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About Google Book Search Google's mission is to organize the world's information and to make it universally accessible and useful. Google Book Search helps readers discover the world's books while helping authors and publishers reach new audiences. You can search through the full text of this book on the web at |http : //books . google . com/ ■^':^ A f-- \i. v^**. ; ♦f Digitized by CjOOQIC l^^ ■n Digitized by CjOOQIC BEIHG STORIES FROM ' TME HISTORY OF SCOTLAND. >;,i)i.NiM'R{:vi'i. im^. Digitized by CjOOQIC M> X-i".' Digitized by CjOOQIC TALES OF A GRANDFATHER; BEIVG STORIES TAKEN FROM SCOTTISH HISTORY. HUMBLY INSCBIBED TO HUGH LITTLBJOHN, Esq. IN THREE VOLS. VOL. L PRINTED FOR CADELL AND CO. EDINBUROH ; SIMPKIN AND MARSHALL, LONDON ; AND JOHN CU^MINO^ D17BLIN. 1828. Digitized by CjOOQIC I Ik 'y. 'vie KDiiminiGH : 1>RIKTXD BY BjnXAWrrVS AMD CO. Digitized by CjOOQIC PREFACE. te^n^em^ki^areimctibid, li^ embraoA aiike and ptimineHi points, Hiwinff^bemjmmdtm^d to Ihe young Person fw wkmnlhaeou^pUaHon WW made^ they arenow given to the Public^ in the hope that ^hey may be a source tion, it is my purpose to write a little work, which may not only be useful to you at the age of five or six years, which I think may be about your woBhip*9. Digitized by CjOOQIC present period of Iife^ but wfaieh may not he beneath yoar attention, either for style or matter^ at the graver term of eight, or even ten years old. When, therefore, you find anything a little too hard for you to understand at this mo- ment, you must consider that you will be better able to make out the sense a year or two afterwards ; or perhaps you may make a great exertion, and get at the meaning, just as you might contrive to reach something placed upon a high shelf, by standing on your tiptoes, in« stead of waiting till you grow a little taller. Or who knows but papa will give you some assistance, and that will be the same as if he set you upon a stool that you might reach down what you wanted. And so farewell, my dear Hugh Lit- Digitized by CjOOQIC D 0S01CATION. tlejohn* If yott dioidd grow wiser and better from what you read in this book, it will give great pleasure to your very affectionate > Gbandfathek. d by Google TALES OP A GRANDFATHER. CHAP. I. Hwf ScaOiomd aind, England catne to be Ifeparate Kingdoms^ ^ r England is ihe southern, and Scatlnnd !• the nc^em part of the celebrated island called^ Great Britain. England is greatly larger tiian Scotland, and the ground ia much richer, and produces better crops; There are also a great many more men im England, and both the gentlemen and the dountry people are richer, and have better food and clothing there than in Scotland. : Scotland, on the contrary, is full of hills,; and huge moorv and wSdernesses, whichs » Digitized by CjOOQIC 8 ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND. bear no corn, and afford bat little food for flocks of sheep or herds of cattle. Bat the }evel ground that lies along the great rivers is more fertile, and produces good crops. The natives of Scotland are accustomed to live more hardily in general than those of England. Now, as these two nations live in the dif- ferent ends of the same island, and are se- parated by large and stormy seas from other parts of the world, it seems natural that they should have been friendly to each other, and that they should have lived under the same governmenL Aeo(ttdingly, a;bout two hun- dred years ago, the King of Scotlanil be^ eomiag King of Ei^land, as I will tell you in Imolher part of this book, the two na- tions have ever since then been joined inrto one gr««t kingdom, which is called Gkroat Britain. Bvt, be£aretfais happy nnion of England and Scotland, there were many long, eruel,- and bloody wars, between the two nations ; and, fiuf from helping or assistii^ eadi eCbor, as became good neighbours and friends, they Digitized by CjOOQIC did ittcli oilier all the harm and iojitry thai they poflwdbly could, by inTadiag each othMr't territories^ killmg their sabfecte, burning their towns, and taking their wives and children prisoners. This lasted^ for mMy many hundred yeare, and I am abo«it to tell you the reason why the land was so £vided^ A long time since, eighteen hundred yearn ago and more, there was a brare and warlike people, called the IU>man% who undertook to coni{uer the wboSe wotld, and subdue all 0ountriee, so as to make their own city of Rome the head of all the nations upon the face of the earth* And after conqueri^fiar and near,- at last they came to Britmn, and made a great war upon the inhabitaatSy called the British, ot Briton% whom they found living there. TheRomaa% who wero a very brave pef Scoihgiif whom the SofiMBs.had net been abl6 to snbdcM^ be*- gan to eome downfisom theb momitanKi, and make isreada upon that pari of die eonntry which had been conquered by the Romans. These people of Seatfauid wef e not one nation, bat two, called the Scots and the Pid» ; they often fooght against each other, bat they always joined together against the Remans and the Bt^ns, who had been sobdued.by thenu At length; the Romans thoogbt they would pievmt these Pacts and Scots foam coming into the sdnthem ^t of Britnin, aod laying it wMte. For this purpose, they bnilt a very long wnll between the one side of the island and the other, ito that none of the Scots or Picti. should oome into the country on thd south ude of the wall; aiid they made towers on the wall, and eamp% with sojj&^ fremsplace to place; Digitized by CjOOQIC £K43I veBudns of the wall Oiahame'cr dike. Now tfaa itomang, fining that thili first wall cmdd not keep ont the Barbarkms, (foi^ so they ealied the Piete and the Sebts,> thoi^^ they woiddgive npa faurge povtioar of the country to them, and perhaps it 12 EVGULND AND SCOTI.AND< *i]g^ make thekn ^piiet iSo th^ built m. new wall> and a touch sin^kget one thani tbe fint, sucl]r miles farther btMsk Irom ibe Picto and Scotg. Yet the Barbavians made as many furious attadka to get over this saoond wall lus ever tiiey had done to bteak through Uw former. But the Roman scd« diers defended the seeond wall so well, thai ^e Soots and Piets could not break through it, though they often oame round th^ end of the wall by sea, in boats made of oX hides stretdied upon hoops^ landed on the othei^ side, and did very inuch miachief. lA tlie meantime, the poor Britons led a very unhappy life ; for the Bdmans, when they subdued their country, had taken away ail their arms, and they had lost the habit. of using them, or of defending themselveS) and. trusted oitirely to the protection of the Ro- mans. * But at thiib time great quari^els, and con- fusion, and wars, took place at Rome. So the Roman Emperor sent to the soldiers whom he had maintained in BrUaiO) and :: . . -^ . ■ - Digitized by CjOOQIC £NaiJUI0 AMB SCOTLAV04 13 ordered tb«t thejr A^^M itaaMifaitely iretuiriK to thdr own comttry, and kave tlie Britono to defend their wali as well as they eould^ against their unruly and warlike neighhonrs^ the Piots and Seots. The Roman soldiem w«re very socry for the poor Briton% bnC diey coold do no more to help them than by. repairing the wall of drfeaee. They thero^ fore built it all up^ and made it as strongs as if itwere qaite new. And then they took to their ships, and left Ae XEbrnd* -i Afte9r the departnre of the Bomttns^ the ]^t The English are very fond of their fine country; they call it Old Englandi and think it the finest land that the sun shinei upon. And the Scots are also very proud of their own country, with its great lakes and mountains ; and, in the old language of the country, they call it << The land of the lakes and mountains, and the braye men ;'* and often, also, the Land of Cakes, because the people live a good deal upon cakes made of oatmeal, instead of wheaten. bread.. But both England and Scotland are now parts of the same kingdom, and there is no use io asking which is the best country, or has tiie bravest men. This is but a dull chapter, Mr Litdejohn* But as we are to tell many stories about Scotland and England, it is best to leara what sort of coimtries we are talking about* The next story shall be more entertaining. d by Google C I» 3 CHAP. II. 'ne Story of Macbeth. Soon after the Scots and Picts had be* come one people, as I told you before, therQ was a King of Scotland called Duncan, n very good old man. He had two sons ; one was called Malcolm, and the other Donald^y band. But King Duncan was too old to lead out his army to battle, and his sons were too young to help him.* At this time Scotland, and indeed France and England, and all the other countries of Europe, were much harassed by the Danes^ These were a very fierce, warlike people^ who sailed from one place to another andi Digitized by CjOOQIC 20 itlACBtXH; landed their armies on the coast, burning and destroying everything wherever they came. They were heathens, and did not believe in the Bible, but thought of nothing but battle and slaughter, and making plun- der. When th^y came to countries where the inhabitants were cowardly, they took possession of the land, as I told you the Saxons took possession of Britain. At other times, they landed with their soldiers, took what spoil they could find, burned the houses, and then got on board, hoisted sailer, and away again. They did so much mis- <&hief, that people put up prayers to God in the churches to deliver them from the rage of the Danest ' Now, it happened in King Dutican's time^ that a great fleet of these Danes came to Scotland and landed their men in Fife, and threatened to take possession of that pro- vince. So a numerous Scottish army WA» levied to go to fight with them. The Kin^r as I told you, was too old to command his army, andhis sons were too young. So hd 7 Digitized by CjOOQIC Macbeth; 2V Bent oat mie of his near relations, who wits ^ called Macbeth ; he was son of Finel, wfaa was Thane, as it was called, of Olamis. The goyemora of provinces were lit that time; in Scotland, called Thanes ; they were afterhetes8e9* The 4Ad wom^oi isaw that they were respected and feai^ed, so tlult they were tempted to impose upon peopt% by pretending to tell what was to hap|M»% to them, and they got presents for doing so. So the three old women went and stood by the wayside, in a great moor or heath near Forres, and waited till Macbeth came up* And then, stepping before him as he was marching at the head of his soldiers, the &v$k woman said, << All hail, Macbeth — ^hail to thee, Thape of Glamis." The second sai^ <' All hail, Macbeth— hail to thee. Thane of CawdiM^." Then the third, wkbiog to pay Digitized by CjOOQIC ht« a ,Mgher. * conipUnwrt; tjian tfia otber two^ mAf!' AU bsilf Adacbelh, that sball bi KiiigQfS€|i>Uand." Macb^thwasyerymwb iiir{»ri0ed to Jie^ them givie him these titles ( and whUe b9 was woi^dering what they could mean, Banqao stepped forj^ard, and askad Hmgti whether they had nothing to teU about hiiaa6.w^l.a9aboiiytMaQheth« And they said tbaft he ahqnld n^ he so great aa Macbetht UU llitt theogh^hehimieli' should never b^ a fciag^ ye* his diildren idioold succeed to the throne of Sootland^ and he kings for 41 great Bunber . of years* . Bc£(ffe Macbeth was recovered from his surprise, there oamo a messenger to tell him that his ihlher was dead, so that he was be* come Thane of Ghunis by inheritance* And there came a second me^^enger from the Sang, to thank Mw)beth for the ^eat vie* tory ovw tho Danes^ and tell him that J;h0 Thane of Cawdor had rebelled against the King, and that the King had taken his oflSce from him, and had sent to make. Macbeth Thana of Cawdor as.wcU aa Glftoris., Thus Digitized by CjOOQIC t4 MACttEfIt* the two first old women fieemed to be right in giving him these two titles. I dare say they kpew something of the death of Mac^ beth's father^ and that the government of Cawdor was intended for Macbeth^ thougii he had not heard of it. However, Macbeth seeing a part of their words eome to be true, began to think how he was to bring the rest to pass, and make himself King, as well as Thane of Glamis and Cawdor. And Macbeth had a wife^ who was a very ambitions wicked woman, and when she fband out that her husband thought of raising himself up to be King of ^Scotland, she encouraged him by all means in her power, and persuaded him that the only way to get possession of the crown was to kill the good old king, Dancan. Mac-* beth was very unwilling to commit so great ft crime, for he knew what a good king Duncan had been, and he recollected how he was his relation, and had been alwayft very kind to him, and had intrusted him with the command of his army, and had Digitized by CjOOQIC 4lACllBtll» 25 bMtbwed on )iim the government or Thane^ dom of Ciawder. But hit wife continned telling him what a foolish cowardly thing it was in him not to take the opportunity of making himself King, when it was in his )K>wer to gain what the witches promised him. So the wicked advice of his wife, and the prophecy of these wretched old.women^ %t hwt brought Macbeth to think of mur^ - dering his King and his friend. The way in which he accomplished his crime^ made it still more abominable. * Macbeth invited Duncan to come to visii him, at a great castle near Inverness ; and the good King, who had no suspicions of his bailsman, accepted the invitation very wil<» iingly. Macbeth and his lady re<^ived the •King and all his retinne with much appear- mnce of joy, and made a great feast, as a iBubject would do to make his King weU tN>me« About the middle of the night, the ^King desired to go to his apartment, and Macbeth, conducted him to a fine room, Hvfaich had been prepared for him. Now, VOL. I. G Digitized by CjOOQIC Sf JIAOIBTIfc it W88 the eii8lom» in thoM teHbi^fdiis ^mmi that wheretet the King «h^ two anned men tdept in the game chamhar» in order to defend his person, in ease he should he attacked hy any onednriog the ni^ht BnA the wicked Lady. Maehedi had made, thene two watchmen drink a great deal of WAn^^ and had besides pnt- wm» drugs into the liquor, so that when they weol; to die King'n apfurtment they both fell aslee]]^ and slep^ $» soundlyi that nothing could awaken thaou Then the cruel Afocbetk osxne. i«to King Duncan's bed*ro that h^ died: with^t giving even a groan* Theii Digitized by CjOOQIC MACBETH* 2T mkiAfelh put ik» bloody di^jgrn into Ae^ hants of the sentinels, ftod he daubed their fAhm orer widi blood, that it might ap^pear as if th^ had eommitted the murder. Mao« beth wiaa frightened at what he had done, bttt his wife made him wash jiis hands and go to bed. ^ Early in the morning, ihe nobles and gentlemen who attended on the K.ing, a»- aemUed in the great hall of the castle, and there they began to talk ci what a dreadful itorm it had been the night before. But Macbeth conld senreely understand what tMey said, for -ha was thinldng on something inndb worse and more fngfatfol than the irtorm, and« was wondering what would be saM when they heard of the murder. They wmted for some time, bnt finding the King did not oome from- his* apartment, one of the noblemen went to see whether he was well or not. Bat when he came into the room, he fouadpoor King Duncan lying stiff, and eold,^ and bloody, and the two sentinels, with their dirks or daggers covered with Digitized by CjOOQIC 7B' HACBETHv Uood»h6thl«irtaileq[i. As^fiOoaastbeSeatx tish nobles saw this terrible aigbt, they wer^. greatly astonished attd enraged ; and Macn beth made believe as if he were more en-*, raged than any of tfawii and, drawing Im sword, before, any one could prevent himii he killed the two attendants of the King> iirho slept in the bedt happjr. He began to reflect kow wicked he had be^n in kiUii^ his friend ftnd benefiictor, and how some other person^ as ambitions as he was himself, m%;fat do the iMime thing to him* He rememberedy too^ ihat the old women had said, that the ehil^ dren of Banqno should sncoeed to the throne lifter his death, and therefore he ooidiaded {Awt Banqno might be tempted to conspire agldnst Um, as he had himself dose against King* Dmican. The wicked always tibink other people aire as bad as themselves. Id order to pieirBat this supposed danger, hk hired raflians to wateh in a wood, whore Banqno «nd his sen Fkaiice sometimes used to walk in the evening, widi instructioBs to attadc them, ami kill both fiidttr and soiu The villains did as tk^ were ordered by Macbeth ; bat while they were killing Ban* 4paiOf the boy iFleaaoe made his escape from their wicked faaMb> and fled fum Scotkmd Digitized by CjOOQIC 80 MACBETH; into Wales. And it Is said, tkat longafter- wards, his children came to possess the Seoti tish crown. Macbeth was not the more happy that he had slain his brave friend and cousin Baa- qno. He knew that men began to saapeet the wicked deeds which he had done, and he was constantly afraid that some one would pot him to deadi as he had done his old sovereign, or that Malcolm woold obr tain assistance from the King of England^ and come to make, war against him, and take from him the Scottish kingdom. So| in this great perplexity of mind, he thought he would go to the old women, whose words had first put into his mind the desire of be% coming a king. It is to be supposed, that he offered them presents, and that they were cunning enough to study how to g^ve him some answer, which should make him continue in the belief that they could pror phesy what was to. happen in future times* So they answered to him that he should not be conquered or lose the crown of Scotland^ Digitized by CjOOQIC ifAC»£TH« M tintil a great faraat» eall^d Bimam WbodU aboald oome to attack him in a strong < tie sitoated on a high hill called Da Now, the hill of Dunsinane is upon the one side of a vallejr, and the forest of Bimam is upon the other. There are twelve miles die* 4ancebetwixtd%em, andhendesthat^Macbeth thought it was impossible thatthe trees could aver come to the assault of the eastla*' He Iherslbre resolved to fortify his oidtle on the hill of Donsinane very strongly, as being a place in which he would always be sure to be safe. For this purpose he caused all his great nobility and Thanes to send in stones, and wood, and other things wanted in build- •ing, and to drag them with oxen up to the top of the steep hill where he was building Ihe castle* Now, among otiier noMes who were oUi* ged to send, oxen, and horses, and mate» rials, to this laborioaa work, was one called Macduff, the Thane of Fife. Macbeth was afraid of this Thane, for he was very po wer«- ffial, and was accounted both bravo and ^vi«e; » ' Digitized by CjOOQIC S9 lffAC9HBTft& a»i8iadb6lhtlioi^bthe#(mlliliOBitpv^ j«iD with Prince Bfkloolm, if ever he ehotild eeiae from: England with an amy» THe Kingf^ iSiercftre, had a private hatred against the Thane of Fife, wtdch he kept concealed from all men, nntil he dlioold have some opportunity of putting him to death ae he had done Duncan and Banquo* Maedoff^ tm^hig part, kept upon hie guard, and went to the KiHg^s court as seldom as he conM^ thinking himself never safe unless whUe in Us own castle of Kennoway, which is on the coast of Fife, near to Oe nMlitk of dw f^iA of Forth. * It hflfppened, however^ that the King had summoned several of his nobles, and AJbe«> f^joK, the Thane of Fife, amo^at othsfs, to attend him at his new castle of Dunsinane; end ihej- w^re all obliged to ceme^ none dared stay behind* Now, the King was to give the nobles a great entertainment, and preparations were made for it. In the mean* time, Macbeth rode.out witb a Aw Jtttimdr imt^ to see the oJBNidvftg the wood iMd tb# Digitized by CjOOQIC MACBSTHk 39 stoneBilp the UU^ for enlarghi^aiid strength^ •ning the Castle. So they saw moat of the' oxen trudging up the hill with great diffi* ealty^ for the ascent is very steep, and the hardens w^re heayy,and the weather was ex«i tremely hot. At length Macbeth saw a pair of oxen, so tired that they could go no far-^' iber up the hill, but fell down under thdr load. Then the King was very angry, and- demanded to know who it was among hia Thanes that had sent oxen so weak and sa unfit for labonr, when he hsd so much work for them to do. Some one replied that the oxen belonged to Macduff, the Thane tf fyb. << Then," said the King in great an- ger, << since the Thane of Fife sends such worthless cattle as these to do my labour,- I will put l^ts own neck into the yoke, and make him drag the burdens himself." There was a friend of Macduff who heard these angry expressions of the King, and htfitened to communicate them to the Thane of Fife, who was walking in the hall of the King's castle while dinner was preparipg* Digitized by CjOOQIC The instant tliat Maedoff heard t^hat the King had said, he knew he had no time to lose in making his ei^ape; for whener^ Macbeth threatened to do mischief to any one, he was sure to keep his word. So Macduff snatched up from the table a loaf of bread, called for his horses and hia servants, and was galloping back to his (fwik province of Fife before Macbeth and the rest of the nobilitjr were returned to the castle. The first question which the King asked was, what had become of Macdtiff ? and being informed that he had fled from Dunsinane, he ordered a body of his guards to attend him, and mounted on horseback himself to pursue the Thane, witib llie pur- pose of putting him to death. ' Macduff, in the meantime, fled as fast as horses* feet could carry him ; but he was so ill provided with money for his expenses, that, when he came to the great fony orer the river Tay, he hild nothing to give to the boatmen who took Jiim across^ excepting the losf of.br^ which he had taken from the Digitized by CjOOQIC MACBETH. 