAKgfii
PRISONER.
As Sir Ronald Crawford's servant was buying fis
for his master in the market of Ayre, Lord Percy's
steward came and assaulted him in terms of the great..
est disdain. "Scoth said the steward, "for whom
buvest thou these fish thou carriest."  The servant




SIR WILLIAM WALLACE.           25
answered, "Sir, for the Sheriff of A yre."  "By heaven's king," the steward rudely swore, "my lord
shall have them, and thou mayest purchase more."
Wallace overhearing the conversation, was incensed
with the insulting rudeness and insolence of this pirating steward over the humble Scots servant, and
could no longer'restrain his indignation; "why such
rudeness, tell the reason why?" demanded Wallace,
and the haughty steward's blood began to boil with
rage and he replied," go hence thou saucy Scot, with
speed, I mock thee and thy sheriff," and smote Wallace with'his hunting-staff; but alas! for the poor devoted steward, better for him that he had kissed the
foot of the Scot, and asked his pardon, for Wallace
drew his mighty claymore and despatched him in the
twinkling of an eye. In an instant a crowd assembled and eighty of the guards, well armed, surrounded Wallace, who stared at them and never uttered a
word; but boldly drew his daring claymore and dashed through the ranks of his compassing enemies,
transfixed the foremost through the body, cut the leg
of the second at the knee and severed the head from
the body of the third in the three resistless sweeps of
his tremendous claymore. Thus he raged like a lion
among his enemies, cutting his way towards the gate;
but alas! the enemy were strongly posted at the gate
with swords and spears to prevent his escape. Then
in desperation he hewed them down like silly sheep,
and even when they environed him with countless
numbers he stalked through them like a living statue
of iron, and placed himself at a wall near the sea,
where none dare approach him, until the whole gar



26              THE LIIF' OF
rison issued forth to overpower and capture a single
Scots warrior. They mounted on a dyke and broke
down the wall, which defended Wallace's back, and
left him no other shift but to fight or die. His soul
was fired with double rage and he suddenly hewed
down great numbers of his surrounding enemies, and
fiercely passed through them.
But ah! unlucky hour and fatal day; his broad
claymore broke off at the hilt, and the small dagger
that was in his possession was not sufficient to cope
with English spears and lengthy swords.  He slew
three of them with his dagger before they could overpower him with their numbers, swords, bayonets, and
spears. The command was given not to slay him,
but to take him alive, that they might starve him in
a loathsome dungeon until they should bring him to
a cruel and ignominious death, which, says the historian, resembled the prison of Hell. All Scots patriots and his personal friends wept for the fall of their
mighty chieftain all mourned the fate of their beloved
Wallace; in vain did piteous tears flow from the eyes
of a mourning people; none was able to release the
hopes and glory of the nation; and the weeping and
the lamentation of the wives and children, as well as
the patriots of Scotland, were sufficient to rend a
heart of stone. Alas! said they, can life endure to
see our Wallace imprisoned and massacreed by the
cruel enemies of our country? the flower of youth
in sweet and tender age, pine in a loathsome dungeon? can we survive the death of our de!iverer and
protector? and who in Scotland is left to defend her
rights, liberties and her laws."




S1R WILLIAM WALLACE.             27
THE IMPRISONMENT AND ESCAPE OF WALLACE AT AVRE, IN AN
EXTRAORDINARY MANNER.
During Wallace's imprisonment, the Southerons
fed him on herrings and water, and offals of their
shambles in the manner they would feed their dogs
and swine, until death was pictured in his beauteous
clay; all his vital spirits done and his soul sunk within him.  Whereupon in expectation of immediate
death he solemnly addresses the God of Mercy and
Justice, imploring his pardon and favour on the footing of the propitiation of Jesus Christ, the Saviour of
the world, in the following strain " 0 my God, may
it please thee to receive my soul into the arms of thy
sovereign mercy, or quickly loose me from the bands
of this death, as seemeth good unto thy glorious Majesty. Give not up this oppressed nation into the
hands of their cruel enemies, deliver them by thy
mighty hand and rescue them by thine arm from the
snares of their malicious foes," &c. Having uttered
this prayer he turned his lamentation on the great
cause of his defeat, saying " 0 brittle sword, thy metal was not true, the breaking of thy blade threw me
into this dungeon and subjected thousands of gallant
Scots; I trusted to thee, alas! thou hast failed me;
I thought to have avenged the blood of my gallant fag
ther and noble uncle, and beloved brother upon the
Southerons, who massacreed them at Lochmaben;
but alas! for my dear country, which is doomed by
this mischance to oppression and slavery." A cruel
flux of the belly came on and consumed the poor remains of strength in the person of Wallace, and re



28               THE LIFE OF
duced him to the brink of the grave. When they saw
that Wallace would soon die, they commanded the
executioner to bring him to the sentence of the law
The jailor having come and found Wallace, already
dead, returned in great haste and reported his death.
They all concluded to throw him over the castle wall
as they do with the bodies of their dead dogs. But
mysterious Providence, ever mindful of her favourites,'directed his fall in a soft place without the wall, so
that his bones were not broken. There Wallace lay
motionless and apparently lifeless, until the news of
his death and disgraceful funeral had reached the ears
of his old nurse who lived in Ayre, and came run
nmg to ask permission to bear away the corpse of
Wallace to burial. And having obtained permission,
she carried his body home to her own house, bathed
it in warm water, and to her great surprise and joy
she felt his heart began to beat or flutter, and saw his
eyes open in her presence. She immediately laid
him on a soft bed an] caused her daughter to suckle
him with her own milk, until he recovered strength,
and was able to walk out to meet his enemies.
All this time she nourished him with good nutriment and good solace, weeping in the presence of
nis enemies, and rejoicing in the presence of his
friends, to quiet the one and console the other.Thomas the rhymer, at that time prophecied in ancient Scottish rhyme, and was held in great estimation. He came to the parish priest to talk of the
troubles and calamities of their country, and just when
Thomas was there, the priest's servant returned from
the market of Ayre, and told, that he had seen good
young Wallace cast for dead over the castle wall.The priest replied with a heavy heart, " I hope to ser




SIR WILLIAM WALLACE.             29
the Southerons smart for that cruel deed on the life
and body of noble Wallace."  Thomas observed the
news were bad, and added," Wallace is not dead,"
and paused in pensive thought, " The God, who hath
made the world, and brings all things to pass for his
own glory, if Wallace be dead, dooms Thomas to live
no more." The priest sent his servant to the woman's
house to know for certainty of the life or death of Wallace.  The servant prayed to be introduced into the
chamber where Wallace lay, and the woman led him
up stairs and shewed him Wallace alive. The servant, as soon as he saw the majesty of his person, returned in great haste, and told his master and Thomas
the glorious news of Wallace's life, health and safety.
Then Thomas began again to prophecy of the greatness and glory of Wallace, that he would sweep the
Southerons from the land, that thousands would fall
at his right hand, that he should thrice deliver Scotland, and be the scourge of Southerons: then cheer
up, ye Scots, cast off your care, and believe what he
should now declare.
BATTLE OF LOUDOUN-HILL,
Fought by Wallace to revenge the slaughter of his
Father and Brother.
As soon as Wallace recovered from his sickness
produced by his imprisonment, he sent his nurse and
her daughter who suckled him, with the rest of the
family to Ellerslie, and prepared himself for war.In all his preparations he could not find a sword to
please him, except an old rusty blade which stood in




30              THE LIFE OF
the corner of the house, none seemed to be worth the
carrying. He drew it out of the scabbard and found
that it would bite keenly, and was wonderfully pleased with it, saying, " Faith thou shalt go with me, till
F can procure a better," and immediately proceeded
to Richardtown to procure a horse and armour, that
he might be able to encounter the English Knights,
who were all clothed in steel and accoutred with shining arms.
As he ventured to travel to Richardtown, three
Southerons riding into Ayre, met him, Longcastle and
two yeomen, who attempted to bring him back to
Ayre; but Wallace drew back and would not be
compelled to return. They turned furiously upon
him, and despitefully accosted him, saying, " Thou
Scot, stay, for surely thou art a spy or some thief,
that darest not show your face."  Wallace answered,
"Sir, for God's sake let me alone, I am sick:" Longcastle replied in compulsatory language, " By George,
thy countenance prognoisticates something odd! to
Ayre, thou Shalt go with me," pulling out his glittering
sword to compel him to return. Wallace, who knew
not fear, also drew his rusty blade, and with a single,
but a dreadful blow, cut off Longcastle's head; the
yeomen then rushed on him with the utmost fury;
but Wallace stood like a post of iron and smote the
foremost on the head and clove it down to the neck;
whereupon the other fled to tell the doleful news. But
Wallace, knowing that his escape would reveal his
proceedings, pursued him, and gave him such a blow
on the ribs, that all his lungs and entrails hung out of
his body. He then seized their horses and their armour, their swords and their Durses, the lawful spoil




SIR WILLtLIA M   WALLACE.      31
of a well fought field, mounted one of their horses,
and rode on to Richardtown.
There Sir Richard Crawford rejoiced to see his
nephew, and Sir Ronald soon joined the joyful com.
pany with his cheeks bedewed with tears. Sir Ronald held Wallace by the hand and kissed him in the
joyful extacy of his soul, " Welcome, welcome, my
dear nephew," said he, " welcome home to me!
thanks be to God who has brought thee out of prison
and has rescued thee from the cruel hands of thy
mortal enemies." All his kinsfolks, his mother and
friends, assembled with joyful hearts to see beloved
Wallace, who was dead and is alive again. Robert
Boyd and a great number of his dearest friends and
companions from all parts convened to rejoice with
them on the re-appearance of their promising Chieftain.
As soon as Wallace obtained a select band of faithful companions in war, he proceeded in the month of
July, to Machlein Muir, in order to wait an opportuni
ty to avenge the death of his father, brother, uncle, &c.
The three sons of Sir Richard, Adam, Richard, Simeon, all brave and bold; Robert Boyd, Cleland, and
Edward Little accompanied Wallace as chiefs in this
expedition. At Machline Muir they were informed
that Fenwick was on his route to Ayre, conveying
waggons loaded with provisions and rich spoils from
Carlisle. The soul of Wallace was elevated to hear
of this noble purvey, and he inwardly strained t.
catch the prize. To Londoun, then, these seven noble warriors, with forty-three at their command, all
clothed in bright armour and accoutered with glitter




S2               THE LIFE OF
ing claymores, briskly rode, and lodged all night it
Loudoun's braes, where they were informed by a truehearted Scot near Loudoun, that the provision waggons of Fenwick were in Annadale, and that the advanced guard had passed on to Ayre. Wallace knowing the course of their route, immediately ordered his
worthy Scots to move at break of day to an advantageoaus ground, to lie in ambush for the approach of
Fenwick, sending out two of their number to rcconnoitre the plains. The Scots soon returned, and reported the coming of their enemies. All their horses were turned loose, with a determination to conquer or die; and they fell on their knees to implore
the God of power to protect them and the broken
rights of Scotland. Prayers being ended, Wallace
addressed his men to the following effect, " Here was
my dear father and brother slain! I shall be avenged
on the head of the traitor that committed the felon
deed," and commanded them to advance upon the
hill. Fenwick saw them, and cried, " Yonder is
Wallace! I know him well: he lately broke our prison, and shall soon be captured again; I shall not
permit him to speak-his head will please our king
better than gold, lands, or earthly things," and ordered his servant to stop his carriage until he should
clear the way of his enemies. Nine score he led in
bright burnished harness, and fifty on horseback.The Scots on foot, armed with good claymores, and
caps of steel, met them on the hill; and oh! to see
the fury of the tremendous combat! steel clashing
against steel-legs and arms, brains and entrails covering all the plain, and the dying enemies lying welterinig in their gore.  Fenwick, never doubting




SIR WILLIAM WALLACE.           33
victory, attempted to ride down the band of Scots by
a furious onset; but Wallace, first in fight, met them
fell and keen, with his immovable company of youths,
and transfixed the foremost of the enemy: then all
swords were drawn on either side, and were wielded
in dire array. The Englishmen surrounded the Scots
on every side thinking to bear them down by their
horses and their numbers; but the close little band
of Scots stood impenetrable, and repulsed all the attacks of their enemies. When Fenwick then saw
their unexpected repulse, and the fields died with the
blood of his men, he advanced on a prancing steed,
clothed in bright armour; wielding the dreadful
spear, with dismal gloom and dashed into the thickest of the fight in fury. Wallace saw the murderer
of his parent and brother, and became as outrageous
as a hungry lion; he flew at him, and with a deadly
blow sheared away his thigh.'Ere he was dead the
enemy bore so close and keen, that poor Robert Boyd
was almost overpowered by the number of his foes;
but Wallace saw the unequal struggle of nis noble
companion, turned in again and rescued him from
danger, and chased them through the plain. There
Adam Wallace and Beaumont cut a Southeron Squire
of great renown through the middle, and before night
there was not a Southeron to dispute the field
of battle. Three Scots Warriors fell in battle on that
awful day; one hundred Southerons lay dead around
them and four score escaped by flight, leaving all
their convoy a prey to the victorious Scots.
The convoy consisted of gold, harness, horses, victuals, wines, even ten score of harnessed horses, besides provender and other things.
C




34               THE LIFE OF
The vanquished Southerons fled to Ayre, and told
Lord Piercy of their dismal disaster; how Wallace
hanged their men on the trees of Clyde's wood, what
numbers were slain in battle, &c. which greatly raised
the fears and dread of Piercy respecting the power and
vengeance of Wallace, and induced him to make over"
tures of peace.
THE ENGLISH MAKE PEACE WITH WALLACE.
In order to have time to receive reinforcements, and
efect his destruction, devised a plot to ensnare him
during the peace.
Wallace having won a glorious victory over the
enemies of his country, and avenged the blood of his
kindred on the heads of their murderers, retired to the
green wood of Clyde with his adventurous companions.
Piercy in the mean time, proceeds to Glasgow,
and summoned a council of the Lords te;mpoial to devise how they might ensnare Wallace by some deep
stratagem; for not one of their ten thousand men
i tmuld go out against the mighty chieftain of Scotland,
mo account of the general rumour and dread of his
name and power. In this secret council of war, Sir
Aymer Valiance, the false and murderous knight of
Bothwell, proposed a bloody plot to entrap and massacre him, by employing his nearest relations to influence him to a truce, by imposing upon his goodness
and gentleness, especially through the persuasion ol
Sir Ronald Crawford, his beloved uncle.  They
threatened to confiscate all his lands, and to carry




SIR WILLIAM WALLACE.           35
him to the prison of London; which the good old
knight repelled by urging the impossibility of the un.
dertaking, on the consideration of their having destroyed the kindred of Wallace. And when they
could not prevail by menaces on Sir Ronald Craw,
ford to use his influence to bring Wallace to conclude
a peace, they promised him the Sheriffdom of Ayr,
Alas! fair promises of honour and advancement overcame the good old knight, and he undertook the me.
diation on the conditions proposed by Piercy.
Sir Ronald then proceeded to the woods of Clyde,
and drew near Wallace as he dined and feasted on the
dainties and luxuries of their spoils, sat down and
shared their merriment. After dinner, Sir Ronald
declared his errand, " Nephew, said he, take my ad
vice and counsel, make a truce for a season with the
Southerons, otherwise all thy kindred will be slain."
Wallace replied, " I shall make no peace with the
oppressors of my country and the murderers of her
sons." But Robert Boyd, to save the worthy knight,
moved for peace; Cleland and Adam Wallace se
conded the motion, and Wallace reluctantly agreed
to proclaim peace, in hopes of future opportunities of
liberating his country from the cruel yoke of their
enemies, and they parted sadly on the plain. This
happened in the month of August, 1296, in the 20th
year of the age of Wallace.
WALLACE KILLS THE BUCKLER PLAYER IN THE TOWN OF ATRE
Wallace could not rest contented at Crosbie with
Sir Ronald Crawford, to see his country's wrongs




36                THE LIFE OF
unredressed. He longed to see the town of Ayre,
and he selected fifteen men, ana proceeded to it in
disguise. At the gate they met an English Fencer,
boasting of the weapon, with a buckler in his hand.
Wallace stood to see the play, and while he remained
there, the Fencer challenged him to fight; " Scot,
said he. darest thou try a stroke?" " Yes," said Wallace, " smite on, thy motion I defy," and immediately swung his dreadful claymore at his head, and
clove it down to his shoulders, and returned to his
men without the least concern.  The women hallooed, "our Fencer is dead! our Fencer is slain!" and
in a few moments fierce men in arms encompassed
them; eight score now attacked sixteen, but Wallace ever fearless and foremost, with one dreadful
blow, shattered the brains of the one opposed to him
through his helmet, swung his awful claymore through
the body of another, and cleared a space to wield
iesistless weapons; so did all his brave men, and
great was the slaughter made among their assailants,
ere reinforcements could be sent fromn the castle.Wallace saw their design to surprise him, ordered his
men to cut through their enemy's ranks, and hewing
heads and brains, asunder, wheeled round his men,
appeared in the rear, and cleared a way for escape
from their merciless enemies. The great hero and
his men mounted their horses and galloped off to
Longlandwood, leaving 29 Southerons dead in the
gates of the city. Three kinsmen of lord Piercy,
who were clothed in bright armour, paid the great
debt of nature on that fatal day. Piercy then immediately accused Sir Ronald Crawford of a breach of
faith, in a letter, because Wallace, he said, had not




SIR WILLIAM WALLACE             1
kept the peace.  Wallace stayed seventeen days at
Crosbie with his uncle, and prollised to keep the peace,
until the truce was ended. Sir Ronald showed him
the letter of Piercy, and intreated him to remain quietly with him in his house; but the soul of Wallace
was fired with passion against the cruel tyranny of
the Southerons, who possessed his country.
WALLACE WINS THE PEEL OR FORT OF GARGUNNOCK.
In September, the English Peers convened in Council at Glasgow, and good Sir Ronald Crawford Sheriffof Ayre, behooved to be among them. So he proceeded on his journey to Glasgow, accompanied by
William Wallace his nephew, and three servants.On their way, they met a convoy of three horsemen
and two footmen, with Piercy's baggage, who rob.
bed Sir Ronald's servants upon the plain of all their
master's property; and Sir Ronald himself never opposed them for the sake of peace; but Wallace saw
the foul deed, and could not forgive the injury. He
withdrew from the company of Sir Ronald, burning
with anger, and vowing vengeance within his own
breast, to waylay the rapacious monsters, who had
perpetrated the robbery. He overtook them near
Cathcart, and attacked them, brandishing his great
claymore. The first sweep he made with his sword,
severed the head from the shoulders of the foreman;
three more of his companions quickly shared the fate
of death by his claynore, and the fifth fled in great
consternation. Wallace seized all their baggage and
goods, and escaped into Lenox, leavil.g his friends to




