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her, a tall, swarthy, strong man. At the same time, another Scotsman was seen ascending up the walls, near to the sentinel. The soldier gave the alarm, and rushed at the Scotsman, whose name was Simon Ledehouse, with his lance; but Simon parried the blow, and closing with the sentinel, struck him a deadly blow with his dagger. The rest of the Scots followed up to assist Douglas and Ledehouse, and the castle was taken. Many of the soldiers were put to death, but Douglas protected the woman and the child. I dare say she made no more songs about the Black Douglas.

While Douglas, Randolph, and other true-hearted patriots, were thus taking castles and strong holds from the English, King Robert, who had now a considerable army under his command, marched through the country, beating and dispersing such bodies of English as he met on his way. He went to the north country, where he conquered the great and powerful family of Comyn, who retained great ill will against him for having slain their relation, the Red Comyn, in the church at Dumfries. They had joined the English with all their forces; but now, as the Scots began to get uppermost, they were very much distressed. Bruce caused more than thirty of them to be beheaded on one day, and the place where they are buried is called "the grave of the headless Comyns."

Neither did Robert Bruce forget John M'Dougal of Lorn, who had defeated him at Dalry, and very near made him prisoner, or slain him, by the hands of his vassals, the M'Androssers, and had afterwards pursued him with a bloodhound. When John of Lorn heard that Robert was marching against him, he hoped to defend himself by taking possession of a very strong pass on the side of one of the largest mountains in Scotland, Cruachan Ben. The ground was very strait, having great rocks on the one hand, and on the other deep precipices, sinking down on a great lake called Lochawe; so that John of Lorn thought himself perfectly secure, as he could not be attacked except in front, and by a very difficult path. But Robert Bruce, when he saw how his enemies were posted, sent a party of light-armed archers, under command of Douglas, with directions to go, by a distant and difficult road, around the northern side of the hill, and thus to attack the men of Lorn in the rear as well as in front; behind, that is, as well as before. He had signals made when Douglas arrived at the place appointed. The King then advanced upon the Lorn men in front, when they raised a shout of defiance, and began to shoot arrows and roll stones down the path, with great confidence in their own security. But when they were attacked by the Douglas and his archers in the rear, they lost courage and fled. Many were slain among the rocks and precipices, and many were drowned in the lake, and the great river which runs out of it. John of Lorn only escaped by means of his boat, which he had in readiness upon the lake. Thus King Robert had full revenge upon him, and deprived him of a great part of his territory.

The English had now scarcely any place of importance left in Scotland, excepting Stirling, which was besieged, or rather blockaded, by Edward Bruce, the king's brother. To blockade a town or castle, is to quarter an army around it, so as to prevent those within from getting provisions. This was done at Stirling, til! Sir Philip Mowbray, who commanded the castle, finding that he was like to be reduced to extremity, for want of provisions, made an agreement with Edward Bruce, that he would surrender the castle, providing he were not relieved by the King of England before midsummer. Sir Edward agreed to these terms, and allowed Mowbray to go to London, to tell King Edward of the conditions he had made. But when King Robert heard what his brother had done, he thought it was too great a risk, since it obliged him to venture a battle with the full strength of Edward II., who had under him England, Ireland, Wales, and great part of France, and could within the time allowed assemble a much more powerful army than the Scots could, even if all Scotland were fully under the

King's authority. Sir Edward answered his brother with his natural audacious spirit, "Let Edward bring every man he has, we will fight them, were they more." The King admired his courage, though it was mingled with rashness.-"Since it is so, brother," he said, "we will manfully abide battle, and assemble all who love us, and value the freedom of Scotland, to come with all the men they have, and help us to oppose King Edward, should he come with his army to rescue Stirling."

not a wise and brave man like his father, but a foolish prince, who was governed by unworthy faKING EDWARD II, as we have already said, was vourites, and thought more of pleasure than of governing his kingdom. His father, Edward I. would have entered Scotland at the head of a large army, before he had left Bruce time to conquer back so much of the country. But we have seen, that, very fortunately for the Scots, that wise and skilful, though ambitious king, died when he was on the point of marching into Scotland. His son Edward had afterwards neglected the Scottish war, and thus was but small. But now, when Sir Philip Mowbray, lost the opportunity of defeating Bruce, when his force the governor of Stirling, came to London to tell the King, that Stirling, the last Scottish town of importance which remained in possession of the English, was to be surrendered if it were not relieved by force of arms before midsummer; then all the English nobles called out, it would be a sin and shame to permit the fair conquest which Edward I. had made, to be forfeited to the Scots, for want of fighting. It was, therefore, resolved, that the King should go himself to Scotland, with as great forces as he could possibly muster.