3S Kbigfii table* The place was called, for a long time afterwards^ the Ferry of the Loaf* Wben Macduff got into his province of Fife, which is on the other side of the Tay» he rode on faster than before, towards his ciwn ca&ktle of K^ttnoway, which, as I told you, stfinds close by the sea-side ; and whea he reacdied it, the King and his guards were not far behind him, Macduff ordered his wife, to shut the gates of the castl^ draw up the drawbridge, and on no account to permit the Sang or any of his soldiers to enter. In the meantime^ he went to the smaU hurboiir belonging to the castle, and caused a ship which was lying there to be fitted out for sea in all haste, ajid got on board him* aelf, in order to escape from Macbeth. In the ifieai^time, Macbeth summoned the lady to surrender the castle, a^d to ddiver upher blisband. But Lady Macdii£^ who was a wise and a brave ^oman, made qkany eXr cnses m4^ d^laya, until sl^e knew that bar hiwiband was safely on board the shipi atid Digitized by CjOOQIC 30 MACBETH. liad sailed from the Larbour. Tbeb ibl apoke boldly from the wall of the castle to the King, who was standing before the gate still demanding entrance, with many threats of what he would do if Macdaff waa not given up to him. . . << Do you see/' she said, ^< yon white sail Upon the sea? Yonder goes Macduff to the Court of England. You will never see him again, till he comes back with young Prin<^ Malcolm to pull you down from the throne^ and to put you to death. You will nevertMi able to put your yoke, as you threatened, oil the Thane of Fife's neck." Some say that Macbeth was so much m^ eensed at this bold answer, that he and hie guards attacked the Castle and took it, kiU-^ ing the brave lady and all whom they found there* But others say, and I believe more truly, that the King, seeing that the Castle of Kennoway was very strong, and that Macduff had escaped from him, and wai embarked for England^ departed badt to Dutt^nan<» without attempting to ti^ Mae* Digitized by CjOOQIC MACBETH. 37 dnlTs CasAe of Kmnovmy. The ruinB of the Castle are still to be seen. There reigned at that time in England a very good King, called Edwrard the Con-t feasor. I* told you that Prince Maloolni) the son of Duncan, was at his court solicit- ing assistance to recover the Scottish throne. The arrival of Macduff greatly aided the suecess of his petition ; for the English King knew that Macduff was a brave and a wise man. As he assured Edward that the Scot* were tired of the cruel Macbeth, and would join Prince Maledtm if be were to enter Scotland at tiie bead of an army, the King ordered a great warrior, called Si ward, Earl of Nortbumberknd, to enter Scotland with an army, and assist Prince Malcolm in the reeovery of his father's crown. Tben it happened as Macduff had said, ler tbe Scottish thanes and nobles would not fight for Macbeth, but joined Prince* Malcolm and Macduff against him ; so that at length be sbut bim«elf up in his castle of Dansinaae, whef e be thought bimself safe, VOL, I. D Digitized by CjOOQIC 38 MACBETH. according to th^ old women's prophecy, nir-* til Birnam Wood should come against him* lie boasted of this to his followers, and ep- couraged them to make a YaUant defence^ assuring them of certain victory* At this time Malcolm and Macduff were come as fiu: as Bimam Wood, and lay encamped there with their army* The next mornings wbep^ ihey were to march across the broad vaUey to attack the castle of Dunsinan^ Maoduff advised that every soldier should cut dQWV^ a bough of a tree and carry it in his hai|«|f that the enemy might not be able to see how majay men were coming against them. Now, the sentinel who stood on Macb^th'a Castle-wall, when he saw all tliese bnwchesi which the soldiers of Prince Malcolm <;ar-«. ried, ran to the King, and informed him, that the Wood of Birnam was moving to- wards the castle of Dunsinane. The King at first called him a liar, and threatened to put him to death ; but when he looked fiqpm the walls himself, and saw the appearance^ of a forest approachii^ from Bimam, he Digitized by CjOOQIC MACBETH. 39 knew the hour of his destruction was come. His fi^owers, too, b^;an to be disheartened, and to fly from the Castle, seeing their mas- ter had lost all hopes. Macbeth, however, recollected his own bravery, and sallied despehitely out at the head of the few followers who remained faithful to him. He was killed after a fu- rious resistance, fighting hand to hand with Macduff in the thick of the battle. Prince Malcolm mounted the throne of Scotland, atid reigned long and prosperously. He rewarded Macduff by declaring that his de^ scendant should lead the vanguard of the Sbottish army in batde, and place the crown on the King's head at the ceremony of Co- ronation. King Malcolm also created the Thanes of Scotland Earls, after the title adopted in the Court of England. d by Google '40 THE FEUDAL SYSTEM, CHAP. III. . The Feudal System^ and the Norman Conquest. , The conduct of Edward the Conimmo^^ King fii England, in th9 fitoiy of Macbctl^ was very generous and noblQ* He. 8ei4 ^ large amy and his general Siwaird to as^ sist to. ddthf oile the tyrant Macbetb» a^d tp place Malcolm, the 90a of Uie ijiurder^d King Danean, upon the throne;, and we baye 901^ faow^ with assistance of MacdiiQI they fortunately suoce^dedL But King Ed:? ward never thought of taking any part of Scotland to himself in the confasion ooca- ' sioned by the invasion ; for he was a good man, and was not ambitious or covetous of what did not belong to him. It had been well both for England and Scotland that Digitized by CjOOQIC . AND i*H£ NORMAN CONQUEST. 41 there had been more meh good and mode-" Irate kings, as it would have prevented many great qaarrels, long wars, and terrible blood- shed. But good King Edward the Confessor did not leave any children to succeed him on the throne. He was succeeded by a king called &arold, who was the last monarch of the Saxon race that ever reigned in England. The Saxons, you recollect, had conquered the Britons, and now there came a newene- my to attack the Saxons. These were the Normans, a people who came from France, but Were not ori^naMy Frenchmen. Their foreiklhers were a colony of those Northern pirates, whom we mentioned before as plon'« dering all the sea-coasts which promised ibem any booty, lliey were frequently call«> ed Northmen or Normans. A large body of them landed on the north part of France^ and compelled the King of that country to yield up to them the possession of a largo territory, or province, called Neustria, the name of which was changed to Norman- Digitized by CjOOQIC 48 THE FEUDAL aVfiTSM, dy^ wh0a it beoa,^ the prpporty #f tbese NcMrAmeii^ or N^maiis* Tius . prty?iiiG^ was 'govetpe4 by the Non^l^ chief* who was called a Duke, from a Latin wor<| eig-? pifying a genetal. He ez^eided aU the powers of a king within his dominions of Normandy, but, in consideration of Jiis be-; ing possessed of a part of the t^ritories of France^ he acknowledged the king of thaD gantry for his sovereagii; and became yfhB£ was ealled his yassal. . This connexion of a king as so¥ereigngr ^th his .princes and great mim -an va«sal% must foe. att^ided to and nnderstoodt 19 o?'^. iffc that you may comjj^ebend^tb^ hiatpry which follows/. A great ki^* or spYer6igi& prince, gaye laiige provinces} or gfants o£ land, to his dukfB^. earls, and nobl^men^ and each of them/poesessed nearly as mnch^ poweir)' W]|^ bis own di^riot» as th^ king did in tbc'irest of his dpminiomi. But then, t^ vassal, whether duke, earl, or lord, or ^hatfboeyer )ie was,, was obliged to- come, wijtli a certain nuuiber of m^n toawst.tbe. sovereign, when he was engaged in war ; Digitized by CjOOQIC AND .THS KORMAN CONCVEST. 4S Imd m time of peaee^ He ^ivlui b6find td at^ teAd on' his couftwhesi ^ummonedj ai^d di> homage to hiiii-*-tha^t is^ acknowledge that be was his master and liege lord* In 1Uk» manner^ tlie vassals of the erown, as they. #ere called, divided the lands which thcr. Vtng had girea them into estates, which they^ bestowed on knights and gentlemen, whom; they th^ight fitted to follow them in war» and to attend them in peace ; for they^^ too^i held courts, and adaunistGred jts^ce, esick m'hSsi own province. Then the knights and gentleme^^ who* had. these, estates from the great nobles, distribnted the property among*, an infi»rior class of proprietors, some of whom cultivated the )aiid themselves fu!uL others, by means of husbandmen lu|d'pea« d^ts, who were treated as a sort ofislaves»^ b«ffBg bought and soM like brute beasts, along- with the farms which they laboured* . Thus, when a great king, like that ofi France or England, went to war, he siim-> motied all his crown vassals to attend him,, with the nnmber of armed mencorrespoiid-J ing to his Fief, as it was.caltediihat.is^ th«i Digitized by CjOOQIC 44 ras T£0BAt. »yfiiwii, territbiy wych had heen granted' to eacb of them. The prhfee, doke, or earl^ in oirde^ to obey the summons, called upon aM the gentlemen to whom he had given estates, to attend his standard with their followers in arms. The gentlemen, in their torn, cidM on the Franklins, a lower order of gentiy, and upon the peasants, and thus the wh<^ force of the kingdom was assemUed in one array. This system of holding lands for military service, that is, for fighting f uncommon thing, to see a few of these knights and squires pde over and put to flight many hundreds of them ; for the gentry were armed in complete armour, 80 that they eoukL recelye little hurt, and the poor peasants had soaxoe.ctothes sufficient to coyer thenu. Yon .may .sea coats, .of. the Digitized by CjOOQIC 4A tmmvmmML smaoi^ aiKkiifc wnamt pHMeiiwi in the Tdwer mf London and elsewhere^ as mlittera of cnri- ositj. < ItwasnotATery happy time tbisy when there was soavcely any hm^ but the strocig took eTvrjrthu^firom the weak at their plean^ - sore; for as almost all the inhabitants of th^ tsoantry were obliged to be soldiers, it na- tmnlly fidlowed that they were engaged in coatinaal %hting, ' The great crown-vassals, in parlicuhir^ made constant war upon one another, ail^ isometimes upon the sovereign hinmeU^ though to 4o so was to forfeit theirfiefe, or the'territories which he had bestowed upon them* Bat they took the opportunity, when they w«ro tolesabty certain that he would not have strength snfficieat to punirii thtai. in short, no ose could maintain his right longer than he had the power of defending it ; and tfak induced the more poor and help- less to throw themselves under the protec- tion of the brave and powerful-*-acknow-* led§^ themselves their vassals and sul^eets^ Digitized by CjOOQIC AMD THB NORMAN OOVgUfiST. 4K luid do imiMge to tbei% m oxitar Awili;tlmf might obtain thair 9a£eg^saA. While things were in Uiis state^ Willtaniy tlie Duke of Normandy, and the leader of that valiant people^ whose aneestors bad conqnered that j^ovinoe^ b^an» upon the death of good King Edward the Confesoeri to consider the season as favourable for an attempt to ccmquer the wealthy kingdom of Engluid* He pretended King Edward had najfied him his heir; bothis surest celiaiiee vms ^upon a strong army of his brave Nor« inans» to whom were joined many knights and sfoires from distant aoantries» who ho* ped^ by assisting this Dulcs William in his proposed eonqnest, to obtain from him good English estates, under die fcgnlations which I have described. The Duke of Normandy landed in Sussex in the year one thousand and sixty-six, after the birth of our Uessed Saviour. He had an army of nxty thousand chotemr men fol^ accomplishing his bold enterprise. HsroId,r who had succeeded Edwaid the Confessor Digitized by CjOOQIC 48 TUS KEUOAL.SYS'CGU, ^ tUe tlinme a£ Bm^tod, had Jbtoi juii engaged in r^wUii^ an Attack npon. Engr land by the Norwegiana, and was now call- ed upon to oppose thb new and more fiwr^f midable inTasion. The armies of Englapd and Normandy engaged in a desperate haU tie near Hastings, and the victory was long obstinately contested. The Nornuins had & great advantage, from having amongst them large bonder of archers who used the Icmgr bow, and greatly annoyed the English, who had bttt few bow-men to pilose them; yel the victory remained, donbtfol, though tho battle had lasted from nine in the morning until the close of the di^, when an ac^row pierced -tfarough King Harold's head^ and he feU dead on .the spot. The English then retreated from the field, and Diike William used his advantage Witkso mneh skill and deicterity, .that he made hiiOBolf .master of all England, and reigned there under, the title of William the Conqueror.^ He di-i vided great part of the rich country of Eogfi land among his Norman fbllosrersy who Digitized by CjOOQIC AND T»S irORMiOr ODKQUEST. 40 h^ hildB tffrhioDL far iniBti^'^efrvice, ae^ coring- to tiie' ntlefei oJF tbe feoAil system^ ef whidi.I gave yoa some lieootiiit. The Anglo-Saxons, you may well suppose, wei^ mogtjai.iiAA^ woid attempted several times torii^ against King William, and drive liim and iliis acddiers. hack td Normandy. Bui they .were always defeated ; juul so King IVBlnim came to be more severe upreedtng9 of Digitized by CjOOQIC AXfh imm WORMAK <30tf)V£ST. 51 "vtidA^Smxiim were igi^^ ThoNcHs mmm fcarons wta» also great frieiids ta ii»^ 4iiimd Kbertyi and would not allow thrir JkkigB to do aoyttdng coBtrary to their prih ^irilegW} but resisted them wfaeneTmr they at^ 4e«^ted aaythiag beyond the power whieh -was given to them by law. Sohools were «set up m Tarioua placea by the Norman prin- 'cesy and leanuag was encoaraged. Large 4owBs were also £»unded in dUEsient places «f the Idngdom, and reeeived fayoor from i|haJdng8y who desired to have the asflUBtanee ^the townsmen, inoaseof any dispute with ibelraoHlhy.. llms the Norman Conquest, |li#ughnm»Bt mdbappy and dissatvons evoit nt.the tima k took place, rendered England in the endy«more wise, mote civiKaed, and nmrapowerfiil country, than it had been bo» fore; and you will find many sneh eases in liistory, my dear child, in wliich it has plea- sed the providence of God to brii^ great good out of what seems, at first s^^t, to be iHimixad evil* This chapter, may seem to have Uttle to do with Scottish history, yet the Norman Digitized by CjOOQIC fl2 . . via Fspjoio* Wiwuy ^ • Conqneirt; pg Bl^M4y^ iiqii6roiV ipetired into Soodand* and tU»had a «oitii^ /toablo^ff^ in eiyiUnng' the aoaftbern parti 4of that ooontryi fofer if the Saxons v^%ee in^ ferior to the Ncirnoufiia in arts luad ia leami- jiog, they were^ on the other haa^ aaperior .to the Scote. Bftt afterwa^ anamber of ^he Normans thwie^lvea oaiae td aettSein JBootland* King William coald not aaliaCp' jfliJBwhole of them, and aolne, wlm:wnmreiSii^ ^Kmtented, and thought - they conld meni thmfartma8»re]paired to AoiSMltighGoiii^ Undwera wekomedhyKiag Maloolm^ oalkd CeaopMorei that is^Qveatf-Head^ the abniaF Kmg Dunoani. He was darirovi to reteis these braVe men in his servioe^ aad-fer ihaJt purjjose^ he ^ve.themgBeatgcamts c^htBi^ tQ^he hold for .military. «»rvices. And. tlras tho. l^eadal Systai^i was .intsoduesdintq Scotland as well as England^.and.irantaaa gradiiill]F> gaining stcengtb^ tiU itbiseahiB •• . ' - . - . . . . » V '^ . , Digitized by CjOOQIC AND SUE VOmmkH QOmgVEBT. 58 tbeB^Mvl bwof Ike MOttlry^ MUdidlit unw tint of Barope at luge. Noir a dkpote avoM out of this feudal Imr, wjbi e h oooarioaed a moet dveadfiil qoanrel between Eaglaad and Sootland ; and tboagb MMter Lktlejokn be no great lawyer^ it ie noeoeMry be ehoold tty all he ean to ondei«i stand ity for it is a Terjr mateiial point in bialeey. While the BaglUi were fighting aaoDg thenieel¥e% and afterwavde with the Nor- metts, the Seottish Kings had been enhir- ging thttr domwione at the expense of their neigUKmny and had possessed themselTes^ in a great measu«e» of the northern pro-* vineee of Eaglenc^ ealled Northwnberland, Cnmberknd^ and Westmorefamd* After moflli fighting and duqmtiag, it was agreed that the King of Seodand should keep these EngKsh piio^oe% not as an independent «o« rerdgn, however, bnt as a yssssI of the King of Engknd; and that he should do homaga for the same to the Ei^lish King^ and attend bin to the fidd cf batda wfasn snmiaoned. Digitized by CjOOQIC M rm^wmomBJU9>' were not paid on aoQQtiii* of :tbe kingdom t^ ^cotlaiid, wUich had aev bis victory at Hastings* .^.IhflLj(iiglish.mng«» howfiiWy jMBBemm**: Digitized by CjOOQIC AN0«IBfi tVOniAll. 