38               THE LIFE OF.
lament his absence, where he was courteously receiv
cd by Malcom, the great Earl of Lenox.     But
Wallace could not remain idle while his native.and groaned under a foreign yoke; grieved for their
miserable condition, and resolved to raise an army to
combat the enemies of his beloved country in the field.
Stephen of Ireland, an exile of his country, entered
into a league with Wallace; so did Faudon, a man
of dreadful size and aspect, of iniquitous eyes, never
smiled, and was fearful to the sight, who delighted in
blood and battery. With these and other sixty brave
Scots warriors, he marched northward, and surprised
the garrison on Gargunnock hill, in the dead of the
night; killed the watchmen, the captain and all the
men in arms, only saving the women and children,
and divided all the gold and provisions among his brave
companions, who regaled themselves for four days in
great profusion, on the spoils of their enemy; but
Wallace fought for Scotland, and for glory. In the
fifth day after the reduction of this fortified store
house, they pursued their march across the Teth and
Ern, in order to discover the motions, strength, or
weakness of their enemies, and lodged in Methvin
forest, where they could subsist upon hunting, and
would not be compelled to fast and fight, as they had
done in many places of resort.
WALLACE ENTERS ST. JOHNSTOUN, SLAYS THE CAPTAIN, AND
WINS THE CASTLE OF KINCLEVEN.
He obtained admittance into the town, in disguise,
with seven men, in the following manner. Having
arrived At the gate, and demanded permission to en



SIR WILLIAM WALLACE.            39
ter, he was refused admittance, until the Provost was
sent for to examine the strangers. WVhen he saw
Wallace, a tall strong man, he fixed his eyes upon
him, suspected his huge appearance, and enquired
whether they were all Scotsmen. Wallace readily
answered,  we are not only all Scotsmen, but, as it
is time of peace, there is no cause to refuse us admission."  " This I grant," said the Provost, " and men
of peace should always be well treated; but pray,
tell me your name, and from what part of the country you are come?" Wallace answered," my name is
William. Malcom, we come from Ettrick Forest, in
the Scutl, to seek better employment in the North,
and to see the country."7  The Provost then apologised for his suspicious inquiries, adding that he
meant no harm by his questioning of them, excusing
himself by saying, " that so many reports had been
circulated about one William Wallace, born in the
West, who was slaying or destroying the English
wherever he could find them, therefore, as he was a
tall, strong man, it was necessary to know those whom
they admitted into the town."  Wallace professed to
know nothing about William Wallace, and desired
the Provost not to mention such a hated name; and
he was not only admitted into town, but had an
inn provided for him and his men, until they should
find employment, and were provided with every thing
the place afforded. He often invited Englishmen to
drink with him, on purpose to discover their number
and strength of the place; his great business being to
spy out their positions, in order to surprise them, or
burn the town.




40               TIHE LIFE OF
Wallace could not venture to set it in flames, on ac
count of the difficulty of escape; but then he disco.
vered, that Sir James Butler, an aged knight, who
kept the castle of Kincleven, resided in town, with Sir
John, his son, an under captain to Sir Gerard Heron, then commander of the garrison; and was about
to return to that strong hold, with a guard of 90 well
armed horsemen, chosen men of valour. Wallace on
hearing this repcrt of Sir James's return to Kincleven
castle, hastened off to Mithvinwood, blew his martial
horn and all his intrepid warriors quickly assembled
round him, all blooming in good health, and ready
for action, at the command of their leader.
He then marched his well armed little band from
the woods in a valley along the banks of the sweet
winding Tay, and, at a short distance from Kincleven
lay in ambush among the bushes, and sent spies in
different directions, to reconnoiter their approach.Some of them soon returned and brought the information, that four men on horse back had just passed,
who appeared as the forerunners of the main body.
The prudent Wallace commanded his men to remain
still concealed, while he himself went to obtain more
certain intelligence. At length he saw them coming
in a dense column, four score and ten gallant soldiers,
headed by Sir James Butler, and thanked Heaven,that
they were not stronger, and prepared to attack them.
The English could not conceive what they were, and
were greatly surprised at such an appearance, and
could not conjecture their intention, till they approached near, when they perceived the hostile design of Wallace and his warriors. The English
brandished their dreadful spears, and rushed upon the




SIR WILLIAM WALLACE.            41
Scots, in the hopes of trampling them under foot, or
running them down with their horses. They were
boldly and unexpectedly repulsed, and several ot
their men and horses were slain.. Butler alighted
from his horse and marshalled his men, in order to
defend themselves against a furious enemy. A fierce
and sanguinary contest ensued, and a few of the Scots
fell under the strong arm of the English captain. —
Wallace beheld this omen, became enraged, forced
his way through the combating throng, attacked him,
and hewed his head in pieces, in presence of his brave
warriors. Then wheeling around, laid many of the
English on the ground in all directions. Stephen ot
Ireland and his invincible Scots, also performed theit
duty and stretched three score of the English on the
ground; the rest fled in confusion to the castle ot
Kincleven.
The few men who were left as a garrion to defend
Ihe place, opened the gate to receive their flying companions; but Wallace and his men following them so
close, entered the same gate with them, seized the
castle, shut the gate, drew the bridge, and permitted.no one to go out or come in, except according to his
pleasure. The women and children he saved, reaained them for some days, and then permitted them
to depart, with such effects as they chose, to carry
along with them. Meantime his men were employed,
during five knights, in conveying all the provisions
and necessaries which they found in the castle, to the
Short-Wood shaws. He then committed the castle
to the flames, abandoned it, and wisely retired to the
wood for shelter in case of future danger. Lady Butler hastened to Perth, and informed Sir John, her sc(n




42              THE LIFE OF
of the fate of his father, and their misfortunes. Sir
John was stung to the heart with grief, and fired with
indignation, commanded all the men in Perth and its
vicinity, to arlns, and repaired to the Short-Wood
shaws, in search of the Scots, under the command of
William Wallace, of dreaded name and valour.
THE BATTLE OF THE SHORT-WOOD SHAWS.
As soon as the Southerons in St. Johnstown or
Perth, heard of the fatal disaster and fall of their gar..
rison at Kincleven, the vowed vengeance on the head
of the Scots. Sir John Butler, the son of Sir James
Butler of Kincleven, whom Wallace had slain, a valiant chief, was sent with a thousand men of war, to the
Short-Wood shaw, to avenge the blood of his father
and the other brave men, who died in that awful affray. Butler was impassioned with double rage and
spirit of revenge, and poured his men into the shaw
in multitudes; archers, spearmen, and swordsmen,
with dreadful din of war, resolved to exterminate the
little band of Scots, who lodged in the wood. But
Wallace heard them approach undismayed, drew up
his men in form of battle best calculated to defend
themselves,so few in numbers,against a thousandstrong
The Southerons advanced in awful front, supposing tc
cut the Scots to pieces in a few minutes, and a tre.
mendous combat began, the like of it never was seen
on the pleasant green banks of the Tay, where such
deeds were done, such feats performed, and such glo.
ries won, that no human pen can represent, in verse




SIR WILLIAM WALLACE.            43:r in prose, arms meeting arms, swords clashing
rtgainst swords, spears crashing against long clay
nores, heads and limbs flying asunder, and brains
and entrails flowing forth in the presence of the invincible Scots.  The Scots were formed into a dense
ring, and presented a circular front, like a wall of
iron, that nothing could penetrate, nor could a sufficient number of their weaker bodied foes engage to
overpower them. As for Wallace, he laboured hard,
and often pierced through their ranks, and laid many
dead upon the ground, dealing blows of destruction
among his enemies. He carefully sought for young!Butler through and through the ranks, and at last he
eyed him breathing vengeance against his enemy, de-;ended underneath a bowing tree. Intent he musterpd all his strength, fiercely struck at Butler, cut down
tle branch and felled the'champion dead on the spot.
Loran of Gowrie saw his companion fall dead, under
Ihe mighty claymore of Wallace, was enraged and
flew at him in a tremendous fury: but Wallace parried off the dreadful blow, and with a sweep of his
claymore stretched the younker dead at his feet. Then
the valiant Scots fought nobly all that day, and repelled their enemies at every onset, till they in shame
withdrew, and left the Scots in possession of the
field of battle. Astonishinito tell, that sixty Scots
should defeat a thousand Southerons, and only leave
seven of their number dead on the field, while full six
score of their opponents lay dead around them.Wallace having won the battle of the Short-Wood
hlaws, fearing that the enemy would receive reinforcements, and attack t.hem, wearied with the long and
desperate contest. withdrew into lethvin wood, and
tlience retired to Elcho-Park.




44'THE LIFE OF
WALLACE BETRAYED BY HIS LEMAN IN ST. JOHNSTOWN,
AND ESCAPES.
While his invincible warriors remained in ElchoPark, Wallace was moved with a desire to revisit his
sweetheart in the town of Perth; and consequently
disguised himself in a friars gown, and proceeded to
see the facinating dame! Having spent the night in
pleasure, he made a promise to come another day
and returned to his men.
In the mean time, the Southerons having obtainea
information of Wallace's dalliance with the maid,
bribed her with gold to betray him into their hands
when he returned. According to his promise he
returned on the day appointed, incontinent into her
chamber of death and danger. Having finished their
dalliance, the thought of losing such a trusty, kind and
honourable love, struck her with remorse, and she
immediately disclosed the nefarious plot to him with
weeping, and prayed him to make his escape. He
pardoned all her crime with a parting kiss, wiped the
tears off her face and forgot the fault of weakness and
necessity. He clothed himself in her garments and
makes for the gate with all haste and speed. He.
passed all the watch unsuspected excepting two, who
wondered at the amazing size and manly appearance,
pursued him until they were out of the reach ot
the cry of their companions, when Wallace in his
Leman's gown, turned round and smote them dead
at his feet, hastened to his men, musing on the danger of trusting womankind. He immediately placed
his sentinels with orders not to leave their post that
night on pain of death; for he well knew that his disappointed enemies would pursue him.




SIR WILLIAM WALLACE.             45
THE BATTLE OF ELCHO-PARK, AND OF TAY.
Kills Faudon; sees his apparation in a dream-pro.
ceeds to Locltmaben-wins the castle of Crawford,
and slays the captain.
The Southerons being enraged at the escape of
Wallace, pursued him with six hundred men, well
Rrmed with harness, sword and spear, to beset him in
his lurking place in the wood of Elcho. Before them,
they sent a famous blood-hound of wondrous scent,
to trace the footsteps and hold of Wallace in the
woods. Three hundred surrounded the woods, under their captain, Sir Gerard Heron, and three hundred scoured it by the guidance of their blood-hound,
under the command of (Sir James) Butler, who landed on Wallace and his brave companions, standing in
arms, not one to seven of their enemies.
It was impossible to flee from his surrounding foes.
They resolved to conquer or die on the field of battle.
The mighty chief unsheathed his conquering claymore, besought the aid of Heaven, and gave the dread
command.   Fierce he met his invading foes, and
dealt his fatal blows like lightning. The tempered
edges clashed with horrid din on coats of steel,
whence fiery sparkles flashed to brighten the flame of
war: but the massy armours and the defensive shields
yielded to the nervous arm of matchless Wallace,
who, like some awful torrent from a lofty hill, filled
all the valley with the wreck of war. He hewed a
lane through the martial press, and slew all who dared
oppose him. Forty of the enemy lay upon the ground
for their temerity; and fifteen of the brave and valiant Scots yielded up their life in defence of their coun



46                TiHE LIFE OF
try. The martial hero cut his way through his ene
mies, rescued all his surviving companions, and es
caped towards Tay, in hopes to find a pass, ere his
pursuing enemies could overtake them. But alas! no
pass could be found, and an infuriated enemy pressed
hard upon their rear. " We shall rather die upon
the plain, said Wallace, than sink a single drop of
Scottish blood in the relentless flood, without revenge:
-et us stand and be avenged even in our death."
Having heard the breathings of their chieftain, they
stood with renewed courage in their own defence.
Butler advanced in dread array, bathed in blood, and
panting for revenge, and rushed upon the Scots with
all his warlike host. Deaths were soon exchanged on
every side.-The youthful captain of the noble Scots
exerted all his martial fire, run through their ranks
and mowed them down like grass, while he himself
stood invulnerable in a coat of mail, and raging in his
unequal strength. But as he strewed the field with
numerous bodies of his enemies, he saw with grief and
pain, many of his few companions lying bleeding on
the ground, with their shields and good claymores
dyed with the blood of their assailants.
Wallace saw no way of relief except in the death
of Butler, their captain, whom he keenly sought from
plate to place through all the throng, and Butler as
carefully declined to meet his eye; beneath an aged
oak, amidst strong guards he avoided the fatal blow
of his claymore. Stephen of Ireland, and faithful
Kierly stood firm with Wallace, and dealt their fatal
blows on the heads of their surrounding enemies.
Sixty more of the English or Southerons lay dead
or weltering in their gore, on the green banks of Tay;




SIR WILLIAM WALLACE:           47
and nine more of the intrepid Scots resigned their
breath that day in defence of their liberty. Sixteen
now survived to accompany their chief and to flee
for their lives, after a day of laborious contests. —
They escaped in the night from between two confused parties of Butlers men, unobserved in their flight,
and fled to the craggy woods of Dupline.
As they eluded the sight of their enemies, the
Southerons sent their blood-hound after them, who
quickly traced them out, and brought them in each
other's view.
The enemies pursued on fleet coursers; but the
Scots depended on their nimble feet. Over two miles
of rising ground they had to pass, before they could
arrive at any place of strength, or elude the eyes c
their numerous enemies. But alas! ill-fated Faudoih
tired, and would not proceed further, even on the persuasion and help of his faithful companions. Wallace fearing his becoming a traitor as he fell into the
hands of his enemies, urged him with words of love,
but all in vain. The chieftain became indignant at
the designing treachery, reluctantly drew his claymore, and slew the intending traitor.  The blood of
Faudon stopped the hound and saved the lives of the
sixteen survivors. Having despatched the traitor,
the rest mounted the rocks like springing deers.
The Southerons having been guided by the slow
hound, come to the body of Foudon, and supposed
that the Scots had been killing each other.
While they crowded about the dead body of Faudon, Kierley and Stephen of Ireland, mingled among
them in the night. Kierley drew lis dagger and
thrust it into the bosom of Gerard Heron, as he stooped to see the body of Faudon, directing it upwards




48                THE LIFE Oi
beneath his armour to his vitals, and laid him dead
beside the departed traitor. They cried, " Treason,
treason!" in doleful shrieks, being convinced that the
audacious claymore of Wallace had pierced the heart
of their chieftain. The two brave Scots escaped impending doom, in the midst of the confusion and gloom
of the night.
Butler changed colour with grief and rage when he
saw Sir Gerard Heron gasping on the ground. He
immediately sent some of his men to inter the slain,
some to search the woods, some to scour the plain,
and others remained with him to guard the passes till
the return of day. Wallace, in the mean time, passed through the woods, in grief about the absence of
his two brave men, Stephen and Kierly, and arrived
safely at Gaskhall, where pressing hunger rendered
them bold enough to take two good sheep from a
neigbouring fold, andto roast them for supper. There
Wallace, in a dream, thought he heard the sound of
the loudest horn, and sent all his men, one by one, to
learn who should blow the horn of war. None returned to their chieftain, and, as the noise grew louder
and louder, his soul was racked with grief and pain
about the absence of his companions. The dreadful
sound increased in louder roar, and made the warrior
tremble. He snatched his dauntless claymore, collected in his strength and moved to the gate, where
the frightful appearance of Faudon stood, holding his
bleeding head in his hand. Wallace drew a cross
and stood, when at that moment, Faudon threw his
bloody head at Wallace, who seized it by the hair
and returned it to its owner.  He awoke and flew
out at the window, and fl(d along the river. Then




SIR WILLIAM WALLACE.           49
Wallace had to wander alone, bewildered in his
thoughts and overwhelmed with grief and black ideas
revolving in his mind, all the gloomy night. On the
return of day Butler awoke, and proceeded to the
plains, and there saw poor Wallace laying, sighing
and moaning for his companions, demanded his buisness there, with contracted brow, and spurred his
fiery horse. Wallace, unmoved, sustained the mighty
shock of the furious warrior, and aimed a fatal blow,
and cut his enemy to the ground; then he instantly
seized and mounted his horse, and scampered along
the plains, to evade unequal combat.
A soldier saw his leader fall, and launched his
whistling spear at the flying chief, but missed his mark.
Yet the enemy intercepted his flight and surrounded
the unfortunate chief. Brave Wallace stood, collected all his soul, saw them raging and panting for his
iblood, drew his dreadful claymore, dealt fate around,
aswept his bloody way, stretched three warriors dead,.and left their chieftain dying on the ground. But the
enemy poured in upon him, successive troops, condensed into a crowd, and bend all their united forse
to bear the chieftain down. The invincible Wallace
retires, intrepid and serene, and Parthian like, wounding as he retreated, unsouling twenty of his foes
as he withdrew, to adorn the scene of war.
Our glorious warrior, now weak and faint, pursued
his gloomy way in dreary wilds, through fens, bogs,
and bushes, towards the Forth. But alas! his weary
steed sunk to the ground and died upon the plain, and
Wallace was compelled to walk on foot without one
glimpse of day. He stood on the gloomy banks of
the surging flood alone, loosed his massy, armour,
D




59              THE LIFE OF
plunged into it, crossed the stream, and lodged in a
thicket, near a widow's house, the following night.
But ere he slept, he despatched two maids, his
hostess' two daughters to Gaskhall to search for his
beloved companions, and find out their fates.
Next morning, as Wallace repugned the tempta
tions of a priest to ensnare him with submission to the
power of Edward, Stephen and Kierly arrived in
gleat haste, and rehearsed to their chief all the difficulties which they experienced during his absence.
Tears of Joy bedewed the cheeks of those warriors,
while they mutually told their adventures and dangers, in the midst of their cruel enemies.
But as Wallace was about to leave that place, the
widow came and offered her two sons as volunteers
n his service, that they might learn, under his guardianship, the art of war. The mighty chief, with his
faithful band of warriors, set out, adorned with horse
and arms, for the heath of Dunduff, where brave Sir
John Graham held possession under the tyranny of
Edward. He had a bold young son, who was endowed by nature and education to excel in war. The
good old knight caused his gallant son to swear allegiance to Wallace on his drawn claymore, and to
follow him wherever glory and virtue should lead
him. Three days Wallace remained in the house of
Sir John Graham, and on the fourth he set out with his
gallant young pupils to teach them the glorious art
of war. He bent his course to his nephew's at Kilbank, that he might collect some warriors, before he
should again venture in the field against a powerful
and numerous enemy  The noble night of Kilbank,




