The battle was fierce and long; the Scots fought for dear life and liberty, but their archers and footsoldiers were not able to stand against the violent charges of the splendid English cavalry. Many of the Scottish lords behaved treacherously, and forsook the acknowledged leader of their country. The tide of battle was strongly against the Scots, and Wallace had nothing for it but to take to flight with the remnant of his followers.

One after another the nobles submitted themselves to Edward. A few held out for a time, but only for a time; for the power of the English was too firmly established to admit of any hope of success. Wallace still refused to yield or lay down his arms. With a band of devoted followers, he held out for seven years after his defeat at Falkirk, that is, for a year after every other chieftain had submitted to the English. He was at length taken prisoner; the common story is that he was betrayed by Sir John Monteith, one of his own countrymen.

Edward determined to make such an example of Wallace as should deter any other patriot from following in his steps. Wallace was brought to London, and tried in Westminster Hall. In mockery they crowned him with a green garland, because they said he had been king of the outlaws in the woods of Scotland. When accused of being a traitor to the English crown, he said, 'I could not be a traitor to Edward, for I never was his subject.' Charged with burning towns and killing many men, he replied that it was true that he had killed many Englishmen, but it was because they had come to subdue and oppress his native country of Scotland; and far from repenting of what he had done, he declared he was

L

only sorry that he had not put to death many more of them.' The judges condemned him to be executed. With the cruelty of the times, and in accordance with their misconceived ideas of justice, Wallace was dragged upon a sledge to the place of execution, his head was struck off, his body drawn and quartered, and his limbs exposed upon iron spikes on London Bridge as the limbs of a traitor.

Ibid.

LESSON 45.

STORIES FROM SCOTTISH HISTORY.

III. THE BATTLE OF BANNOCKBURN.

sur-ren-dered

treach-er-ous

vig-or-ous-ly

com-par-a-tive in-de-pen-dence Stir-ling

gal-loped

im-i-tate

t

o-ver-whelm-ing stir-rups
per-suad-ing sum-moned

King Edward I. of England died just as he was on the point of marching into Scotland. His son Edward II. neglected the Scottish war, and thus lost the opportunity of defeating Bruce when his force was small. When, however, news came to England that Stirling, the last town of importance left in possession of the English, must be surrendered unless relieved by force of arms, the nobles succeeded in persuading the king to place himself at the head of his troops, and proceed to Scotland. So a grand army was assembled, troops being

brought from every part of his dominions, and Edward took the command. The English forces could not have mustered less than one hundred thousand men.

When Bruce (or, to speak more properly, King Robert the Bruce) heard of the preparations of the English king, he summoned his nobles and barons, with their followers, to support him. At the most he could not raise more than thirty thousand men, and their arms were much inferior to those of the English. On the other hand, however, he had two excellent officers in his brother Edward and his nephew Randolph, while his faithful follower Douglas was brave and experienced, to say nothing of his own personal courage and skill as a general. Still he was not unmindful of the overwhelming numbers of his foes, so he tried to make up by stratagem what he lacked in strength.

Knowing that the English, besides their numerical superiority, had two great advantages in their heavy-armed cavalry and their skilled archers, he resolved to provide against them in these respects. He therefore led his army down into a plain near Stirling, near which was a boggy country, broken with water-courses, and through which the English army must needs pass; but the Scotch occupied hard, dry ground. He then caused all the ground in front of his troops to be dug full of holes, about as deep as a man's knees. These were filled with light brushwood, and turf laid upon the top, so that there was the appearance of an open field. He also scattered steel spikes up and down in the plain, hoping in this way to lame the English horses.

The Scottish army was drawn up in a long line

stretching from north to south. A small brook called Bannockburn formed the south boundary, but the banks were so rocky that no attack could be expected there. Bruce reviewed his troops carefully, placed them judiciously, and expressed to them his determination to gain the victory or die in the attempt. He gave permission to all who were not of his mind to leave the ranks and return home. All the useless servants, drivers of carts, and women, who had followed the army, he ordered to go behind a height, which is to this day called Gillies' Hill, that is, Servants' Hill. He then waited for the battle.

On the 23d of June 1314, news came that the English army was approaching Stirling. Randolph had been charged to prevent any succours from being thrown into the castle. Lord Clifford, with eight hundred chosen English troops, was observed coming to the relief of the castle, but Randolph, with little more than half the number, charged so vigorously that they were glad to retreat.

When the van of the great invading army came in sight, some of the bravest of the English knights pricked forward to see what the Scotch were doing. They saw Bruce dressed in armour, and distinguished by a gold crown which he wore over his helmet. He rode about his ranks on a little pony, and carried only a battle-axe in his hand. He expected that on the morrow he would have to mount his war-horse, and engage in the fight.

Now among these English knights was one named Sir Henry de Bohun. He thought a good opportunity presented itself whereby he could win fame for himself and glory for his country; this was by killing the king of Scotland. With his powerful war-horse and his long spear, he counted