4Xm9VEBl\ U favBafepoid li^ tltd'^Stoofttnii Kings vam not bviffm the'plvvinoes which they«t ihiaiiiad poaaewied in Eagland, bntalso tor thekiiig^ 4om of ScoOaoid. The Seottiflh Kiags, m Ae oonftniry, alihdogh l^ej rendered the iMnge and seriioeft demanded) a» hoidiiig Inige {kmsesflions widdn the bcmndludeft of fingladdy .uniformly and- peeilively refneed to permit it to be said or unppoudy that "ih^.irere^Biihjeet to any daim of homage CO aicapiiBt of the Kiogdmci of Soadimd. Shk wa» one 4»ase df the warn lahidi iook place: beliriit the oomitrie% in whieh liieSeete nudntaiaed their imlienul indepen« donoo^.aad, thoiqfh frequently defeated,,^ .efikm ^t^nonsy and-tlnrealened i^pen i than one oeoanoa^ to make e&cteQiUri«.aefWh> flitbns^of territory at the expenie of .theiv tteigfabonra. The Scottish KkigWilliain) called 4lie Lion^ because, he bore ihat nnif mal pointed' on bn^ehidd, being ^taken'{iri<^ mnei^ at a battle near Newcastli^iii^ the year 4l9t4» was^4»bUgedy.be&i^ Jie vbuUb oMnok Digitized by CjOOQIC 6ft TUB 9EtT»Aif ran«f» pendeace^ attd agree to piiy hoBiage for Seob* lud. But Bachud tho First of Eoglimd gVFB up the ckdm fifteen yeuB afterward^ a» baving beea onjoetly extorted from WiU Ikm dttrijBg Ilia captiviljv aod reaerved to fainnmelf ooly the homage d«e for the hoMb whieb the lUng of fioodand held out <^ dio boondariea of Ua own kiiigdoMij and witUm thoee of Enghuid* This generoua behaiaoar of Bhdiard of Engfayod was attended with auoh good of* fecta» that it almost put an end to all wars and ^tuarrek hetwixt England and Soothmd for more than a hundred years, during which tiflMi with one or two brief interruptions^ the nations lived in great harmony U^^ethei^ This was .greatly to the happiness of hoth^ and might in time have led to their beoo* ming one people, for which Nature, whieh placed them hoth in the same island, seem-^ ed to have designed them. Intercourse for ^e purpose of traffic became more frequent* Some of the Scotch and English fr^uUea Digitized by CjOOQIC JOTD Ml MOEMAK CttffVBST. W fovflwd martfaigieB and ftieiidiUpt together, and sereral powerful lords aod barong had lands both in England and Scotland. All seemed to proaose peace and tranquillity betwixt the two kingdoms, until a course of melandioly accidenta having nearly ez« tingnished the Seottiih royalfamily, tempt- ed the EngUsh monarch again to set up his i^ast p^teiMtiiils to be sovereign of Sc^ land, and.gl^ye 0!p<(asion to # se^ of wars, fiercer and more bloody than any which had |^iUiertO"taken>^place betmxt the countries* d by Google 98 DEATHS OB ^aJt%/aumA<»m:asukjxDj CHAP. IV- IkaA^AhxmderqfSooikmdjMdUimpa^ Hon qf King BdrntrdOeMnL Sevek kiligsr of Scotland bad reigned !a saccession) after Malcolm Canmore, the son of Doncan, who recovered the Idng^ dom from Macbeth. Their reigns occupied a period of nigh two hundred years. Some of them were very able men ; all of them were well-disposed, good sover^ns, and inclined to discharge their duly towards their subjects. They made good laws ; and considering the barbarous and ignorant times they lived in, they uppear to have been men as deserving of praise as any race of kings who reigned in Europe during the period. Digitized by CjOOQIC AfTB VBURPXf fOtf 09 BDWARD I. t» Alexander tlie tUrd of that name^ and llie last of these seven princes, was an excellent sorereign. He defeated a great inva^on of the Norwegians and Danes, as they landed from their ships, in the battle of Largs. He also acquired, and added to iJie Scottish do* minions, the Hebrides, or Islands which lie to the west of Scotland, and which did not liHi- his time belong to that kingdom* He majntajired great fdendsUp wHh England^ but would never yidd up any part of the lil^ofScoaaad. He was, in short, a btam and exocHettt prince. Alexander 1IL mut^ ried Afstgaset, daughter of Henry UL of England; but unhapfnly all the ehildieit who were bom of that marriage died before dieir father. After the death of Queen Mar- garet, Alexander OMrried another wife ; but he did not live to have any famfly. As he was nding in the dusk of the ersningt along the sea coast of Fife, betwixt Bumtidand and Kinghoni, be apf^foached too near the brink of the preeipioef and tus horse start*^ ing owBinmMing, he was thrown over the. Digitized by CjOOQIC jBoUki iiiid4dHed! ek €he %pbb 'It ^B^noir irik. tesfl'thim &fB Iitmdred'aiicl'6rt]r-tiiri> yeiinv finee Alexander's dteth, yist tie .people t>£ Hie eoiintry «till poiiit before.him, yet* one of them, who had been- quasjed to Eric, King of HoJNiPl^, had left» a dax^ibter named Afiogaret^iipon .whom,> as the grand-daughter and nearest heir of tbet VOL.. I. F Digitized by CjOOQIC •S DEATH PV tt^UXMBB OF flCDlLfi^ND, a^deiMd j^riMdi the iii«^ Tolired. The 7oiui|$.PiiBceMi^ cidled kgr ooe biatorianft the Maid of Norw»f » wasceiidttig^ 1^ her facer's court . r . While the crown of Scotland thug pained- to a young girl, the King ei England begno to eonsider by what means he eoaU avail himself of oircumstanees, so as to unite iti with his own* TMs King was Edward, <9all^ ed the First, because he was the first of the Norman line of princes so called. He wasr a very brave man, and a good.soldi^f<;^ wise, too, skilful, and jMrudent, but nnha|^ pily very ^mbitiotts, and dadrous of extend* ing his royal authority, withoutoaring much i^^ther he did 80 by right means^ er by> those which are unjust.. And although it ia agreat sin to cQvet that whiefa doos not be- long to you, and a still greater to oideavour to possess yourself of it by miy,mifiur prae* tices, yet his desire of adding the kingdom of Scotland to that of England was so grea^ that Edward the First was unable to : it. . Digitized by CjOOQIC AV3 UtUAFifftOH M toWAiD I. M Ihb imAb by wUbh the BifgHflh Idbg ftl iMt efidesfdiifed to aeeoliipUih fab olgeot wm a v^oiy jttft one. He propofied a maiv riage betwixt the Maiden of Norway, tlw 3^6iiiif Qoeen of Scotland, and his own eUbst eon, called Edward after himaelfi A treaty was entered into for this purpose; and had the marriage been effiBoted^ and been Avowed by children, the union of England and Scotland ought have taken pla^e more than three hundred years soonei^ than it did, and an immeasaraUe quantity of money and bloodshed would probaWy hfeiTe bem saved. But it was net the will of Heaven that this desiialile union shosM be aeepmplished till many long years of war and diiltMss had afflieted both these nationk The Maiden of Norway, the young Qoeeii of Soodind, sickened and died, and all Ae treaty fer the marriage was ended with her Hfe. . The kingdom of Scotland was troubled^ aad its inhabitants sunk into despair at the death of their young Princess. There waa not any descendant of Alexander the Third Digitized by CjOOQIC IKreet md tiiid[^tiiaM« ht^r'; cfffd tflutiy of tfa^ gt!«ftt nbblefit, ^0 were i&oriB 6r less ^n*- Mitly rijtated^ the rciyal fimity, spared mch af therii to assert % right to the (Srowiii began to assetnhle fUrcesiand form psttiihki fiiiid threatened the country irith 1^ civil nvat*, UrMch is the greatest of all misforliaiieSS He number of persons trho set up<;laim« to the croWn was no fewer than te^, all of tfiem forming pretiensions «n some relation^ 4iip ttio^e or less distant to: the royal failiily* These claimanti^ were most of them poweiv fal, ftom their raidc and the niimber of their Mlowers ; and. If they should dispute the question of right hy the sword, it was* etfi ^nt that the whole country would he at #ar from one 6ea to the other. ■ • ' ' To pre\^nt this great dilemma, it % said the Scottish nobility resolved to submit the question respecting the succession of tbelf kingdom to Edward I. of !Eiiglandi who'was to 4&at wbi^h^ the King« of England pv«pofledy:heweTer uar^adonabU they knew his^etensions to be«. They wsere assembled in a lavge open place, called Upsettlington, oppoute to the Castle of Korhatn, but on the ncHTthem or S<}ottish side of the riven The Chaacellov of England then demand^ •d of such of ^the candidates as were dien Digitized by CjOOQIC 68 D£ATH Oir AI.MAWPgli 09 6COTI«Mll>» inresent^ whelfaer iksy aAnQwMffdA dw King of EDgla^ as Lord Parmnount of Scotland, and whether they were willing ta receive and hold the crown of Scotland, am awarded by Edward, in that character. They all answered that they were willing to do 90 ; and thus, rather than haasard thai^ owa claims by o£fending King Edward, these unn worthy candidates consented to resign thft independence of their country, which bad been so long and so bravely defended. Upon examining the claims of tbc oatidi-^ dates, the right of succession to the throne; of Scotland was found to lie chiefly be- twixt Robert Bruce» ihe Lord of Annan- dale, and John Baliol, who wis the Lord of Galloway. Both were great and power- ful barons; both were of. Norman des- cent, and had great estates in England aa well as Scotland ; lastly, both were de^ scended from the Scottish royal famUy» by a daughter of ]>avid. Earl of Hunting- don. Edward, upon due consideration, de* dared Baliol to be King of Scotland, iolwaya Digitized by CjOOQIC ■■ kirii.ratncpATiDHOT/mnirARB i« . «e tif UBT All O V OY BDWAMI I. 71 peu» ior hnw 1m«d a mean-qnrited inlia^ giiya up the eontett* He eaine before.Ed^ ygmrd ia the Castle of Boocburgh, and ihena made, a most Inunilkiting attbmisnon. He afipeaied in a mean drets^ withmtt Bword, voyal n>be% of arms of any kind, and bear* hg in Ins band a wbite wmnd. He tbeita eenfessedy tbai tbrougb bad ooutisel and M^ ly he had rebdlsd against his liegelovd, and^ in alooementy he resigned the khugdom of Scotland, with the infaabstant^andadl right* to iheir obedience and dntyi to their Uega lead King Edward. He was then pemitited to netire nnugnred^ r JBaliol being thns vemored, Brace ex^ jfttreased his hofUi of being allowed to sup- ply his flaoe^ as tribntary or dependent King^ of Seodand* Bat Edward answered him sternly, «* Have we nothing, think you, ta do but to eonqner langdoaoM for yon ?'' By which expression the English King plainly e^qaressed that he intended to keep SeoUand^ to himself, and he proceeded to trise such aaasurea as made ^ pnrpose still more evi« dent. Digitized by CjOOQIC 12' DEATH OY JULCXWUIDKB «V SCOTLilKND, hfaad of a powerfiil arli^, ^mmf^Bamg- Jtlik. xankfi of peoph to mibmil to bim* ^He x^ moved to London the records of ikeiiKiagit dbm of Sooihnd, waA was mt^tlie |poui» toe towMport to the Abbey»Chiireh at WeBttnuH flter a great itono^ npm. whieh it had boes' tfie national «c»toaL to. place die King oS Sootf fliad wlien Iw.ivaa eoowned for tbe 4ra« ifano. Hodiddiisto8liow)tluithQ^ivaa«ab* fldlntoaMBiterof SonUaiidy and that tkeooim^ try waa ih;fatare to hare no olluar Kiag^baf Mamdff qnd laa deeeendanta tlie Kii^;* ml England. The atone is stiU presorved,' aokl to'th]8day\th6 Kin^ariknineii placed upon it at the iimowhe&he iaioroianed* . Ti^st of aU» King Bdvrsad pfam^ the geaienttentiifi Scotland in the handi of the^Earl of Safry^ a brave noUeman; Hugh Gressinghaniy k clergyman, whom faanamedChief Treasurer;) andTfilBam (fenneaby, whom he appoiniedr Ihe chief judge df the kingdom^ He pkepdi Eng^idi Boldiera in all the castleaand strong)^ boMaof Sobthuid,. fbdpn'ihe one: end -of ihec Digitized by CjOOQIC ANH mUftPAVlON OV MDWABB I. tS MAgdmi td d» etfier ; and nottrtnliiig tM SoditiflkoMt AeniMlTes^iie placed Englirik jgiwresnioffB in most of tbe ieinark, my deer ohildi 4fcilt a little Iteibre he dms sabdned Sf it| and th^ haj^ pre^nci; 4hat Ei^land and Sobdand woidd be mAited luider one go vernmenly mus so £ur frvlin beh inghroughtnearerbyBdward'sti^peiBoqded 4isnrpation» that the hatred and violenesrisf ^atiobal antipathy whidi arose betwiietflie ^ter coaiitrie% tfemerod to a.^ikhkm»^A ^Q»t ineahmhkble the ptioajpedt of tb^ir be»> coining one petqile, foir wbidk nalifrd sdemv ^ to design thcnn* d by Google [ TS J CHAP. V. , . I%c Story i^Sir Wmcm, Waliaee. . IsoiJDi y^ii» iKy; dear Ilugjp, that Edwavd the Ekvt of l^bad bad radueed Scotland aliitoai epivily to the candiiki^ of a con* %«uHred coimtryy althoi^h lia had .obtained pMsaami^ of tbe luagdipm lesa by his. hn^ vm^f than 'by oitnawigily taking adTantagai of the diflpntoB and djyiaiona that followed' anioi|gditk»:l^<^ thenuMdroa^after^^ death of AleawiideK' the Third. > The Bnglisfa) however^ .had. actually ob-* tained poasearion of the oannitry) ,knd go* iHii«ediiipdthmudir%6ur. .ThaI»rdHigh> Juattee Ormaaby^c^ed all man to a^coipnii who nwuld not take the oath ofalli^panca ta> Kjiigfldwa^d. ManyoftheSeotarafiiaed thii, aa vfhmi I^Engliah Kiag had no right/ Digitized by CjOOQIC 76 SIR WILLIAM W4LLACE. to demand from ibem. Such persons W0r# called into the courts of justice, fined, de^ prived of their estates, and otherwise seYere- }y punished* Then Hugh Cressingham, the English Treasurer, tormented the Scotticfa. people, by collecting money from them un^ der various pretexts. The Scots were al- ways. a poor, people, and their own native kings had treated them with much kindness, and seldom reqnired them to pay any taxes* They were, therefore, extremely enlvged atl finding themselves obliged to pay^ tl> the; English Treasurer jnnch larger anms ofimo-M nay than their own. good kings had.ever.(de-f manded from them; and they became ea^ Oeedingly dissatisfied* . ... > « Besides. tbese.modaa. of eppressioa, tha^ English soldiers, who, I. told yon» had beeiL' placed in garrkon in the di£Ferent castles of Scotland, though t.themselvesmaaters of thev country, treated the Scots with grifcat conf^' t^pt, took firom them by main force what-*, ever they had a £ancy to, and if tbeownetsj offered to. resist, abused thein, beat and. woundad, and sometimes . killed them ; for ; Digitized by CjOOQIC «JR WlhhlAH WAIXACB. IfJ fpjliich acta of vkilence the Englkh ofBeerk dM not cheek inr pumsh thrir soldiers. Scot« JiiAcl nnflE, therefoi», id great distf ess, and tiie inbaUtaHtSy eseeedingly enr^ed, only want^ #(1 solme leader to command them to rise mp in a h0iy against the English, or Southern pfteil, as they called them, and recovsNr the Bbmtyof tii^r oQiistry) whiohfaiid been dp^ strayed hy Edward the Fhrst. . BfiiA a leader arosein the person of Wii;*^ L]r iSf WauacS, whose name is still so often VMDtboad an Seottand. It is a great pity W^ d(» not Imow ezaciiy Ad history of Ais iMy^man ; for, at the time when he live^ tf9^iFy9nB waa so faosy fighdng, Ihat there was no person to write down the history of iriiatt^k place ; and isAmrwards, when theri mem more k&sare for composition, the trutiii 0iat we^e coUeeted were greatly mingled ipiA falsehood. What I shall tell yon of him, is generally beUered to be tr^e. • WiMiam Wattace waa' none of the high BoUes <^ Soothmd, but the son of a prihrato ganilcniiaii, edied Wallace ef EUersMe, in> Digitized by CjOOQIC 78 SIR WltLlAM -^AULAtK. BMtnvmMre^ neat FavAey^ Uii was V4^ tftU and handsoibe^ and one of tlie strongest •nd bravest men who ever lived. He' had a very fine countenance, with a quantity of firit jbair, and was parlicniarly dexterous in tho .use of aU weapoBB which were then usedi WtiUaee^ hkd all theScotttshmeii of high •spirit, had looked with: great indignatioti upon the usurpation of Ihe crown by Sd-^ -ward, .and upon the'insolencies which the iEoglidi soldiers committed on his counU*y<*> tnien. It is said, tlmt when he was very .yoang, he Went a-fii^hiog. for sport in the river of Irvine,' near Ay t. He had caugtrt a. good many ' troiits^ which were earritfd by a boy, who:attended him with a fishings JMi^t^.as is usual with anglers. Two or three . English soldiers, who belonged to the garrison of Ayr, caaie np to Wdlace, iMid. insisted, with their usual insolence^ on taking the fish from the boy. Wallace Wf» contented, to allow them a part of the timi^ hat he refused to' part with the wbMtf bfljBhet-fttlL iThe soldiers insisted, aaad from: Digitized by CjOOQIC SIR WIlXlAJft WA^LACX^i 79 :iiwdB(SaoietoMows» WaHa nooeee nndjr pvepiffed, and hung li^on 4h» heamB whldi sappovted the roof^ and as tfa» Seottkh gentlemen were adnatted hy tii^ and two at a thae, the nooeee wmre thre9V&> awer thrir heads, and they were pnUed np. by die neeks) and thus iumged m atni^led tp death. Among thoee w4o were eiain kr this, base and treaeheeone maniiei^ wa% i^ ieeaid, Sic Banald Cbrawfofd^ SksaM of 'thft< eoimty of Ayi^^ and nnole to WiSiant "HU-r: laee^ When Walhce heard ef what had beAdlr; en> he waadreadGolly enraged, aadeoIUet- ii^ ]|iu men in a wood near tothe town of Ayr, he maolved to be vewnged on the auAoif of thii gveat erime. The Sngj^ieh in the.BMukwhile made mnohiMetingy tmd Digitized by CjOOQIC i^hm fbey hid Mtai and dnudt^l^iitfAilljr, ^llwyliy domi to sWp in tke «tee l«rge 4»l«i9l» wkkh they bikl wirdered tkeScolh ^abigmOma^* BalWliUaee,letraiiigili«t 4tmf hup^^o ga«rd or. wnfeeb^ not snipeefr- fagp A«r^ were aiqr esemiee so near them, idireeted a Troman who knew tiie plaee, to «iiiark WWh ehalk the dooro of the lodgings wh^e the BngUehdieli htj. TlMn he eent m yeHy of men, who^ with eteong ropefl, mMeidl the doom so Gmt on -the oufddd, tiiat those within could not open theniw On 4im oa«flM»lhe fieote had (vveparHd heapA of itrtiWjio Whiehiheyeet&re^ and the Bams iOf Ayr^hehigtheiieelmaniajae tf wodd» Were ^Nidn h^irmng in a fari^ flames Then tibe fiaglishwere awakefte^ and endsavouirad ^ get ontto save th^ir limes. But the doors, «B I' tsldyon^ were wMxeeA an the dntsidi^ •end hound fast with sopes ; aiid^ helides, 4fce blanng houses were eurrounded by the i(8ooteb^ who fotved those who got out to •run baekinto tfa^ fire, or else put- them to idsath on the spot ;' and thus» great nnmtaerb Digitized by CjOOQIC '84 tlltl W)L1IAM WAtXAtfe. p^risfied miserflbly. Wtny of tlve^'lliiglMi were lodged ib a conrefit^ hwt tHey hsA it4 better fortune than the othen ; ivr Ibe Pri^^ «r; as he was called, of tbe ooiivaiity eaiiMfi all tlie friars to arm themselves, and fittiiiBfe ing their English guests, they pmi'mostisf them to tbe sword. This was caHedAeAriiir 'of Ayr's Blessing. We canao^ teUdi^iMB 6tory of the Sams of Ayr be exaetly 4ime'; *but it is probable there ia some foundaifoii .for it, as it is universally believed in'dwt country. . . . .».' » Thus Wallace'^ party grew daily i^tanrngi- er and stronger, and many of the Soottilh nobles jdaed with himl Amongst those *wbb Sit WBliam Douglas, the ImA ^ Doughn^ idale, and the hindof a gr«at fiimiiy often mentioned in Scottish histsry* - There w«s aTso Sir John (he Orahame, who beclma Wallaoe'48 bosom fciend and grekitest bdnfi«> dant. Many of ?these great noblemisD^ h»v(h- 'ever, deserted 4he cause of the coualry '•^ the approach of the Earl of Surrey, tkeGaf;- 4ish governor, at the head of a i 6 Digitized by CjOOQIC 4UA WiLLlAH WAI/X.ACE. «6 anagr* They; tho^ht ilpt WifiiQa0B WW1I4 he unable to withstand the Attek of 80 many diseiplfaied soldiers, and htmtefyeA to submit themselves to the Eng*. ']isb» for £wu?. of. losing their estates. WaL- 1(^009 howoTer^ gemainf>d undismayed, and ^tkilii^ l}eadof a cimsiderable army. He had i0iken up his eamp upon, the northern ^de <}€.llie river Forth,. near the town of Stir* iing* The river was .there eroesed by a long wo^deii bridge, about a.mile dbove the spot where the present bridge is situated. TbeE^glish g^eral approached the banks ofirthe liver on the southeru side. He sent tim €bi^3rmBa to offer a pasdon to Wallace «id>liis followers, on coindition thai they #mild kqr down tbeir arms. But such was an*, the purpose of the highpminded eham* inou of Scotland. .- «( Go back to die Earl of Warren," said Waliae%' << and tell him. we valua not the pasdon of the King of England. We are not here for jbhe purpose of treating of peaces but of alnding bnttl^ and restoring fre^ni VOL. I. H Digitized by CjOOQIC m MB WU.UJM MUS^MEtL Ao Mfc:oomilry«. Ket l^Sii|lifeKb efafm^amr, ^^^^i^rdefytliem to their T^r^baardiir . i ; Tho English^ ujMHilwwiagttlus:]^^ ^rnWeiV'Oailsd loudly to be. kd.td tim^^ 4mDh. Th« Easlof Wocroa heeilMtfe^fiuriM muB a skillialBriditei aad Jbe pmt timtt^^/afife- ^^ach tbe Scoltirii armjT) ^lus' todeifi jiUMt fMUBB ^fvwAeAwMgy nsrroW) wofMi^a bridg8(« <«otfaatthoM;wkoJBhoBUgetotb»fiigit, iiki|^ iw attained IqT' Wallaoenridi all. liifi fompH^ .befocB those wiio. ismaiiled bthi&d qqM. possibly etmie to ibeilTAflbkta&eei Hd^koN^ Ivire imslitted to diday the batik. BaiOreie- inghwhi tbe TduhnUquv wlio<>was.