Anonymous

“ After the humiliation of Scotland, Wallace returned to Dundee, (if in fact he had been engaged in the war) , for the purpose of studying under the superintendance of his tutor, Blair. He beheld the oppression of his countrymen with horror and indignation, he sympathised in the sufferings of individuals, and he mourned the degradation of his native land. While these sentiments animated his bosom, he was, in an accidental rencounter, assaulted by a young Englishman, son of Selby the constable of Dunde. Though a stripling he possessed inconceivable bodily strength ”

“ One day he went a-fishing, and in the course of his pastime was interrupted by the insolent rapacity of some of Lord Percy's followers, who happened to pass the spot where he was, the only weapon he had was his fishing rod, with which he beat one of them to the ground, and having wrested the sword from him, he soon taught the crowd, by whom he was speedily assailed, that his individual strength, skill, and intrepidity were superior to their united force: he killed several of the party, and the others fled, confounded at the matchless prowess of their single antagonist. ”

“ The Scots were soon routed and lost upwards of ten thousand men. Sir John Cumine with those under his command went away without fighting at all: Sir 20 John Stewart fought bravely and died honourably, as did all his dependants. And the guardian, who, in the begin- ning of the action, had just sufficient time to address this short speech to his men," I have brought you to the king, fly if you can," did all that could be ex- pected from the greatest commander in the world. Thus Wallace, by the means to which we have already adverted, was obliged to retreat ”

“ This answer irritated the English generals, several of whom despising Wallace and his followers presumptuously exclaimed. "They are our own, let us instantly charge them!" The bridge formerly mentioned, over which it behoved the army to pass, was both narrow and weak, and the Scottish carpenter, who shortly before had been employed to repair it, had by Wallace's desire, cut the main beams of it half through, and thereby rendered it incapable of supporting a great weight. ”

“ The garrison issuing forth from the castle, fell into an ambush laid for them, and were all put to the sword. The fort being immediately seized, Wallace marched next day to Glasgow, when engaging a body of troops, under the command of Lord Piercy, he completely routed them, and quickly after took the castle of Stirling, recovered Argyle and Lorn, with the town of St Johnston and adjacent country, and continued daily doing some signal mischief to the English and their friends. ”

“ This glorious battle, so disastrous to the English army, was fought on the 11 13th Septemper. Sir Andrew Murray was the only Scotsman of note that loft his life, although many of the English commanders fell that day. This vic- tory was evinced to be complete in its effects and consequences. No English- man durst remain in Scotland; and all those cots, who, for reasons of policy or of baseness, bed deserted to the Eng- lish interest, now submitted to Wallace, and huiled him as the deliverer of their country. ”

“ It is doubtless if ever any country pro- duced a hero similar to Wallace. Wal- lace, only a private gentleman, the fee- ond brother of a Scots laird, who, tho' he had martial England to contend with, and ambitious Edward, who had spread terror in other nations bythe power of his arms--wrought the salvation of his coun- try, and rescued its liberties, its ancient rights and privileges from the else certain destruction which brooded over them ”

“ Thus did Scotland, by the wonderful conduct and vigilance of its guardian, enjoy peace in the midst of war, and the people, guarded by repeated victories o- ver their enemies, securely cultivated the formerly neglected foil, and dispersed plenty over the land ”

“ And thus, in about fourteen months after the King had been deposed and his kingdom subdued and obliged to own a foreign prince as their heridi- tary king, did Wallace, till then a private obscure gentleman, unaccustomed to martial exploits, without money or arms but such as he took from the enemy, and with only a handful of men, restore the nation to its ancient liberty and inde- pendance. ”

“ For these noble actions he was outlawed by the English and compelled to live during the most inclement seasons of the year, entirely in the open fields the woods, and mountains, where he often wandered, subjected to all hardships that is possible for human nature to sustain ”