one of the greatest armies which a King of England ever commanded. There were troops brought from King Edward the Second, therefore, assembled all his dominions. Many brave soldiers from the French provinces which the King of England enjoyed in France, many Irish, many Welsh, and all the great English nobles and barons, with their followers, were assembled in one great army. The number was not less than one hundred thousand men.

and barons to join him, when he heard of the great King Robert the Bruce summoned all his nobles preparation which the King of England was making. They were not so numerous as the English by many thousand men. In fact, his whole army did not very much exceed thirty thousand men, and they were much worse armed than the wealthy Englishmen ; but then, Robert, who was at their head, was one of the most expert generals of the time; and the officers he had under him, were his brother Edward, his nephew Randolph, his faithful follower the Douglas; and other brave and experienced leaders, who comto fight and gain victories under every disadvantage of situation and numbers. manded the same men that had been acccustomed

ply, by address and stratagem, what he wanted in numbers and strength. He knew the superiority of The King, on his part, studied how he might supthe English, both in their heavy-armed cavalry, which were much better mounted and armed than those of the Scots, and in the archery, in which art the English were better trained than any people in the world. Both these advantages he resolved to provide against. With this purpose, Bruce led his army down into a plain near Stirling, called the Park, near which, and beneath it, the English army must needs pass through a boggy country, broken with water-courses, while the Scots occupied hard dry ground. He then caused all the hard ground upon the front of his line of battle, where cavalry were likely to act, to be dug full of holes, about as deep as a man's knee. They were filled with light brushwood, and the turf was laid on the top, so that it appeared a plain field, while in reality it was all full of these pits as a honeycomb is of holes. He also, it

was not mounted on his great war-horse, because he did not expect to fight that evening. But he rode on a little pony up and down the ranks of his army, putting his men in order, and carried in his hand a short battle-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.

is said, caused steel spikes, called calthrops, to be, scattered up and down in the plain, where the English cavalry were most likely to advance, trusting to lame and destroy their horses. When his army was drawn up, the line stretched north and south. On the south, it was terminated by the banks of the brook called Bannockburn, which are so rocky, that no troops could come on them there. On the left, the Scottish line extended near to the town of Stirling. Bruce reviewed his troops very carefully; all the useless servants, and drivers of carts, and such like, of whom there were very many, he ordered to go behind a height called the Gillies' hill, that is, the Servants' hill. He then spoke to the soldiers, and expressed his determination to gain the victory, or to lose his life on the field of battle. He desired that all those who did not propose to fight to the last, would leave the field before the battle began, and that none would remain except those who were de-side, so that Sir Henry missed him with the lancetermined to take the issue of victory or death, as God should send it.

When the main body of his army was thus placed in order, the King posted Randolph, with a body of horse, near to the Church of St. Ninian's, commanding him to use the utmost diligence to prevent any succours from being thrown into Stirling Castle. He then dismissed James of Douglas, and Sir Robert Keith, the Mareschal of the Scottish army, in order that they might survey as nearly as they could, the English force, which was now approaching from Falkirk. They returned with information, 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-at-arms on horse and foot,-that the number of standards, banners, and pennons, (all flags of different 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 army, therefore, in the order which he had before resolved upon. After 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 Clifford, who, with a chosen body of eight hundred horse, had been detached to relieve the castle.

"See, Randolph," said the King to his nephew, "there is a rose fallen from your chaplet." By this he meant, that Randolph had lost some honour, by suffering the enemy to pass where he had been commanded 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 to go and assist him. The King refused him permission.

"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 King, "my heart will not suffer me to stand idle and see Randolph perish-I must go to his assistance.' He rode off accordingly; but long before they had reached the place of combat, they saw the English horses galloping off, many with empty saddles.