%MlBani •nd pl*e8iiliiptn>ii;s^iM(kt6d that it w«8*their duty ta fight^ and put aii«iid to the wahriat miee t and Warran gave wigr .to hia jai^hmi^ altbdag^ Ci3easitigh«in» beiBf a tdiaivhaiiMiii could not be so good a juitgd ef >wbatiffiiif IMtinj; as he hinlaelf) db e^par«taMki.i[tfieer* ' The English army began t^ qoose jtk^ hridge, Cressingham leading theviUiyiirfoniir ittoet diviftion of the army ;. for, tn^thoa^ mif hfyny dayS) even derg^nnen ;wm» alunoolr Digitized by CjOOQIC j w wtfcwyi t iit ltM%. The im^UiA ^imk wy^WiurmluulftM^seeB; W«ttB«e«iiffi»m ed a oMidderable part cif Ae SnglitkiirlBy. tx> paws Ihe 'bridge, ^dftfaout afiMag^ any o^ ]loiitipii$ ¥at liUeii aboofc onb kiAf YmDe owi^ ibi^tii^ bridge wuareraiadadi mflitbaea ndia weM Mkmiiigv be disrged: tbem ^hbe^haA otwiwd witti lie wbola ataqi) Mddir a irav]f> gnai nmnber, atidr dnxM ^ rmH ialo diar mw 'Vo9th, ^wktie tin grealer^ jiart wamr ^boiroedb The xeet o£ liie Ebg^al^ uriiQ i^ MtnadonflM aoNidnriibaiik of iheriver, flei ki great eonAuiniy barsag fiist lat fiie te»tba Mddfln bridgb^ tbat laMfieate mi^t not piu^ eaetbem. Cr^Mii^bam was billed in tba my bi^oiag of tb^ battlet aod tba Seetai dflteeted Idta floiBHeK tlM tbqr flqred tba dtfb frdaibk deid bedy^ aitdbeiHkpieeee of i*y matiemoryefibeitoiwigetbey bad taken' npontbeBngBabTnlMuver. SoauBtoaytbay Blade aaddlei-gbrtbe cf tbie iaiiieekin» a part- poee Hod tvibiob I do net: tbink it cmM be Tevyfitk. It Innst ba owned to ham beete a diab#nenmUe tbiag ef dMrfioqM U> inffvlt Digitized by CjOOQIC 89 S*lt WlLlrlAM WALLACE*' tbat ihffy mnnt hvm ben tM«n frferodom' and barbarons f«opk. • • The :nmiaiii» of Warr«D^8 grdeit amiTr fled out of Seotlaiid after ihtB deieaC; and the Siots taking atana on allrsideB^'Attai^ttBd: &e oaatlea iawhiriiiiie Ekiglish selAerar oontinned ■• to .riiriter thenaelrefa!).' and 'teofe aioetofthem hyforoeorstiatagem^ Many* wonderful storiei are told ef^Wiahie^'s «x^ pkntami ifaeteoocadOiM ; ^aomarof ivittehrjoe^ fiodoabttnie, wbileotberi9are dAer mT«bt^ edroritarymQekezagfarated* It seems oer-i tauis however, l^t hediefBated the Sng^faf in eeveral oondmlB^' dbased them alaao^t^ mk: tirely out of Scotland, regained &e townr and rattles of wUek theyhad poBB^ssilBd' ihemselTeK, and . reeov^ed for^ a tamh >tkef complete freedom of the coantry* Ho erem marched iivto Eaflaiid, and laid Ganber«« land and Nerthnmberland waste^ where tfaer Seottish soldiers, in revenge for the miseUefi wUeh the English had done in their cchlntejry committed gre^tccuebies; Wal laoa d M jioti Digitized by CjOOQIC «l1i WILIiIAM WAIAACBh M f^ySKk'^rof tbeiv M^mg tbe fnoifiSvfUa wwm not lA mnmh bmA li^eiidMiroBnd topeoteet the <0i€Vg3rmeB mid othovsy who were nol aUe l»4rfeadl]MiiiMlim. ^ He h2 Digitized by CjOOQIC 90 iim nrnuLiAH wali^acs* OMse book fron Ebtadnrs. u a grefti nigm mmI determsBed not to loaare Seolland tiUlw liiMl>iiiaUy.eonqaerad ti^t Idngdoo^; «0'li« toBenUed a ^ecy .fitie.ariiiy^ aad mardhed ifito.6co|;k]id« > . . ^ In the meantime ^b» Seota pviq[«r«d"to dafend 11iaB(Mel?e% and oboae WaUaoe to be Govenier or Pcotector ot the kingdom, be^ «a«Be they had no kiagaitlietime^.HeSvaa myw titkd aii WMkm VUHko^ Paotaeta: or GovenHir of the . fibottiah . naticai* But although Wallaee, aa .we hare jaeeny waa ^w beatBoMiflr andl»avest nan i».Sootla^d^ and thei«{are:tlia.BMat£t to be plaeediik eoamand lat .tUa oritieal pefiad) when Ihe King of England was coming against them laith. anch ^reat ^fiii»ea» yet the noUaa..of Scatbmd'enmd ktaathmmportantnttifititfio^ beeaaaehewaa tiata. adMi bora m hif^rtmk^ ar enjoying. a huge eatato. So.greal*^Mi» atmt jealoaay of Sir WiUiam Walhiae» tbat they did not iwm very willing to briag.£ir<» ward their forces, oc figbt againat the Bn|g-i Hah, heoauae tbey would not have him ta bQ Digitized by CjOOQIC Mm VlLlilAM .WlfXAGB. 91 l^fildv TMft m» bafle aad iimi iMiUhiet, 'and it m» afttended witb f reait dkaglers to 'fiiiedalid^ Y«t» nolmtbataiiding tibia «hwiU- ^ mg mm a ot^ greifciaobiUty to.mxpport Um, (Wallace aM^mUed a large army ; for ibe atditt^gj but-espedally tbe lower idasses, Wiflt^YeryiiiiiefaaUacbedtaUaa. Hemarieb- ^- boldly sigtaxkBt tbe Kii^ of Eoglaotl, and aaetbim near' Ibe town ot Faticirk. Moet.of kiB avmy weveoii ieojb, boeause, as I akeady ,told yoa, in tbose days cmly tbe DobUity and ■ gvcbt men^of SoodaiBd foiigbt on boreehaek. TlHJ Eng}kb King,' <^ the oonti»ry, bad a ,yf0rf largt body of tbe finest oayalf y m the Alrorldy NorsHa^ftiMid Bogliab, all armed in ieimipldte. armour. :He bad also the eele^ bmt^ arebera of England, who. were said to •oatry'twelte JScotomen's lives under their ff^ftU^; bemuse tbty ckirried eadi of theiii twelve «rrow$ etude intd their. belt» and tbey were expected to kill a man with every «K0W*^ ( The: Stoteb had eonne gsood arehersifrdm the Fof i^rf Elttiek^ wfaofoughinlider eaiji»* Digitized by CjOOQIC 9S aiA WILLIAM WJILLAOB^ AiMd«f air JoIm SWwaft «f BonUU ; Ifiii^ th«y.w«re no4 nearly equal in namber tothe Eogliflh. FartbegreaterpMrtofthaSeettkb ^r niy wer^ en foot, wan^d mth long «{MKr«; ; thfty were.i^a^ed thick and ohm togather^ ^md laid all dieir spearsfl^tddse, pqinl er«ritr point, that it aeeoted as diffieolt to hnsk thBoogfa tliein,afitbr0ogh the wal) of a strong castle. Whm the two armies wave ArAWA up fiicing eaeh other, W^kee said to his soldiers, <^ I have hroQght you to the ring^ let me see how yon oan danee;'' meaning I haF^ brought you4o the decisive field of battle, let me «ee how iMravely yoa can fight. The English made fihoattaek. King Bdk* ward, tfaongk he saw the close ranks, and undaunted appewrance^ of fiie Soottfdi iw* fiuatry, ras^yed nevertheless to try Whether fae.oould not ride them down widi Ub fine aavalry. Accordingly, he gave his iionsesM* ocdrars to advance, l^ey efaiurged acepi^ ingly, at the fall gallop. It must hav^beM » tearrflda thing to have seen these fine horses ridingas hard as they oorid agitest the long Digitized by CjOOQIC SIR WILItIAMp wa^lacb# 9^ kniees^ wUcIi vrer^ hdd out by lB# Se6ti to keqi tliaia back ; and there was a dreadful ^lyaroae wbesr they oame against each other* Hoir^vm-^ the Scota stood their ground, with their leog spears; many of the foremost of the Fingtiah bcHrses' were thrown down, and the riders were killed w they lay roUii^, un-^ aUe tiMTise, otving to the weightof Hieir heavy anmouh. Bixt theSoottish horse ^d not come to the aseisti^Boe of thohr ii^antry, bUt fledT away fcbm the taiUe* It is supposed that tfaisiviaa jsnving to the tveich^ or iU-will o£ the nobility, who were jealous of WaUacOii BnkkiBBmi Be eonrideted that the Seots ca- TEdiry.were -Ywvy fe^ia aumljer; and ihi^ tfaby- had miK^ woil^ arms; and weaker! horaea, than their eiiemies. The Eiiglkh ea-^ "vdvy attentfpted a^ijlaiid aginft to dispeifs'e the deep and solid ranks in which Wallace had stationed his foot soldiers* Bnt thdy were* repeatedly beaten off with loss, nor ooald they nuika their way- through that wl^ of speaiai, »» it is malted by one of the English historians. King Bdw^ tbejki 0010^^ Digitized by CjOOQIC 94' StR WILLI A.M WALLACE. lippiroaebiiig wiAiB aiTow-«koto£'Ahe S^min tifih ranks, poar^ii on tfa^Bi saeh eloi» ai^A diraadfol voUsya of «rvew8, Aa4 it( wm im- possible to flustaintliflBi. ItkappeBdlatlha aame tamo, dbat Sir Jolm Stewart wiui ^oO^ edl by a fali fiKmi Ina korae; aad thoarcbeia of Bttrkk Fov68il9 wbom^lMl V|«s briagiag for*: ward to oppose tbose of King Edwaxd, wene tilled in ffwt nnmbeira iEUNMmd hiBa* Theii^ bodies were, afterwards diatinfulsliedaiiioBgi ilw^slain, as biding the lallost lM|d handsomest men of the army. • The spearmen of the Seottiah amy being thus ibrown into aoase degree of eenfiiinony^ by the loss ef those who were slain by thcr anrows of the Bnglkh, the beavy caVelry.of Edward again qharged^ a^ bm^he daroughr the ranks, which were already dissprderodr Sgr John Grahame^ WaUaee's great friend and Qompanion, was shin, with many oAev brave fioldiers ; imd the Scots, having Iost^» Tery great number ci men, were at length* obliged to take to flight. Digitized by CjOOQIC Tln« fatal battle ^ fpught updn 284 July 1298. Sir J<^n the Grahame lies hv^md in the chutcfayard of Falkitk. A ^ntbstone ^^$ kdd oyer him, whi^ hiui lieeB thrte timte renewed siiK^ his 4tefl^ (The itMeri|»tioR beats, <' Thai Sir John Ae i^itakaniei equally remarkl&ble *for wiidom and conrage, and the faithful friend of WaK laee, "beiilg slailft in battle by I9ie English, lies buried in this plaice/' A large oak tree in the ac^oimog forest was t^og «h(>^^ iM the spot where Wallace lAepi hefdre the jbfittle, or,. as others said, iu whidi hto hid liifliself after the defeat. Nearly forty years ^0, Grandpapa saw some of its ro6ts ; bat the body of the tree was even theh eiitirdy 4ec)ayed| and therb is liot now, atid baft not kwn for many yter% the least vestige of it to b^ s^evi* , After this fiitld defeat <^ Falkirk^ fiir .WilUam Wallace seems to have resigned his ^office of Governor of Scotland* 'Sevefnl nMe» were named guardians in his placi^ md contiaued to make remlilnce to the Digitized by CjOOQIC 96 SIR WILLIAM WALLACE. English armies ; and they gained some ad- vantages, particniarljr near Roslin, where a body of Scots, commanded by John Comjni of Badenoch, who was one of thiB Guardiaiid of the kingdom, and a disdngaiished com- mander, called Simon Eraser, defeated three armies, or detachments, of English in an example to all Scottish patriote who should in future venture to oppose his ambitious ^r^ects. He caused Wallace to be brougbt io. trial in Westminster-hall, before the .'English judges, and produced him. tlmo, ^crowned, in mockery^ with a g^reengirlan^, J)ecause they said he had been king of imtr iaWs and robbers among !the Scottidi woods. .He was accused of having been a traitor to ;the English crown ; to which he answcired, .^' I iBould not be a traitor to Edward, for I iwas never his subject.'.' He was then accu- sed of having killed many men,.and done Digitized by CjOOQIC SIR WILLIAM WALLACE 99 imifsh evil; He replied, in^ith the ^nal- cabid rei^hitidn, <^ thai it ivias trbe^ he had' killed rety many EogUsbnleD, bat it was UoBaove they Imd eon^e; to sabduie and op^. jiresa his native eonntry t>f Scotland ; and-, fior&om repentiiig what he had dene^ be^ declared he wan only sorry that he had pot jjiut'to dealjbL xnaby more of them..'' ' - Notmthsinidiii^ thaft Wallace's defe&ee waff' a good. ^iiMy both In liair and in common^ se|ise,'(for anrel^ erery cA^ has notioaly a< si^t to*%¥tin defence of bis native eotm* try, Mit isbonadin duty to do se^) the Eng** lish JMgbg condemned him to be taecuted.> Sk> this brave patriot was dragged open a sledge to the place of execution, \diere his' head was struck off, and his body divided into four quarters, which, according to the cruel custom of the time, were exposed up- on pikes of iron upon London Bridge, and were termed the limbs of a traitor. No doubt King Edward thought that by exercising this great severity towards so distinguished a patriot as Sir William Wal- Digitized by CjOOQIC IQO SIR WILLIAM. WALhAJCEk laoe, he would terrify all the Scots into obe-« dience, and so be able in future to reign, over their country without resistance. But though Edward was a powerful, abrave^and. a wise king, and though he took the meet; cautious, as well as the most strict measures,, to preserve the obedience of Scotland, yet. his claim, being founded in injustice and^ uaurpatioii, was not permitted by Provi- dence to be established in security or peace/ Sir William Wallace, that immortal, sup^^. porter of the ind^endence of Ins countfey,^ was no sooner deprived of his life in' the( cJ-uel and unjust manner I have told you, than other patriots arose, to assent the cause of Scottish liberty. Digitized by CjOOQIC C 101 ] CHAP. VI. , Qfitfi Out nfHoberi tk$ Brme. i lMOWE,mf dear okiM» that you have Mt fatgtMnt thai all tbt emd wara in Si»t- land aaoM out of tlM 4eJbate betMen iha greai lordi..wfao eiaimad iha throne after Kipg iUeyaiMkr tlM Tbisd'i daath» wUdi kdnaed ttiefieoAliak noUlity rasUy to aub* tnit tha deeiakmofthat astter to King Ed^ wmci of Eng^andy and thaa opened the way to his endeaTOorinif to aeiBa the kingdom of Seadaad to himaelf. You recl, therefore^ was very Utde respected in Scotland; he had renounced the kingdom, and had been absent from it for fifteen years, daring the greater part ct which time he remained a priscmer in the hands of the King of England. It was therefore natural that such of the people of Scotland as were still detertnined to fight for the freedom of their country from the English yoke, shooU look anmnd for sune other king, under whom th^ in%iil tinite themselves, to combat 4he power of England^ The fediog was luuversal in Seodand, that they would not uny Joi^r eiidure the English government; and thme* Are such great Scottish nobles as 'believiBd they Jiad right to the crown^ began to Aaak df standing forward to daim it*, r Amongst these, the prjacipal en^JMates; ^supposing John Baliol, by his nnaniiiatioit andcaptivity, to havelostallrightto tkekingi* dMn,) were two powerftil ndblemen. The first was Robert Bruce, Earl of Carriek^ tba gtanJiiop of that elder Robert Bniee^.:WhiH' as you have heard, disputed the throne with Digitized by CjOOQIC SOBVUl^ THE B»DCC. ;lt)3 lorCuoiiitg) of BadenocfaiUsnaUy called Ike Jtecl Gottyiiy' to distuaguidi htm firom hii Jciniunaii} ihe Black Cwaym so juimed frdat Ms swarthy' complemon. Thesb two great •and powerful barons had taken part wkh Si# (William Wallace in the wars against Bng^ Jand; bat, after tfa^ defeat of FaUdrfc, bong learfial of losing their great estate% and oon-» «idfiring'the Ireedooi of Scotland as b^ond Aopossibilitjrofbeittg recovered, bothBrubo and Otnnyn had not only submitted them*% eelves to Edward, and acknowledged his ti^ tleJaoKingof Seotlaiidybiit cFenbonie arms^' idong with the English, against sueh of theie aonntrymon as still ooiitsnned:to resist the nterper. But the fadings of Bruce con<^ cemingthehaseness of this conduct, are said^ by the.oM tradition of Scotland, to have been aflmkened by. the ibllamng aoeidenk In cine 0f the numeron&faattlesi or skinnoflhes^^ wluch took .plabe at the time between tbff Bf^Usli and Aheir adhereiite on the one-side/ 9md, theJnsnfgent or jpatribtie Scottish upon the other, Robert the Bruce was present, Digitized by CjOOQIC > 104 mOBSBT THE BBVGE. jubI' wArtefllbe &iglMi to gaia ih^^ri^tdvf. MStiac tin battle wis over, he ut 4»wii «e iiii dinner witheot wwiAng Im hamin, on width diere were speti of Moo^ wUeh hk iuA ehed dvii^ the aDtioo. The Enf Miii lords ohBerring AAs, whispeved to eaoh^other in modkeiy, ^^ Look at tliat SeotsmMi^ who iiealinf hkownUeodP' Bmee h^axd whil ihey aud, and began to refleet, that Hkk bleed upon his hands vight be indeed dUl* ed' his own, dnee itwas thatof his'brav^ eonntryvnen, who were fighting for the^ infw dieipendenee of Seotland^ whflat he was aa* listing its oppres^oifi, wh6 only huighed At and'moehed him -for his nnnatntal eondnet; Ife Wasso fridoh shoeked afnd dfisgostedy Aak he arose from table, and gid^ginto a nieiglH- bimring chapel, shed nmnj tsars, and, asb» ing pardon of God fer the greal erim^ ho had been gnilty of^ made a solemn vow'tfaat ho wonU atone ftr if, by domg all in his po^er to deliver SooUand fiEom Ae foreign yoke. Aeeionrdingly, he left, it is smd, the English army, and ne^er joined thsm again. Digitized by CjOOQIC ROBERT TQ£ BRUCS. I0d( but reniaiJied watohiog aa o]|^[i«rtm4ty for iwsloruig the freedom of Iw country. ' JioWi this Robert the Bruee wss a remar* ](ably braye and strong man : there was no jQan in. Scotland tbiit was thqaght a match. &it him except Sir William Wallace ; and m»^ that Wfdlaoe was dead) Brucq was held the best warrior in Sootlapd. So was very wise and pirudent, and. an es^oeUent gen^ ibI ; that is, he knew* how to copdoct an. army, and place them in order foi; VaAtby aa W^U or better dian any great man' of his time^r He was generonss too» and courteous l^y natcfre ; but he had some faults, which perhaps belonged as much to the fierce pe- riod in whidi he lived as to bis own charao- ter« He was rfush and passioni^te, and in his passion, he was sometimes relentless ^d^^u^L . . Robert the Bruce had fixed his purpose, as I told yout to attempt once 9gain to drive the English:Out of Scotland, and he desire4 to prevail npon Sir John the. Bed Comyn,. who was his rival in, his pretensions to the throne, to join, with hm iw.9xpfi^\}ng the Digitized by CjOOQIC ]f06 RdBEmf THE BRVCE. fereign enemy bjr tiieir comttion ^ffiirta.^ With thb pttrp Bnt he had fallen into the power of a Scot-i^ tish knight, who, though he served in ihe^ English army, did not choose to be the in- stramoit of putting Bruce into their haild%' and allowed him to escape. The oenquer'^ ors executed their prisoners widi their usual cruelty. Among these were some gallani/ young men of the first Scottish families*-: Hay, ancestor of the Earls of Enrol, Som- erville, Fraser, and others, who were most- mercilessly put to death. Bruce, with a few brave adherents, among whom was the young Lord of Deoglasj who was afterwards called the Good Lord James, retired into the Highland mottntama^ where they were chased irom one plaee ^ refuge to another, placed in great danger^ anduuderwentmanyhardships. TheBmce'ft' wife, now Queen of Scotland, with several other ladies, accompanied herhusbandand his few followers during their wanderings. Digitized by CjOOQIC ,BOBEBT. THE BAIK^fi. i 11 iTbcre was no other way of piovidiiig^lbr them save l^' bun tang and iUfaiag. It. was reoiariEed, that Doaghw was the most aotiw and BuoeeflBful in procnring for the unforH tsnate ladies sndb supplies as. his dexterity in-fishing or. in killing deer eould famish to Aem. • DriYffli frmn one place in the Highlanids to another^ Bruce attempted to force his way into Lorn, hot he found enemieseyerywhere. .The M^Doogals, a powerf aliamfly, then call- ed Lords of Lorn, were friendly to the.Eng-* lifli^ and patting their men in arms, attack* ed Brace and his wandering companions as soon as they attempted to enter their'coun* tfy. The chief of Ihese M^Dongals, called John, of Lorn, hated Bruce on account of hk'. having slain Ihe Bed Comyn in the elKiieh at Dwnfiries, to whom this M*Dou- gal was nearly related* Bruce was aj^ainde^ footed by tUs chief, through force of num- bers, at a pkce called Dairy ; but he show-** ed, amidst his misfortunes, the greatness of his strength add, coum^e* He directed his men to retreat througli S" narrow pass, and Digitized by CjOOQIC 1 It RaBtAT THA SR«rCS. pkebg Uttwir last «fthb party, faeibii^ with Itod d«W Biidh of tba eMtny as odtei^il*' ed to pmn hard on ikenib Throe foHowvri ef M^i>Mtiga]) a fiitfaer and two fioii% ealkd M^Andioaaar, all tety strong man, trhcii they saw Brace thoa protecting tho retreat ftf his followers, made a vow that they woaUl rither kSI or make him prisoner; The whole time tudied on Ae Kuig aft om^ Thb King was on horseUidry in the strait plHs tto have deseribedy betwixt a ste^ Inll and a de^ lake. He struek th^ first iMui who oame up and seised his bridle, sttek a blow with his sword as out off his haiid and fieed Ac bridb. The nan Ued to death. The other brethto had madd him in the neantime by the kg, and wan aIp icmpting to thto^ hiln froin hdrsebaslc. The Kin^, setting spina to his hcMe» made 4je uiimid snddenly s^ng forward, so-lhnt tke Highlander fell toder the i«>i«fe'B flirty «nd» as he Was endeavonring t6 rise agniny the King cleft his head in two widiUi swotd^ The fiilher, seeing his two sons thus slaia^ &w at Robert Bmce^ and grasped him Iqr Digitized by CjOOQIC ^ ViOU1^%:i'H^ fiM^m> 113 tfae> mantle, fio , elpse « to hb body^ ti^LJvd , equld^uoilaAYe room to wieUhb loi^sw^d. Bui. with, the heayy pomipiely.oc, aa odieara mjy with au iron, haipm^r whiieh haog at hifi. saddle-bow, .the.]