“ In this army, which consisted of 100,000 fighting men, were English, Welsh, Irish, and those of the Scotch who still adhered to the English faction, besides the crowd of servants, attendants, and sutlers, who brought provisions by sea and land to support them in a country not very fertile in itself, and which had for so many years been the theatre of war: an immense multitude followed all, to be distributed in colonies, and receive lands, who had brought their wives and children along with them. ”

“ Bruce, being informed of the enemy's great preparations, likewise arrayed his forces—a small number, indeed; against such a multitude—only 30,000 men, but they were accustomed to war, were hardened by domestic sufferings, and carried in their right hands their lives, their fortunes, and every hope that is dear to man. With this little army he encamped on the left side of the river Bannock, which has steep banks, few and narrow fords, and which is only two miles distant from Stirling. ”

“ Danger at last increased so much around the brave King Rohert that he found it necessary to part from his Queen; for winter was rapidly approaching, and it would be impossible for the ladies to endure this wandering sort of life when the keen blasts of winter should come on. He left his Queen with the Countess of Buchan and others at Kildrummie Castle, near the head of the river Don, in Aberdeenshire, Nigel Bruce his youngest brother, remaining to defend the castle against the English. ”

“ Three followers of M'Dougal, a father and two sons, called M'Androper, all strong men, beholding Bruce protecting the retreat of his men, vowed that they would either kill or make him prisoner, and the whole three rushed on the king at once. He was on horseback in the strait pass already noticed, betwixt a steep hill and a deep lake. The first man that seized his reins Bruee struck such a blow with his sword as cut off his hand, and freed the bridle ”

“ Bruce had committed an action which was sure to bring upon him the vengeance of all Comyn's relations, the resentment of the King of England, and the displeasure of the church, for slaying his enemy within consecrated ground. He therefore determined at once to bid defiance to them all, and assert his right to the Scottish throne. For this purpose, he summoned his own followers, together with such barons who still entertained hopes of their country's freedom, and was crowned king at Scone, the usual place where the Scottish kings were inaugurated, on March 27, 1306. ”

“ As soon as they retired, they were pursued by the Scots, who laid siege to the castle of Norham. Edward lay at the abbey of Biland, in Yorkshire, with a body of troops advantageously posted near it. The Scots attempted to surprise the king, and it was with the utmost difficulty that he escaped to York, leaving all his baggago and treasure to the enemy. The English camp was supposed to be accessible only by a narrow pass, but Douglas undertook to force it, and Randolph presented himself as a volunteer in this dangorous service, under his friend Douglas. ”

“ Bruce's feelings concerning the baseness of his conduct are believed to have been roused by the following ineident:- In one of the numerous battles which took place between the English and their adherents on the one side and the Seottish patriots on the other, Bruce had assisted the English in gaining the victory. Wlien the battle was over, he sat down to dinner without washing his hands, on which were spot of blood which he had shed during the action. "Look at the Scotchman," whispered some of the English lords to their messmates," who is eating his own blood." ”

“ Bruce required all the aid he could receive; for Sir Aymer de Valence, who was Earl of Pembroke, the English guardian, was already advancing upon him with a large body of men, having also obtained the assistance of John of Lorn, whose followers were well aequainted with that species of irregular warfare to which the king was obliged to have recourse. John of Lorn had with him a bloodhound, which was said once to have belonged to Bruce, and was so familiar with his scent, that if once it got upon his track, nothing could divert it from its purpose. ”

“ At the critical moment when the English line was wavering and confusion reigned on the left flank, these gillies, either from curiosity to behold the battle, or with the design of assisting their countrymen, advaneed to the summit of the hill, where, seeing their companions likely to gain the day, they began to descend the hill with loud re-echoing shouts, and, being taken for a reinforeement of the Scottish army, caused the English to give way in the greatest confusion, who fled iu every direetion. ”

“ A desperate combat ensued, and continued till the close of the day, when the English commanders withdrew their troops. Notwithstanding this brave defenee, it was evident that the town could not hold out long without a speedy relief; and Robert could not, with any probability of sucess, attack the fortified camp of the English. He, therefore, determined to make a powerful diversion in England, to oblige Edward to abandon the undertaking. By order of the king, 15,000 men entered England by the western marches, and laid waste Yorkshire. ”