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"Halt!" said Douglas to his men, "Randolph has gained the day; since we were not soon enough to help him in the battle, do not let us lessen his glory by approaching the field." Now, that was nobly done; especially as Douglas and Randolph were always contending which should rise highest in the good opinion of the King and the nation.

The van of the English army now came in sight, and a number of their bravest knights drew near to see what the Scottish were doing. They saw King Robert dressed in his armour, and distinguished by a gold crown, which he wore over his helmet. He

There was a knight among the English, called Sir Henry de Bohun, who thought this would be a good opportunity to gain great fame to himself, and put an end to the war, by killing King Robert. The King being poorly mounted, and having no lance, Bohun galloped on him suddenly and furiously, thinking, with his long spear and his big strong horse, easily to bear him down to the ground. King Robert saw him, and permitted him to come very near, then suddenly turned his pony a little to one 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-shell, and hurled him from his saddle. He was dead before he reached the ground. This gallant action was blamed by the Scottish leaders, who thought Bruce ought not to have exposed himself to so much danger, when the safety of the whole army depended on him. The king only kept looking at his weapon which was injured by the force of the blow, and said, "I have broken my good battle-axe." The next morning, being the 24th June, at break of day the battle began in terrible earnest. The English as they advanced saw the Scots getting into line. The Abbot of Inchaffray walked through their ranks barefooted, and exhorted them to fight for their freedom. They kneeled down as he passed, and prayed to Heaven for victory. King Edward, who saw this, called out, "They kneel down-they are asking forgiveness." "Yes," said a celebrated English baron, called Ingelram de Umphraville, "but they ask it from God, not from us-these men will conquer, or die upon the field."

The English King ordered his men to begin the battle. The archers then bent their bows, and began to shoot so closely together, that the arrows fell like flakes of snow on a Christmas day. They killed many of the Scots, and might, as at Falkirk and other places, have decided the victory; but Bruce, as I told you before, was prepared for them. He had in readiness a body of men-at-arms well mounted, who rode at full gallop among the archers, and as they had no weapons save their bows and arrows, which they could not use when they were attacked hand to hand, they were cut down in great numbers by the Scottish horsemen, and thrown into total confusion.

The fine English cavalry then advanced 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 tumbling about, without any means of defence, and unable to rise from the weight of their armour. The Englishmen began to fall into general disorder; and the Scottish King, bringing up more of his forces, attacked and pressed them still more closely.

On a sudden, an event happened which decided the victory. The servants and attendants on the Scottish camp had, as I told you, been sent behind the army to a place called the Gillies'-hill. But now when they saw that their masters were like to gain the day, they rushed from their place of concealment 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. Edward 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 Dunbar, where the English had still a friend in the Governor, Patrick Earl of March. The Earl received Edward in his forlorn condition,

and furnished him with a fishing skiff, or small ship, in which he escaped to England, having entirely lost his fine army, and a great number of his bravest nobles.

The English never before or afterwards lost so dreadful a battle as that of Bannockburn, nor did the Scots ever gain one of the same importance. Many of the best and bravest of the English nobility and gentry, as I have said, lay dead on the field; a great many more were made prisoners; and the whole of King Edward's immense army was dispersed or destroyed.

The English, after this great defeat, were no longer in a condition to support their pretensions to be masters of Scotland, or to continue, as they had done for nearly twenty years, to send armies into that country to overcome it. On the contrary, they became scarce able to defend their own frontiers against Robert Bruce and his soldiers.

There were several battles fought within England itself, in which the English had greatly the worst. One of these took place near Mitton, in Yorkshire. So many priests took part in the fight, that the Scottish called it the Chapter of Mitton. A meeting of the clergymen belonging to a cathedral is called a Chapter. There was great slaughter in and after the action. The Scots laid waste the country of England, as far the gates of York, and enjoyed for the time a considerable superiority over their ancient enemies, who had so lately threatened to make them subjects of England.

Thus did Robert Bruce arise from the condition of an exile, hunted with blood hounds like a stag or beast of prey, to the rank of an independent sovereign, universally acknowledged to be one of the wisest and bravest kings who then lived. The nation 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 princes; and although the country was, after the Bruce's death, often subjected to great loss and distress, both by the hostility of the English, and by the unhappy civil wars among the Scots themselves, yet they never afterwards lost the freedom for which Wallace had laid down his life, and which King Robert 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 brave warriors and faithful patriots ought to be remembered with honour and gratitude.