SIR WILLIAM WALLACE.             51
his nephew, received every soul as a welcome guest,
and enjoyed the love of all.
Meanwhile, the news of the famous deeds of Wallace, and his increasing glcry, reached the ears of
Piercy, who again attempted to corrupt Sir Ronald
C.awford by promises, or to force him by menaces,
to influence Wallace to a submission to the government of the usurper; but the mighty chief employed
his active thoughts in preparing for war. He dispatched a messenger to Blair and Boyd, to call them
to arms in defence of their liberties and their laws.The news quickly spread, and all his friends, inured
to war and bred to feats.of arms, convened in gathering swarms around their chieftain. Wallace was
transported with joy and all his cares decreased among
such a company of faithful friends, who only waited
to receive his commands.
Just as the chief was about to enter on his campaign or expedition against the enemies of his country, he was controlled by the chains of love, that retarded the brilliant course of his warfare. The
charming fair lived in Lanerk, very near his native
place, Ellerslie, where she was admired by all for the
matchless beauties which adorned her person. Wai
lace beheld the pleasant flame, and can we refuse our
Hero the pleasures of nature and desire of his soul
A great struggle occupied the mind of Wallace; the
love of the fair and the love of his country rolling in
his bosom, and he could no longer conceal the pangs
of this conflict, " What! shall I give up my heart to
iove and destroy all my future schemes of war; shall
I thus lose myself in pleasant dreams, while Scotland
claims my bosom! No, I stifle this inglorious Ilame,




52               THE LIFE OF
and erase her image from my remembrance; rise gio
ry rise! assume thy wonted charms, carry me into
thine arms, and drown each thought in the loud
alarms of war; my duty and my country call me hence,
adieu, fair Marion, adieu." As the love-struck hero
moved away, a maid arrived from his lovely fair with
an invitation to visit her habitation. " Marion sends
her compliments and would be glad to behold the
bravest son of his country." The chief was amazed
and cried impatiently, "I go," and proceeded through
a secret back path to her house. There the lovely
pair regaled themselves with a sweet converse, and
concluded the match.
" But his duty called him to the field,
And love to conquest now must yield,
" Sweet maid," he cried, " again I'll come to thee,
When the loud trumpet sounds to victory."
He urged his course to Lochmaben, where his enemy, full grown in arrogance and glorying in power, Clifford, the inhuman youth commanded, and
vaunted in his inhuman conquests over the land.Wallace had scarce reached the devoted town when
Clifford began to brand the Scots with contumelies.
He pursued the haughty lord, pierced his heart with
his awful claymore, and left the town to warn his
faithful friends of the expected enemy; who immediately on the death of their chief pursued them. The
enemy appeared in burnished arms, and shot their
arrows with certain speed and aim and wounded John
Blair, his worthy chaplain. Wallace saw him bleed
and turned in awful rage to meet his foes. -Having ordered an attack, his little band rushed upon their ene



SIR WILLIAM WALLACE.           53
mies and received their adverse shock; none of either side dare seek a base retreat, until the English army was thinned with numerous slain, and the whole
field covered with multitudes of dead. Yet still their
new troops advanced in thickening crowds, which
covered the fields around with the clangor of war.Moreland too, the flower of arms, moved to the field
with lightning in his eyes; his armour yielded blazing splendour, his plume nodded from a distance,
and increased the tide of war; martial terror gloomed upon his brows as his boiling rage glowed in his
heaving bosom.
Keen in arms the mighty chief meditated the ruin
of the Scots, and his very appearance seemed to raise
the hopes of the Southeron's, as it swelled the tide of
war. The dauntless Scots could not even attempt to
flee, they were closely wedged on every side, and fully resolved to win or die. Both sides assaulted, and
vied each other in tremendous feats, thickened the
combat, and thinned the field. Wallace rode thundering through the tempest of the conflict, distinguished by the orby shield, and sought the dreaded Moreland. His glancing eye caught the raging chief, and
at him aimed the ponderous blade, which cut his neck
in two, and severed his head from his body. Wallace then seized his horse and wheeled around to revive the thunder of the war. The chieftain of the
Scots, as if inspired by heaven with more than human might, inclined the scale of fight to victory with
his own arm. Heaps on heaps expired on every side,
and all the verdant grass was dyed with human gore.
At last the Southerons lost their courage on the death
of their champion, and fled to the castle, where fierce




54              THE LIFE OF
Gxavestock reigned in abandoned pride and ease, de
riding all their terrors and scorning all their fears.
As soon as fierce Gravestock perceived the defeat
and death of Moreland, he commanded all his men in
arms to issue forth to the field, and meet the approaching Scots. He again revived the tempest of war;
while Wallace had withdrawn from the bloody scene
of victory to rest his wearied limbs. But he soon returned to his brave companions, and determined the
fate of the day. The Southerons saw him rise, like
a lion in his full strength casting an iron glare, and
cursed the fearful sight.  " Oh, don't, they cried,
anticipate our doom! return, return; don't brave
the impending fate! yonder he comes; behold the
godlike chieftain, whose mighty arm alone sweeps
the field!"  "Ha! ye dastards! cried Gravestock,
their intrepid General, with a frown of rage, and spurred his horse, his strength owes its being to your fears
alone."
Wallace's horse sunk under him, and his rider being overcome by fatigue, could not tempt the rising
tumult of the roaring war, which rolled along in fierce
encounters. Meantime, immortal Graham, as if despatched by Heaven, advanced with a brave retinue
of warriors. He joined the battle and raised the
clamorous shouts and cries through all the field. Graham rushed through the war and swept the standing
field, as if some fierce tide, bounding in the thickest,
of the fight. Wallace, on foot, cuts his bloody path,
and braving death, he stems the flood of war; he
fights in wearied ardour, besmeared with blood and
dust, and reaped the field, where dread and fate appeared to mow his intrepid followers. Thus all his




SIR WILLIAM WALLACE: 
brave companions urged the course and repulsed their
foes in foul disgrace.
The champion from the front of battle retreats, and
Wallace urged the chase, as if he gained new strength
to cut their chieftain down'; but swift Graham, quick
as lightning, vied with his noble leader, and swept
the rabble down. " Away, cried Wallace, why disgrace thy sword? fly at yon fleeing chief and reap
a nobler field: and as the youthful heroes shot along
the ranks in rapid haste, the new fired Graham sought
Gravestock retreating off the field. The mighty Scot
raised his claymore, as lightning in the air, and clave
nis monstrous head. No force could imDede its descending motion, nor prevent tne yawning chasm
that effused his gushing soul.
Wallace, meanwhile, strewed the bloody ground
with corses of the dead, and finished the burning
chase.
The brave warriors now meet, and unite with kind
intercourse of souls, each pleased with the view of his
victorious friends panting after a well fought day.All the victors headed by Wallace, sat down at night
to meditate new toils of war, among the heaps of slain;
and ere morning directed their march to Lochmaben,
to explore the town in the shades of night.
As they approached the gate, they found the keeper watching alone, and aimed a iandom blow, and
laid him dead in silence. His Iollowing band advanced in haste, and surprised the house, whence
clamour, shrieks and cries issued to rend the skies 
naught but groans of wretches resounded through all
the apartments of the fortress, where mirth and pride
had reigned.




56                 THE LIFE OF
The victors, now wearied with toils of war, gladly
reclined to satiate the calls of nature, on the spoils of
their opulent enemies. The sated warriors left the
humble town, and bent their rapid course toward the
flowing Clyde, to repose in sleep their exhausted
limbs. The god of sleep soon embraced t.hem in the
retired vale, and eased them of the bloody toils of
day. The restless warrior dreamed of an unsubdued
fortress where the enemies triumphed, and ere it was
day they were awoke with the sound of the martial
horn of their chieftain: all determined to level its
proud walls with the ground, before they could return
to rest.
Wallace, in front, advanced with eager speed towards the devoted town, where their enemies wallowed in luxuries and raised their drunken mirth.The enraged chief gave the dreadful order to assail
the gates to guard the passes and invest the fortress
with united force.  The eager warriors combined
their powers and rushed upon their foes. Wallace
sought the house, where the sottish captain sat, and
hurled him headlong to the shades of night.  His
men, with vieing rage, mingled their blood with their
feast, and their bodies lay in grinning death, and wel
tering in their gore.
Graham, meantime, scaled the piles of the fort,
plied his hands to fling the brands, in order to con.
sume the lofty roof, which soon descended in volumes
of fire to scorch their trembling foes. Ah! what
shrieks within and yellings of despair, blended with
the horror, to consummate the fiery death. The roof,
turret, and all around, tumbied to the ground like a
burst of thunder, and crushed the wretches underneath




SIR WILLIAM WALLACE.            57
its burning columns. Thus the great fortress appeared, on the dawn of day, in heaps of smoking ruins,
and half burnt bodies of their fallen enemies, lying in
piles of ashes!!!
WALLACE RETURNS TO LANERK,
Marries Marion-removes her from the seat of war
goes to fight against Hesilrig and Thorn.
The conquering hero, having swept the country
of his numerous foes in many brilliant victories, returned in guise to Lanerk, to espouse his loving Marion, and to refresh his sense with the social pleasures of connubial nature. Moved with the soft flame
of love to see his lovely Marion, he forgot the danger of his enemies' being posted in the bosom of His
country, being resolved to wed his intended spouse
and consummate the future days of his life with the
joys of hymen.
The happy pair did not long enjoy the connubial
blessings of peace and sweet intercourse together in
Lanerk; for while he remained with his Marion during the months of April, May and June, the Southerons gained ground, and re-occupied all the principal
towns and forts of the country, and the martial soul of
Wallace was roused, and he could no longer restrain
the fire that burned in his heart, to rescue his country
from the tyranny of a cruel usurper. Love and honour alternately ruled his passions for some time, and
he anxiously staid with Marion; but the love of his




58'IHE LIFE OF
country and of glory, at length oveicame all the love
of his beloved consort, and he again sets out to vindicate the rights of Scotland.
But, oh! what a parting was realized on that solemn occasion! can any one depict the strength and
purity of the love of those two benign bosoms, when
the youthful Wallace parted with his Marion, his loving, beautiful, young spouse, to head the Scottish warriors! can prose or poesy paint the motions of their
united souls on that day, when this faithful pair expressed their grief to each other, and soothed the passions of each other's breast; he desirous to carry his
wife beyond the hazards of war, she imploring him to
take her along with him, mutually wishing security
from the cruel rapine and plunder of their oppressors,
who raged in lusts and wallowed in spoils.
" Will you go, said Marion, will you go where the
alarms of war call you, and where battles rage, and
leave me exposed to every wilful enemy? See Hesilrig appears in lustful rage, he will deride my passions
and insult my fears; he shows no mercy nor quarter:
I shall sink beneath the blow of this cruel warrior.
The wife of Wallace cannot be long concealed, and
I shall die in your absence. Oh! take me with you!
whatever shoul happen to us, I am willing to live or
die with thee."
" Cease, cease, to grieve, said Wallace. Oh, Marion! If just Heaven has ordained my safe return, I
shall see you again, and if He has otherwise deter
mined, He will protect you, or carry you into the
mansions of bliss."
A long and moving colloquy ensued between them
and continued with equal conflict until the break of
day. when young Wallace went out to the fields,




S1R WILLIAM WALLACE.             59
implored the aid of Heaven on his arduous undertaking, blew his martial horn, and assembled his folb
lowers to go out to the fields of victory.
The English soon perceived their danger, and observed the progress of the war, and prepared for fierce
encounter under the command of Hesilrig and Thorn.
One thousand strong; all savage warriors, armed with
swords, spears, and javelins, made head against the
Scots, and a sanguinary combat ensued. Stern vengeance frowned on the brows of the warriors, and
fired by different passions, the two nations joined in
battle.  The guilty invaders armed with pride and
ambition, the patriotic Scots boldly attempted to
check the tyrant's reign, and maintain their freedom.
All the plains were soon covered with arms, and the
countless arrows flew from well stored quivers, until
the Scots being overpowered with numbers, withdrew
in the silence of the night, to Cartline Craigs, in order to save his little band of heroes, and to wait impatiently the rise of day.
In that solemn night, the cruel Hesilrig having heard
that Marion had concealed Wallace, proceeds to the
residence of innocent Marion, and demands of her,
information of the lurking place of Wallace, her beloved husband. He threatened her with instant death
if she did not reveal his secret abode. The trembling
young Marion shed tears of fear and sorrow in vain,
while his huge sword waved around her head, and
menaced her immediate destruction. The cowardly
Hesilrig disregarded her prayers and her tears, abjured all ties of honour, and relentlessly plunged his
ruthless sword into her heaving bosom!!! Alas! Marion sunk beneath the traitor's sword, the sword of a




CO               THE LIFE OF
disappointed lover, and the pale hand of death sealed
up her closing eyes! Alas for Marion! stretched on
the cold ground, and her offspring doomed never to see
the light of day! Alas for pregnant Marion, cruelly
murdered by the enemy of her husband and her coun~
try, and her promising race concealed forever in
~atures womb.
Quick as on the wings of the wind, the unhappy
news reached the ears of loving Wallace, and chil
led his heart with the dismal catastrophe of his dear
Marion. All his warriors sympathized in tears ot
sorrow; Graham with all his mourning band could
not withstand the shock; but Wallace beheld their
tears and bade them cease to weep for departed Ma
rion. " Why all this waste of tears, cried the noble
Wallace; will they recall her fleeting shade? Let
tears give way to nobler toils of war, and swords per
form in strictest justice, what words would express
Hear me, O brave Graham, thou companion of my
arms! to thee I swear, that this claymore shall not be
sheathed till I revenge the death of my dearest,
dearest Marion! Heavens! what toils of death and
war, rivers of floating blood, and hills of slain, shall
mark our course; and for her sake ten thousand shall
welter on the plain."
While thus the chieftain spoke, his melancholy
troops gazed on him to catch the sound of war with
pleasing anguish. Fierce vengeance steeled every
warrior's heart, martial fire bent every bow, and pas
sion nerved every hand of those true hearted Scots
"Come, says the chief, to yonder Lanerk let us
wing our course in the silence of the night, and let us
surprise those murderers in their sleep, that ven




SIR WILLIAM WALLACE.           61
geance may overtake them: justice requires blood
for blood."
They obeyed his commahd and marched to Lanerk, and ere it was day, entered the devoted town,
where the English lay in perfect security. Wallace
divided his men into two hostile bands and pointed
out the places of attack; the one to storm the castle
where Hesilrig lay, and the other under the command
of Sir John Graham to burn down their dwellings.
To Hesilrig's chamber Wallace winged his intended
course. He threw a huge stone on the gate and broke
the bars, bolts, and brazen hinges, entered Hesilrig's
apartment, surprised him in the dead of night, and
hurled him headlong to the shades of death, as he
stood trembling, and saw the injured man advance,
holding his huge claymore in his hand, and uttering
words of inexorible vengeance. "And thou thoughtest, traitor, the fiere hero cried, that I would be remiss, or unable to resent the cruel injury done to me
and the Scots, in spilling the precious blood of Marion."  As thus he spoke he raised his claymore and
swung the ponderous steel on his head. The felon
sunk to the ground and breathed out his guilty soul.
Meantime, Sir John Graham commands his men
to throw fire-brands on the roofs and guard the passes. Thorn saw, in dire amazement, the ruinous
blaze that was to embrace him and his followers i.
the arms of death, but could not avert his doom.
On the dawn of morning, the victors saw the heaps
of slain, and many half-burned bodies of their enemies, in piles of smoking ruins. "Enough, cried Sir
John Graham, enough, Wallace; Albion's ensign is
freed, and glitters in the wind; Scotia is redeemed




62               THE LIFE OF
with heaps of dead."  But the hero naa no sooner
won one victory than he bent his way to some more
glorious field, reserved for the plains of Biggar.
THE BATTLE OF BIGGAR.
Wallace had no sooner avenged the blood of deal
Marion on the head of Hesilrig and his guilty crew
in unhappy Lanerk, the death place of the fair and
beautiful Marion Braidfoot, heiress of Lammington,
than he quickly leads his victorious bands to the plains
of Biggar. There he saw, while his men lay encam ped on a rising ground, his numerous enemies stretched out in wide array along the plain, and his heart
biggened with the glorious sight, as if some scene of
victory had presented to his view.
In the morning watch, every soldier roused with
the sound of the clarion eagerly seized his ready
shield, drew his broad claymore, and strode along
the field in a dense column, to meet their assailants.
From right to left, the wings extended, condensed,
and closed to the thickening combat.
As the soldiers thus were gathered into martial
clouds, with hearts beating high, waiting the least
command, and death stood lingering in their lifted
hands; Wallace viewed with a skilful eye the weak
ness of his enemies, saw with joy the impassioned aspect of his men, and thus addresed them:
"To day, my friends, let us fight the battle of our
country; let us hazard unequal fight, in the cause ot
our wives and our children; let our claymores be
deeply drenched in the blood of the enemies and op



SIR WILLIAM WALLACE.            63
pressors of Scotland, and then our toils will soon be
over in glorious victory. Around our heads, guardian angels stand to guide the javelins in our hands,
and to direct our claymores to Edward's heart. Let
glorious liberty inspire our souls; let iniuries steel
our hearts; and let cruel Edward's tent be our mark
in this impending combat."
As thus he spoke,.the love of glory fired every
heart, and the love of liberty armed every soul, and
quick as lightning the Scots leglon descended the
brow of the hill to attack their foes marshalled on the
plain. The enemies saw them descend in torrents,
rushing in massy steel to meet them, in closest ranks,
and were surprised at the swiftness of the descending war.
The Scots received the first onset of their numerous enemies in the form of a circle, which seemed as
impenetrable as a wall of iron, and then urged their
way towards the monarch's tenft.  There was the
dreadful conflict of warriors, there a thousand lay
bleeding on the plain; swords, shields, claymores
and spears, lay mingled in confusion, and the field
was reaped by the Scots on that awful day. The
orby shield of Wallace was distinguished from a dis
tance to tempest the field, and floated in the midst ot
the throng. Imperious death attended his claymore,
and certain doom was designed for the usurper.  But
fierce Kent employed his dreadful spear in another
part of the contest, and destroyed as many of the
Scots. On his bounding courser he bore away his
lord over heaps of dead, and the little band of Scots
could scarcely withstand the mighty sweep of the
hand of that invader.




