172 SCOTLAND ILLUSTRATED. 



in cavalry, which — more especially the men at arms, who were arrayed in complete 

 steel — was accounted by far the most formidable, or rather the only efficient, 

 part of a feudal army. His second difficulty lay in the inferiority of his archers, 

 whose formidable shafts, as previously felt at the battle of Falkirk, constituted 

 the artillery of the day. The third disadvantage with which he had to. contend 

 in the great contest before him, was the vast disparity in numbers ; for as 

 many of the great barons — among whom was the earl of March — continued to 

 profess the English interest, his commands to assemble an army were but 

 partially obeyed, and his utmost exertions only enabled him to bring into the 

 field an army of thirty thousand men, with about a third of that amount in 

 camp-followers. For this inferiority in numbers, however, Bruce, like an able 

 general, resolved to compensate by the superiority of his tactics. He chose 

 his ground in such a manner as to compel the enemy to narrow their front of 

 attack, and prevent their taking advantage of their numerous forces, by extending 

 them in order to turn his flank. In that part of the field adapted for the 

 manoeuvres of cavalry, he caused many rows of pits, three feet deep, to be dug 

 so close together as to suggest the appearance of a honeycomb with its ranges 

 of cells. In these pits sharp stakes were strongly pitched, and the apertures 

 so carefully covered over with sod as to escape observation. Caltrops, or 

 spikes contrived to lame the horses, were also scattered in various directions. 



The rendezvous took place in Tor-wood on the twenty-tliird of June, 1314, 

 where, surrounded by his army, and having stated the merits of the contest in 

 which they were speedily to engage, the king made proclamation that all who felt 

 any reluctance to abide the consequences, and were unprepared to conquer or die 

 with their sovereign, had his free permission to withdraw. An enthusiastic 

 shout answered his address, and thousands of uplifted hands invoked Heaven 

 to witness that not a man would desert his post.* 



Bruce had hardly completed the distribution of his forces when the advance 

 of Edward and his tremendous army was announced : — 



" The splendour and the horror of the war, 

 Revealed, expanded in tlie morning light 

 Kidges of gloomy foot extended far ; 

 Titrms of helra'd horsemen, frowning»in their might, 

 Sharp wedge, consolidated phalanx sirong, 

 And Mars's bridges firm, and furrows rough and long." — Tennant. 



• About half a mile south from St. Ninians, upon the top of an eminence called Caldam-hill, and close 

 by the way side, is a large block of granite called the Bortd Slane, having a hole in the top, in which the 

 bcottisb king inserted his standard. 