CHAPTER IX.

Concerning the Exploits of Edward Bruce, the Douglas, Randolph Earl of Murray, and the Death of Robert Bruce. You will be naturally curious to hear what became of Edward, the brother of Robert Bruce, who was so courageous and at the same time so rash, You must know that the Irish, at that time, had been almost 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 over, drive out the English, and become their king. He was willing enough to go, for he had always a high courageous spirit, and desired to obtain fame and dominion by fighting. Edward Bruce was as good a soldier as his brother, but not so prudent and cautious; for, except in the affair of killing the Red Comyn, which was a wicked and violent action, Robert 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 conquest, but passed over the sea to Ireland himself in person, with a considerable body of troops to assist him. The Bruces gained several battles, and penetrated far into Ireland; but the English forces were too numerous, and so many of the Irish joined with them rather than

with Edward Bruce, that King Robert and his brother were obliged to retreat before them. The chief commander of the English was a great soldier, called Sir Edmond Butler, and he had assembled a much greater army than Edward Bruce and his brother King Robert had to oppose to him. The Scots were obliged to retreat every morning, that they might not be forced to battle by an army more numerous than their own.

I have often told you, that King Robert the Bruce was a wise and a good prince. But a circumstance happened during this retreat, which showed he was also a kind and humane man. It was one morning, when the English, and their Irish auxiliaries, were pressing hard upon Bruce, who had given his army orders to continue a hasty retreat; for a battle with a much more numerous army, and in the midst of a country which favoured his enemies, would have been extremely imprudent. On a sudden, just as King Robert was about to mount his horse, he heard a woman shrieking in despair. "What is the matter?" said the King; and he was informed by his attendants, that a poor woman, a laundress, or washerwoman, mother of an infant who had been just born, was about to be left behind the army, as being too weak to travel. The mother was shrieking for fear of falling into the hands of the Irish, who were accounted very cruel, and there were no carriages or means of sending the woman and her infant on in safety. They must needs be abandoned if the army retreated.

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King Robert was silent for a moment when he heard this story, being divided betwixt the feelings of humanity, occasioned by the poor woman's distress, and the danger to which a halt would expose his army. At last he looked round on his officers, with eyes which kindled like fire. "Ah, gentlemen," he said, never let it be said that a man who was born of a woman, and nursed by a woman's tenderness, should leave a mother and an infant to the mercy of barbarians. In the name of God, let the odds and the risk be what they will, I will fight Edmond Butler rather than leave these poor creatures behind me. Let the army, therefore, draw up in line of 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 knowing that the Scottish king was one of the best generals then living, conceived that he must have received some 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 to retreat at his leisure, without suffering any inconvenience from the halt.

But Robert was obliged to leave the conquest of Ireland to his brother Edward, being recalled by pressing affairs to his own country. Edward, who was rash as he was brave, engaged, against the advice of his best officers, in battle with an English general, called Sir Piers de Birmingham. The Scots were surrounded on all sides, but continued to fight valiantly, and Edward Bruce showed the example, by fighting in the very front of the battle. At length, a strong English champion, called John Maupas, engaged Edward Bruce hand to hand; and they fought till they killed each other. Maupas was found lying after the battle upon the body of Edward Bruce; both were dead men. After Edward Bruce's death, the Scots gave up further attempts to conquer Ireland.

Robert Bruce continued to reign gloriously for several years, and was so constantly victorious over the English, that the Scots seemed for the time to have acquired a complete superiority over their neighbours. But then we must remember, that Edward II., who then reigned in England, was a foolish prince, and listened to bad councils; so it is no wonder that he was beaten by so wise and experienced a general as Robert Bruce, who had fought his way to the crown through so many disasters.

In the last year of Robert the Bruce's reign, he became extremely sickly and infirin, chiefly owing to a disorder called the leprosy, which he had caught during the hardships and misfortunes of his youth, when he was so frequently obliged to hide himself in

SCOTTISH HISTORY.

woods and morasses, without a roof to shelter him. He lived at a castle on the beautiful banks of the river Clyde, near to where it joined the sea; and his chief amusement was to go upon the river, and down to the sea in a ship, which he kept for his pleasure. He was no longer able to sit upon his war-horse, or to lead his army to the field.