“ The English dismounted and advanced, hoping to allure the Scots from their strong post, but in vain. Edward then sent a herald to Randolph and Douglas, with a message in the style of chivalry: "Either," said he, "suffer me to pass the river, and leave me room for ranging my forces; or do you pass the river, and I will leave you room to range yours; and thus shall we fight on equal terms." To this the Seottish commanders replied, "We will do neither. On our road hither we have burnt and spoiled the country, and here we are fixed while to us it seems good ”

“ Lorn accordingly commanded five of his men, who were swift of foot, to pursue the king, and either slay or take him prisoner. They ran so fast that they were soon in sight of Bruec, who, when he observed, along with his foster-brother, turned upon them, and slew them all. Bruce and his companion were very much fatigued by this time, yet they durst not sit down to take a moment's rest, for they still heard the cry of the bloodhound behind them. ”

“ The English encamped opposite to them near Stanhope Park. At midnight, Douglas undertook a most desperate enterprise, resembling those of ancient heroes. With 200 horsemen he approached the English camp, and entered it under the guise of a chief commander calling the rounds. Having thus eluded the sentinels, he passed on to the royal quarters, overthrew everything that opposed him, and furiously assaulted the king's tent. The domestics of Edward desperately defended their master; and his chaplain, with many others of his household, were slain. However, the king himself escaped ”

“ For the most part in winter it rushes with a rapid torrent, but at the then season of the year, in consequence of the heats of midsummer, the waters were low and fordable in many places. Bruce being inferior in men was just the more anxious, by every possible art and stratagem, to render the passage of the river difficult to the English, who occupied the right bank. ”

“ On Monday, June 24, 1314, the whole English army moved on to the attack. The van, consisting of archers and lancemen, was commanded by Gilbert de Clare, Earl of Gloucester, nephew to the English king, and Humphry de Bohun, constable of England; but the ground was so narrow that the rest of the army had not sufficient room to expand itself, so that it appeared to tho Scotch as consisting of one great compact body. The main body was brought up by Edward in person, attended by Amyer de Valence, Earl of Pembroke, and Sir Giles d'Argentine, two experienced commanders. ”

“ Aecordingly, he requested the Earl of Flanders to prohibit the Scots from entering his country; but to this request he received the following remarkable reply: "Flanders is the common country of all men: I eannot prohibit any merchants from trafficking thither, for such prohibition would prove the ruin of my people." On this, Edward onee more determined to have recourse to war; and with this view commanded his army to assemble at Newcastle-upon-Tyne, July 24, 1319. Every thing being in readiness, the English army appronched Berwick, which was commanded by Walter, grand Steward of Scotland. ”

“ Halt!" cried Douglas," those brave men have repulsed the enemy; let us not diminish their glory by sharing it."
Bruce was in front of the line when the English appeared. He was meanly dressed, with a crown above his helmet, and a battle-axe in his hand. Sir Henry de Bohun, an English knight, armed eap-a-pie, rode forward to encounter him. Robert struck his antagonist so violently with his battle-axe that he cleft him to the chin, after which the English vanguard retreated in confusion. The Scottish generals blamed their king for his rashness in thus encountering Bohun ”

“ By means of this hound, John of Lorn thought he would certainly accomplish the destruction of the Scottish king. When these two armies advanced upon Bruce, he at first determined to fight the Earl of Pembroke; but, understanding that Lorn was with a numerous party moving round to attack him in the rear, he resolved to retreat, fearing to engage with such unequal numbers. He therefore divided his adherents into three divisions, commanding them to retreat by as many ways, imagining the enemy would be baffled which to pursue ”

“ The nobleman communicated this important intelligenee to the king, who commanded him to repair to a certain plaee with a body of troops, to which plaee he also gave separate orders to Douglas and Randolph to repair at the same hour, each with a body of troops under his command. The forees thus cautiously assembled marehed to Berwick, and, assisted by Spalding, sealed the walls, making themselves masters of the town in a few hours. The garrison of the castle, pereeiving that the number of Seots was but small, made a desperate sally with the men who had fled into the eastle from the town ”

“ On arriving at the banks of Lochlomond, there appeared no mode of conveyance across the loch; but after much search, Sir James Douglas diseovered a small crazy boat, by means of which they cffeetud a passage. This heroic party were a night and a day in getting over, the boat being only able to carry th (illegible text) persons at a time. The king soon after fell in with the Earl of Lennox, ignorant till then of the fate of his sovereign, whom he had received no intelligence since the defeat at Methven ”

“ It was a large fabric composed of timber, and well roofed, having stages within it, and in height surpassing the wall of the town. It moved on wheels, and served for the double purpose of conducting the miners to the foot of the wall, and armed men to the storm. ”