!a«g: i4riJ|ok thU third ^^milant so dreadful a blow, that he dashed out. his bra|ns. , Still, howevier,^ the H^h- l^xidef^ kept his dyiug.graap <»i the.Kiiigfs xa9Atle,480. that,,to>be free of ^;dead.body^ ^ruoe. was obliged to .undo, the farooeh, or cksp^by.wUebJt.was.faisteBied, ajMl.leaire Ibataod the mwtilei^If behind, him The brooch, which fell thus into the. poeseseion pf .M»'DoiHpd of Lorn, k atiU preserved in Ihatiancj^t fi^imly aa a.meBsu&rial. thali the oelebvi^ted Bob^t Bruce owse narrowly es- oqied idling .il^to the banda of their ances^ lor. Bobert^cfttly resented this att^ki^ on him; and, when he. was in happieitcir-; owDEptances^ did not fail to. take hieieyei^ OB, M^Dougal^.or, aa he.is uamdly c»lled$ JohP of.I'Orn. The King met.with.many sucheneoim^ tors amidst hi« dangerous mid dismal.wan-^ I - Digitized by CjOOQIC 114 ROBft^RT ¥«£ iMRtK^Ai dori^ps ; fit, ihmgh hlmm^ alwayii 4^tMM hy tte immbttrs ^ %h^ Eugifeh^ wid df m^ Seojfe M fikM ^A efttiM* f»ciikiQlar ttiatt was «s«HiLl'ki tiSMM days, ilrhett> «:rcept iAt»gpd^i fttv p^pleleail'niedtoreHtd;andwrit& ^iitlUiig Robert «)»uld de bot& v^ Wd( ; aHad t]mis sad threats^ thaA none of them diwi red to think oi rehslHag agaiaat King fid* .^Traitor V said Brace, «« whyv ib«D, dad yott.make ibeisigfial ?'' :: <( Akui»"ri4iUed GnthlMrt, <^the &rtwm nut madahyme^ hat hy some other penM»n» toi what pnrposelJcnow^nei? bataa.soeii aa I saiir it faorniiig, Ilsnew that^^youwonM eaaoMB.oner, llhinkiag it my signal, and there* fiore I oaaoe dawn to irait for yon on tiie Vsaeh, t6 tell you^how iiha matter stood*" VOL. I. L Digitized by CjOOQIC 122 BOB£»T Ttt£ BRUCE. Bruce^vafter some hesitaiiaxiy determined that friitoe he had been thus brought to the main land of Scotland, he would remain there^ and take such adventure and fortune as • Heaven G^oold send him. i . Accordingly, he bc^gan to skgrnish with the English so successfully,) as obliged the' Lord Percy to quit Carrick. Hathen^disper-* sed Us m^ upon various adventure&against' the: enemy,, in which they were genendly successf uL But then, on the other huid, the King being, left with small attendance,, oc sometimes almost alone, ran great risk of losing his life by treachery, or hyopeUi vio- lence* Several of these incidents are very interesting. I will toll you some of. them. At one time, a near relation of Bruc^'s^. in whom he entirely confided, was induced by the bribes of the English- to attempt to^ put him to death. This vilhun, with his; two: sons, watehed Bruce one.moniing, tili. he saw him separated from, all his men,, ml- eepting a little boy,< who waited on him as; a page* The father had a.sword.in: his hand^ • / Digitized by CjOOQIC ROBERT THE B&UCE. 123 one of the sons hiid a sworil and aispear, the 6ther had ^ swOTd and a battle*axe«r Now, when the King saw them so well arm- ed, when there were no. enemies near, he b^an to call to mind some hints which bad been given to him, that these men .in-« tended to murder him. . He had no weapons excepting his sword ; but his page had a bow and arrow. He took them both from the little boy, and bade him stand at a distance ; ^< for,'' said the King, ^' if I overcome these laraitors, thou shalt have enough of weapons; but if I am slain by them, you may make your escape, and tell Douglas and my bro- ther to revenge my death." The boy was vefry sorry, for he loved his master ; but be was obliged to do as he was bidden. • In the meantime the traitors came for* ward upon Bruce, that they might assault him at once. The King called out to them, and commanded them to come no nearer^ upon peril of their, lives ; but the father an- swered with flattering words, pretending great kindness, and still continuing to ap* Digitized by CjOOQIC ' 184 aOBBET THE BRUCE. pnwieh his person. Then the King again called to them to stand. ^ Traitors,'' said he» *^ ye have sold my life for English gold ; bat you shall die if you come one foot nearev to me»" With that he bent the page's bow I and as the old oonspirator continued to ad-* vanocy he let the arrow fly at him. Brood was an excellent archer ; he aimed his arrow so well, that it hit the father in the eye, and penetrated from that into his brain, so that he fell down dead. Then the two sons rush-* ed on the King. One of them fetched a blow at him with an axe, but missed his stroke^ Mid stumbled, so that the King with his great sword cut him down before he could vecOTer his feet The remaining traitor ran on Robert Brace wiih his spear ; but the King, with a sweep of his sword, cut the steel head off the villain's weapon, and then killed him before he bad time to draw hii sword* Then the little page came runt ning, very joyful of his master's victory ; and the King wiped his bloody sword, and looking upon the dead bodies, ^d, *^ These Digitized by CjOOQIC ROB£RT THE B&UC£. 125 laigbt have been reputed three gallant men^ if they had resisted the temptation, of covet- ousnesfi/' In the present day, it is. not necessary that generals, or great officers, should fight with their own hand, because they have only to direct their followers ; their ar-» tillery and their soldiers, shoot at the ene* my ; and men seldom mingle together, and fight hand to hand. But in the ancient times, kings and great lords were obliged to put themselves into the very .front of the battle, and fight like ordinary, men, with the lance and other weapons* It was, . there- fore, of great consequence that they should foe strong men, and dexterous in the use of their arms. RobertiBruce was so remark- ably active and. powerful, that he came through a great many personal dangers, in which he must otherwise have.been slain. I will tell you another, of his adventures^ which I think will, amuse you. « After the death of these three traitors, Robert the Bruce continued to keep him- Digitized by CjOOQIC 1S6 AOBKET :rH£ BUVC£* «elf conettded in Ifa^omi. eaiMom 6f Car^^ rick, and in the ndi^Uboaring country of Qalloway, until he should have mattvni ready for a general attack upon the Eng- lififa* He was obliged^ in the meanttme, to keep very few men with him, both for the sake of secrecy, and from the difficulty of finding providons* Now, many of the .peo^ pie of Galloway were unfriendly to Bruce* They lived under the govemmctit of one M^ Dougal, related to the Lord of Lorn, who, as I before told you, had defeated Robert BrQoa» at Dairy, and very nearly Mlled or made him prisoner* These Galloway men had hterd that Bruce was in their oountiy, with no more than sixty men with him ; so diejr resolFod to attack him by surprise, md foe this purpose they got two hundred men to<4 gether, and brought with them two or thres bloodhounds* These animals were trained to diase a man by the scent of his fisotatepB^ as foxhounds chase a fox, or beagles or faarw riers chase a hare. Although the dog does not see the p^'son v^ose trace he is put upon, he follows him over every step he Digitized by CjOOQIC . AOBBBT XB£ BBUCB. 1 ^ kB9 tekw. Jkk tfant ttflle thiwd UMAoBudli, or sleuth-hounds, (so called fifom sto^ oir f«feti^i B word which «ig3iifies the scent; left .hy an animal of chase^) were u»ed' f BRUCE. • 137 ihey travelled till they came together to a waste and ruinous cottage^ where the men proposed to dress some part of the sheep^^ which their companion was carrying. The Xing'Was glad to hear of food; but he in- sisted that there should be two fires kindled, one for himself and his foster-brother at one end of the house, the other at the other end for their three companions* The men did as he' desired. They broiled a quarter of mut- ton for themselves, and gave another to the King and his attendant. They were obliged to eat it without bread or salt ; but as they were velry hungry, they wefe glad* to get food in any shape, and partook of it very heartily. Then so heavy a drowsiness fell on King Robert, that,- for all the danger he was in, he could not help desiring to sleep. But firsl^ he desired his foster-brother to watch while he slept, fOr he had great suspicion oftheir new acquaintances. His foster-bro- ther promised* to keep awake, and did his best to keep his word. But the King bad not Digitized by CjOOQIC IX BODSBT TfiE B&UCE* 4>e0n king fltleep era Uto fofette^broHrier feN into a deep tlvmber dsO) for lie kad imdep- gm6 as iteuoh fittigae as die King* Whea ill* three viUaios aaw the King and Ins at^ 4enddnii askep^ they made signs to eadi iether^ and tising up at ence, drew their •words with tim purpose to kiU tlvsm footihi But the King slept but lightly, and littla noia* as the testers made in risitlg, ha was awakened l^ it, and stM*ting up» drew hiib eWtord, and went to meet them. At the teme nement he pushed his ftBter**hrDdiel: witih his foot, to awaken him, and he atart«^ ed up; btit ere he got his ayes cleared to see what was ahoat to happen, one of the ruffians that were advancing to alliy the Kiii^, kflfed hi» with a alroke of his sWelk-d. The King was mh^ aloae^ tuie tnan againsft Ihtee, and So lihe greatest ^si^er of his Kft t hut his amassing strength* and ihe good ain Biour whioh he Woi^e, freed him once i&dns from this great danger, and he Idlled the Ajfee mela, one afl»r a»other« He then left lihe tottage* very ftortoil^l for thedesithef his faithful foster-brother, and took his di- Digitized by CjOOQIC iTMtton' towards tbe plMb wiMMre hd hfed^di- ^sedted his men to asMmbla after tbdlr dis^ persion. It wa» now neftr niglit^ and tb^ ^ilBoe of meetings being a ferm-hoase, he 'want boldly into it, wh«re be found the v6a^ tress, an old true-hearted Scotswoman^ sil^ ^ing alone. Upon semig a strainer enter, Ab asked him Who aad^ what he was* I'he 'King answered that he waa a travdler, who was journeying through the eountry. ^ AH traveller^'' answered the good wo- inan^ <^ara welcome here for the sidte 4ff ^ << And who is that one5'' said the King^ ^< for whose sake yon make idl travellera weloome?" '. **It is our lawful King, Robert UieBrpce,*' answ^ed the mistress, ^< who is the lawfU lord of thiis countiy ; and although he is now pmraoed and hunted after with hounds and horns, I 1k^ to live to see him King over all 8eotl«id.'' *< ISnce you low^ him eo well, dame,'* smd thoKingv *^ kftow that you see him be- fore you, I am Robert the Bruce." Digitized by CjOOQIC 140 ROBEET THE BBUCE. << You !" said the good womaxi) in great surprise ; *^' and wherefore lire you thus alone ? — ^where are all your men ?" *< I have none with me at this moment,^ answered Bruce^ ^^ and therefore I must tra- vel alone." << But that shall not be/' said the brave old dame, *^ for I have two stout sons, gallant and trusty men, who shall be your servants for life and death*" So she brought her two sons, and though she well knew the dangers to which she ex- posed them, she made them swear fidelity to the King ; atid they afterwards became high officers in his service. Now, the loyal old woman was getting everythingready for the King's supper, when suddenly there was a great trampling of horse heard round the house. They thought it must be some of the English, or John of Lorn's men, and the goodwife called upon her sons to fight to the last for King Ro- bert. But shortly after, they heard the voice of the good Lord James of Douglas, and of Digitized by CjOOQIC ROBSRT THE BtlUCfi* 141 £d«vard Bruce, the King's brother, who had come with a hundred and fifty horseaien to this {krm-house, according to the instruc- tions that the King had left with thean at parting. Robert the Bruce was right joyful to meet his brother, and his faithful friend Lord James, and had no sooner found himself once more at the head of such a considera^ Ue body of followers, than, forgetting hua-- ger and weariness, he began to inquire where the enemy who had pursued them so long iiad taken up their quarters ; ^ for," said ke, ^^ as they must suppose us totally seatr tered ftnd fled, it is likely that they will think themselves quite secure, and disperse themsdlves into distant quarters, and keep tmreless watch." *^ That is very true," answered Jasaes of Douglas, << for I passed a villi^ where there are two hundred of them quartered, who had phiced no sentinels ; and if you have a mind to niake haste, we may surprise them this very night, and do them more mischief than Digitized by CjOOQIC , 142 ROBERT THE BRUCE. they have b^n able to do its during all this day's chase." Then there was notbiog but mount and ride; and as the Scots came by surprise on the body of English whom Douglas had mentioned, and rushed suddenly into the village where they were quartered, they ea- sily dispersed and cut them to pieces ; thus doing their pursuers more injury than they themselves had received during the long and severe pursuit of the preceding day. The consequence of those successes of King Robert were, that soldiers caipe to join him on all sides, and that he obtained several victories both over Sir Aymer de Valence, Lord Clifford^ and other English commanders, until at length the English were afraid to venture into the open coun- try as formerly, unless when they could as- semble themselves in considerable bodies. They thought it safer to lie still in the towns and castles 'which they had garrisoned, and wait till the King of England should qu/e^ more come to their assistance. Digitized by CjOOQIC [ 143 ] CHAP- VII. Of the Exploits ofDouglcLs and of Randolph. Whek King Edward the First heard that Scotland was again in arms against him, he marched down to the Borders, as I have al- ready told you, with many threats of what he would do to avenge himself on Bruce and his party, whom he called rebels. Bat he was now old and feeble, and while he was making his preparations, he was taken very ill, and after lingering a long time, at length he died on the 6th July 1307, in full sight of Scotland, and not three miles from its fron- tier. His hatred to that country was so in-' veterate, that his thoughts of revenge seem-^ ed to occnpy his mind on his deathbed. He • Digitized by Google 144 DOUGLAS ASTA BANDOLPU. made his son promise never to make peace with Scotland until the nation was subdued. He gave also very singular directions con- cerning the disposal of his dead body. He ordered that it should be boiled in a cauldron till the flesh parted from the bones, and that then the bones should be wrapped up in a bull's hide, and carried at the head of the English army, as often as the Scots attempt* ed to recover their freedom* He thought that he bad inflicted such distresves on the Soots, and invaded and defeated them so of- ten, that his very dead bones would terrify them. His son, Edward the Second, did not ehoose toeocecute this strange injunction, but caused his father to be buried in Westmin*. ster Abbey ; where his tomb is still to be neon, bearing for an inscription, hbrs Lisa THE HAMMER 07 THE SCOTTISH NATIOIT. And, indeed, it was true, that during his li& he did them as much injury as a hammer does to the substaneea which it dashes to. pieces* Edward the Second was a vredk priace, and neither so bi*ave nor so wise as his fa- Digitized by CjOOQIC DOUGLAB AND BAKDOLPH. 145 tber, Hf mureM a Utde ^my Into Soot- Ifoid with the large army which Edward the First had collected^ but went hack again wi|;hout fightings which gave great encou* ragei^ent to Bruce's party. Several of the Spottioh nobility now topl^ arms, and 4^clfured fpr King Rob^rt^ and fought with the Epglisli UQQtf^ lu^d gar- lisons* The mpf^t distinguished of these f7^ ihjQ CxtdodLord^^m^^ of Douglas^ whoni 'we have often j^f>ntiotte4 biefore* Some of )iiif mo^t memorjftble e:^oits respept^ his oiyx^ castle pf Pqqglas, in which^ being a fortress, a^d strongly situated, the English )iad placed a large garrison. James of Doiig]as saw, with great dispfeasorey his castle fil}e4 with English soldiers, and with greats quantities of CQm> and catjlle, and wine, and ale, and other provisions, which they were preparing to enable thein to assist the English army with provisions. So he resolved, iif possible, to be revenged upon the captain of jthe garrison and his soldiers. For ibis puipose, Douglas went in dis« VOL. I. N S Digitized by CjOOQIC 146 DOUGLAS AND RANDOLPH. guise to the house of due of his old servants, called Thomas Dickson, a strong, iaHhfnl, and bold man, atidlaida scheme for takhig the castle. A* holiday was approaching, called Palm Sunday. Upon this day, it was common in the Roman Catholic times, that the people went to' church in procession, with green boughs in their hands. - Just as the English soldiers, who hadmarched down from the castle, got into church, one of Lord Jameses* foHowers raised the cry ofDoi^laSj 'D&uglas ! which was the shout with 'w'hich that family always began battle. Thotaias Dickson, and some friends whom he' had collected,' instantly drew their swords, and killed the first Englishman that they met. But as the signal had been given too soon, Dickson was borne ddwn and slain. Dou- glas and his men presently after forced their way into the church. The English soldiers attempted to defend themselves, but being taken by surprise and unprepared, they were, for the greater partj killed or made prisoners, and that so suddenly, and with so little noise, that their companions in the Digitized by CjOOQIC 0OiJGLAS ANP AANPOX.PH* 147 caalle never heard of it. So that when Doi^* glas and his men aj^roached the castle gate^ thic^,6)n&d it open, and that.part of the gar- rison which, were left at home, busied cook- ipg pirofisions for those that were at church* So XiOrd James got possession of his own castle without difficulty, and he and his men eat 9p all the good dinner which the Eng- lish bad ^nade ready. ;But Qauglas dared not^tay there, lest the .English should come in great force and besiege him; and. there- fore he.resolved to destroy all the provisions wUdi ttie English had ^stored up Jba. the <^a8- Ue, and to render the place up^vaUing tp theni. , , , ... . I^.mi9t be owned he executed this pur- pose in a very cruel and shocking manner, £w be was mnch ewagisd at the death of Thomas DickaoQ. He caused aU the bar- rels ^cmtaining floor, meal, wheat, and malt, to be knocked in ]»eces,.and dveir contents mixed on the floor ; tbenhe staved the great hogsheads of wine and ale, and mixed the liquor wi};h.tbe stores; and; last of all, he Digitized by CjOOQIC 148 DOUGLAS AKb RANDOLPH. d!^ «MOD^ tldi di^fltSD^ hl^^ wM^ Ms mm ciitiledf itt amsiM 'of - fkitt Eiik{^[lftlll) fhb Dotigla^B li^tdfel^. Then hh fltitig #m1 boiv 068 into the Urdll to destroy itH^HSift^^fvUeli Ito set fire to%he etatle; MdfiMllJr fnttireliMl ^"vray, ^Ad took TefagQ Xvlth hh fi^oweM httSvehfUsettiroteiB^. <»H« toVteAMMe^*^ he ssSd, «with.a considerable part^f bis garrison, for that purpose. He iiad followed the cattle past tha place where DouglAs -was lying concealed, whien alL of a sudden the Scotsmen tkrew off their car- riers' doaks, and i^pearing in armour, cried the cry of - Douglas, and, tuming.back suddenly, ran to meet the pursuers ; and.be- fore Thklwall could make any defence, he heafd the same war-cry behind him, and saw Douglas coming up with - those .Scots « who had been lying in ambush. Thirl wall .him<- self was killed, fighting bravely in the mid- cDe of his enemies, and only a. very few of his men found their way. back to the casde^ When I^rd James had thus slain- two Digitized by CjOOQIC IM xHyOBum and baxdolfh. BigHsk waaamA^n op guyrenMrs of Idt eMlfe^ and was known to kave Made « naur that ke woiild ka nef?