While Bruce was in this feeble state, Edward II. King of England died, and was succeeded by his son Edward III. He turned out afterwards to be one of the wisest and bravest kings whom England ever had; but at this time he was very young, and under the entire management of his mother, who governed by means of a wicked favourite called Mortimer.

The war between the English and the Scotch still lasting at that time, Bruce sent his two great commanders, the Good Lord James Douglas, and Thomas Randolph Earl of Murray, to lay waste the counties of Northumberland and Durham, and distress the English as much as they could.

his side without opposition, that they might join bat-
tle on a fair field. Randolph and Douglas did nothing
but laugh at this message. They said, when they
fought, it should be at their own pleasure, and not
because the King of England chose to ask for a battle.
in his country for many days, burning, taking spoil,
They reminded him, insultingly, how they had been
and doing what they thought fit. If the King was
displeased with this, they said, he must find his
way across the river to fight them, the best way he
could.

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The English King, determined not to quit sight of to watch their motions, thinking that want of provithe Scots, encamped on the opposite side of the river sions would oblige them to quit their strong position on the mountains. But the Scots once more showed Edward their dexterity in marching, by leaving their encampment, and taking up another post, even which they had occupied. King Edward followed, stronger and more difficult to approach than the first Their soldiers were about twenty thousand men in and again encamped opposite to his dexterous and number, all lightly armed, and mounted on horses troublesome enemies, in hopes to bring them to a that were but small in height, but excessively active. battle, when he might easily hope to gain a victory, The men themselves carried no provision, except a having more than double the number of the Scottish While the armies lay thus opposed to each other, bag of oatmeal; and each had at his saddle a small army, all troops of the very best quality. plate of iron called a girdle, on which, when they pleased, they could bake the oatmeal into cakes. They Douglas resolved to give the young King of England killed the cattle of the English, as they travelled a lesson in the art of war. At the dead of night, he through the country, roasted the flesh on wooden left the Scottish camp with a small body of chosen spits, or boiled it in the skins of the animals them- horse, not above two hundred, well armed. He selves, putting in a little water with the beef, to pre- crossed the river in deep silence, and came to the vent the fire from burning the hide to pieces. This English camp, which was but carelessly guarded. was rough cookery. They made their shoes, or rather Seeing this, Douglas rode past the English sentinels sandals, in as coarse a way, cutting them out of the as if he had been an officer of the English army, sayraw hides of the cattle, and fitting them to their ing "Ha, Saint George! you keep bad watch here." ancles, like what are now called short gaiters. As-In these days, you must know, the English used to this sort of buskin had the hairy side of the hide outer- swear by Saint George, as the Scottish did by Saint most, the English called those who wore them rough- Andrew. Presently after, Douglas heard an English rade, "I cannot tell what is to happen us in this footed Scots, and sometimes, from the colour of the soldier, who lay stretched by the fire, say to his comhide, red-shanks. place; but, for my part, I have a great fear of the When he had thus got into the midst of the English Black Douglas playing us some trick."-"You shall have cause to say so," thought Douglas to himself. 33 His followers immediately camp without being discovered, he drew his sword, and cut asunder the ropes of a tent, calling out his usual war-cry,-"Douglas, Douglas! English thieves, you are all dead men. began to cut down and overturn the tents, cutting and stabbing the English soldiers as they endeavoured to get to arms.

As the army needed to carry nothing with them, either for provisions or ammunition, the Scots moved with amazing speed, from mountain to mountain, and from glen to glen, pillaging and destroying the country wheresoever they came. In the mean while, the young King of England pursued them with a much larger army; but, as it was encumbered by the necessity of carrying provisions in great quantities, and by the slow motions of men in heavy armour, they could not come up with the Scots, although they saw every day the smoke of the houses and villages which they were burning. The King of England was extremely angry; for, though only a boy of sixteen years old, he longed to fight the Scots, and to chastise them for the mischief they were doing to his country; and he grew so impatient that he offered a large reward to any one who should show him where the Scottish

At length, after the English host had suffered severe hardships by want of provisions, and fatiguing journeys through fords, and swamps, and morasses, a gentleman named Rokeby came into the camp, and claimed the reward which the King had offered. He told the King that he had been made prisoner by the Scots, and that they had said they should be as glad to meet the English King as he to see them. Accordingly, Rokeby guided the English army to the place where the Scots lay encamped.

had But the English King was no nearer to the battle which he desired, for Douglas and Randolph, knowing the force and numbers of the English army, taken up their camp on a steep hill, at the bottom of which ran a deep river, having a channel filled with large stones, so that there was no possibility for the English to attack the Scots without crossing the water, and then climbing up the hill in the very face of their enemy, a risk which was too great to be attempted.

