ENGLAND. 
590 
©btained without violence, yet it is probable, that the 
difturbance given by Scotland about the fame time, might 
have haftened its final execution. That fierce nation, 
which had been conquered fome time before, ftill difco- 
vered a fpirit of independence which no feverity could 
reftrain. Earl Warenne had been left judiciary in that 
kingdom ; and his prudence and moderation were equal 
to his valour. He governed the people with ftricf jufiice ; 
but being obliged by the bad (late of his health to return 
to England, he left the adminiftration in the hands of 
two very improper perfons: the one, wbofe name was 
Ormefby, was rigorous and cruel ; the other, Crefllng- 
ham, was .'avaricious and mean. Under fo different an 
adminiftration little (lability could be expected ; and their 
injuftice foon drove the Scots into open rebellion.. They 
were headed by William Wallace, fo celebrious in Scottifh 
(lory, the younger fon of a gentleman who lived in the 
wefiern part of the kingdom. He was a man of gigantic 
ft'ature, incredible firength, and fingular intrepidity ; de- 
firous of independence, and pofTeffed with the moil difin- 
terefted patriotifm. His fil'd exploits-were confined to 
petty ravages, ant^occafional attacks upon the Englifh. 
As his forces increafed, his efforts became more formi¬ 
dable ; every day brought accounts of his great actions. 
The Scots were now too powerful for the Englifh that 
were appointed to govern them ; many of their barons 
now joined Wallace; fir William Douglas was among the 
foretnoft, while Robert Bruce fecretly favoured and pro¬ 
moted the caufe. To oppofe this infurrection, earl 
Warenne was difpatched with an army of forty thoufand 
men to attack the Scots, who had eroded the borders, 
and begun to ravage the country. He Suddenly entered 
Annandale, and by forced marches came up with the 
infurgents' at Irvine, where he took them by furprife, 
obliged them to capitulate, and coriipelled them to give 
hodages for their future fidelity. Mod of the nobility 
renewed their oaths; but only waited a more favourable 
occa'fion for vindicating their freedom. Wallace alone 
difdnined fubmiffion ; and with a few followers, marched 
northwards, full of indignation and difappointment. In 
the mean time Warenne advanced in purfuit, and over¬ 
took him in the neighbourhood of Stirling, on the other 
fide of the Forth. The earl, perceiving the favourable 
ground he had chofen, was for declining the engagement; 
but being preffed by Crelfingham, whofe private revenge 
operated over his judgment, the old earl was at length 
perfuaded to comply, and he paded over a part of his 
army to begin the attack. Wallace boldly advanced 
upon them before they had time to form, and put them 
entirely to the rout. Part were driven into the river 
which lay in the rear, and the reft were cut to pieces. 
Among the (lain was Crefiingham himfelf, wiiofe memory 
was fo odious to the Scots, that they frayed his dead body, 
and made faddles of his (kin. Warenne retired with the 
remains of his army to Berwick, while the viCtors took 
fuch caftles as Were but ill provided with a liege. Ed¬ 
ward now haftened back from Flanders, impatient to re- 
ftore his authority, and fecure his former conquefts. Left 
the difeontents of his people (hould not have entirely 
fubfided, lie took every popular meafure that he thought 
would give them fatisfa&ion. He reftored to the citizens 
of London tire power of electing their own magiilrates, 
of which they had been deprived in the latter part of Iris 
father’s reign. He ordered drift enquiries to be made 
concerning the quantity of corn which he had arbitrarily 
feized for the life of his armies, as if he intended to pay 
the value to the owners. Thus having fatisfied all com¬ 
plaints, he levied the whole force of his dominions; and, 
at the head of a hundred thoufand men, he direfted his 
march towards the north, to take vengeance upon the 
Scots for their defection. 