«Qged on aay ime mho ilioidd dare io take posseeaion of his fiitiier'a faoase, men becaaae sfraad; and it was .catt- ed, botib in En^lmid and Seotlwd, the Pe* lilotts Casde of Dougks, kee ao s o it was ao dangevoosioany EkigUskman wko wasate* tioned tkere. Nmr^ inikoae warlike tioM^ Master littlqokn, jpoo mnat kaio w» tkat 4ka kidies would not nuuay any man wko mas not very brave and yaUanl, ao tkata^yowavdt bt Inm be e^ier so jcick^er .kigk-fhmi* ^ma Ud ineantempt..And tkns it was Hie fashion for Ae ladies ix> demand pniefii ef the eottiage ^oiir. At the time ^re i^eak of, there was OUGLAfi AND RANDOLPH* out the English^ Edinburgh, the principal town of Scotland, reaquBed.wth its. strong caatle in po&tsession of the inyaders* 8iX'. Thomas Randolph was extc^mely desirous to gain this important place, but, as you well kno^, the castle is situated on a very ste^ and iQfty rock, so that it is diflSusult or air most impossibleeTen to get up to the foQt «f the walls, much more to. climb o\ex them. « S9 while Randolph wasoqnsidjeriiig :wlui$ was to.be done, there came to him a Seoi^ tish rgentlenmn, named Francis, who had join^ Bruce's standurd, and asked to qpeak withhiminpriyate* He tl^eti told Rando^ that in hig youth he had UTed in tiro Ca^ of Edinburgh, anil: tbat his fiitber had then been keeper of the fortress. It happened at tl^at time that Francis w^is mpchin love with a lady, who. lived in a pert of the towp beneath the ^eastle, whiah is called the 6ra8»- market. . . Now as he could not get out of the castle by di^ to see his mistress, he had practised a wi^ of clambering by iMIgbt down the castle crag on the ^outh sidet Digitized by CjOOQIC '0OUOLA8 AND RAKDOLI^. 155 and returning up at his pleasure; when he came to the foot of the wall he made nse of a ladder to get over it, as it was not Tery high on that point, those who 'built it having trusted to the steepness of the crag. ''Francis had gone and come so frequently in this dangerous manner, that though it "was now long ago, he told Randolph he In&ew the road so wellj that he would un- ^derfake to guide a small party of men by night - to thd bottom of the wall, and as ti&iey might^bl^ng ladders with Aem; there would be no difficulty in scaling it. The great risk was, that of their being diiscoter- ed by the watchmen while in the act of as- cending the cHfF, in which case every man of them must have perished. ' * ' NevertJieless Randolph did not hesitate to attempt the adventure. He took with Mm only thirty men, (you may be sure they were chosen for activity and courage,) and came one dark night to the foot of the crag, which they began to ascend under the gui- dance' of Francis, who went before them, upon his hands and feet, up one cliff, down Digitized by CjOOQIC 160 DOUOXiAS AND IUN]K>LPil« nmrt^er, aii4 rPWd aMkber* wlicara ,^m^ wiissqM^ceroomtowpporttbeiQiely^ AU tha wl)Ue these thirty men were ohtiged to follow in a liiu)} one after the other, hy a path that ww fitter for a cat than a man* The iioiBeof a uUm^ falling, or a word apo* ke9 from one to another, would have alarm-* edthenwMshmen. They were oblig^theref> fore, to moye with the greatest preeai^tiopif When they were ftr up the erag, and iMW the fi>iuidati^n of the wall, $hey hisprd th^ go^ids going their rovnd^^ tp fl(Be l;hat a^ waf safe in aiMl about the eiistle, Itfiodplpb and h js party had nothing for it hut to Ije closjB and qiuet ea^ ipan und^r the crag, ff ha ha^^ed to be pl^i^ed, aiid trpst that H^ guards woold pass by without noticing thpiPr And while thqr wera wfdting in hraathlesa alarm, they got a new cause of fright. Ovjf of the soldiers of the castle^ willing to s^r^f his pomrades, sjoddenly threw a stona fcQm the wall, and cried out, <^ Aha, I see yov well !" The stone caipe thundering dow» over the heads of Randolph and l^s man« who naturally thought themselves discover* Digitized by CjOOQIC ]M>UOI.A8 AVU RANDOLPH. ' ISI ndbe^thsjironMliftT^ beenealirelyde^tsoyi- ed^ fiir tlie toMifirs above migbt bave killed erary man of (hrai» merdy by rollii^ do^rn sftoiMi* B«t haing eourageous and chofsieii they xmaaitted qatat, and the Eagliab who tboi^bt ihw* comrada waa pkyiBg fham a triak, (a% iadaad, lia iroa») pawad aai» wilbout flurlhav amni- TbBaBaadalphavdhiB men go^qp^ himI eaaaa in haala io tha faot^f the wall, w}M^ waa not above twiee a man's height in that plaaa. Thay pkurtad tha laddaia thay had biMgbit» and Smiuns aopwlad finst tp ib9w tham the wi^^; Sir Andrew Grey, « bl^y^ knight, frUowad biim andllandplph himmif wna.lhathiadaMOiirilio got ovar. Tb^ntba raalfoUaapad* Wheat oMa thay ware wiiMa tha walla» ibare waa wMb bo much to do, for tha garriaon wara adaep and uiHU9ned| ex- cepting tha watah» who wara speedily da- atfiiyad* Thaa waa Bdinbmgb Caatle taken in the yoir 1S1S<*1S, vol.. I. q Digitized by CjOOQIC 158 DOUGLAS AND' RANDOLPH. * a was not, however, only by -Ae^^cttr- tions of great aind {>oweFfol ba(roii8,^fike RaDdolph and Douglas, that ifae freedom of Scotland was to be aceompliriied. mat fitout yeomanry, and the bold peaflui^ i»f dooc formed of crossrbarS) of hMiyiilBeagEate.. It has not .hinges like »r as the Scots had succeeded in so many enterprises of the kind, and as Doiq^lae was known to be in the neighbourboed, tfa^ oonceired themselves oUiged to keep a Tery strict gittrd. There was also aa Englishwoman, the wife of one of the etfeenr, who was sitting on tbe battlements with her child in her armd; and kokiag out on die fields below, she saw ecMne Uack objects^ Kko a herd of tottie^ stittggling near tbefciei of tbe wall, and ap« proaching the ditch or moat of the castle, ^e pointed Aem out to the sentinel, and asked him what they were. — " Pooh, pooh,'' said the soldier, **it is farmer such a man's cattle," (naming a man whose farm lay near Id the castle;) ^' tbe ^^oodman is keeping a joUy Shrovetide, and has forgot to shut up hia boUoeks in their yard ; but if theDoi^bM come across them before morning, he ie like- Digitized by CjooqIc 164 DOUaLAB AND RAMDOLPU. ly to rae his neglige&ce/' Now tlMse creep- ing objeetB wliich they saw from the caBtle-- wall were no real cattle, batDouglae himaelf and' his soldiers, who had put black cloaks abovetheir armour, and were creeping^ about on hands and feet, in order, wi hout being observed, to get so near to the foot of. the casde wall as to be able taset ladders to it* The poor woman, who knew nothing of th]% sat qtdetly on the wall, and began to sing to her child. You must know that the name of Douglas was become so terrible j(o the English, that the women used to fnghteu their children with it, and say to them when they behaved ill, that they <^ would make the Bhick Douglas take, them." And thia soldier's wife was singing to her child, « Hush ye, hush ye. little pet ye, Hoah ye, tawlh ye^ 4o not Dnt ye^ The Black Doofflas ahall not get ye.** *^ You are not so sure of that,*' said a voice close beside her« She felt at the sane time a heavy hand, with an iron glove, laid on her shoulder, and when she looked rounds 8he«awthe very Black Douglas she had Digitized by CjOOQIC POUGIAS AHD RANIXKLPH. 168 been slu^g about standiDg elese beside h«r) fl' t^n, ^xrattby, strong mani. At Hie same time, atiother Sccrt^maii was seen i^^ndifig tip tlie I^Us, nearr to tbe sentinel. Tbe sc^dieir pcre tbe aliirBi^ aiicl rtisbed at ACT Sootsifiaif, wboMie ikaaui vra»8imoa Ledc^ botts«, ultb bfflBi kiH»; bnt Simon parried |}m Vt0Wy and ckrfog witb ^tka setitbiriy sfrnelc Um a deadlf blow trkh bis daiggvr. The rest of tbe Scots folbw^ op W sMnfi Douglas and Ledeboiis^ and Ibe eadfe was ikdcen* Mtnly' df tbesoldierift wdre put to deadly bat Ddnglas protected tbe woman snd tbe cbfld* I dar^ tatj sbe mride no moife iJongB dboikt tbe Black Dowglas. ' Wbile Douglas, Randolpb, and otber tme^ berried patriots, were thus^ tddug castles and stroDgbcdds from ibe English, King Robert, who bad now a considerable army nnder Ids command, marched througb tbe eottntry, beating and dispensing smeb bodies elf English as he met on bis way. He went to the north country, where be conqnered ^tfae great and>powerfri fraiily ti Comjn, Digitized by CjOOQIC IM DOUOLAS AHB RANDOLPH. who retained gtmt ill will agidnst him fcr having slain their rdation, the Red CJomyn^ in the chnrch atDumfiiea. They had join- ed the Englidi with all their forces; hot «ow, as the Scots began to get ij^permoe!, they were very moch di^xessed. Bmce eansed more Aan thirty of them to be b^ headed on one dayfand the place where.fhey. are buried is called << the Grave of ihte head^ less Comyns." Neither did Robert Bmce foiget Jofah M^Dongal (tf Lorn, who had defeated him at Dairy, and very near made him prisoner, or shda him, by die hands of hag vassds, the: M^Androesers, and had afterwards pnrsned him with a bloodhound. When John of L(txrti heard >that Robert was marching against him, , he hoped to defend himself by takings possession of a very strong pass on the sidfr of one of the largest mountains in Scol^ land, Cruachan Ben. The ground was very strait, having great rocks on the one handy and on the other deep precipices, sinking down on a great Idee called Lochawe ; so Digitized by CjOOQIC DOUaLAS AVD aAMIIOLPH. , l^ 4tet John of Ix>m thoii^t him^otf perfect- ly secme^ as he could not be attacked 6z> cqpt in front, and by a very difficult path. Bttt Robert Bruoe^ when he saw how his -^lemies were posted, sent a party of lif^t- -aioned arehersy under command of Douglas, •with dizidioBs to go^ by a distant and dif- 'ficnlt road, aroniid the northern side of the hiXif and tkas to attaok.the men of liom in the rear as well as in front; behind, that.is, .as well as Jbeforew He had signals made : when Douglas arrived at Uie place appoint- ed. The King then advanced upon the Lorn men. in. front, when they raised a shout of ? defiance, and b^^an to sboot arrows and roll Atones down the path, with great confidence .intheir own security. But when they were attadced by the Dke to tibe 8oldi«r% and espressed Us deteraunation to gain the ymtmy, or to lose his^ life on the field, of battle. He de- sired that all' those who did not propose to fight to the hstf would leave the field be- fore the bauttle b^paiH and that none would remain except those who were determined to take the issue of victory oi! djeath» as God should send it« When the main body of bis army was thu& placed in order, the lUng posted Ban- dojlf»h, with a body of horse^ near to the Churcli of St Ninian'si commanding him to use the utmost djiigeniee to prev^it any sttccouss from being thrown into Stirling Castle. He then dismissed James of Dou- Digitized by CjOOQIC BATTtiB OF BAMNOCKBURN. 175 glap, and Sir Robert Keiths the Mareeehal of the Scottiph army, in order that they Biighl survey afi nearly as they could, the JBinglish force, which was now approaching from Falkirk. They returned with inform mation, that the approach of that vast host was one of the most beautiful and terrible, sights which could be seen, — that the whole country seemed covered with men-«t*arms on horse and fiiot,-^that the number of standardB^ faannens, and pennons, (all fiag» of diflfer^t kinds,) made so gallant a show,, that the bravest and most numerous host in Christendom might be alarmed to see King Edward* moving against them. It was upon the 23d of June (1314,) the King of Scotland heard the news, that the English army were approaching Stirling. He drew, out his armyv therefore, in the or- der which he faad-before resolved upon. Af- ter a short time, Bruce, who was looking out anxiously for the enemy, saw a body of English cavalry trying to get into Stirling from the eastward. This was the Lord Olif- ford, who, with a chosen body of eight hun- Digitized by CjOOQIC 176 BATTLE OF BANHOCKBUBIT. dred borse, had been detached to relieve tbe castle. «< See^ Randolph/' said the King to his nephew, << there is a rose fallen from your cbaplet.'' By this be meant, that -Ran- dolph had lost some honour, by suffering the enemy to pass where he had been com- manded to hinder them, Randolph made no reply, but rushed against Clifford with little more than half his number. The Scots were on foot. The English turned to charge them with their lances, and Randolph' drew up his men in close order to receive them. He seemed to be in so much danger^ that Douglas asked leave of the King t« go and assist him. The King refused him per- mission. > <' Let Randolph,'' he said, ** redeem his own fault; I cannot break the order of battle for his sake." Still the danger appeared greater, and the English horse seemed entirely to encompass the small handful of Scottish infantry. << So please you," said Douglas to the K^g, ** my heart will not suffer me to stand idle and see Raii- DigitizedbyCjOOQlC QATTjgE 07 9ANKOCKB0BK. IVT dolpb ptfisb'^I mui9t go ta hfanBiifalimfe/' He rode off accordingly ; but long before tboy had reaebed the j^aee of combat^ tbey saw the Eciglieb horses gelloping off, many \^th etapty saddlesr « Halt !" said Douglas to hisiiaen, << fiuBr dolph h^s gained the day ; sifipe we \fere uq^ spon enough to help him in tbe battle,, do not let us lessen hi» glory by af proaehing the field." Now, that was noUy done; espe* c^y asDouglas and Randolph were always cootendiifg which should rise highest in tha good opinion of the Edi^ and the nation. The y^a of the En^sh, army now came in sighty and a number of their bmvest knights drew near to see what the Scottish were doings They saw King Robert dressed in his armour, and disftinguished by a gold crown, which he wore oyer his helmet. He ^as not mounted on his great war-horse, because he did not expect to figljt that even- ing* But he rode on a little pony up and d^wn the ranks of his army, putting his men in order, and carried in his hand a short Digitized by CjOOQIC 178 BATTt^ OF BANMOCKBURN. batUe-axe made of steel. When the King saw the English horsemen draw near, he- advanced a little before his own men, that he might look at them more nearly. There was a knight aniong the English^ called iSir HemydeBohon, who thought this would be a good opportunity to gain great ' fitme to himlwlf, and put an end to the war, by killing King Robert The King being poorly mounted, and having no lance, Bo- hun galloped on him suddenly and furiously, thinking, with his long spear and his big strong horse, earily to bear him down to the ground. King Robert saw him, and permit- ted him to come very near, then suddenly turned his pony a little to one side, so that> Sir Henry missed him with the lance^point^ and was in the act of being carried past him by the career of his horse. But as he passed. King Robert rose up in his stirrups^ and struck Sir Henry on the head with his battle- axe so terrible a blow, that it broke to pieces his iron helmet as if it had been a nut-shelly and hurled him from his saddle. He ' d by Google BATTtB OF BAMMOCKBUUM. If 9 dead before he reached the ground* ThiR gallant action was blamed by the Scottisli leedem, who thought Bruce ought not to ' have ea^poBcd himself to so much danger, when the safety of the whole army depend- ed on him. The King only kept looking at his weapon which was injured by the force ' of the blowy and aaid^ ^* I have broken my good battle-a3Ee»" The next mornings being the 24th June» 'at break of day the battle b^;an in terrible - earnest. The English as they advanced saw the Scots getting into line. The Abbot of Inchafiray walked through their ranks bare- footed, and exhorted them to fight for their ' freedom* They kneeled down as he passed, and prayed to Heaven for victory. KLing * Edward, who saw this, called out, ** They kneel down — they are asking forgiveness." . <* Yes," said a celebrated English baron, called Ingelram de Umpbraville, ^ but they ' ask it from God, not from us— these men will conquer, or die upon the field." The English King ordered hiv men to be- gin the battle. The arohers then bent Aeir Digitized by CjOOQIC IM BATTIUB OFBAKirOOKBUiUr. bow% and biBan lo diik^«o.ete8i%.togeAiir» that the arrows fell like flaboe of enow on a ChriAtmaa day. They killed many of tha SeoUif and might, as at Falkirk and other jdaees, have decided the victory ; Imt Bruee^ as J told you before, was prepared for them. He had in readiness a body jof meD<«t^arma •well mounted, who rode at full gallop amoog the archers, and as they liad no wseapoQ^s sara their bows and arrowa, whidi they 4MHild not uae when they wei^e attacked :haad to hand, they were cut dpwu in great num- bers by the ScoUish honsemp^i, and thrown into total confusdcipi* The fine English cavalry then advaneed to support their archers, and to attack the Scottish line. But coming over the ground which was dug full of pits, the horses fell into these holes, and the riders lay tum- bling about, without any means of defence, and unable to rise from the wdght of their armour. The Englishmen began to fall into general disorder; and the Scottish King, bringing up more of his forces, attacked and prsased them stiU more closdyv Digitized by CjOOQIC BATTLE OF BAK^TOCICBURK. 181 0n a kadieDy tin ev€iit hapJKened whic6* decided the victoiy. The servants and at- tendants on the Scottish camj^ had, as I told yooy been sent behind the army to a place called the GiUies -hiU. But now when they saw that their masters were like to gain the dayy they rushed from their place of con- cealment with such weapons as they could- get, that they might have their share in the victory and in the spoil. The English, seeing them come suddenly over the hill, mistook this disorderly rabble for a new army coming up to sustain the Scots, and losing all heart,' began to shift every man for himself. Ed- ward himself left the field as fast as he could ride, and was closely pursued by Douglas with a party of horse, who followed him as far as DuUbar, 'where the English had stilt a friend in the Grovemor, Patrick Earl of March. The Earl received Edward i^ his forlorn condition, and furnished him with a fishing skifi^, or small ship, in which he aped to England, having entirely lost his VOL. I. Q Digitized by CjOOQIC 188 9Atf hR OF BAHNOCSJfttJBN. fiM Iinil7f moA A giwt smitor q£ Us bia- lEort nobles* T!b0 English newr before 0!r Bfterwdrdsr losjb fiodr^adful a battle as that of Bannock- haxth. nov did the Sco(t$ evdr. gain .obe of the same impoxtanoe. Many of the heAi imd biayest of the English nobUity and gentry, ^ I haye said) lay dead on the field; a gifeat many moire were, made prisoners ; «aid ^ whole of King Edward's immense army was dispersed or destroyed. The English^ i^ter this great defeat, weTt» jfo longer in a eondition to support their pre- tensions to be mssters of SeoUand, or to eon-* ^ne» as they had done for nearly tw^nl^ years, to send anpies into that eonntry to overcome it On the contrary, they became scarce able to d^end their own frontier^ against Robert Bruce and his soldisrs. ; There were several battles fodght witbhi Png^and itself, in whidi the English had greatly the worst. One of these took place near Mitton, in Yorkshire. So many.priesls took part in the fight, tliat the Scottish call- Digitized by CjOOQIC SATTtB OF BAHNQCXBVltlh 18S edit the Chapter of Mittoti. Anusettogof the clergymen belonging to » cathedral » called a Chapter* There 'waa great slaughter in and after the action* The Scots laid waste the country of England as &r as the gates of York| and enjoyed for the time a consi- derable anperiwity over their ancient ene-» nues, who had so lately threatened to malm them subjects of England. Thus did Robert Bruce arise from the con* dition of an exile, hunted with bloodhounds like a stag or beast of prey, to the rank of an independent sovereign, universally acknow- ledged to be one of the wisest and bravest kings who then lived. Thenation of Scotland was also raised once more from the state of a distressed and conquered province to that of a free and independent state, governed by its own laws, and subject to its own prin- ces ; and although the country was, after the Brace's death, often subjected to great loss and distress, both by the hostility of the Eng- lish, and by the unhappy civil wars among the Scots Uiemselves, yet they never after- Digitized by CjOOQIC 18% BATtU OF BA^NOCKBURK. TTdrclfl Idfift the freedom for whicli Wallace •&ad laid down his life, and which King Ro- bert had recovered, no less by his wisdom than by his weapons. And therefore most just it is, that while the country of Scotland -retains any recollection of its history, the -memory of these braye warriors and faiths ^nl patriots onght to be remembered with honour and gratitude. d by Google [ 185 ] CHAP. IX- Comemi^ the JEwphUs qf Edward Brwep the Dougias^ Bmdoiph Earl of Mifrroff^ and the Deaih qfEobert Bruce. You will be naturally curious to hear iHrhat became of Edward» the brother of Ro- bert Bruce, who was so courageous and at the same time so rash. You must know that the Irish, at that time, had been ahnoet fully conquered by the English ; but becoming weary of them, the Irish chiefs, or at least a great many of them, invited Edward Bruce to come oyer, drive out the Engli8h,,and be- come their king. He was willing enough to go, for he had always a high courageous spi- rit, and desired to obtain fame and dominion by fighting. Edward Bruce was as good a soldier as his brother, but not so prudent and Digitized by CjOOQIC 196 EXPLOITS OF EDWABD BRUCE, cautious; for, except in the aflbir of killing the Red Comyn, which was a wicked and violent action, Rohert Bruce showed himself as wise as he was courageous; However, he was well contented that his brother Edward^ who had always fought so bravely for him^ should be raised up to be King of Ireland'. Therefore King Robert not only gave him an army to assist in making the cotiqu^st, but passed over the sea to Ireland himself in person j witH a considerable body of' troops to assist him.' The Bruces gained several battles, and penetrated far into Ireland ; but the Engl&h forces were too numeroas, and eb many of the Irish joined with them n* ther than witli' Edward Bruce, that King Robert and his brother were obfig^ to re-^ 4reat before them. - The chief commander of the English wai « great soldier, called Sir Edmond Butlei) and he had assembled a much greater army than Edward Bruce and his brother King Robert bad to oppose to him. • The Scot* were bbl^ed to retreat every momiitg, that ,*. • Digitized by CjOOQIC 0OUGLA8» AND HURRAY. . 