64               THE LIFE OF
Wallace saw his men retreat on his approach, hasted in fury to the fainting squadron, heaved his orby
shield, resolved in arms to meet the dreaded enemy,
and spread destruction all around him, in equal conflict. The battle lasted long, and the fortune of the
day hung long uncertain in furious suspense. But at
length, Wallace mustering all his strength, forced his
bloody way, and smote fierce Kent, and stretched
him lifeless on the ground. Then the king fled from
the field, and the Scots pursued him till the going
down of the sun, when the Caledonian victors regaled
themselves with the wine and spoils of the enemy's
camp.
Longcastle saw with grief the foul retreat of his
men, attempted to rally, and encourage them to return
upon the Scots in the dead of the night, and to surprise them while they lay drunk with the wine of
their camp.   Whence does our hearts feel this coward terror, defeat never stained our conquering arms,
said Longcastle, stay, take courage; why ignobly
flee? bravely conquer or bravely die. We can easily vanquish yon handful of Scots now absorbed in
luxury." Then Longcastle gave the command and
led them to the fight, in hopes to surprise the Scots,
under the darkness of the night. But the alert Scottish watchmen descried their rallying enemies, and
quickly informed Wallace their chieftain, who as a
lion in full strength, arose, blew the clarion to arms,
and summoned all his warriors to battle.
At this critical moment, a deep morass divided the
two armies. They eagerly view each other, and martial passions impassioned either host. The English
Duke was unable to restrain his fury, encouraged his




SIR WILLIAM WALLACE:            65
troops, and ventured to tread the faithless ground on
his fiery steed. All plunged at once into the morass and
thousands sunk to rise no more. Those who struggled to the other side, only met a change of death;
the fiery Scots soon deprived them of breath.
Longcastle gained the dry ground and stood upon
the shoal. Graham saw him, raised his claymore,
and received the rising enemy. Back sunk the courser and overlaid his lordly rider. Thus proud Edward lost the important day, and to his kingdom led
his host away.
Thus Wallace, having returned thanks to propitious Heaven, proceeded to reduce the castle of Dumbarton, which was situated on a rock on the banks of
Ihe rapid rolling Cree. They marched all that day,
and reposed themselves in the evening, but ere it was
day, Wallace sounded the clarion, disposed his
troops under brave Kierly and himself; and in the silence of the gloomy night, strained up the steep rock,
slew the centinel as he lay sleeping at the eastern gate,
entered the castle, and dispatched every opponent.
All gave way; some leaped over the walls, and tumbled down the steep and sunk into the deep below;
others bravely attempted to repel their assailants and
met their fate under the hewing sweelp of the Scot.
tish claymores. Ten thousand cries seemed to rend
the sky, from their confised enemies: cries of mercy
and cries of revenge mingled in their crowd, amidst
yells and groans of fallen warriors, while the slogans
of" Wallace and Freedom,"" Scotland and Liberty,"
re-echoed from the Scottish lines to seal the impending doom of their enemies.
E




66             T1IE LIFE OF
Trhus sunk the strength of the proud Southerons
in the strong hold of Dumbarton, and thus fell the oppressors of Scotland.
The English then sued for peace, and agreed to
ratify the treaty of Ruthington vesa, at Ruthenglen,
church for one year in February, 1297, in order to
have time to recruit their strength, and again attempt
the conquest of the country.
HOSTILITIES RECOMMENCED.
Wallace burns the barns of Ayre, drives Bishop
Beck from Glasgow, and kills Lord Piercy.
Good Wallace thus concluded a truce for one whole
year with his treacherous enemies; but ere one
month had elapsed, they plotted the ruin of the Scottish warriors, and determined, by awful murder, to
enchain the country.
The King of England proceeded to Scotland and
held a council at Carlisle, of his captains, in June,
1297. No Scot was there except the traitor, Sir
Aymer de Valiance, who had deserted their cause in
former times. In this council they consulted how
they might cut off all the Barons of Ayre, and thereby involve the invincible Wallace in the general mas
sacre.
SirAmyerde Vallance, deeply versed in the mys.
teries of Pluto, proposed a scheme to ensnare the
chiefs of Scotland, and involve their lives; a plot
which hell could never have contrived; an advice,




SIR WILLIAM WALLACE.            6/
which belzebub could not have given, that will ever
stamp the character of consenting Southerons with
everlasting infamy. He advised them to appropriate
the foul barns of Ayre for a Justice Ayre or general
council of the Scottish Barons, to call them all to it, under the pretence of settling the affairs of the nation
on receiving a schedule of their estates, that quiet possession might be granted them under the great seal ol
Lord Aymer de Vallance, the Deputy Warden o'
Scotland, who had just arrived at Ayre, and there to
despatch them as they entered one by one, into the
barns.
Lord Arnulf, a cruel and bloody justice to whom
Hell could not produce a match, undertook to dispatch the Scottish Nobles, in the bloody Barns of
Ayre. Sir Ronald Crawford went to Ayre, and dreading no harm entered the Barns, where the pretended
Council sat; and on the 18th of June 1297, was immediately hoisted up to a Baulk.
The Wallaces, Crawfords, Kennedys, Blairs, Montgomeries, Campbells, Barclays, Boyds, Stewarts, and
many other brave Barons of Scotland had the same
fate in those sanguinary Barns of Ayre, and their
massacred bodies were piled up in heaps in the cor
ners of those slaughter houses. The way and manner in which the Southerons executed this horrid deed
were by placing strong men to keep the entry, to allow one only to enter at a time, to slip a running cord
over each of their heads as they entered singly, and
by placing men in another part of the barn to haul
the rope the moment it snared its victim, whose carcass was successively thrown into the opposite corner! great numbers, even eighteen score of Nobles




68               THE LIFE OF
and landed men entered, none came out alive! many
noble warriors and heroes were betrayed and hanged
on that day of mourning! such forms of massacre was
never invented before in any nation under the canopy
of weeping Heaven; such a deed was never heard of
in the world! and to crown their sanguinary barbarity, all their bodies as naked as they were born, were
cast out in heaps to the public view, and exposed il
black derision! Ah! dreadful work of man! kind
Heaven! shall our hosts now sleep? while our old
men, women and children chaunt their coronachs
over the bodies of the massacred Chiefs! shall
our country endure such cruel massacre of her sons
without resisting the injury? No; good Robert Boyd
assembled twenty men of Wallace's party, and commanded them   in his absence.  Kierley, Cleland,
Stephen of Ireland and others fled to Longlandwood,
with sorrowful hearts, after they had appointed a good
woman, his old nurse Elspa, to inform Wallace of the
treachery and massacre in the bloody Barns of Ayre,
as soon as he should arrive in town, so that he might
escape the snare laid for him by the cruel Southerons.
Wallace hastened to Ayre, and, as he passed along,
the woman loudly called him, and said, "Nothing
but breach of faith are within these walls, our Barons and Knights were hanged like beasts to a tree as
they entered the Barns."  Wallace wept for the loss
of his dear relations, the Wallaces and Crawfords,
and asked her, whether his uncle Sir Ronald Crawford was butchered there. "    Yes, said the faithful
matron, " I saw him cast out dead and naked, I kissed his pale lips, covered his boby with a cloth, and
wept. Thou art his sister's son, revenge his death




SIR WILLIAM WALLACE.            69
I pray thee, with all thy might and haste; I shall as.
sist you, as much as a woman can do in the case of
retributive justice."  Then he enquired of her of
Robert Boyd, William Crawford, Adam Wallace,
&c. ana scampered off to Longlandwood and mourned for his dear friends.
Meantime Lord Arnulf sent fifteen well harnessed
Englishmen and a Macer to bring him back to law.
They rode furiously to Wallace, who turned upon
them with his broad claymore in his hand. The first
of his numerous enemies he cut asunder through the
middle; ihe next received a fatal blow; the third he
clave down through the body; the fourth he levelled
to the ground; and the fifth he felled dead on the spot.
Three men who were with him killed another five
of the enemy, and the rest fled to tell their lord how
f;en men out of fifteen were killed by four Scots, concluding that all. would have shared the same fate, if
their horses had not carried them away in full speed,
and that the Scots were so fierce and strong, that
every stroke laid one of them dead on the field.
The Southetons all concluded that Wallace must
have been in that encounter, and a Knight answered,
" if Wallace hath escaped this justice Ayre, then all
that we have done is in vain." Arnulf replied,
" what would ye do if there were many enemies, when
you seem to be frightened at one man, and although
he was there I would count the matter light, who stays
here shall be a Knight in these realms, and I shall
deal out the lands of Scots dispatched yesterday, to
true Englishmen in the morning.'"
The Southerons all repaired to their quarters.Four thousand men lodged in the town and Barnsof




70                THE LIFE OF
Ayre that night, after they had gorged themselves with
plenty of meat, wine and ale. Supposing no danger
from the Scots, they placed no sentinels at the gates,
fell into a profound sleep, by the bumpers they had
taken, after the labours and toils of that bloody day
in the Barns, and were laying in security.
As soon as the faithful matron saw them laying in
this unguarded state, she ran with some men to Longlandwood, to inforn Wallace of their drunken and
naked condition. "Yon bloodhounds, she said, are
all drunken and could not see a Scotsman in their
company."   "If that be true," answered Wallace,
< its time to move and set a fire unto their dwellings."'
Three hundred choice men by this time had rallied
round his standard, willing and ready to spend the
last drop of their blood " for Wallace and Freedom."
Wallace called a council of war and consulted with
them what course they should take to be avenged of the
deaths of their nobles and relations. They first cast lots
between five of their company, viz. William Wallace,
Boyd, Crawford, Adam Wallace and Auchinleck, appealing to the court of Heaven to decide who should be
theirCommander in the attack which they meditated.The lot fell on William Wallace, even the third time.
He then rose, and drawing his sword,-solemnly vowed to the Almighty Disposer of Events, that he should
be avenged on their cruel oppressors, for the death of
his kindred Scots, whose blood was shed in the Barns
of Ayre. " I shall make them all pass through the
flames, before 1 either eat, drink or sleep," said the
Chieftain, and he kept his vow.
The faithful matron chalked all the doors where
the English lay; Wallace sent twenty men to fasten




SIR WILLIAM WALLACE:            71
all their doors with osiers; sent fifty more to lie in
ambush at the gates of the castle, to kill all who might
attempt to escape, and the rest he commanded to sur
round the Barns, and not to allow a Southeron to
escape on pain of death. The women brought fire
and flax, and all combustibles to them, and the soldiers set fire to their houses and the Barns and raised
a huge conflagration over the heads of his mortal
enemies. Wallace then called out to Lord Arnulf,
" execi:te your law against us who live and have
escaped your judgment, deal not our land, for faith
that is not fair, thy cruel bloodshed confess and mourn,
take now thy choice whether to hang or burn." None
escaped this fiery ruin, lord or night, and all were
burned or buried in the smoking ruins. When the
huge roofs fell in among them, O what an awful and
lamentable noise of shrieks and groans of consuming
warriors. Some sought the doors and were cut down
by the surrounding Scots, or driven back into the fire,
to learn to be hangmen there.
Friar Drumlaw, Prior of Ayre, had seven score of
men lodged upon him that night. As soon as he
found them to be all asleep, he caused seven of his
brother Friars, to command the English armour and
choose their swords, and led them from house to house
where the Southerons lay, and dispatched them in
their sleep. Five thousand died that night by fire and
sword. 0 what a night of justest vengeance was that
in which the Castle and Barns of Ayre were Burned!
Wallace and his men assembled after the burning
of the English garrison, and he said to them, " You
know, my friends, that Justice Court was also appointed for Clydesmen at Glasgow, in presence of




72               THE LIFE OF
Bisnop Beck and Lord Piercy, let us wing our course
towards that town and surprise our enemies who have
murdered our kindred."'  He left the Burgesses to
watch the house of Ayre with vigilance, and having
refreshed themselves he ordered their march to Glasgow on the choicest of English horses, now all cavalry,
three hundred strong, to attack their ruthless enemies.
They passed the Bridge of Glasgow, before their ene.
mies knew of their coming; but Lord Piercy mustered his men in good order and prepared for a fierce
contest with the Scots' warrior, Bishop Beck and
Piercy led a thousand men in bright armour to the
approaching combat. Wallace advanced in head ol
his men and reconnoitred his enemies, and returned
with the grand plan of the attack in his mind. He
divided his men into two squadrons, harnessed themr
and called true Auchinleck, saying, " Uncle, before
we attack these adversaries, I ask you whether you
will attack them in the rear or tail, or gallop up in
front, kneel down and receive the Prelate's benison."
6 I will not be ambitious, quoth Auchinleck, yoursell
may take his blessing for me. That is the post of
honour, and your right, I shall bear up his tail with
all my might."  "Since we must part, it will be
wrong to stay too long from us, said Wallace, you?
men must not regard their numbers. March on your
squadron fast, for God's sake, elude the view of the
Southerons in marching round to the rear through the
north-east raw."  Adam Wallace, and Auchinleck
marched briskly with seven score of men up the
back part of the town, and Wallace and Boyd with
two hundred and sixty men galloped up in sight of
the enemy, along the plain street.




SIR WILLIAM WALLACE             73
The English wondered how there were so few of
them, and an ensign of Beck and Piercy demanded
of them what they were, when a fierce encounter irnm
mediately commenced with dreadful din on either
side. The hardy Scots bravely fought and heaped
the streets with slain enemies. They peirced their
plates with their claymores and brought them down
at every blow. The dust rose like smoke around
the combatants, darkened the sun, and ascended to
the clouds.
Lord Piercy's men were expert warriors and
fought most valiantly with Wallace and Boyd for
some time, but in good time, Adam Wallace and
brave Auchinleck boldly rushed upon the rear of the
enemy, with broad claymores, and galled them severely. The Southerons faced about and received
the Scots warmly, but the Scots in front and rear,
made such slaps or chasms among the ranks of their
enemies as never yet had been seen in any fight.
The Scottish claymores swept the field, and Wallace amidst the throng,swung his long and heavy claymore, and at Piercy aimed a dreadful blow and clave
his head in pieces, and Bishop Beck saw his men fail
and led them off in confusion through a wood and
marched them off to Bothwell.
The English left seven hundred dead on the field
of battle. Then Wallace pursued the fugitives to
Bothwell; but Aymer de Vallance, escaped in flight
from that tremendous contest and defeat.
The followers of Sir William Wallace soon acquired the form of an army, after such signal victories, and many of the nobles of Scotland; joined




74                THE LIFE OF
him. Among others, Robert, Bishop of Glasgow;
Robert Bruce, Earl of Carrick; James Stewart,
Lord Steward of Scotland; Sir John Stewart, his
brother; Sir Andrew Murray, of Bothweii; Sir
William Douglass,of Glasgow; Robert Boyd; Lord
Campbell, of Argyle; Richard Lundie, &c.   To
defeat their attempts to liberate themselves from
tyranny, Edward sent an army of 40,000 men to suppress them.
The Scots met them at Irvine, protected by a lake
in front and entrenchments on the flanks. This little band was under the command of four Captains.
equal in power over their divisions; Bishop of Glasgow.
W illiam Doughass, Andrew Murray and William Wallace for they were not yet disposed to confer the chief
command on Wallace, and they became so divided
in their sentiments, that they accommodated matters
with the enemy, on receiving an indemnity for all
past offences. The treacherous Southerons, however,
bloke the agreement, confined the Bishop to Roxbtrgh Castle, and Sir William Douglass to the Castle of Berwick.
But the brave soul of Wallace could never permit
him to compromise with the English, he only despised to quarrel with the other captains who were of
higher rank, and prudently withdrew with all his voiuntary band and fell upon the rear of the English
army, retreating through Galloway took three hundred men and their baggage. Wallace then retired
to Dunduff to refresh his men, and remained with
good Sir John Graham five days, in the summer season, telling him all that had befallen them in Ayre




SIR WILLIAM WALLACE.            75
and Glasgow, even until he received tidings from
some true-hearted Scots, that Buchan, Athol, Monteith and Lorn had marshalled all their forces against
faithful Argyle, in the cause of the usurper Edward.
Campbell, of Argyle, kept his heritage of Lochlow,
in spite of Edward's power and the bloody sword of
Macfadzean, who was promised the possession of Argyle, &c. on event of their conquest. Edward promised the lands of Lorn to John, in case of the dispossession of Duncan the lawful proprietor of the lands.
In hopes to acquire great possessions, even of five
Lordships, Macfadzean mustered an army of vile runnagates consisting of fifteen thousand malefactors and
exiles, mostly from Ireland, who spared neither man,
woman nor child in their march through the devoted
villages and districts of Caledonia, "Burn, Destroy
and Kill," were the constant commands of that sanguinary Macfadzean.
As soon as Campbell understood, that Macfadzean
entered Lochlow, he placed three hundred men in
Craigmuir and held that place of strength against all
the powers of Edward and the army of Macfadzean.
lie broke down the bridge across the river Forth, and
defended the ford that none should pass over at any
place, except at a narrow place, between two rocks
where four men could not pass over in front, Macfadzean attempted to pass. At this juncture, Duncan
of Lorn went off in quest of Wallace to succour the
men of Argyle against the merciless host of Macfadzean.
Gilmichael, a brave footman, accompanied Duncan to guide him in the way to Wallace, Earl Malcom, hostess to Wallace, with his brave men and




76              THE LIFE OF
Sir John Graham and Richard of Lundie, assembled
their several forces, marched with him, and disputed
the field against bloody Macfadzean and his merci'ess crew.
WALLACE KILLS MACFADZEAN.
Wallace then marched to view the savage host
of Macfadzean, low, posted in Lochlo%, passed to
the north of Stirling Castle where the cruel Ruickby
commanded in the service of Edward.    Wallace
looked back to Earl Malcom and said, " what would
you think of reducing this fortress by some stratagem,
and clear the country behind us of these oppressors."
Sir John Graham immediately agreed with him in
the propriety of the undertaking, and he divided his
men so that the English could not discover their
strength; placed Earl Malcom to lie in ambush,
while he and Sir John Graham, with one hundred
brave Scots warriors rode through the town in noble
order, passed the Castle and made towards the
bridge. Ruickby saw them with great impatience,
and caused seven score of archers to sally forth, pursue and engage them; but Wallace never felt fear
and slew the foremost with his spear. Sir John Graham also transfixed the first he met; but broke his
spear into the second in front. Then he drew his
gallant claymore to receive a host of archers which
crowded on him and killed his horse.




