Meanwhile Edward demanded possession of all the fortresses, which were shamefully given up to him; and to crown their disgrace, the prelates and barons present swore fealty to the king of England; and the like oath was required of those who were absent.

The commissioners, upon examination, Baliol. pave their verdict in favour of Baliol, who was crowned accordingly, and did homage to Edward: but this royal vassal was not to hold the sceptre long. Edward pretended to rule in Scotland over king and subjects by English laws. Baliol remonstrated. Edward summoned him to the bar of his tribunal as a private person. Baliol, though a prince of a gentle disposition, returned into Scotland provoked at this usage, and resolved at all hazards to vindicate his liberty: with this view, he concluded a secret treaty with France. The niece of that king was given in marriage to the son of Baliol, and they mutually engaged to assist each other against Edward.

Notwithstanding this treaty, Philip de Valois made a truce with Edward, and left the Scots to bear the brunt of the English armament by sea and land.

The war commenced by an invasion of England. The highlanders ravaged all the country as far as Carlisle, to which they laid siege. Edward attacked Berwick: he found it well garrisoned and defended. We are told that in a sally the garrison burnt eighteen of his ships, and put the crews to the sword. But Edward's land army were at the gates: they assaulted, took, and sacked the town, massacring its inhabitants without distinction. Elated with success, Edward dispatched an

army against Dunbar. The Scots hastened to its relief. A fatal battle was fought, in which the Scots lost 10,000 men. Dunbar was taken. Its fall was followed by that of Roxburgh. Edinburgh and Stirling opened their gates to the enemy; and in a short space all the southern parts were subdued.

Still, however, might a valiant prince have found resources: but the feeble and timid Baliol, disgusted with his own subjects, overawed by the English, hastened to make his submissions, and made a solemn and irrevocable resignation of his crown into the hands of Edward. He was carried prisoner to England, and committed to the tower. Earl Warenne was left Governor of Scotland: the other officers were all entrusted to England.

Among the barbarous expedients devised to humble and reduce Scotland for ever, was that of destroying or carrying away every record, every monument of national history or national independence. Robert Bruce had contributed to the overthrow of Baliol, in hopes of advancing his own preferment. When he humbly ventured to mention his claims to Edward-" What," said the king to him, "have we nothing else to do but to conquer kingdoms for you?" The temptation was too strong for the virtue of the English monarch to resist, and he determined to hold fast what his arms and policy had gained.

National animosities, and the insolence of victory, now conspired to render the English government intolerable to the Scots, who bore with the utmost impatience a yoke to which, from the earliest period of their monarchy, they had been unaccustomed. Warenne retiring into England,

on

on account of his bad state of health, left the administration in the hands of Ormesby, who was appointed justiciary of Scotland, and Cressingham, who held the office of treasurer. With these there remained a small military force to secure their precarious authority.

At this distressing period arose a true hero, a disinterested patriot, in the per

1296

son of sir William Wallace, whose magnanimous soul could no longer brook to see his country torn by factions, deserted by its chiefs, and oppressed by foreigners. Robust, active, and brave, he stept forth to reunite the friends of liberty under his banner.

The lustre of his birth is lost in that of his actions; and the rapidity of his victories, and the frequency of his exploits, has disordered the chronology of his history. Many of his noblest actions were, no doubt, performed before his reputation found access to the annals of his country.

A.D.

1797

In May he made a bold attempt to surprize Ormesby, the English justiciary, then holding a court at Scone. Ormesby, with difficulty, escaped to England. He was soon followed by all the officers of Edward; so that Wallace and his men, with an astonishing rapidity, became masters of Lanerk, Dundee, Forfar, Brechin, and Montrose: the castle of Dunotter, reckoned impregnable, received a Scottish garrison; and Aberdeen, being set on fire by the English, was abandoned to the patriotic band.

Every new enterprize added to the glory of his name, and to the number of his followers, till at last he found himself at the head of a numerous

army.

F 3

Well

Well aware that they should meet with no mercy at the hands of Edward, who would treat them as rebellious subjects, the Scots were rendered now desperate, and, by necessity, forced to the cruel expedient of putting to the sword every Englishman they found in arms.

King Edward, then in France, ordered the carl of Surrey to suppress this daring insurrection.

An army of forty thousand, led on by lord Henry Piercey, marched against Wallace. They found him advantageously posted near Irwin.

But the jealousy and discontent of the nobles ruined their cause: they saw with envy the grow ing reputation and authority of a private gentleman; confusion and irresolution ensued: in short, the most eminent made their submission, and obtained their pardon from Edward's officers.

Wallace and his faithful band scornfully refused to follow his fickle associates, declaring they would never lay down their arms till their country was restored to liberty and independence. They even harrassed the rear of the English army, but were repulsed with the loss of a thousand men.

Still undaunted and unsubdued, Wallace retreated northward, where he was joined by new adherents.

When Warenne advanced to Stirling, he found Wallace encamped in excellent order on the opposite bank of the Forth. Willing to try again the same arts of negotiation, he sent two friars to Wallace to offer conditions of peace.--" Go, said Wallace, tell your masters, we came not here to treat but to assert our rights, and to set Scotland free let them advance, they will find us prepared."

Indignant

Indignant at this defiance, Cressingham, at the head of his forces, prepared to cross the river by a wooden bridge that laid over it. Wallace slowly led down his troops, and advanced to meet them; but ere half the army had passed, he attacked them before they could form; put them to the rout, and obtained a complete victory.

This success merited to Wallace the title of guardian; but he still acknowledged the captive king Baliol, Famine, the unavoidable consequences of so long a civil war, now threatened Scotland. Wallace led his troops into England, in order to subsist at the expence of the enemy, and having met with no opposition, returned in triumph, loaded with booty.

This was to be the last of Wallace's successful enterprizes.

King Edward returned from France, and marched into Scotland, at the head of seventy thousand men. Nothing could save the Scots but an entire union among themselves. The elevation of Wallace was still an object of envy to the nobles. Sensible of their discontent, the patriotic hero voluntarily resigned his authority.

The chief command now devolved on the Steward of Scotland, and Cumyn of Badenoch.--Wallace only retained one corps that refused to fight under any other leader. The English army came up with them near Falkirk.

The Scottish bowmen were soon driven off the field by the English archers, who surpassed those of other nations. The pikemen, cooped up in their entrenchments, were so galled by the arrows that they were thrown into disorder; in short, the

whole