187 they might not be fyrced to battle by an army more numeroos than their own* I. have often told you, that King Robert the Brace was a wise and a good prince. Bat a droamstance happened during this retreat, whidi showed che was also a kind and. humane man. It was one mornings gentler men," he said, ^< never let it be said thaA a man who was born of a woman, aild nursed by a womanf s tendemeai, ehoold leave k mother and an infant to the mercy of bar- barians. In tihe name of Ck>d, let the odds and the ride be what they will, I will 1^ Edmond Butler sather than leave these poor . oreatures behind me* Let the army, there^ fore, draw up in line oi battle^ instead of Retreating.'' The story had a singular conclusion ; for the English general, seeing that Robert the Bruce halted and offered him battle and Digitized by CjOOQIC DOUGLAtt, AKD MVaRAY. 189 knowing that the Soottuh king was one of the best generak then living, ooneeived that he most have received «ome large supply of forces, and was afraid to attack him. And thus Bruce had an opportunity to send off the poor woman and her child, and then ib tetreat at his leisure, without suffering any inconvenience from the halt. But Robert was obliged to leave the con- questiof Ireland to his brother Edward, bch ing recalled by pressing afiairs to his own .^sountry. Edward» who was rash as he was tbrave, engaged^ against the advice of his best <^cers, in battle with an English ge^ neral^ called Sir Piers de Birmingham. The Scots were smrrounded on all sides, but con^ tinned to fight valiantly, and Edward Bruce showed the esnunple, by fighting in the very vfront of the battle. At lengthy a strong Eng«^ 'lish champion, called John Maupas, enga- ged Edward Bruce hand to hand ; and they fought till they killed each other. Man- pas was found lying after the battle upon jthe body of Edvraid Bruce ; both were dead Digitized by CjOOQIC laO £XjnU>iT8 OF UUWARB BIUZCE, men. AfttrEdvfriitdBiMe'fli^ili, th^fiMto Jlob^ Bruce ooiKtiiiiMd to reigii glmovti- ly for.ieTferal yeiunb and was to e<»i8tasil;}y Tictorioofli over tba Eiigl]«b> th«t the Soete eeewed for the time to ba^e acquired a cem^ plete8apei|arityoT^tbdb:iieighboBi% But then we must rememb^ thai Edviwd IL» jfbo iben reigned inEnglaadi iwas a foelisb {iffintoy tad. listened to bad eotineik; eo^it iauo winder that be ^ros' beaten foyeoime And experienced ageneralas Rdiert BffoiM^ mhu hadfougbthie way toihe crown tbimq^h ao many diisaetere. , . In.ihe last yeer ;of BobNrt the Bruee's xeign^ be beeameesslremely eicULy and ia- firm» chie% owing. to a.^eetder enUed Hm leproeyy wbiob be hid caugbl duinig the Jbardsbipe and miaforlunee o£ hie youtby -when be was so firequently phligad to bide himaolf in wobis and. wMurasses, ndthout a jXK>f to shelter him. He lived at a caatla on Abe beautiful banks of the idver Glyde» neaf to where it joined the sea; and bis chief Digitized by CjOOQIC flanmeMtebt wm to go upon tlie tiler, and doito to the sea in a Mp, wh^ he kept tot Im pbasiirc^ H^ «ras no lon^ aiUe to sit npoii hk wmr4ior8^ or to lc»d Us army to tite fieia. While Brnoe n^ in this feeblo steto, Edward IL King of England died, and waa succeeded by his son EdinurAlIL He tam- ed out itfterwards to be one of the wisest and bhimst kings ivhom Eaog^d erer had ; bdt sA this time he \fwi very yoong^ aitd un-i der Hbe entire mani^anient dT his mdther, whogirremed bymeaas of a wkkM fitvour* ito cldldd Morl^eh HiB war betiv«en the EnlgUdi and the Seofeh still lasting at that timis, Biruce sent hm t^o greal o^kimaiMUrs, the Good Lord James Doi^Ias, and Thomas Raddolph Earl qf Mttrray, to lay wasto the eountias of Noi> thtunheHspd and Itoham, andAstress tha English as much as they could. 'Their soldiers wer6 about twenty thou- saend men in number, all %litly anned, and moutitU on horses tbat were but smfdl in Digitized by CjOOQIC Krigli^ tHit exeetnyeljr aeliw. Hm mflD- tfaemselves' carried no provinon, except a bag of oatmeal ; and eadbt had at his aaddlel a small plate of iron called a girdle^on whidi^r when they pleased, they could bake .the oat*, meal into cakes. TKey killed the cattle oi tiie English, as they travelled throngh the country, roasted the flesh on wooden spits^ or boiled it in the skins of the animals them*- selves, putting in a little water with the. beef, to prevent the fire from burning, the hide to pieces. This was rough cookery. They made their shoes, or rather saadals^ in as coarse a way, cutting ihem out of th^' raw hides of the catUe, and fittii^ them to Hieir ancles, like what are now called abort gaiters. As this sort of buskin had the hairy side of the hide outermost, ihe Bnglish call-s ed those who wore them roi^gh^foiedScotMf and sometimes, from the colour of the bide^ redrshanks. . Aathe army needed to carry nothing wiih them, either for provisions cr ammunitioaf the Soots moved with amazing speed, from Digitized by CjOOQIC ' DOimLJQB^ AMD UtJSMAY. ' 199[ molmtflin to moniitain, and from glen to: glen, piUaging and destri^ing the comi-' tipy'wheresoeyer tbey cane. In the mean-* laiole,' the young King of England pursued ibem^with a niueh larger army ; but, as it ^fM encumbered by the necessity of cariy-' iag pvovirionaln great quantities, and by^ tfcte slow moticns of men in heavy armour, liiey could not come up with the Scots, al-' iimmgh they saw every day the smoke of the' hMsesand vfUages which they were burn-> ing. The King of England was extremely angry; for, though only a boy of aixteen yeart old^ he longed to fi^t the Scots, and todhastise themfor the misclnef they were dlingto faiscounlary; and he grew so impa- tient, that he offiired a large reward to any ond whei wotdd show him where the Soot^ tish army were.' f At length, after the English host: had suffered severe harddiips by want of pro^ visions, i and fetiguing journeys through fords, and swamps, and morasses, a gentle- man named. Rokeby came into the camp, VOL. I. R Digitized by CjOOQIC 1941 EXPUORW 09 mmMMB BSUCS, aiifd dhiowd tUe reward wlncli-the 'Sii^ hiid offered. He tdU thb Sing^t he.li8a> been made ptisoaer hj tiie ficote^ aandthslr ' thej had said thej^ ihoald be aa g^to^aAee^ the Englkb King as he to see them. Aeoordk iogly, Roheby guided the Bsgliah arBsy" to the plaee where the Sects lay eneampedLi / But the English King was no neater to the battle which he desired, for Douglas aaA Randolph^ knowing the finree and nniiabsBtt of th4 Eiqflish army» had taken op theifi estop ona steep hill^ at the bettohi^tflwhiela van H deep riftMr, having a diannel filled wMfe kirge stones^ so that difere wis Ac ^oanifctr Kty for the Bngliskto attack thd Seots withn ont crossing tiie water» and ihent dkaUm^ up the hiU in the very t$ce of their enem^# arisk whiek vhm to» 'greslt to baatteitptQda Then the King sent a message; of difit taifeto theScottitfh gtaeraH iilTitliigthem eithet* todnwv baok thdr foroes^ and allow him freedom to eross the riyer, and tknfe te plane his army in order of batdo, on tlit other Bide» thait they might %bt foialy» or Digitized by CjOOQIC . nmaOSLAMf AMD MURRAY^ ]95 ^tbOagi M ihsjr filtefl it UiUar, fo permil tbemto oross over to his side withoot oppo* •itioi^ that they might joiB battle on a fair £eld. Bandol]^ aiid Douglas did Qotlmig fait kugh at this mesaage. They eaid, when |Ji0y.fthe best way he could. Tbe Englfaii Kingi dftitoiiilied not to quit dlgbt of the 6eotS5 encamped on the oppo* ike side of this riv^ to watch their motion^ thmldng that ^mmt df prmsions would obKge tl^m to quit Aeir strong posHion on the nnonntains. But the Soots onbe more sfaow'edEdwBsd their desBlerity in marching, by leaving thfeir cmcampmieiit) and taking up another post, even stronger and more di^ fienlt to approfiob than the first whibb they Digitized by CjOOQIC 196 EXPLOITS OF TOWARD BBUCE, iiad occupied. King IBdward 'followed, aiid Again encamped opposite to his dexterous and troublesome enemies, in hopes to bring -them to a battle, when he might easily .hope ito gain a victory, having more than douUe 4he number of the Scottish army, all troops .^f the very best quality. : While the armies lay thus opposed to ;each other, Douglas resolved to give the young King of England a lesson in the alrt (of war. . At the dead of night, he left As rScottish camp wilh a small body of chosen Jiorse, not above two hundred, well armed. He crossed the river in deep silence, and ^came to the English camp, wMch was but carelessly guarded. Seeing this, Douglas rode past the English sentinels as if he had been an officer of the Bnglish iinnyj say-f ing, — << Ha, Saint Geotge ! you keep bad :watch here." — In these, days, you must inow, the English used to swear by Saint George, as the Scottish did by Sahit An^ drew. Presently after, Douglas heard an English soldier, who lay stretched by the fire, say to his comrade, — ^^ I cannot tell Digitized by CjOOQIC 4|duitiatQlfajmii»a«Ui tbisffoce; but^fttr wyfgittf I bants » great fear of the Black j>QiigJlaa playing qs i^xm trick«'WV Yoa ^iball haT0 oausd to sag? /ms** tibought Douglas to himself* When be had thus got into the addat of the English canp without heing disGonrered, lie drwr hia »WQV^» and out^nnder the vopes of a tent» eaUiag out bis usual \rar-ory»*-r >^ Doug^a^ DongbvB i Ei^^h tbieyesy yon are all dead men." His followeni imme«- distely hag^ to opt down and overturn the lentsi outtuig ai»d stahbiag the BngUsh sol- fdiers as they eiideav4)ttred to get to anns. . Dovglaa fecced bis way to the pavilion iof th0 Kiiv biniself» and very nearly oar^ riedthat yptmg priaee. prisoner ont of the Jiuddla of his great army. Edward's chap*- iainf bawaWf and many of bis household^ stood. to arms bcavely in his defence^ while the ymmg King jssoaped by DOUai/Ad, AND MURAAY* 199 ba^e been too great^-^^ Then ^1 tre fi^t them in open battle^" said Randolph, ** for if we remain here, we shall in time be fs^ mkhfid for want of provisions.*'— " Not so," Teplied Douglas ; << we will deal with this great army of the English as the fox did with the fisherman' in the Ikble." — ^^ And how was that ?" said the Earl of Murray.—^ 'Here the Douglas told him this story :-^ ^ r << A fidierman/' he said, *^ had made A «hut by a river side, that he might follow his locoupation of fishing. Now, one night he had gone out to look after his nets, leaving a small fire in his hut ; and when he came back, behold there w«s a fox in the-cabin^ taking the liberty to eat one of the finest /salmoa he had taken. ^ Ho, Mr Robber V said the fisherman, drawing his sword, and ^standing in the door-way to prevent the fox's «oape ; * you shall presently die Hie death.' The poor fox looked for some hole to get out at, but saw none, whereupon he pulled down I with his teeth a mantle, \fhkk was lying on the bed, and dragged it across the fire. Digitized by CjOOQIC £00 EXPI^ITS OF 50WABD BRUCEy (Tbd fiBh^maB tBA ta mivMn his maoilii from ttte fice— the fpx flow out at the 4o^ idth.itie 6almpn;r-aod oo will we'e«cap0 the gr^t English army by 8abtlety> mi without risking battla with so barge an an- say.'* Randolph agread to act by QoagWa xsoimael, and tilie Scots anAy kjndled'gireait fires.thi^oiigb tibir .eticavq^imeat, and mada a mm0 iU)d shoittiBg^ and blowing of bora% as if they meant to remain aU Jiight thef«^ i»a before. But in the mean tima^ Dov^as bad caused a road to be cat through two wiles of A greaik morass which lay in their ireaTf imd which it would otherwise baye been im^possiUe that the army oonld haye \$rossedi mid through thia paaaage^ wUch the EogliA never sfuq^tad^ Douglas and ^Randolph) and all their meu»^ moy|»d attha dead of night. TheydidmitleaTesosftuali as an errand4)oy b^iind, and so bent their narch towards Scotland, leaving the So^ iish dittippointed and affrofited. Greatwas their wonder in the morning, when thsy d by Google . DOUGLAS^ ANP MUBRAY. 201 saw the Scottish, camp empty, and fc«ind no living men in it, but two or three Eng-^ fish prisoners tied to trees, whom they^had left with an insulting message to the King 6f England, saying, <^ If he were displease^ with what they had. done, he might ccHne and revenge himself in jSeotland/* I The place where the Scots fixed this fa- mous encampment, was in the forest of 'Weardale, in the bishoprick of Durham; and the road which they cut for the pnr^ pose of their retreat, is still called the Shorn Moss. • • . ( , After this a peace was conelnded with Robert 'Bruce, on terms highly honounLble to Scotland, for the English King renono^ ced all pretensions to the sov^eignty ^f the country; and, moreover, gave his sister, a princess called Joanna, to be wife to Robert Brace's son, called David. This treaty was very advantageous for the. Scots. It was 'called the treaty of Northampton, because it was concluded at that town, in the year 1828. ' Digitized by CjOOQIC 909 ExvuntB OF now Ann bruce. Good Kin]( Bobeft did iibt kmg satvive tfate j vice >to.niligion|> and that what sina th»y hmd committed would be pasdoned. by God Aha%hty9 because they had taken a partin 4iiia whidh tJkey called a hiol|^ warfiare. You may remember that Bruce thought of go4 ing upon this «xpeditioii when he Was in deq^ of reeovering the^erownof Scodi^d^ and now he desired his heart to be oalariBd to Jerusalem after his death, and n^ueaied Xord James of Douglas to take lb chioge of it Douglas wept bitterly as he aceeptcd d by Google 2iM Exiax>tgr6^ x^w emtiuu^ ^eruxge, fcUfl' dffice,— die last mark of the Bnbe^i confidence and friendship. ' The King soon afterwards ezpmd,.aid bis heart was taken out from his body and embalmed, that is, prepared with spices and perfumes, that it might' temaiA a long time fresh:and tincorrupted. Then the Doug^afli caused a case of silver to be made, into idiich * he put the Brace's heart, and wore it around his neck, by a string of silk and gold. . And he set forward for the Holy Land, as it was' called, with a gallant train of the. bravest men in Scotland, who^ to show their valoe and sorrow « for their brave King Robert Bruce, resolved to attend his heart to the city of Jerusalem. It had been much bet^ ter for. Scotland if the Douglas. and they had staid at home to def(Nid.their>own coun* try, which. was shortly aft^:wards in great Want of their assistance. Neither did Douglas e^er get to the end of his journey. In going to Palestine, he-landed in Spain, where the Saracen King.orSultaa of Grenada, called Osmyn, was invading 3 Digitized by CjOOQIC tlie Mdhni of Alpbofiso, the Spaidflli King of Castile. King Alphonso reeeiyed Dou- . glas with great honour and diatinetioii, and pec^le came from all {larts to iee the great soldier, whose fame was well known throi^h e¥ery part <^the'Christian world. KingAi- phonso easily persuaded him, that he would do good service to. the Christian canse, hy assisting him to/drive hack the Saracens ot Grenada, before proceeding on his Voyage to Jerusalem. Lord Douglas and his follow* «B went accordingly to a great battle against Osmyn, and had little difficulty in defeat- ing the Saracens who were opposed to them.* But being ignorant of tiie mode of fighting among the canralry of the east, the Scote pursued the chase too far, and the Moors,' ' when they saiw them scattered and sqiara- tdd.fromc each other,x touted suddenly baok^ with a loud cry of jUlah illak JUahy which is their shout of battle, and surrounded suish of .4^ Scottish knights and squires as had a4vaaieed too hastily. , In this new skirnudif Douglas niw SSr VOL. I. s Digitized by CjOOQIC aOB EZPXOm OF JB&WABO BSVCE, WiUfcok StClair of cBodya fi^tingtepe- . cfttoljr, turroundcd > by nqiny Moord, wbo» 1rere.hew]ag«t]ilmwithtibeir«Rfar^. ^^Yoii-; dw wocthy knight w|ll be slmiiy" DoA^am 8iuid»llow thee, or dieu'^ ^ thf^ Ihniw the King^s heart assong the eneiiiy^ tod xaosUng .forward -tof iike. pbbeo wher^ it fell, wa9 ihece blain. Hiii'bMy wia^ feand lyingrabosvethesiliroir caw^ as if it hiid baenhis kwt object to defted the Brace's hearts This Good Lord JaEoes of Douglas vras one cio:unftrys itat at a high {lifch/asd Xiord iFtales v4s mueb irrilated at the death .of his fslthfnl servant Thomas Diehsrokento pieoe% and nobodyconldtdl where it stood* .'But a little. while before Master Hugh litdcjohn was bom, whidi I take to be six or seven years ago^ when they were 'repairing the eharoh at Danfarmline, and remoying.therahbirii, lo I they found frag- ments of the marble tomb of Robert Brace. JTben they began to dig fiBurther, thinking to findthebodyofihis celebrated monareh; and atlengtk theycame to ibe skeletonof a tall man, and they Imew it must be that of King Hobert, boih.bMiufie he is known to have been buried in a wudiiig sheet of doA of gold, of, which many fwagmentowere.fottnd aboot this dkeleten, and alio because /the iH^eastibone appear^ to have .been sawed :through, in order to take out thefaa|rli»' So orders were sent from the Kiag^s Coart of Exchequer to gasvd the hon» cavefiiUy, Digitized by CjOOQIC ; DOUGLAS, AND MURRAY. 