SIR WILLIAM WALLACE.           77
Wallace saw the jeopardy of good Sir John Graham, fighting on foot, lighted from his horse, with
some other brave men in armour, and repulsed their
numerous enemies, which had hoped to escape into
the Castle. But noble Earl Malcom started from his
ambush and marched his men between them and the
Castle, and then made tremendous havoc among their
surrounded enemies.
Many English nobles fell that day, and the Scots
chieftain winged his course towards Ruickby, and
severed his'head from his shoulders with one sweep
of his claymore. His two sons and 30 men escaped
and re-entered the Castle.
The Lennox men would not leave the Castle, but
besieged it with great vigilance, while Wallace pro
ceeds to meet cruel Mlacfadzean, against whom he had
sworn revenge, vowing that he would never sleep
sound nor rest contented, till he should dispatch that
wicked tyrant and murderer of our men, women and
children. Two thousand brave and valiant Scots
warriors assembled to Wallace at Stirling bridge and
rode with him to Argyle, under the guidance of Duncan of Lorn.
Meantime Ruickby's sons concluded to capitulate
to the noble Earl Malcom, on condition that he would
spare their lives and let them return to their native
land. Wallace still continues his march, with all his
force to encounter Macfadzean, foot and horse, by the
direction of Gilmichael, the spy, whom Duncan of
Lorn had sent to lead them to the ranks of the enemy.
But his men began to faint in their forced marches,
a little beyond Strathsillon, and he left the feebler




78              THE LIFE OF
men to follow the rest of the army as they were able
to accomplish the journey.
Wallace then divided his men, numbered five hundred stout Westland men to fight under himself; five
hundred to fight under Sir John Graham; five hun
dred to fight under Lundie, the captains of their several hosts; and five hundred had loitered behind,They marched over a high mountain into Gendoher,
met their spy and Lord Campbell, with thlree hundred valiant, chosen men, and mutually encouraged
each other never to dread their foes, who were then
half naked and almost destitute of arms.
Then to Lochdocher they marched with a design
to surprise their enemy. An out-spy and Gilmichavl
seized on his person, and brought hi:n into the posses
sion of the Scots, and he never returned to tell Mac
fadzean the news.
The men are now forced to alight and to turn theii
horses loose, and Wallace cried, "let us see who
walks best on foot, and traverse mosses, moors,
craigs and woods."   So along the banks of the
river, three in front, he led his men, until all had passed up ihe craggy mountains, eighteen hundred brave
Scots, and surprised Macfadzean and his numerous
host in front, and drove them with great havoc into
confusion. They soon rallied again, and collecting
all their banditti strength, they rushed upon the val
iant Scots, who received them with their dreadful
claymores, repulsed them and drove them back more
than five acres breadth with great slaughter.
Wallace made a space of the reaped field about a
rood of land, and Sir John Campbell, Lundie, Adam




S1R WILLIAM WALLACE.            79
Wallace and Robert Boyd signalized themselves in
the sanguinary contest, and as Captains of the Scots,
encouraged their brave men, in the front of the battle. The conflict lasted for two hours, and seemed
long to hang in some uncertainty of success on either
side, until the Scots chiefs condensed their warriors
and pressed forwards in dense columns, making fearful chasms in the Irish ranks under cruel Macfadzean,
and drove them over craggy rocks, into the flood below, where two thousand sunk to rise no more.
The Scots under Macfadzean laid down their arms,
and on their knees loudly cried for mercy and quar
ter. " They are our own blood, said Wallace, we are
bound to give penitents generous quarters, but these
foreign murderers of our men, women and children,
deserve no mercy; blood calls for blood."  But Macfadzean escaped with fifty men to a stone cave under
Craigmuir. Duncan of Lorn desired permission of
Wallace to go with a detachment of brave men to
visit the cave, who, when they arrived killed the fift)
men and brought the head of Macfadzean on a spear
Lord Campbell placed the bloody head of Macfad
ecan on lofty Craigmuir, in honour of Ireland.




80                 THE LIFE OF
THE VIRTUOUS SCOTS SWORE FIDELITY TO WALLACE.
In a Council at Ardchatton proclaimed him Regent
or Warden of Scotland, or Viceroy in Bruce's cabsence. Restores Duncan to his heritage of Lorn.
Wallace took Stirling Castle; recovered Argyle
and Lorn, Perth, Cooper of Angus, and Glanies,
demolished the Castle of Forfar, Brichinhin and
Montrose, surprised  Dunnoter and garrisoned it,
entered Aberdeen while in flames, and proceeded to
besiege the Castle of Dundee.
Wallace accepted of the names and titles of Regent, not out of ambition or desire to rule, but because
it was a title of honour and great responsibility conferred on him by his countrymen out of their pure
love and benevolence.  In this office he behaved so
valiantly, that in a short time, by a brave army of
true hearted Scots, he recovered all the places of
strength in the kingdom, and reduced the bordermen
on the south of Scotland to peace and oroer.
They flocked to Wallace fiom all parts of the land
and acknowledged the victorious hero as Warden,
and he governed the kingdom with great honour and
strict justice and mercy, and fought the battles of his
country, in defence of her liberties, as long as he
found his services useful to the state and the nation.
Having recovered Lorn he advanced Duncan to
that heritage, which his brother's son had forfeited
on account of his enlisting himself under the banner
of Edward to fight against his country, and in these
times of success acknowledged the brave Wallace as
their Govlernor-General, and wise in the Cabinet and




SIR WILLIAM WALLACE.             81
field. Noble Sir John Ramsay came to him with
sixty fierce warriors, who had never been vanquished
in the field at any former conflict with the English,
in Strochane while he lay there and held Roxburgh,
as the telror of the Saxon invaders.
Having thus settled Argyle, Lorn, Dunkeld, &c.
he proceeded to reduce the Saxon garrison in Saint
Johnston, where many brave Scots were confined as
captives. The chieftain called Ramsay to him and
disclosed his design on that fortress, saying, " In bonny St. Johnstown, which is situate on the banks of
the river Tay, the Saxons rule with the arbitrary
sway of lawful native lords. There I have set captives at liberty; there I have made the Saxons for
Scotsmen die; but methinks I am not sufficiently
avenged, till I kill ten thousand more, or expel them
crom our country. I wish to surprise its garrison, or
battle down its proud walls, and level them with the
ground."' Ramsay, in council as wise, as brave in
the field, answered, "that town cannot stand out
long; the walls are low, the surrounding ditch narrow,
although deep, our men will soon fill it, storm the
place, and humble the pride of the garrison." Wallace was pleased with the decision, and the rode to
Dunkeld, to prepare all their battering rams, and
machines of war.
All things being ready, they carried them all dowi
the river, with the best workmen they could hire,
unto the devoted town. All their host assembled in
St. Johnston, on the day that the machines arrived.
In a very few hours the ditches were filled with earth
and stones, in many places, and in others, floats of
F




82              TIHE LIFE OF
light timber were thrown across, the warriors quietly
passed,raised battericsand advanced to batter tihewa lls.
Sir John Graham,: Ruthven, and Sir John Ramnsay
beseiged the bridge, and Wallace surrounded the
town.  The Saxons made a desperate resistance.They fought with new engines, casting large stones
over the walls, upon the heads of the Scots. But
Wallace forced his way, and passed over the walls
with a thousand men.  At the same moment, Sir
John Graham and Ramham opened a breach and
entered at the turret gate, and cut to pieces all
who opposed them. Then a dreadful cry was raised in the town, and two thousand of the Southerons
were put to the sword in the street.  Sir John
Stewart saw that the town was lost, and fled like a
coward with sixty men in a barge towards Dundee,
and left his host to die by the Scottish claymores.
Wallace remained four days in Saint Johnston,
peopled it with Scots, and left Ruthven captain of the
garrison, to keep the place. Then he marched off to
reduce the Abbey of'Cooper of Angus. The Abbot fled on his approach. So did the English in Glamis, Forfar, Breechin, Montrose, Mearns, &c. and
collected themselves to the number of four thousand in
Dunnoter Castle.
When Wallace arrived at Dunnoter, he offered
them their lives, on condition they would leave the
kingdom, but unfortunately they would not believe
the sincerity of the Scots, and did not accept the over-.ures of merey; so he set fire to the church and burned them in it; the rest of them rushed out over the
rocks, and fell headlong into the sea below. Not
one remained alive! Wallace then marched on to




SIR WILLIAM WALLACE.             83
Aberdeen, seized all the goods and baggage of the
Engligh in their ships, which were ready to sail
burned the ships on the water. The enemy them
selves burned the to w but sparedthe priests,women and
children, whom they always saved in their conquests.
After these dreadful exploits of retribution, he
marched on to Buchan to surprise Beaumont, who,
when he heard of the approach of Wallace fled to
the Sloins, entered a ship, and returned to England.
To Cromarty he winged his awful course, slew many
of the Southerons, returned to Aberdeen, and proceeded to Dundee.
WAILACE LEAVES THE SIEGE OF THE CASTLE OF DUNDEE.
Defeats Cressingham at Stirling; causes the barons
to swear allegiance to their king and country under
his regency; appoints wise governors~ skillful
captains, sheriffs, &c. to govern the people in
Bruce's absence and regulates the affairs of the
nation.
Sir William Wallace, the Governor General, thought
it prudent to raise the siege of the castle of Dundee,
ind march in all haste to Stirling to await the approach of Cressingham and Warren, who advanced
with60,000 men horse and foot,to re-conquer Scotland.
The traitor, Earl Patrick, joined the enemy at
Tweed, and all marched to Stirling. Wallace received information of their coming, marched his men
through St. Johnston, reviewed them in Sheriffmuir,
and encouraged them in the language of a true patriot; so did Sir John Graham, in the ardour of hi,




84               THE LIFE OF
soul. " We have performed greater feats in the field,
said he, with a smaller force, and made a stronger
enemy yield, than the enemy that now comes to invade our country, murder our old men and children,
deflour our virgins, pollute our wives and reduce us
to chains and slavery."  " Who fight, said Wallace,
for just and righteous ends, God always sends them
assistance. Then, though the enemy were ten thousand more, let us beat them as we have hitherto done,
I purpose to contrive and set a snare for our enemies
at Stirling bridge, and we will ensnare those fat loons
to their destruction."
Wallace sends information every where to acquaint
his friends that he would fight the Southerons on
Tuesday at Stirling bridge. On Saturday he rode
up to the bridge, place watches that no person might
see or know what was going on with it. Then he
ordered the good and skillful carpenter, John Wright
to saw the boards which joined the bridge in two by
the middle trest, to nail it on cornal bands, and to fill
up the chasms with clay that nothing could appear
He desired John Wright also to place the other end
of the bridge on wooden rollers, in such a nice manner, that loosing one pin would precipitate the whole
fabric in the gulf below. This being done he caused the carpenter to sit in a close cradle below the
bridge, giving him strict orders to loosen the pin on
the moment of time in which he should blow his
horn.
The day of battle arrived, and the English advanced with all their force, full fifty thousand strong, six
to one Scots warrior, yet the hearts of their chiefs




SIR WILLIAM WALLACE:            85
knew no fear, and their men never shrunk. Ten
thousand of the enemy surrounded the castle hill,
thinking to possess fields and cattle at their will and
pleasure; but the Scots kept close together on a
plain field on the other side of the castle.
Then Hugh Cressingham led the vanguard on to
battle with twenty thousand fierce warriors; Earl
Warren with thirty thousand brought up the rear.Cressingham passed the bridge with twenty thousand,
and the Scots began to tnink it high time to blow the
horn, but Wallace strode along the field leading on
his men, till he saw Warren's host thicken on the
bridge, when he snatched the horn from Jop, and
blew both loud and shrill, and warned John Wright
to strike out the pin. Down sunk the bridge, men
and horses, in the watery abyss below! Oh! what
a fearful cry ascended to salute the ears of their astonished companions on either bank of the Forth, which
separated the English army at that awful juncture!
Wallace, with his nine thousand hardy Scots, made
a furious attack on the 20,000 under Cressingham,
who had passed over before the bridge was let down,
and repelled them five acres breadth in foul disgrace:
Ramsay, Lundie, Boyd, and Graham made dreadful
havoc among the retreating English.
Wallace on foot, goes amongst the very thickest of
his foes, with his huge claymore and orby shield, in
search of Cressingham. He saw him, and sheared
his bloody way among the throng. He swung his
dreadful claymore, and notwithstanding the armour
or coat of mail of his fierce adversary, felled him dead
ur the spot, and none could rescue him.




86              THE LIFE OF
When the English saw their commander slain, and
ten thousand of their companions lying dead on the
field, they fled in great confusion in every direction,
and seven thousand were driven into the Forth to rise
no more.
When Warren's men saw the appaling fate of their
companions, and the unbroken ranks of the dauntless
Scots, they fled to Dunbar, without one stroke of the
sword.
Then Wallace sent his cavalry in close pursuit of
the enemy, and killed prodigious numbers of them, no
less than 30,000 fell of the English on that fatal day;
while very few of the Scots were killed, and none of
note, except Andrew Murray, who was a true-hearted
Scot.
Wallace, in order to secure the peace of the kingdom, and fortify them against foreign invasion, by
uniting all parties and conciliating them to his regency, took an oath of all the Scottish barons, of allegiance to be faithful to their king and country, and to
acknowledge her Warden in protecting the kingdom
during Bruce's absence. Even Sir John Monteith,
Lord of Arron, readily took the oath to stand faithful
to Wallace in the cause of freedom. All those who
wvould not comply, he punished severely; some he
condemned and executed as traitors; some he imprisoned, and others he banished the kingdom, and his
fame was heard throughout all the kingdoms of Europe.
After settling the affairs of the nation, Wallace re
turned and took the castle of Dundee by a stratagem
and gave the English captains their liberty. So that




SIR WVLLIAM WALLACE.           87
in the course of ten days, no captain remained among
them, except in the castle of Roxburgh and of Berwick, which Wallace intended to reduce, as soon as
he could safely leave the cabinet to grace the field.
Chrystal Seaton, a Baron of grear fame who never
deserted his country during their struggle for freedom
posted himself with 40 men in Iedburgh wood, and harassed the English on all sides the fastness. And when
he perceived that Heabottle, the English captain who
commanded ledburgh, fled from the castle with seven
score of men, for fear of Wallace, he sallied forth
from the wood, slew the captain and most of his men,
took all their riches and stores, which they expected
to carry with them to England. Seaton then placed
Ruthven with a garrison in the castle, and marched
into Lothian.
Scotland then enjoyed peace and traquillity for five
months, under the regency of the brave Wallace.
A CONVENTION OF THE STATES CALLED,
To settle all the affairs of the kingdom, at St. Johnstown-Corspatrick refuses to acknowledge lWallace regent; mocks the summons to attend the
Covnention; Wallace discomfits him in battle and
expels him from the kingdom.
Corspatrick mocked the summons of the Lords of
the Convention, and would not appear among them
as one of them in the defence ofScotland underWallace.




88                THE LIFE OF
" We have great need,answeredCorspatrick to the call,
now of a king, when Wallace reigns as governor. I
am king of Kyle: I cannot understand how I should
swear allegiance to him, I never held a furrow of land
from him. I am as free to reign in this realm, Lord
of my own lands, as any lord, prince or king; I also
possess great lands in England, and no subject can
demand fealty of me. I deride your call."
On reading Corspatrick's disdainful answer, Wallace could not be silent, and thus addressed the Lords
of the Convention:
"My Lords, there can be none but one king who
can, at once, reign over this realm. If Earl Patrick
takes such ways and is thus allowed to insult the
states, I plainly see that we are in a worse condition
than we were in before; I am, therefore, of opinion,
that he ought to be made to do homage to his lawful
king." &c.
They all agreed that submission was absolutely
necessary; and Wallace, the commander in chief ol
the forces, took his leave of them and marched away
to Kinghorn with 200 men. He received additional
troops under brave Seaton and Robert Lauder at Musselburgh and Lyle, with 20 men at Lintown, and
marched past Dunbar in pursuit of Corspatrick.The Earl marshalled nine hundred in the field of
Innerwick, as Wallace advanced with four hundred
strong, and furiously attacked Earl Patrick's host.The conflict was long and bloody, but Earl Patrick
was forced at last to retreat from the field of battle.
Wallace pursued him with three hundred men, by
Cockburn, and passed on to the Bunkle-wood; but
Corspatrick fled to Norham, and thence into England




SIR WILLIAM WALLACE.           89
Wallace then marched to the west to raise more
troops, in order to prepare for the return of the English, whom he suspected to invade Scotland and be
avenged on him.
Corspatrick and Bishop Beck, meantime, raised all
the men of Northumberland, in compliance with the
orders of KingEdward, who also ordered Robert Bruce
to proceed against Wallace and his country, having
made him believe that Wallace had assumed his
throne. Thus from Oyss to the Tweed passed an
army of 30,000 men.
A squadron of ships were sent from the Thames
to watch Dunbar and act in concert with their land
forces. Corspatrick beseiged Dunbar which was then
commanded by Chrystal Seaton. Wallace in good
time returned with five thousand brave Scotsmen to
rescue noble Seaton. He halted all that night at Yester, where Hay joined him with fifty good experienced
horsemen, and counselled Wallace to give Corspatrick battle immediately.
Ccrpatrick and Beck ordered their men to lay in
ambush near Spotsmuir, so that Wallace knew not ei
the stratagem.  At last Wallace discovered Corspatrick marching furiously over a plain field with d
very great host. The Scots thought themselves too
few to engage 20,000 men, and deemed it prudent to
retire to some place of strength, or to go and collect
more warriors.  Wallace said, "that would be a
dangerous chance and expedient, while a furious enemy is rushing upon us. I will never flee as long as I
have one against their four: there are twenty here
this very day that would encounter them though I




o0                THE LIFE OF
was absent; if such be numerous, we are strong
Set us up and fight them; they wont stand long."
A dreadful conflict ensued, and five thousand of
the English fell at the first onset, and the rest were
nut in great confusion, but Earl Patrick encouraged
and rallied his men to renew the combat; but Wallace and Ramsay, Graham and Lundie, Seaton and
Adam Wallace, Hay and Lyie, Boyd and Barclay,
Baird and Lauder, pressed so furiously on them, that
they were obliged to retire with great slaughter.
Just as the English began to flee, Bishop Beck
caused his ten thousand men to sally from their ambush, and to attack and surround the Scots on every
side.
When Wallace saw them so quickly appear, he
deemed it expedient to retreat in close columns, but
they were so completely surrounded, that they had to
cut their way through them. The dreadful Patrick
sought Wallace through all the throng, and wounded
him even through his coat of mail.  Wallace then
mustered all his strength, and aimed a blow at him;
it missed him but clave Maitland down. Wallace
was then completely surrounded by the English, and
his horse being slain, was left alone on foot. Earl
Patrick commanded his men to bear him down with
spears, but like a champion brave, stood on his feet
and hewed off their heads and scorned to yield.Meantime the Scots missed Wallace and understood
that he was alone or taken, and bold Graham, Lauder, Lyle, Hay, Ramsay, Lundie, Boyd, and Seaton,
brought five hundred horsemen, rescued their beloved
chieftain, and rode off to the main body. Two thou