Then the King sent a message of defiance to the Scottish generals, inviting them either to draw back their forces, and allow him freedom to cross the river, and time to place his army in order of battle, on the other side, that they might fight fairly, or offering, if they liked it better, to permit them to cross over to

Douglas forced his way to the pavilion of the King himself, and very nearly carried that young prince prisoner out of the middle of his great army. Edward's chaplain, however, and many of his household, stood to arms bravely in his defence, while the canvass of his tent. The chaplain and several of the young King escaped by creeping away beneath the King's officers were slain; but the whole camp was now alarmed and in arms, so that Douglas was obliged to retreat, which he did by bursting through the English at the side of the camp opposite to that by which he had entered. Being separated from his men in the confusion, he was in great danger of being slain by an Englishman, who encountered him his men, who soon gathered around him, he returned with a great club. He killed him, but with considerable difficulty; and then blowing his horn to collect to the Scottish camp, having sustained very little loss.

Edward, much mortified at the insult which he had received, became still more desirous of chastising these audacious adversaries, and one of them at least was not unwilling to afford him an opportunity of revenge. This was Thomas Randolph, Earl of drawn some blood."-"Ah," said the Earl, "had we Murray. He asked Douglas when he returned to the Scottish camp, "What he had done?"-"We have gone all together to the night attack, we would have discomfited them.""It might well have been so, said Douglas, "but the risk would have been too great."-"Then will we fight them in open battle," said Randolph, "for if we remain here, we shall in time be famished for want of provisions."-"Not

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from their own countries out of every kingdom of Europe, to fight against these Saracens; and believed that they were doing a great service to religion, and that what sins they had committed would be pardoned by God Almighty, because they had taken a part in this which they called a holy warfare. You may remember that Bruce thought of going upon this expedition when he was in despair of recovering the crown of Scotland, and now he desired his heart to be carried to Jerusalem after his death, and requested Lord James of Douglas to take the charge of it. Douglas wept bitterly as he accepted this office, the last mark of the Bruce's confidence and friendship.

A fisherman," he said, "had made a hut by a river side, that he might follow his occupation by 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 was a fox in the cabin, taking the liberty to eat one of the finest salmon he had taken. Ho, Mr. Robber!' said the fisherman, drawing his sword, and standing in the door-way to prevent the fox's escape; you shall presently die the death.' The poor fox looked for The King soon afterwards expired, and his heart some hole to get out at, but saw none, whereupon was taken out from his body and embalmed, that is, he pulled down with his teeth a mantle, which was prepared with spices and perfumes, that it might lying on the bed, and dragged it across the fire. The remain a long time fresh and uncorrupted. Then fisherman ran to snatch his mantle from the fire- the Douglas caused a case of silver to be made, into the fox flew out at the door with the salmon; and which he put the Bruce's heart, and wore it around so will we escape the great English army by subtilty, his neck, by a string of silk and gold. And he set and without risking battle with so large an army.' forward for the Holy Land, as it was called, with a Randolph agreed to act by Douglas's counsel, and gallant train of the bravest men in Scotland, who, the Scots army kindled great fires through their to show their value and sorrow for their brave King encampment, and made a noise and shouting, and Robert Bruce, resolved to attend his heart to the city blowing of horns, as if they meant to remain all of Jerusalem. It had been much better for Scotland night there, as before. But in the mean time, Dou- if the Douglas and they had staid at home to defend glas had caused a road to be cut through two miles their own country, which was shortly afterwards in of a great morass which lay in their rear, and which great want of their assistance. it would otherwise have been impossible that the Neither did Douglas ever get to the end of his army could have crossed; and through this passage, journey. In going to Palestine, he landed in Spain, which the English never suspected, Douglas and where the Saracen King or Sultan of Grenada, Randolph, with all their men, moved at the dead of called Osmyn, was invading the realms of Alphonso, night. They did not leave so much as an errand- the Spanish King of Castile. King Alphonso reboy behind, and so bent their march towards Scot-ceived Douglas with great honour and distinction, land, leaving the English disappointed and affronted. and people came from all parts to see the great solGreat was their wonder in the morning, when they dier, whose fame was well known through every saw the Scottish camp empty, and found no living part of the Christian world. King Alphonso easily men in it, but two or three English prisoners tied to persuaded him, that he would do good service to the trees, whom they had left with an insulting message Christian cause, by assisting him to drive back the to the King of England, saying, "If he were dis- Saracens of Grenada, before proceeding on his voypleased with what they had done, he might come age to Jerusalem. Lord Douglas and his followers and revenge himself in Scotland." went accordingly to a great battle against Osmyn, and had little difficulty in defeating the Saracens who were opposed to them. But being ignorant of the mode of fighting among the cavalry of the east, the Scots pursued the chase too far, and the Moors, when they saw them scattered and separated from each other, turned suddenly back, with a loud cry of Allah illah Allah, which is their shout of battle, and surrounded such of the Scottish knights and squires as had advanced too hastily.