211 AomSl hneW tonib flboald be prejtai^, inio Iwhioh they were laid 'witb great teepeet A f great many genileiiieii and ladies attended, ;and almost all the common people in the ^ineighboorluMKL Andastheohorehwouldnot thbld the nnmbers, they were aUo^ed to paisi '.through it, one after another, that each one, .ihapocNrest as well as the richest, might see 'all that remained of the great King Robert ^Broce, who resitbi^ the Scottish m^murohy. .Many peo|rfe sjhied t^rii.; <£Nr-tlwfe was ^ wasted skull, which once was the head that thought so wisely and boldly for his coun- try's deliyerance ; and there was the dry bone, which had once been the sturdy arm that killed Sir Henry de Bohun, between the two armies,, at a single blow, on the evening before the battle of Bannockbum. It is more than five hundred years since the body <^ Bmoe was first laid into the tomb; andhowmany many millions of men have^died since that time, whose bones could not be recognised, or their names known, any mwe than those of inferior a n i m a ls ! Digitized by CjOOQIC 219 EXPLQITO Of bdwaho beuob, &g. It 11^819 ia gmt tUiigto see liMl lltt m^ coumgei imd patriblidiD of s King^ 'eoidd .preserve biiti for Muik a long tww in the memory of the peaple e^er trhom he dme reigned. ButtboBi^ttydAffcliiU^youinaet rcpiemi^ei^ tjiat it ie didjr dbdunUe to bfe rememjbened f<»r ptaieevotthf and ^tiieiib aetioiui) euoib )bus thi^iif Bobert Bmoe. It would be better fora priiiee ie befdigotten .like the mwnMt peatafat^ Aas to be veodl- leeted fw aetieiiit of ttyiaiiiiy or I d by Google [ ais ] CHAR X. Cfihe Gtmenment of Scatitmd. } '. I FEAR, my d«ar Hug:b, tiiat this wilt 1)^ ;raiher a doll Chapter, and somewfaat dii&- ;ci]lt to be understood^ bat if you do ndt tquite comprehend it at .the first reading*) .yon may perhaps do so npoo^a second trisl^ and I ^ndll striye to be as plain and disUnct \as I can. : . * ; c. As Scotland was never so great or so powerfal as during the reign of Rob^ 3race, it is a fit time to tell you the sort cl* ;laws by which the people were governed a vd lived in society together. , • / ' And first, you must observe, that the are two Idncb cmT government, one calle Digitized by CjOOQIC 214 G0YEBNM&N1 M SdOTLAND. despot, or cbtohtte, in which the King can do whatever he pleases with his suhjects — seize upon their property, or deprive them of thdr Kves at pleasure. This is the case of almost all the kingdoms of the East, where the Kings, Emperors, Sultans, or whatever other name the]^ hear, may do whatever they like to their subjects, with- out being contrQlted by uAy one. tt is very unfortunate for the people who Hve under •Qch a gbVisnubenlf fflfd.tli^snlgeetB cad be eotwideredee no better tjbau eUvtis^ hafing BO life nor property dafeaa sbon as the King .ebooses to tAke it. Sosne Kings, it ia true^ Are gbod-men, ai^d use Ihe p6wc^ whicb ia {nttiiklo their hiands ixiily tp do good to iha people. But then others are thoughtless^ And ^^anniog and wichsd^pbrsdns tionlHve to gat.thair coafideiitiB, by flatteiy iad a&ar .bans melins^ and lead diem to d^ ibjostiiM, .even when perfaapa!t|iey tihaoisdiws do not think of it. And^ besidca, there are bad Ksiig% inbo^ if 4hey have ihe uncontndled power of taking the money.aad tlie gaodenf Digitized by CjOOQIC GOuaNStSNr of scof lakd; fil6 tUir^iijMB, of tteD\Hiig ihttb iitl» pii«. gbii^ or {mttio^ tfaeiii to death lit theiv plea* 8ttrQ> ar^ apt to indalg4ft th^r cra^lty and tfaeir greedioess at the ttpwio 4^f tbepeaple^ and arf «salled hy the hateM oaioe #€ ly*^ rants. TfaoBe stfitea ave thevefora a thovsaad timed move happy Which have whatkicalleA 1^ free goTOrmnnt ; lliat ]% where the Kin^ himi^lf 3$ eubjeet to the htwcf, a^d eanaot rule otherwise thaa by nteaiia of ihmi; , Iiir such govetameot99 the King ia oontroUed and direeted by the Ifiwi, fnd caa, neither pat a mati to dc^th, utdeiM hp has heem fiMind gaUty of eotoe orimct for wiAA. the kw eoadepae him i/o die, nor force him to pay any money beytmd What the laws glvie the Sovereign a ri^^ to oolieet §ot tibege^ B6ral^penBe»of the state. Ali^^ostaUthe natione of modern JBui^pe have beenoi^gi- nally free goTer&mefttg, hut in fievetial of them tfajd Kings have aoqfuired a great deal teo much powto, although not to each an uabounded degree aa we find in the East^ ■ Digitized by CjOOQIC 2ifi OOVIAiriUWT or SC0fl44VD. eAi cMrttriM. Bat D(tker €omitn€% Uke tbat of Great Biitein, hxve bad tbe good flurtone to retain a free ooiiBtitatio% wbitk proteis^ and preseryes those who live luqidin' it f torn aU c^ressioBy or arbitrary poirer. We owe this blessing to our brave aneeth-. fjbrsy who were at all timea ready to delead these privileges with iheir lives; and we are, on our partj bound to hand them downy, in as ample form as we received thesis to the posterity who shall come after us* In Scothuidy and through most countries. qC JBurope» the principles of freedom wei:». protected by the feudal aystem^ which was ^OW.univexsaUy introduced. . You recollect tbat the. Kipgt aecording to that system^ be- stowed large, estates upon the nobles .and giceai baronsy who were called v^uwals^ for the fiefsy or possessions which they thus reived from .the King, and were obli'* |;ed; to. follow him .when he summoned tSiem to battle^ and to attend upon his g^eat council, in wbidi all matters con- cerning the afiairs of the kingdom were eon- Digitized by CjOOQIC mA«NAf anil i^eaoked ttpon. It was in tibds €hfmt Council, now eslledaParliament^ that Aha laws of the kingdom were resolved upon, to altered, at the pleasure, not of the King alone, nor of the Couneil alone, but as both 4he King and Council shonidagree iogelh^* I must now tell yon particularly how this Great Council was composed, and who bad the pri\ilege of ■sitting' there. At first, there is no doubt that every vas- sal who held lands direetly^ of the <^ownt had this privil^e; and a baron, or royal vassal, not only had the right, but was obli*- ged to attend the Great Council of the king- dom. Accordingly, all the great nobility usuallycame on the King's summons; but (hen it was very inconvenient and expen*- sive for men of smalls estates to be making long journeys to the Parliament, and n^ maining, perkips^ fbr many days, or weeksi absent firbm their own fiunili^s, and their oifu business. Besides, if all the royal vassals, or fredioldersy as they began to be VOL. I. T. 1 Digitized by CjOOQIC 21i .60V£RN1IE1IT OF flCOTLAMD. Mible to find a room large enough to hold mich a meeting) net eonld any one Yimv^ ^qsoken so as to have made himself under- stood by such an immense multitude. From this it haj^ned, that instead of attending all of them in their own persons, &e lessor borons, (as the smaller freeholders were oalled, to distinguish them from the great nobles,) assembled in their different diB«> tvicts, or shires, as the divisions of the eoun* try are termed, and there made choiee of one or two of the wisest and most expo* rienced ci their number to attend the Par- liament, or Gk'oat Council, in the name, and to take eare of the intmest, of the whole body. Thus, the crown vassals.who attond* ad upon and composed the Parliament, or the National Council of Scotland, came to consist of two different bodies, nanvely, the Peers, or Great Nobility, wfaom/the JLing especially summoned,>and such of the lessor Digitized by CjOOQIC GOVERNMENT OF SCOTLAND^ tl9 Bftrons who were geM to represent the crown vassals in the different shires or counties of Scotland. But besides these two different classes, the Grreat Council also contained the representatives of the elergy^ and of the boroughsi or considerar> ble towns. In the times of the Roman C^thoHc reli-* gion, the churchmen exercised very great power and authority in every kingdom of Europe, and omitted no opportunity by in^ich their importance conld be magnified^ It is therefore not wonderful, that the chief men of the clergy, such as the bishops, and those abbots of the great abbeys who were called Mitred Abbots, from their being en«« titled to wear mitres, like bishops, should have obtained seats in Parliament. They were admitted there for the purpose of looking after the affairs of the church, and ranked along with the Peers, or Nobles ha^ i4ng titles. It remains to mentkni the boroughs. Yon must know, that in order to increase the Digitized by CjOOQIC t2(l OOV£RNllIEl3T OW SCOTLAlfn* commerce and industry of the country, waA also to estaUkh some balance against the immense power of the great Lords^ the Kings of Scotland, from an early period, had been in the use of granting coosidera* Ue privileges to inany of the towns in their dominions, which, in consequence of the charters whidbi they dbfteiDed frott the CEOwn, were termed royal 'boroughs; The citiBens of these boroughs h^ the pririkge of Meeting their own magistrsltea^ and bad considerable revenues, some from lands co»» ferred on them by the King, others frbvl tolls and taxes upon commodities btoughtt into the town. These revenues w^re laM out by the magistrates (usually called iha Provost and Bailies) for the use of the town. The same magistrates, in those war- like days, led out the burghers, or towns- men, to battle, either in defence of the town's lands and privileges, which were of^ ten attacked by the great lords and barons in their neighbourhood, or for the purpose of fighting against the English. The burgh- Digitized by CjOOQIC QX>TX»»tSNT OF SCOTX^NB;. 921 ecs weraall wifll trained to anas, aad were: oUiged to attend the king's army, or host^ wbenerer they were summoned to do so.; Besides other privileges, the boroughs had the very important right to send repreaen** iatives, or oommissionersi who sat in Par-^ liament to look after the interest of the towns whieh they represented, as well as to assnt in the general affiurs of the nation* You may here remark, that so far the Seot« tish Parliament entirely resembled the Eng- lish in the nature of its constitution. Biit there waa this very material difference in the mode of transacting business, that in England, the peers, or great nobility, with the bishops, and great abbots, sat, delibera-^ tsd, and voted in a body by themselves^ which was called the House of Lords, or of Peers, and the representatives of the coun- ties, or shires, t<^ether with those of the boroughs, occupied a different place of meet- ing, and were called the Lower House, or House of Commons. In Scotland, on the contrary, the nobles, prelates, tepresenta** Digitized by CjOOQIC 20 GOVSSJmSMT OV. 8IKMDLA1IIX. tirmkiK tlw sUim^ «id del^fflttoB fiir tfaD borougbsy all sat in the same apiurtii»nt^ and Abated and voted as members' of Ac same assembly. Sinee the nnioa of £ d» naitiire ^ mitted the lord on whose territory the crinw had been committed, to demand that the acifcused persons should be delivered up te hhn, to be tried in his own court. A noUe* man or baron making such a demand, was, indeed, obliged to give security that hk Digitized by CjOOQIC ess aeVJIBVMEVT ov motland. woiM ezecttte jtntide on tfie persons witlF* in a oerUdn reasonaUe time. Bat such was the weakness of the royal government, and sodi the great power of the nohilityi and ihe barons of high rank, that if they once got the person accused into thdr own hand^ ihey might easily contrive either to let him escape, or to have htm acquitted after a mock trial. Thus, it was always dtiBcaltj and often impossible, to pat in executimi the good laws whieh were made in the Soottisli Parliament, on aeooant of the great power jposDOsned by the nobles, who, in order to preserve and extend their own authority, threw all manner of interruption in the way of public J as tice. Each of these noUes within the country which was subject to him, more resemUed a king himself than a subject of the Mo« aaroh of Scotland ; and in one or two in* •tanoes, we shall see that some of them be* eame so po^v^rf ul as to threaten to dispos* sess the kings of their throne and dominions. Hie^ery srosllest of them often made wtr Digitized by CjOOQIC 0OVfiRNMfiirr OF S«mXAlfD« 911 eack otbcs* witbout the king's cooMiit) and thus tkere was a universal scene of -disor^ :d^ and bloodshed through the whole coun- 4ry. These disorders seemed to be render* 'Od perpetual by a custom which w»b called -by ibensime of deadly JbmL When two mem of diffierent families quarrelled, and the one 'nijured or slew the other, the relatives of Ihe deceased or wronged person, knowing that the laws could aflFord them no redresii^ set about obtaining revenge, by patting to death some relation of tiie individual who -had done Uie injury, without regarding how innocent the subject of their vengeance in%bt have been of the original cause of 4>ifence. Then the others, in their tar% endeavoured to exeettte a similar revenge 4apon some one of the family who had first Mccived the injury; and thus the quarrel was carried on from father to son, and often lasted betwixt families that were neighbours and ought to have been good friends, £»r several generations, during wbieh time they d by Google ime 4fll4 t9 )xi at imlktA*^ witb' y, tb^ oocM bnwig t^g^Aiar iadeed a nwnber of hm^ tioUe% with their followers, but^ tbene wlvmffk was great tiUStr wltji andsomatifiiea^an .absolnte impoi!|||^ bilUy» of. making them aet tagatber*' eaeb being jealoos of Ids own antiwai^; 4pjaid OMKy of tbem engnged inperseaal qpiam^ either of thak own naUngr^f anakas asv iated in oanaBqoanoe of this fiital a»d aaaal Mstom of deodiy fi^ wb|db» bimiig ibai» Of jgiually perhaps sonue quarrel of littbiffir portance, bedbecomj^invetecale l^tbaaraelr iiae and crlmea wbk^ had :beaa eommittod on both sida% and was. banded -d^w^ fvaia father to son. It is true, that under a ' * Digitized by CjOOQIC Mi^ vigOTOw i^nee^ Wke Rebert Ike Brue^ tlHMW powerfiil barooB were overawed hj Ut wisdom and authority. Bat we shall flie toe idtm^^ thai wheu kings and generftHi mt iideri^r eapaoity were at their head, their qoairifek amoBget themselves often sabjeet- isd- them to defeat and to disgrace. And tide a«oaiittt9 ft>r a fact which we shall of- tim Jbave oceasion to notiqe^ that when the Steots e»gag0d in great battles with large fMrmies, in which, of coarse, many of those pvottd independent noUes were assembled, tbey w^e frequently defealed by the Eng* lilb; w)ievea«, when they fought in smaller ^dies wilh the feame enemy, they were very 0ftm vioU»riouB over them» because at such tiiMs Ike Scols were agreed amoi^ them- selvesy moA -pbeysd the * comamnds of one leadttr , without pretending to dispute his ^othority% These; causes of private crimes and pub- lic defeat^ subsisted even ip the midland CfKiftties of Se«tiiind» bugI^ as the three Lo- YOL. I. u Digitized by CjOOQIC S30 ISfrOtltUMMEtIt OF tco^rLAirii. tbians, Fifesbire, and otber proirinces, wheM tbeKing genertify resided, and vrheve hi tiecessarily possessed modt power to main* tain his own authority, and enforce the ex^ ecutSon of the laws. Bat there were tw» great ditisions of the country, the High* lands namely, and tbe Borders, which wens 180 much wilder and more barbarous tbaaa the others, that they might be said to be al* together without law ; and ahboa^ they Vere subjected in name to ike King of •Scotland, yet when he desired to execute any justice in either of these great diati^ta) he could not do so otherwise tiiaa by marefaf^ ing there in person, at the head of a strong hody of forces, and seizing upon the offend* "ers, and putting thi^ to death widi Kitle or no form of trial. Such a rough course t)f justice, perhaps, made these disorderly countries quiet for a short time, but it reoK * dered them still more averse to tlie royal government in their hearts, and dispoded on the slightest occasion to break out$ eHher d by Google ii^ AmmIm« arami^t IheaisdY^s, or itiW opMi rebellioii. I mosi c^ve you sonne nior* pwtiettlar aoconat of (faese wild and .uneivi* Iwed diitriets of Scotland^ aad of the parti- ifokr 8«rt of people wko were their inha^ UtantSf that jmuaiay know what I aaean whea I iBpeak of H%hlaoder8 aad Bor^ imttwu. ' The Higbknds of Seotla&di so called from the rooky aad mountainooa character of the aountryy consist of a very large proportion 0f-the northern parts of that kingdom. It was into these pathless wildernessea that ihe Romans drove* the ancient inhahitants ef 6re^ Bntain ; and it was from these that they afterwarib sallied to invade and dis^ tress that part of Britain which the Romans had oonqueredy and in some degree civili* aed. The inhabitants of the Highlands spoke, and still speak, a language totally different from the Lowland Scotch* That last language does not greatly differ from English, and the inhabitants ot both conn* d by Google ttt ocnrsBHMSirr cm woonfuaa^ Utei mslStf QAioral&tid «Boh flABr, ao«|^ ftieillier ^ ih«m comproheiul -tfie Gaflli^ wMeb is tte language lof tiba Higldaiidem* The dress of tiiese saoantaineers isms laim difiereitti^mAatofthaLewlaiidna. Thejr wore a plaid, or mantle of -IrieBe^ or o€ a striped staff oalled tartan, one «ad of wkieh bring wrapt round the waist, formed a slumt pettiooat, wktcbdaseended to tbs kn^, while Ae rest was wrapt around Aem libe a sail of doflic Tlieji^ had/ huskins made ofrair Ude ; and those who es«4d get a bssikio^ bad that eoirerii^ for dmr Imids, tkbagk aiany never wove one dmuig thw whole fivesy but had- oaiy thmr own sbligff hair tied b«k by a leathern strap. They w^ aftways antiedy oarrying bows and arrowy large swords, whieh they wieUed'witk.botii hands, called claymores, poleazes, middbg»» gers for close fight. For delenc^ they bad a round wooden sUeid, or target, stnekloH of nails ; and their great mton had atots of mail, dot unlike to the flannel cAiirla now d by Google voni, YERKMENT OE SCOTLAKD.^ 8St eountry as the H^hlands, bat they ako are full of hills, especially on the more western part of the frontier, and were in early times eovered with fdrests, and divided by small rivers and morasses into dales and valleys^ where the different eland lived, making war •omeitimes on the English, sometimes on each other, and sometimes on the more ci-* tiliaefd country which lay behind them. i But thongh the Borderers resembled th^ Highlan^rs in their mode of government atid habits of plundering, and as it may be truly added, in their disobedience to the general government of Scotland, yet they differed in many particulars. The Higli- landers fought always on foot, the Border- erk wlere all horsemen. The Bordereni spok^ the same language with the Lowland- ers, wore the same sort of dress, and car« ried the same arms. Being accustomed to fight against the Bnglish, they were also^ much better disciplined. But in point of obedience to the Scottish government, they Digitized by CjOOQIC 8S8 QOrBRNM£NT 0(F SCOTLANIX^^ were not mocfa Aiflferent from tbe clam oC the north. Military officers, called Wardens, were appointed along the Borders, to keep these unruly people in order, bat as these War- dens were« generally themselves chiefs of clans, they did not do much to mend the: evil. Robert the Bruce commiUed great part of the charge of the Borders to the Grood Lord James of Douglas, who ^scharged bis trust with great fidelity. But tbe power which the family of Douglas thus acquii^d, proved afterwards, in the hands of his suc- cessors, very dangerous to tbe Crown of Scotland. Thus you see liow much the poor coun- try of Scotland was torn to pieces by the quarrels of the nobles, the weakness of the laws, the disorders of the Highlands; and the. restless incurnons of the Borderers. If Ro- bert the Bruce had lived, and preserved his health) he would have done much to bring the country to a more orderly state. But. d by Google GOVERNMENT OF SCOTLAND. 239 Providence had decreed, that in the time of his son and successor, Scotland was to fall back into a state almost as miserable as that from which that great Prince rescued it. BND OF VOLUME FIRST. EDINBURGH : 1>11IKTED BY BALLANTYNE & CO. Digitized by CjOOQIC d by Google Digitized by CjOOQIC d by Google Jk ' ;=^-'^ /r i»- 1, ^"^-A fe-> :*