SIR WILLIAM WALLACE:           91
sand more of the English fell in the second encounter; and the Scots, in all, lost only 500 men, and not
one chief was slain in that battle.
After this glorious victory, all the country flocked to die standard of Wallace; Crawford of Edinburgh brought four hundred men, all in bright
armour; Sir William Douglass a!so came with four
score brave men, and others came from Tiviotdale
and Jedburgh, and soon made up two thousand brave
warriors, who immediately proposed to pursue their
enemies, retreating on Lammermuir, in that same
night and to be avenged on them. Wallace ordered
his army to march in two divisions, three thousand
under the command of Graham, Seaton, Lauder and
Iay, and three thousand five hundred under his own,
with Douglass, Ramsay, Barclay, Boyd, Lundie, and
Adam Wallace, who at the rising of the sun, surprised
the English, unprepared to fight, rushed upon them
furiously with their broad claymores, and cut them to
pieces.
Just as the English were engaged with Wallace
under Beck, Sir John Graham led on his men from
the ambush, and on his approach, ten thousand of
them fled with Corspatrick and Beck and Bruce, to
Norham house. The Scots pursued and made great
havoc among them. 20,000 English perished that
day by the sword!
Wallace, on his return to St. Johnston, passed over
Corspatrick's lands, took away all his goods and demol
ished his castles, even to the number of twelve, within 
the Merse and Lothian. He then marched through
Edinburgh and landed in Perth, and informed the




92                 THE LIFE OF
barons of all his battles and successes, and received
the thanks of the states, and dealt the rebels' lands to
those who deserved them in fighting the battles of
their country.
ALLACE MARCHES INTO ENGLAND,
Remains there nine months and returns without
battle.
Wallace having established the affairs of the kingdom in a secure state, he entered England in the beginning of November, with an army of forty thousand
Scots, all volunteers, on purpose to obtain provisions
for them during the cold winter, because famine was
endured, by a long and desolating invasion.
He began at the river Tweed to march his army,
and spared neither man nor beast; burned all towns
in Northumberland, even Durham was committed to
the flames. Churches, abbeys, priories, convents,
women and children were spared; corn and cattle
became their lawful prey, in return for what they had
done to Scotland.
All the inhabitants of Northumberland fled with
their families and goods to New-Castle, on the approach of the Scots frmiy, who ravaged the country
between Tyne and Derwent, for the space of 20 days,
and sent much spoil home to their famishing countr-y
men




SIR WILLIAM WALLACE.            93
Wallace then marched to Carlisle, and summoned
the city to surrender; but, on refusal, he turned his
attention to attack Berland, Allerdale and the country
as far as Cockermouth, because he had no battering
engines to beat down its proud walls. He next march
ed to New-Castle, and when passing the village of
Kyton, the inhabitants confiding in the impossibility
of Wallace reaching them, who were surrounded with
water, insulted the Scots with opprobrious language
as objects of derision, but Wallace and his men swam
through the water, burned down their village, turned
their laugh into mourning, and they fled with preci
pitation in every direction. He burned the towns of
New-Castle and Durham, but the castles were left unreduced for want of battering rams.
Wallace next marched to York, slew all men in
arms who opposed them, and burned the city, carrying off the spoils. Always as he passed, he levelled
small forts and castles with the ground.
He spent fifteen days about the walls of York,
and there Edward sent a knight to entreat him to
cease from burning and slaying, promising that he
would give him battle in fifteen days. Wallace answered, "I will desist both from fire and sword for
forty days, if Edward will keep his promise and meet
me on the field." Edward did set his hand and seal
to this promise, and Wallace marched off the second
day after, and pitched his tents in the northwest near
Northallertown, and proclaimed peace for forty days.
There Sir Ralph Raymont attempted to surprise
Wallace and cut them to pieces. But some of his
spies got information of the stratagem and revealed it




94              THE LIFE OF
to Wallace. He then called Richard Lundie and
Hugh Hay, and commanded them to proceed in front
with three thousand men, and there to lay in ambush
in profound silence and secrecy and drew up his host
in noble array. Raymont then advanced with seven
thousand horsemen, but the Scots sallied forth from
their ambush and attacked them furiously in the rear
and laid three thousand of them dead at the first onset, with Ralph Raymont, their commanderand forced
the rest to flee. Wallace pursued them to Milton,
killed great numbers of them, and seized the town
with all its riches and stores, regaled his men with
English wine, ale, beef and bread, then burned the
town, levelled its walls, and returned to his camp,
which he then caused to be fortified, with a deep
ditch around them.
Edward, then at Pumfret, sent to Wallace. pronising to give him battle, on condition he would be
crowned king of the Scots, and thereby become his
equal, but Wallace could not be caught in that net.
Sir A. Campbell and Earl Malcom and the rest,
agreed that he should be crowned; but Wallace absolutely refused, saying, " it would be presumtuous; I
would be a rogue to usurp the crown-I will fight for
my king and my country, and God above will re.
ward me in the end."
Woodstock counselled the nation, in Parliament,
not to go out and meet Wallace, for they would be
defeated; concluding, that the best method was to
starve him out, by withholding all grain and cattle
from his grasp.




SIR WILLIAM WALLACE.           95
Forty days being now expired, no English army
appeared, and Wallace burned down North-allentown
and proceeded to besiege York, spreading destruction through York wherever he went, saving wonmer
children and holy places.
SIEGE OF YORK.
Wallace commanded his eight captains, Lauder
Malcom, Boyd, Campbell, Ramsay, Graham, Crawford, and Auchenleck, at the head of four divisions,
two to each division, and the four divisions to attack
the four gates of the city, with a thousand Scots archers for every gate. Seventeen thousand English then
appeared on the walls, boldly using the bow and spear,
furiously sallying out to repel them, but received a
warm reception from the Scots, and were driven back
within their walls. They then cast faggots of fire,
red hot bars of iron, stones, burning pitch, and every
prodigious thing, to gall the besiegers, who on the
first day, only burned the bulwarks of the town, and
cast the turrets down.
Next morning at break of day they encompassed
the walls in the same manner, and galled the besieged
severely with their arrows, set fire to every gate, but
could not reduce the town that day, and they retired
at night.
Meantime, in the dead of the night, the English, smn
der the command of Sir Wm Morton and Sir Wn.




96              THE LIFE OF
Lees, made a furious sally out with five thousand men,
on Earl Malcom, in order to surprise them and cut
them to peices.
Wallace, as he rode around watching the motions
of the enemy, saw them coming and blew his martial horn, roused all his warriors, who lay in their
harness, and led them to meet the enemy, with their
claymores. Wallace rode briskly up and made a
grand charge, and drove them again within their
walls, leaving Sir John Morton dead upon the ground,
with 1200 of his men to grace the field of battle.
Next day the Scots for the third time surrounded
the town and assaulted the gates.-Just when their
provisions were done, the English, not knowing the
condition of the Scots, beat a parley. Wallace appeared and asked them what they meant by it.The major in the name of the rest, promised to pay a
ransom if the Scots would withdraw. Wallace replied, " we value not your gold-your king promised
to give us battle; let him act faithfully. The major
answered very corteously, " He is the king, and we
are but subjects; take the gold and retire."
Wallace consulted with his captains and officers,
who agreed to take the gold, because victuals were
scarce, the place strong, themselves fatigued; and
to return to their native land, with booty. Wallace
said, " I shall not be content, except they let the Scots
banners wave upon the walls in sight of both armies,
from eight in the morning till twelve at noon'"
They received five thousand pounds of English
gold, paid down in specie to their army that day, and
plenty of provisions were conferred upon them foi




SIR WILLIAM WALLACE.             97
Ihe twenty days they remained in York city after
the capitulation.
As they marched homeward, they burned all Myldnime, levelling the towers, killing the deer in the forests, and breaking down parks and buildings.Wallace then turned on the opulent Shire of Richmond; burned Ramswatch and killed Fechew, the
captain, and five hundred men.
Wallace then caused the widow of Fechew to carry her husband's head to London, and tell Edward,
that Wallace had sworn by all the Fates, to be at
London gates; and that he would march with fire
and sword through the south-west of England.
They spared the whole country of Saint Alban
on account of the friendship of the Prior.
HE QUEEN OF ENGLAND ROCEEDS TO WALLACE WITH OVERTURES
OF PEACE.
After the parliament of England concluded on
making overtures of peace to conquering Wallace,
no man could be found to be the embassy on such a
commission; but the Queen offered her services, and
was commissioned to treat for peace.
As soon as Wallace saw the Queen with a glorious
retinue of females and priests, and had finished the
usual ceremony of receiving his illustrious guest, he
asked her, " Madam, how do you like our encamping
here?" The Queen answered, " Sir, very well; but
G




98               THE LIFE OF
wve need your frieidship-God grant we may speed
in this our errand."
Then Wallace withdrew and called a council do
war, and warned them against the subtleties of woman and the dangers of treating with such a person
age, in point of fidelity and confidence. After thai
they served up a handsome dinner and the Queen
treated all the Scottish captains with every rich
dainty.
Wallace, after the council had decided on their
conduct in this affair, calmly asked her what she in
tended in her journey?  "Peace," answered the
Queen, " we have no other thought, this raging war
has wrought our destruction, grant it, Sir, for his sake,hat died for us."  " Madam," said Wallace, "you
ask no peace but for your own selfish ends, which
can never compensate for the injustice done to our
royal prince, in case of the arbitration between him
and Baliol, his competitor, and for the other injuries
done to the people in invading and laying waste the
country."  Hesilrig's cruelty, the hanging of our harons, the repeated violations of treaties, &c. at the
rehearsal and remembrance of which Wallace and the
Queen wept. " Wallace," she said, " wQ shall cease
from this kind of discourse," and told three thousand
pounds of English gold down, in his presence.  Waliice then said " Madam, I will not grant you peace
in the absence of your king; with ladies, Madam, I
rannot make a truce lest your false king break it;"
so the conference broke up and she returned to tel,
of the greatness of the Scot's hero and his brave ar
my, and counselled parliament to send able men to
treat with the chieftain of Scotland.




SIR WILLIAM WALLACE.            99
Lords Clifford, Beaumont. and Woodstock, came
commissioned to treat with Wallace, and the last cS
fhese debated very subtly, but Wallace told him plainly that he used sophisms, and that they should restore
Roxburgh and Berwick, their king Robert, Randell,
Lord Lorn, Earl Buchan, Cumming, Soules, &c. so
they concluded a peace for five years.
Thus Wallace delivered Scotland the first time
from the English yoke, but they behaved so artfully
that the nation should not see their king during the
lifetime of Wallace.
WALLACE INVITED TO THE COURT O FRANGC
Leaves Lord James Stewart, Steward of Scotland,
Governor in his absence.
Wallace, on the invitation of the king of France
proceeded with fifty men to that kingdom. But they
had not been more than two days at sea, before they
saw sixteen sail of heavy ships bearing down upon
them, having red colours flying, and the master of
the vessel apprehended them to be pirates, under the
personal command ofRedReaver,the tyrant ofthe seas,
as they really happened to be the same monsters,
who spared no lives for gold and other property,
said the master; and their commander delights in
blood and rapine.




100             THE LIFE OF
Wallace encouraged him and enquired into the
marks whereby he could distinguish him among his
men. "At first sight you will ken him," said the
master, " and will soon distinguish him from his men;
a handsome proper man as there is in all France, and
of a manly Scot's countenance, taller than any of his
men a great deal, clothed with scarlet above a coat of
mail, the foremost ship that pursues us, so he sails
and you will quickly know it. He will enter first
himself to enter our ship. There is a bar of blue in
a shining shield, the badge of a christian, a band of
white desiring aye the field, and the red betokens
blood and hardihood."
VWallace ordered the shipmaster and seamen to go
below, and then commanded his fifty men to lie close
down upon deck, all clothed in bright armour, as an
mnbush to deceive the pirates, ai-d ordered William
Crawford, whom he placed at the haulyards to haul
down the sails when he should hail them, and Cleland
to lay the helm along the board at the same moment.
The Red Reaver came along side, and they received the salute " Strike dogs, or ye shall die," and
they nrimediately hauled down the sails. The Red
Reaver entered foremost and fearless, but Wallace
grappled him by the gorget and threw him down up-.n deck, and his mouth and nose produced blood in
bundance. The Red Reaver looked about with his
visage pale; saw Wallace draw his dagger, and cried
for mercy in the Latin language, and Wallace took
all his weapons and spared his life, and caused him to
swear on his word, that he should never fight against
them or any other nation. that he should command




SIR WILLIAM WALLACE.           101
all his men in the rest of his ships to cease from firing
and war.
The Red Reaver then held up a glove, and all
his men ceased Immediately from firing, and
Wallace took them all into Rochelle, during their
voyage to Rochelle, the conversation turned on
the way in which the Red Reaver first entered on
a pirating life. "What countryman," said Wallace,
C art thou?" " A Frenchman, Sir, and my father too;"
answered Red Reaver. " How camest thou to this
way of life?" " By mischance, Sir, it was from a great
strife; at Court I killed a man, and was obliged to flee
rmy country, I seized an English ship at Bordeaux,
i;nd set out a pirating, and thus I have lived on rapine and blood these sixteen years. I have conquered many, but in spite of fate, I am vanquished by
one. Thus I confess to my eternal disgrace, my
bloody life. " But pray, Sir,' continued Red Reaver,' what is your name, that you, with your own single
valiant hand, have commanded me all my sixteen sail;
sure none except the Scots champion, brave Wallace,
could thus have baffled me and all my fourteen hundred men. None whom I know should dare to encounter me, and I sl;ould esteem it a great honour to
serve in his war."  Then Wallace smiled, and answered modestly, " Scotland has need of many such
ls thee, what is thy real name?" said Wallace,
Thomas of Loungeville," answered Red Reaver."'Well deserve thy name, yea, our strife shall end
here," answered Wallace, "if thou wilt repent and
mend thy life, I will ever be thy faithful friend; I am
that same Wallace whom thou dost now see." Then
Loungeville fell down upon his knees, as if Wallace




102               THE LIFE OF
had been a crowned head, saying, "I am pleased
much more that I have fallen into your hands, than
that I had gotten sixty score of florins." Wallace conluded, "that since you have by chance fallen into
my hands, and since the king has sent for me, I will
tell him that I want your peace and pardon for my
reward."  Loungeville sa d, " if you could obtain my
pardon, I would most faithfully serve thee ail my
days."  But generous Wallace would take no advantage of his situation, and only desired mutual
firiendship.
Wallace proceeded to the king of France with
Thomas of Loungeville, and obtained pardon for
hinm and all his men, and the king even knighted him
on the spot, and henceforth he went and fought with
Wallace in all his succeeding wars in Guienne and in
Scotland.
WALLACE ARRIVES AT THE FRENCH COURT, AND
CONQUERS GUIENNE.
Philip, king of France, received Wallace most
courteously, and honourably, and all his nobles vied
with each other in marks of respect to the Scots
hero. Wallace then requested permission to make
war upon the English at Guienne, and he in seve
ra! great battles conquered them, and drove them ou
of that territory. and restored it to its original propri




SIR WILLIAM WALLACE:           10
etors. but the king to reward his services, made him
Lord of all Guienne, as John Blair writes.
When the English parliament heard of Wallace's
fighting for Philip of France, they pretended that he
had broken the peace, and that they would again invade Scotland by sea and by land, and reduce it to a
Roman province. So they sent a great army of foot
and horse, and a fleet of many sail, who in conjunction took Bothwell Castle, Saint Johnston, Dundee,
and all the country from Cheviot to the sea, plundering and murdering men, women and children, and all
the old friends of Wallace, who governed the realm
in his absence, were forced to flee and hide themselves; so the sanguinary Edward made a second
tonquest of Scotland.
Adam Wallace, Robert Boyd, Lundie, John Graham, and Hugh Hay, however, with about fifty mer.,
soon commenced a defensive war, by intercepting
their provisions, and cutting of straggling parties.
they first surprised four score of the guard of provisions coming to Bothwell Castle, and killed sixty of
them, and took all their gold and goods, while five
Scots only fell in the engagement. Meantime Guthrie sent to Wallace, and intreated him to come home,
and fight again for their laws and liberties.
Wallace soon appeared again on the field, in de
fence of their injured rights, and in vengeance of the
slaughtered sons of his native Caledonia. For he
landed at Montrose with his brave companions, and
Longueville, and was joined by Sir John Ramsay,
Ruthven, Bissett, Barclay, and others, making a




10N4             THIE LIFE OF
martial company of three hundred men, whom he
marched to Ochter house, determined to liberate his
country or die in the cause of freedom.
WALLACE RE-TAKES ST. JOHNSTON BY STRATAGEM.
With his small band, Wallace marched speedily
to Perth, a place of great importance, in the heart of
the kingdom, admitting of communication from England by sea. As he lay in ambush in the vicinity
watching an opportunity to surprise the English, it
fortunately happened that six English servants came
forth with empty carts, to convey hay into the town.
Wallace instantly slew the servants, and arrayed
themselves with the upper garments, loaded the carts
with hay, and as many as could, secreted themselves
in the loads of hay, and six drove the carts, the rest
lay in ambush very near, to seize every opportunity
that might be given them to enter the town. In this
disguise they entered the town, and Wallace slew the
sentinel or porter, and secured the gates for the entrance of his brave men, who immediately appeared
and spread destruction in every quarter among the
surprised English, which so terrified the rest, that Sir
John Stewart, the governor, fled out at the gate to
Methun wood, a hundred took refuge in the church,
but the superstition of Wallace did not induce him
on such an occasion to spare their lives, even in the