It will eafily be imagined that the Scots, even if uni¬ 
ted, were wholly incompetent to refift fuch an army; but 
their own mutual diffenlions ferved to render them ftill 
snore unequal to the conteft, and to prepare Edward’s 
way to an eafy triumph. The Scots were headed by three 
commanders, who each claimed equal authority; thefe 
were the fteward-of Scotland, Comyn of Badenoch, and 
Wijliam Wallace, who offered to give up his command, 
but wbofe parly refuted to follow any other leader. The 
Scotch army was judicioufiy ported at Falkirk, determined 
to await the affault of the Englifh. They were drawn up 
in three divifions, each forming a coniplete body of pike- 
men, and the intervals filled with arciiers. Their horfe 
were placed in the rear, and their front was fecured with 
palifadoes. Edward, though he law the advantage of 
ground was againlt him, little regarded fuch a fuperiority, 
confident of his own (kill and his numbers ; wherefore, 
dividing his forces alfo into three bodies, he led them to 
the attack. Juft as lie advanced at the head of his troops, 
the Scots fet up fo horrid a fhout, that the horfe upon 
which the king rode took fright, threw, and kicked him 
on the ribs; but the intrepid monarch quickly re-mount¬ 
ed, and ordered the Welfli brigade to begin the attack. 
Thefe made but a feeble refiftance againft the impetuous 
Scots, who fought with determined valour. Edward, 
feeing them begin to give ground, advanced in perfon at 
the head of another battalion ; and having pulled up the 
palifadoes, charged the enemy with fuch impetuofity, 
that they were no longer able to refift. In this bloody 
conteft Wallace did all that lay in the power of man to 
fuftain and avert the fliock ; but the divifion commanded 
by Comyn quitting the field, the divifion of the lord 
fteward, as well as that of Wallace, lay open to the Eng¬ 
lifh archers, who at that era began to excel thofe of all 
other nations. Wallace long maintained an unequal con¬ 
teft with his pikemen ; but, finding himfelf in danger of 
being furrotinded, he was obliged to draw off the remnant 
of his troops behind the river Carron. Such was the 
famous battle of Falkirk, fought July 22, 1298^ in which 
Edward gained a complete victory, leaving twelve thou¬ 
fand of the Scots, or, as fome more marvelloufly write, 
fifty thoufand, dead upon the field of battle, while tiie 
Englifh had not an hundred (lain! This blow, though 
dreadful, did not crufli the fpirits of the Scots; and after 
a fhort interval, tljey began to prepare for further refift¬ 
ance. Wallace, who had gained their regards by his va¬ 
lour, (bowed that he merited them more by his declining 
the rewards of ambition. Perceiving how much he was 
envied by the nobility, and knowing how advantageous 
their unanimity would prove to the interefts of his coun¬ 
try, he refigned the regency of the kingdom, and returned 
to a private ftation. He-propofed John Comyn earl of 
Badenoch, as the mod eligible perfon to fupply his place ; 
and that nobleman endeavoured to fbow himfelf worthy 
of the appointment. He foon began to annoy the Englifh"; 
and not content with a defenfive war, he made incurfions 
into thofe countries which Edward had fondly imagined 
were .wholly l’ubdued. In 1302, they attacked an Englifh 
army lying at Rodin, near Edinburgh, and gained a com¬ 
plete victory. The renown of the Scottifh arms now be¬ 
gan to fpread difmay among the Englifh garrifons in that 
kingdom; and they evacuated all the fortreffes of which 
they had for a long time had poftefiion. Thus the talk 
of conqueft was to be performed over again ; and, in pro¬ 
portion to their Ioffes, the Scots feemed to be endued 
with frefh obftinacy. 
But it was not poftible for any circumftances of fuccefs- 
ful revolt to deprefs the enterprifing fpirit of the king. 
He aftembled a great fleet and army; and, early in 1303, 
entered the frontiers of Scotland with a force, which the 
enemy could not think-of redding in the open field. The 
fleet furnifhed the land army with all neceffary provifions; 
while thefe traverfed the kingdom from one end to the 
other, ravaging the open country, taking all the Cadies, 
and receiving the fubmiflions of the nobles and people as 
they went forward. This conqueft employed Edward for 
the fpace of two years; but lie feemed, by the feverity 
of his conduct, to make the natives pay dear for the trou¬ 
ble to which they had put him. He abrogated ail the 
2 Scottifh 