The place where the Scots fixed this famous encampment, was in the forest of Weardale, in the bishoprick of Durham; and the road which they cut for the purpose of their retreat, is still called the

Shorn Moss.

After this a peace was concluded with Robert Bruce, on terms highly honourable to Scotland, for the English King renounced all pretensions to the sovereignty of the country; and, moreover, gave his sister, a princess called Joanna, to be wife to Robert Bruce's son, called David. This treaty was very advantageous for the Scots. It was called the treaty of Northampton, because it was concluded in that town, in the year 1328.

Good King Robert did not long survive this joyful event. He was not aged more than four-and-fifty years, but, as I said before, his illness was caused by the hardships which he sustained during his youth, and at length he became very ill. Finding that he could not recover, he assembled around his bedside the nobles and counsellors in whom he most trusted. He told them, that now, being on his deathbed, he sorely repented all his misdeeds, and particularly that he had in his passion killed Comyn with his own hand, in the church and before the altar. He said that if he had lived, he had intended to go to Jerusalem, to make war upon the Saracens, who held the Holy Land. But since he was about to die, he requested of his dearest friend and bravest warrior, and that was the good Lord James Douglas, that he should carry his heart to the Holy Land.

To make you understand the meaning of this request, I must tell you, that at this time a people called Saracens, who believed in the false prophet Mahomet, had obtained by conquest possession of Jerusalem, and the other cities and places which are mentioned in the Holy Scripture; and the Christians of Europe, who went thither as pilgrims to worship at these places, where so many miracles had been wrought, were insulted by these heathen Saracens. Hence many armies of Christians went

In this new skirmish, Douglas saw Sir William St. Clair of Roslyn fighting desperately, surrounded by many Moors, who were hewing at him with their sabres. "Yonder worthy knight will be slain," Douglas said, "unless he have present help." With that he galloped to his rescue, but was himself also surrounded by many Moors. When he found the enemy press so thick round him, as to leave him no chance of escaping, he took from his neck the Bruce's heart, and speaking to it, as he would have done to the King had he been alive,-"Pass first in fight," he said, as thou wert wont to do, and Douglas will follow thee, or die." He then threw the King's heart among the enemy, and rushing forward to the place where it fell, was there slain. His body was found lying above the silver case, as if it had been his last object to defend the Bruce's heart.

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This good Lord James of Douglas was one of the best and wisest soldiers that ever drew a sword. He was said to have fought in seventy battles, being beaten in thirteen, and victorious in fifty-seven. The English accused him of being cruel; and it is said that he had such a hatred at the English archers, that when he made one of them prisoner, he would not dismiss him until he was either blinded of his right eye, or had the first finger of his right hand struck off. The Douglas' Larder also seems a very cruel story; but the hatred at that time betwixt the two countries was at a high pitch, and Lord James was much irritated at the death of his faithful servant Thomas Dickson; on ordinary occasions, he was mild and gentle to his prisoners. The Scottish

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