SIR WILLIAM WALLACE.             105
sacred sanctuary. By this success Wallace acquired
much booty, and a place of great importance in point
of future conquests.
WALLACE MARCHES INTO FIFE,
(onquers the English at Blackironside, reduces
Lockleven and Ayrth, and delivers the most part
of the country.
Wallace then marches into Fift, and was attacked
by Sir John Stewart from the Ochile-hills.  The
Scots being few in number were greatly alarmed at
this sudden surprise and deemed it best to flee and
get across the Tay, to receive assistance from their
brave companions, who knew nothing of their danger.
But Wallace saw they were all dead men if they attempted to flee, so he counselled them to be posted in
the wood of Blackironside, and to raise a strong barrier of trees to keep them from being overpowered and
borne down by numbers.
Stewart and Vallance, with their numerous host,
attacked them, and surrounded the wood at the same
time with great bravado, thinking to kill the one hun
dred Scots rebels without any trouble. Wallace thus
addressed his men "take courage lads, and bravely
show your face, the wood we will hold as long as we
can stand, to the last man we will fight for it sword




10fG            TTHE LIFE OF
in hand, the right is ours, let us up to It manfully, I
wvill free this land once more before I die," which did
so enga-ge their hearts to him, and raised their spirits
that many were for rushing upon the enemy in the
open plain, but Wallace wisely restrained their ardour. Wallace's forty good archers galled the English horse on every side in a most effectual manner;
and the rest were spearmen who desired nothing but
honour and glory in war defended their posts with
valour and undauntedness, leaving a space for the
English to enter; in order to get an advantage of
them entering in at a narrow pass. The whole body
of English made a second grand attack with the reso
lution to conquer and kill every one of the Scots, bu
they were again repulsed with great slaughter, 18(0
of them laid dead on the field, then Stewart caused
his men to sound a retreat and consulted what wat:
next to be done.  He charged Vallance to watcl
ail night, and keep Wallace into Cooper; bu:&
Vallance would not fight all day and watch all
night, so a dispute arose between the two English
commanders. Wallace took the advantage of this
dispute and called on Vallance to come over to them
and promised him a Lordship in the land. Vallance
chose rather to take his chance with the Scots, than
to venture his life in the hands of the enraged Stewart and Edward, so he came over with two hundred
men. By this time, too, brave Ramsay and Ruthven
came with three hundred men to Blackironside, and
the whole band of Scots consisted of five hundred
and sixty men, while Stewart drew up two thousand
men on the plain; the Scots advanced boldly and




SIR WILLIAM WALLACE.           107
attacked them, defeated and killed all but a few fugitives on the field of battle. Wallace himself cut
Stewart down with his great claymore. Then Ruthven marches to Perth and takes it; Sir John Ramsay
took Cooper of Fife; Wallace and Crawford, Gutherie, Loungeville, and Richard took Lindores without
any opposition, all the English having fled before
them.
One company of English still remained in Lochleven, and Wallace could not rest, until he reduced
it also; so he marched off in the middle of the night
with eighteen chosen men, whom he ordered to remain on the Loch, while he, himself, would swim
with his sword to the castle and bring away their boat
to carry them over.
They having obtained the boat, soon reached the
Castle and boldly attacked it with sword in hand, and
spared none, excepting women and children. They
remained eight days there and receive Ramsay with
all his men, when they repaired to Perth where good
Bishop Sinclair met him and counselled him to proceed with all alacrity: and Jop was sent to the north
for supplies, and John Blair to the west in Priest's
garments to warn their fiiends in the wesl; and the
people flocked to the standard of Wallace frc a every
quarter of the land. Wallace then proceeded with
fifty men and took Ayrth by surprise, killed Thomas
Weir, the captain, and one hundred men, even all
that were in the garrison, and delivered his uncle
from chains. Before morning they had all the spoils
conveyed away to Torwood, in the neighborhood,
and marched off to Dumbarton.




108             TiH LIFE OF
Wallace and his men arrivedrat Dumbarton before break of day. He called upon a widow of his
acquaintance who entertained them in a close barn with
the greatest secrecy. She presented her nine sons to
Wallace to increase the number of his warriors, and
made him a present of one hundred pounds. Meantime
he caused her to mark all the doors where the Southerons lodged and then marched all his men in solemn
silence unto the gate where they securely slept. An
English captain and nine of his messmates were stil
drinking and vaunting about their strength, one said,
Had I Wallace, I would think nothing to engage
with him;" another said, " I would tie Sir John Gra
ham," a third said " I will fight Boyd" and so on, and
Wallace walks in among the midst of them and saluted them handsomely all round, " I am come from my
travels, gentles,"7 said he, "I long to see your conquest
of the Scots, some of your good cheer I would wish
to have." Then the Captain gave him a very saucy
answer, saying, " Thou seemest to be a Scot, likely
to be a spy, and mayest be one of Wallace's company, which, if thou be, nothing shall protect thee from
being hanged. Wallace thought it then good time to
draw his dreadful claymore, and he cut off his head
at one stroke, killed another, and burned a third into
the fire, and Kierly and Stephen came in and killed
all the rest. And then by the guidance of a hostler,
he set fire to the buildings where the rest of the Eng
lish slept, and burned them all to death, and proceeded to reduce Roseneath Castle.
"    ihe l  ht following the fall of Dumbarton, Wallace proceeded from Dunbarton Cave, whither he




SIR WILLIAM WALLACE.             109
retired for rest, after the burning the English there,
to Roseneath where he surprised and killed eighty of
them returning from a wedding, entered the castle
along with the fugitives, and slew all the garrison,
and having feasted a few days on the spoils, burned
and abandoned it. He then marched to Falkland to
meet Earl Malcom, Richard Lundie, Sir John Graham, Adam Wallace, Barclay, Boyd, &c. and to keep
his yool and holy days. Then he heard of the de
cease of his good old mother, and despatched Jop
and Mr. Blair to bury her decently, and proceeded to
the liberation of his country from a foreign yoke.
SIR WILLIAM DOUGLAS WINS THE CASTLE OF SANQUHAR
BY A STRATAGEM1
And rescued by Wallace from falling into the
hands of their cruel enemies.
Although Sir William Douglass was constrained to
submit to the English, and to marry an English lady,
he took the castle of Sanquhar by stratagem, put
every man to the sword, inclosed himself in the castle, and sent a messenger to entreat Wallace to bring
him speedy relief.  Meantime Wallace began to
march south, and, in his route, cut off Ravendale, an
English captain, with two hundred men, in the vici
nity of the Castle of Kilsyth; in the same route he




110                THE LIFE OF
burned the towns of Linlithgow, Dalkeith and NewCastle, expelling the English fiim every place of
strength. He proceeded then to Peebles, where he
received reinforcements of one hundred men under
Lauder and Seaton, who has just issued from the
Bass, and forty or fifty more with Hugh Hay, and
sixty with Rutherford, making an army of eight hundred strong. By this time the English had beseiged
sir William Douglas in Sanquhar, and just as he was
about to proceed on his conquering march, Dickson,
Douglas' messenger, arrived, and requested speedy
assistance of Wallace. Without a momentns delay,
Wallace marched to his aid. The English who betieged the castle flew when they heard the approach
of William Wallace, with the greatest precipitation.
Wallace being informed of their flight, pursued them
with three hundred horsemen, overtook and routed
them at Closeburn with great slaughter.
During the pursuit their horses failed, but the men
like lions and hinds, pursued them on foot, till the
English diappeared; even five hundred dead bodies
were strewed through the fields. Wallace immediately after these successes, received continual fresh
troops, horses and men. Currie, Johnston, Kirkpatrick and Halliday, with seven score of new men,
joined him at Closeburn. Then he rode to Dumfries,
and proclaimed peace to all who would assist against
the Southerons, for the English had almost all left the
kingdom, and the places of strength were again occupied by Scotsmen.
While Wallace was besieging Dundee, the last
place he had to reduce, Edward being convinced of




SIR WILLIAM WALLACE.             ll
the impossibility of conquering Wallace and the Scots
by dint of arms, plotted how he night ensnare hir.,
by bribes, promises or honours, which gained the submission of others, &c. All his pretences, &c. were
in vain  Wallace answered Edward's emissaries in
the following words, "I owe my life to, and will willingly lay it down for my country, although all other
Scotsmen should submit to the king, I never will give
obedience or yield allegiance to any power, except to
the king of Scotland, my rightful sovereign."
King Edward finding no stratagem could succeed to
draw Wallace into the snare, he sent Lord Woodstock
with ten thousand men to march to Stirling bridge,
to secure that pass, until he should come up with the
main body, but Wallace heard of Woodstock's comr
ing, and drew up his eight thousand on Sheriffmuir,
where the two armies joined battle, and the Scots
fought most furiously, and cut ten thousand English
down on the spot, for they would not flee, not one of
them escaped the claymore that day, and all their
horses, silver, gold, arms and other spoils, were a rich
booty to the surviving Scots, who then retired beyond
the bridge and broke down all the passes, and proceeded to secure Dridfoord against the enemy. Wallace then received more reinforcements with Earl
Malcom, Sir John Graham, Stewart, of Bute, Cummings, of Badanoch, making an army of 30,000
strong, who marched to Falkirk, to meet Edward',
host of one hundred thousand warriors. But, aias
Cumming instigated Stewart to dispute the right of
being commander in chief with Wallace, claiming
the right to lead the vanguard, and fled with his ten




112               THE LIFE OF
thousand, and Wallace withdrew his ten thousand,
and left Stewart to encounter the whole English army,
who cut them all to pieces, but not without the tremendous loss of thirty thousand killed on the field
of battle.
By this time Wallace was surrounded, and was
compelled to cut his way through Bruce's host, and
there the Scots again stretched eight thousand Southerons on the field as they cut their way through them,
and proceeded to the Torwood. Wallace, Graham
and Lauder remained behind the army with three
hundred men, and attacked the enemy's wing, and
there killed three hundred more; but they were at
tacked by thirty thousand under Bruce, and were so
entangled in rescuing each other, and fighting their
retreat, that they lost Sir John Graham, and were
forced to swim across Carron river, leaving in all,
ten thousand more of their enemies dead on the field.
Next day he proceeded to the field, discovered the
body of Graham, and entombed him under the following Epitaph:
~" Mente Monuque potens et Vallac fidus Achates
Conditur hic Gramnius bellointer fectus abAnglis."
Wallace proceeded then to Linlithgow, and surprised the English in their tents, killed ten thousand
of them, and the rest fled, losing three thousand in
the flight; but the Scots pursued them out of the
land, and then returned to Edinburgh. Thus Wal
lace delivered Scotland a second time from the Eng
lish yoke.




SIR WILLIAM WALLACE.            l13
WALLACE MEETS THE PARLIAMENT,
And resigns his commission and returns to France,
conquered John Lynn at sea and the country oJ
Guienne.
On account of some jealousies Wallace resigned
the command of the Army, and the office of Governor
General of Scotland, and retired to France, where he
received great honours and praise. He embarked
with eighteen of his brave followers at Dundee, and
as they steered along the English coast about the
Humber, they saw a sail bearing down upon them.
They soon discovered with fear that it was John
Lynn, the cruel and bloody pirate of the seas. Wallace sent all the trembling cowards below, and steered
the ship himself. John of Lynn with seven score of
rogues came along side, galled the Scots with guns
before they clasped, but when they clasped the Scottish spears made dreadful havoc among them for nearly an hour; the merchants too in their woollen harness, behaved themselves like gallant men in that fight,
killed or drowned all the seven hundred men and took
their gold &c. The King knighted Wallace as soon
as he arrived in France, and gave him gold to support the war in Guienne against the English, where
he marched with 10,000 men, and laid waste all Gui.
enne, conquered it in five pitched battles, and wag
made Lord of that land.
H




THE LIFE OF
WALLACE SURPRISED, BUT CON2UERS THE TRAITORS
After he had made a conquest of Guienne, he iv
ed like a prince at Shemon, until a proud knight of
France boldly claimed sundry lands and an office in
Guienne as his hereditary right which were then in
Wallace's hands, and contrived a hellish plot to cut
him off, and then to obtain re-possession of his lands.
Pretending good services to Wallace, he made an ap
pointment to meet him with fifteen men each at a
certain place. The treacherous knight, knowing the
strength and valour of the Scots and his own deep
design, brought forty armed men and placed them in
ambush, to sally forth as soon as the dispute should
begin in order to destroy him. Then the knight arrived and began to speak in an angry tone, saying,
"Thou dost possess my lands by no good right.'I have no lands," Wallace replied," but what the
king gave me, and what I have won in peril of my
life from the English in a bloody contest." " Then,"
answered the knight sternly, " thou shalt here resign
them or die, by the powers divine," and drew his
sword and the whole ambush rushed out and surprised
the Scots. " Are these the thanks,' said brave Wal
lace, "I receive from your hands, for restoring of youl
native lands?  Although I and these my men want
armour, sixteen against your fifty-five, what then?
Here's a claymore made of the truest steel, which thy
deserving neck shall shortly feel," and with one single




SIR WILLIAM WALLACE.            115
stroke cut down the treacherous knight and bid him
to purchase a grave for himself.  Then the fifty-five
Gallic warriors surrounded Wallace and his fifteen
men, who like brave Scots, with noble hearts and true,
fought boldly and cut down heaps of Frenchmen.The knight's brother fought long and bravely, but
they were all cut down at last. In sight of this bloody
contest nine Frenchmen were mowing hay, who,
wnen they saw their countrymen worsted and stretched on the plain advanced with all speed, each armed
with a sharp scythe, and made a dreadful attack, as
if nothing could impede their fury. Wallace, as soon
as he descried the scythe men coming, immediately
advanced in head of his men towards the clowns.The first of them made a dreadful cut at Wallace,
but he being strong, tight and swift, overleaped his
scythe, and cut his head from his shoulders with a
back stroke of his claymore. He jumped over the
next fellow's scythe, and clave his shoulder more than
half a yard. He leaped over the third's scythe, and
killed him also, and the fourth he clave through the
body, and the fifth he pursued and slew also. So
having despatched five and put the other four to flight,
he returned to his brave men who had, by that time,
slain forty-nine of the Frenchmen-and seven fled
off the field of battle.
The King of France was exceedingly glad at the
success and victory of Wallace over such a treacherous murderer, and invited him earnestly to remain at
court as one of his own household, and live happy
and secure under his royal protection. Wallace ac




118              THE LIFE OF
cepted the offer, and remained two years at the
French court, being diverted with princely sports, in
favour with kings, lords, and ladies.
WALLACE INSULTED BY TWO CHAMPIONS,
Fights and kills them both.
While Wallace lived at the French court, two Gallic Champions, who mortally hated the Scots, always
passing their satirical jokes on Scotsmen and Scotland,
so enraged our brave champion, that he could no
longer endure such insults. These two champions used
always to walk linked in each others arms, and it
happened one day that Wallace was in a large hall,
where none did wear arms, and was grossly insulted
by them, and he asked them, " What means all this
hatred, when our nations live in firm alliance and
friendship? Did we deserve good words for our
good deeds? What would you say of your proud
enemies, when you talk so of your friends? They
disdainfully replied in their own language, " The
English are our foes, we own, but the Scots for falsehood are known every where;" at which Wallace
was so enraged, that he gave one of them a foundering blow and made his nose bleed profusely; the




SIR WILLIAM WALLACE.            117
other men struck at Wallace, supposing his compan
ion dead on the floor, but Wallace clasped him so
hard, that his soul departed from his body; the other
had recovered by this time, and again encountered
him with fury, but Wallace dashed out his brains upon a pillar, saying " Let them take that for their pains
— what the devil ailed the caries, they were to blame;
it would have been long before I would ever have
troubled them. Let all young persons learn from this
example how to bridle their tongues."  Many of the
great lords of France were displeased at this unfortunate conflict, became jealous, and hated Wallace; but
the king exonerated him from all blame on this occavion, and none durst cast a saucy look at him.
WALLACE AND THE KING DECEIVED BY THE LORDS,
WAS LED TO FIGHT THE LION.
As the king loaded Wallace with marks of respect
and honour, his nobles became envious, hateful and
malicious towards him, and two of them plotted hellishly, to effect the destruction of the brave Scots
hero, to be avenged on him for the death of the two
champions, their near relations, and to sacrifice the
life of the Scot in an ignominious manner. These
two squires come to the king, forged a lie, saying,
" this Scot brags and boasts, and says, that he would




118              THE LIFE OF
undertake to fight your lion, if you will freely give
him your permission, and he has desired us to ask
your leave, we are sure he will have a difficult task."
The King replied with great concern, " I am sorry
he desireth such a thing, yet I will not deny whatever favour he may ask me while he is in France."
They then went to Wallace, fabricated another
story, saying,' Wallace, the king commands you
fight his lion without further commands.  Wallace replied,'whatever is the will of the king, I
will most gladly fulfil with all my strength," then instantly repaired to court.  A lord at court, when he
saw Wallace there, most foolishly asked him, if he
durst fight the fierce lion? he answered. yes, truly, if
the king would have me to do so, or with yourself, I
fear none of the two, let cowards from kings courts
be all debarred, I may be worsted, but never shall be
dared, so long as my nostrils retain the breath of life
or Scottish blood circle in my veins, like a true Scot
I will fight and scorn to flee; for why, I know that
man is made to die."  Then the king granted that
Wallace might fight the lion, without knowing the
conspiracy laid against the life of the Scot, and brought
harness for Wallace, but he said, no, I leave that to
the field, Almighty God only shall shield me, since
this is but a beast and not a man, with what I have
I will fight as I can, and will encounter him single as
I go, though this foe is a fierce, strong, rapacious, cruel
and relentless enemy. Then he wrapped his mantle
round one hand and took his claymore in the other,
and proceeded to the place where the lion raged in




SIR WILLIAM WALLACE,           119
expectation of blood. Wallace then thrust his covered arm into the lion's mouth, drew a stroke from neck
to heel and cut him through the body, and then called aloud to the king, "Pray, Sire, is this your whole
desire thus to expose me to the rage and will of your
fierce lion; have you any more to kill? Cause them
to bring them forth; such beasts I will quell and will
obey you so long as I dwell in France. But now I
take leave forever of France, some greater action I may
soon achieve. At Shemon, sir, I thought the other year
that you would have had other business for me here,
than to fight a cruel savage beast, therefore I shall
return to ancient Scotland once more."  The king
perceiving Wallace in anger, meekly replied, "' It was
your own desire, else by the faith of a most Christian
king, I never would have allowed any such a thing, for
men of honour asked it in your name, so you or they
are only to blame."  Wallace replied, " I vow to the
great God, this seems to me a thing most strange; by
all that is good, I know no more of it than a child
unborn, this is at trick devised by some of those who
are my secret and malicious enemies."-The king
called the two squires and caused both their heads to
be cut off on the judgment of their own confession.Wallace perceiving himself to be envied by the French
lords and having received a letter from the Scottish
Barons entreating him to return, so he took his leave
of the king and court, and proceeded, loaded with
gold and jewels, to Scotland to fight for the rights and
liberties of his native country. All the lords and
ladies about the court grieved and wept on the de



x20              THE LIFE OF
parture of the Scots champion, hero, and knight; but
no Scotsmen of note returned with him, only Lon
gueville, who would never leave him.
WALLACE ARRIVES AT THE MOUTH OF ERNE,
In the river Tay, fights the battle of Elcho Park.
Wallace having arrived at the mouth of the Erne,
he marched quietly with eighteen valiant men, to
Elcho-Park: on his way he called at Crawford's
house, his cousin's, who embraced and kissed him
with joy and gladness of heart, and secured his men
till they were rested, refreshing them with food and
drink, until Crawford proceeded to Perth to buy pro
visions, when the English noticed his buying of more
provisions than usual, and seized him and laid him in
prison; but after questioning him, let him go, and
then armed eight hundred men, and dogged Crawford home. Crawford arrived and warned Wallace
lo flee, "for I greatly fear says he the rogues are at
any heels; I will give you all the assistance I can give,
I myself shall be the twentieth man."  No sooner had
the Scots issued forth in armour, than eight hundred
English came in sight, and Butler at their head.



SIR WILLIAM WAI,LACE.            121
When Wallace saw their numbers, he withdrew to
Elcho Wood, and there fortified a pass with long
trees across the path where they could enter, and on
either side the place was naturally fortified by a close
thicket of hollens, that defended them in the flanks
and rear. Then he addressed his men as follows:
" The wood is thick, its breadth and length is small,
if we had food enough, we could keep the strength,
meantime let us bravely fight as long as we can stand,
for our old native country; come, let us to it, either
do or die; ere they gain the pass, we shall lay some
of their bellies to the wind."  By this time Butler had
Crawford's house surrounded, seized his wife, and
vowed to burn her to death, if she did not tell where
the Scots warriors had gone. Wallace having issued
from the thicket to reconnoitre his enemies, and see the
fate of his cousin's family, just when they were about
to burn Mrs. Crawford, called aloud to them to " stay
their hand, for here am I, and own myself your foe;
why should ye torment an honest, innocent woman?
come forth to me and we will end the strife; it were
a prodigious sin to kill the female Scot, art thou a
christian? tell me yea or nay; in all my victories, 1
always saved the priests, women and children." Butler threw his face, bit his lip, and heaved with venom
and spite, when he saw brave Wallace in his presence.
Then the English fiercely marched after him, as
lhe retired to his place of strength in the thicket, and
attacked the Scots boldly at the pass, which was
nobly defended, and were repulsed with the loss of
fifteen men killed on the first onset. They made a
second and more desperate attack in three divisions,




122               THE LIFE OF
at three different points at the same moment. Wal
lace saw their divisions advance, and ordered his
Longueville with six men, Crawford with six, to keep
the weakest parts bf the strength, and Wallace kept
five with himself to meet Butler at the pass. —
Wallace then allowed some men to come in, on purpose to ensnare them. Seven men entered, looked
very timid, and were immediately cut down; but
Butler withdrew from the entrance when he saw the
fate of his men, and Longueville and Crawford made
so grand a defence, that the enemy were forced to
retire for the night.
Butler set his watches, and retired to feast on good
provisions, while the wearied Scots had only water to
drink; but Wallace, with cheerful countenance, and
encouraging words, made a single night of fasting easy to them, and before morning, under the cover of a
thick fog, sallied out upon the English, killed Butler
and thirty of his men, carried wounded Crawford off
the field, retired to Methven wood, marched off to
Birnam wood, and thence to Athol and Lorn, where
they were reduced to the last extremity by famine.
There, as Wallace slept alone in the woods, (for
he had retired from his men, and had fallen asleep,)
five sanguinary assassins, who had been bound, on
pain of death, to take Wallace, dead or alive, drew
near and attempted to bind Wallace; but he rose
like a lion in his full strength, dashed the brains out
of the first against a tree, despatched the other three
~vith the dead man's sword, and two fled. The enraged champion pursued and smote them both to the
ground. Wallace having found a bov with some




SIR WILLIAM WALLACE.           123
provisions on the hill, and having fed his men with
them, hle marched directly to Rannoch plains where
he found the castle commanded by Scotsmen, who
received him into the fort, and promised to obey his
commands, and swore allegiance to Robert Bruce under Wallace. The lord of the castle sent his three
valiant sons, and twenty other brave warriors to fight
the battles of their country, under the renowned chieftain of Scotland, who there displayed the Scottish
banner, and marched through the country to recruit
his army. He landed at Dunkeld, put all the garrison to the sword, feasted five days on good provisions, took all their gold and jewels, and returned
again to the north, considering themselves too few to
besiege the town of Perth.
In Ross, Bute, Argyle, Buchan, Murray, &c. he
collected an army of seven thousand men, and marched straight to Aberdeen. The English all fed on the
approach of the invincible Wallace. Clement, the
brave knight of Ross, came to Wallace with a gallant
company of warriors; Sir John Ramsay, also joined
him, with many others, and he then deemed his pow
er sufficient to place and keep judges over the land,
and establish garrisons in all strong holds.




124              THE LIFE OF
SIEGE OF PERTH
Wallace having thus settled the government of th(
kingdom, proceeded immediately to reduce the castle,
remaining in the hands of the English. He first be
sieged Perth, and took it by storm, killing 1080 in the
breach of, and round the walls, and garrisoned it b3
Scotsmen. Sinclair, Lundie, Lindsay, Boyd, Adan
Wallace, Seaton, Lauder, Dundas, Scott, &c. fough
with Wallace in that engagement.
Wallace then proceeds to the south, where h(
found that Edward Bruce had arrived from Irelaull
with fifty men of his mother's relations, and had al
ready taken Kirkcudbright with a garrison of nine
score: Wigtown castle he had also reduced, anc
joined Wallace most cheerfully, and then marchec
with him to Lochmaben, where Wallace like a tru(
and faithful Scot, resigned the command of the arm3
to him, promising to crown him king of Scotland, i
his brother Robert did not come home to possess hi,
throne.
Prince Edward Bruce remained in Lochmaben;
but Wallace proceeded to Cummock; so Scotlanc
was the third time delivered by the brave and faithful
Wallace, and then had rest from wars and ravages oi
their enemies.




SIR WILLIAM WALLACE.          1W
MONTEITH BETRAYS WALLACE.
When king Edward found it impracticable to conquer and subjugate Scotland as long as Wallace lived,
he called Aymer de Vallance to him, and consulted
with him how he might betray him by his own friends.
Edward promised to give him any thing he should
ask, except his queen and crown, if he would take
Wallace dead or alive. Vallance then proceeded to
Bothwell to execute the hellish plot.  He promisein Edward's name, to give John Montieth the Earldom of Lennox and three thousand pounds of English gold. " Fy," said Monteith, " it would be a
mighty shame, yea, you and I would be very blameable, if we betrayed a man who had done so great
services to his king and country; he is of our nation
too, and is the governor of the land, and captain general of our forces; for my part I declare, come weel
come woe, I never will condescend to treat him so."
Vallance replied, " if you did understand what a
shedder of Christian blood he is, you would not plead
for him, but rather contribute to break his power; besides the king has no desire to take away his lif., but
to confine him so that both nations might ease
from war, and that he should not disturb the cf morpeace."
The poor souled Monteith began tnen to  aver
when he heard that he was not to be massacred, ant.
having formerly wished him in Edward's power prr.




126              THE LIFE OF
vided he would spare his life, he half resolved to
take the bribe. Vallance when he saw Monteith
thrown into hesitation, employed all his deep cunning
and satanic art to induce him to accept of the bribe,
and told him down three thousand pounds of English
gold, saying " this you shall have and Lennox at
your will, if you will now fulfil the king's desire."Monteith could no longer resist the temptation, he received the gold and bound himself to carry Wallace
and put him securely into the hands of the English!! 
Vallance merrily scampered off to London and
left Montieth to fulfil his horrid contract! Edward
sent private letters to Monteith, urging him to execute
quickly what he had undertaken. Monteith read
over the letter and then called his sister's son, and
caused him to swear to conceal the plot: ~ go" said
Monteith, "and wait on Wallace as a domestic, and
when a fit opportunity occurs, be sure to embrace it,
and call me and I will secure him." The villain
promised to fulfil all his commands.
Meantime, as the God of Providence would have
it, Wallace wrote to Robert Bruce to come into Scotland and receive quiet possession of his throne and
kingdom. Bruce returned a letter promising to meet
Wallace on Glasgow muir on the first of July.  So
Wallace proceeded to Glasgow muir, and none understood where he went but Kierly, and the young
traitor in Wallace's service, who on the eighteenth
night warned Monteith, who caused sixty men to
march from Dumbarton and to lurk near Glasgow
town, and sent out a spy to notice the house where




SIR WILLIAM WALLACE.            127
Wallace resided. Rarbreston, or the cottage of Lumloch was its name, and as Wallace and Kierly went
to sleep, the young fellow went out and informed his
uncle of the fit time to secure him. Then Monteith
called his sworn traitors to surround the house, slew
Kierly and seized upon Wallace, who rose like a lion;
but ah! his claymore, his dagger, and all were previously stolen away by his treacherous servant, and
he could find nothing to use in his own defence except a bench by which he killed two of the traitors.
At last Monteith spoke subtily to Wallace, and told
him that the English surrounded the house, and that
it would be in vain to make any resistance, a single
man unarmed against a host of armed men under Clifford. They will save your life, so make no resistance, but come along to Dumbarton with me, and
you will be as safe as at home; we have come to
save your life, see we have no weapon; and Wallace believing all he said in the house submitted to
their will, on condition that Monteith would fulfil his
promise to save his life. " Only as a prisoner the
English must see you" said Monteith " bound with
cords, else they will take you from me." So they
cunningly slipped cords on his hands, and bound
them down with counter cords underneath, and led
him bound to Solwaysands, and there delivered him
into Vallance's and Clifford's hands, who first - confined him in Carlisle prison, and afterwards conveyed
him to the Tower of London. As he passed through
England, great multitudes of men, women and children, assembled from all quarters of the land, to gaze
upon the illustrious prisoner.




128                THE LIFE OF
During his imprisonment there he occupied his few
remaining days in holy devotion, especially deligiht
ing in his Psalter; and before his execution made his
bequest to Helen Mar, his second wife, and bequeathed his private property to the brave Lanerkers, who
first fought for their country, in the following words:
"As the first who stemmed with me the torrent,
which with God's help we so often laid into a calm, I
mention to you my faithful Lanerkers. Many of them
bled and died in the conquest; and to their orphans,
with the children of those who yet survive, I consign
all the world's wealth that yet belongs to William
Wallace; Ellerslie and its estates are theirs. To
Brice, my sovereign and my friend, the loving companion of the hour in which I freed you, my Helen,
from the arms of violence! to him I bequeath this
heart, knit to him by bands more dear even than loy..
alty. Bearit to him; and when he is summoned to
his Heavenly throne, then let his heart and mine fill
up one urn. To Lord Ruthven, to Bothwell, to
Scrymgeour, and Kirkpatrick, I give my prayers and
blessings.."
He was then conducted to the house of William
Delect in Fen church-street, and the day following
the 23d of August 1305, was brought to Westmin —
ster on horseback, accompanied with knights, the
mayor, sheriff, and aldermen, and was placed on the
south bench of the great Hall, crowned there in derision with a laurel, while Sir Peter Malory, the Chief
Justice, impeached him with treason; to which he
boldly replied: " I never was a traitor, nor could I be
to the king of England." He impeached him also




SIR WILLIAM WALLACE.             129
with burning towns, levelling castles, killing the English, &c. but Wallace considered these things all
right in case of national war. But innocence became
guilt at the bar of envy and malice, and all his heroic
virtues were declared capital crimes, and he was tried
by the laws, and hanged, drawn and quartered by
the administrators of injustice in England.
His head was fixed on London bridge, and the
four quarters of his body were placed on the gates
of the four principal cities of his native country!
These acts of betraying, condemning, and butcher
ing the greatest statesman, the best general, the most
intrepid soldier, the most feeling benefactor of mankind that ever graced the annals of the world, incensed the Scottish nation beyond all bounds.
The brave, the generous, the disinterested William
Wallace, the deliverer of his country, was thus beirayed and butchered.  This was the greatest misfortune
that could ever have befallen Scotland; it was inexpressibly afflicting to his friends and honest defenders;
and who could have been so base as not to befriend
the restorer of their liberties? even every peasant in
the country, every shepherd on the hill, commisserated the fate of Wallace, and their hearts burned with
a desire of avenging his blood on the head of Edward
As for Monteith, all men, his friends and enemies,
tionsidered him the basest of the human race, whose
criminality will adhere to his name and family as long
as Scotland is a nation. He became a traitor to his
best friend! a traitor to his country! a betrayer of
innocent blood! an assassin in heart and practice! and
the ignominy of his treachery will be reflected on his




130              THE LIFE OF
happy posterity, while the annals of Scottish histoiy
record his deed! Hence the poet expresses the feelings ofthe nation upon the sad event of his death:
s" Envious death, which ruins all,
Hath wrought this sad lamented fall
Of Wallace; and no more remains
Of him, than what an urn contains;
We ashes for our Hero have,
He for his armour a cold grave;
He left the earth, too low a state,
And by his acts o'ercome his fate;
His soul death had not power to kill;
His noble deeds the world do fill
With lasting trophies of his name.
O! hadst thou virtue lov'd or fame
Thou couldst not have exulted so,
Over a brave, betray'd-just foe,
Edward! nor seen those limbs exposed
To public shame-fit to be clos'd
As relics, in a holy shrine,
But now the infamy is thine:
His end crowns him with glorious bays,
And stains the brightest of thy praise.
O false Monteith! your honour's gone,
Your fame is lost, the deed is done!
A traitor to your country's son,
The bravest e'er her laurels won.
You did him cast in London Tower,
In Edward's hands' and Edward's power;
Innocent blood you offer'd free,
A sacrifice for Liberty.




SIR WILLIAM WALLACE.           131
You the price of blood received,
The bravest of the brave deceived;
Now infamy will haunt your name,
As traitor's everlasting shame.
Few princes have had the honour of such an illus.
trious captain, or such an opportunity to immortalize
their fame, by an act of generous magnanimity, either
to treat him with kind hospitality, or to liberate him
with princely greatness. Few Princes could have
been so base, mean and sanguinary, as to exult over
a betrayed, a renowned and unconquered enemy, and
to massacre him in cold blood, except that very Edward, who has subjected his countrymen to the endurance of those torments of internal remorse and shame,
which proclaim the mean, dastardly, cruel, and ungenrous spirit of one of the kings of England, in all
succeding ages.
"Three things," says John Blair, "unite to immortalize the fame of noble Wallace; his own innocence; the tyranny of Edward; and the treachery of
Monteith."
Cruel tyranny usually defeats her own purposes.
The ignoble and barbarous manner in which Wallace
was treated, in instituting a mock trial by foreigners,
fixing his divided body to the city gates of his native
country, for which he bled and died, roused every
spark of Caledonian valour and independence, exasperated the nation and animated them to revenge,
and excited all the friends and admirers of Wallace
to rally round the standard of Bruce, to avenge the




132                THE LIFE OF
death of Wallace, to shake off the yoke of such an in.
exorible tyrant, and to fill the Scottish throne with a
lawful sovereign.
The innocence of the purest of mortals on earth
could have no chance or protection in the presence of
such an avaricious and sanguinary Monarch; and the
treachery of a traitor, who betrays innocent blood and
affects the happiness of a liberal nation can never be
forgiven; it entails the greatest infamy on the name
of his posterity, while the remembrance of his crime
harbours in the minds of the nation.




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Mason, A. M.-5 works in one vol. royal octavo.
UR GE ON iND PHYSICIAN, designed to assist heads
of Families, Travellers and Seafaring people, in discerning and curing Diseases, by W. M. Hand: with an Introduction, by J. L. Comstock, M. D.-l2mo:
WALKER ON BE AUTY, or Beauty Illustrated, chiefly
by an Analysis and Classification of Beauty in Woman;
by Alexander Walker, author of Intermarriage, Women,
&c. &c.-edited by an American Physician.
WA.LKER ON WOMIAN, or Woman Physiologically Considered, as to Mind, Morals, Marriage, Matrimonial
Slavery, Infidelity, and Divorce; by Alexander Walker,
With an Appendix, edited by an American Physician.
PAILEYE S PHILOSOPHY, or the Principles of Moral and
Political Philosophy, by Wm. Paley, D. D.-2 vols.
CHAPTALL'S CHEMISTRY-l2mo., 365 pages.
TJAYLOR AND HIS GENERALS; containing a Biography of Major General Zachary Taylor, and Sketches of
the Lives of Generals Worth, Wool, and Twiggs; with
a full Account of the various Actions of their Divisions
in Mexico; together with a sketch of the life of Major
General Scott-Embellished with 12 portraits and engravings on tinted paper-12mo., 326 pages.
MEXICO and Her Military Chieftains, from the revolution
of Hidalgo to the present time; comprising Sketches of
the Lives of Hidalgo, Morelos, Iturbide, Santa Anna,
Paredes, Almonte, Arista, Ampudia, Herrera. and De la
Vega; by Fay Robinson-Illustrated by 12 portraits and
engravings on tinted paper-12mo., 344 pages.
BON2APAIl2TE'S Campaign in Russia; containing a faithful description of the distressing and interesting scenes
of which the author was an eye-witness; by Eugene Labaume; translated from the French-octavo, 348 pages.