838 
SCOT 
ensure a retreat among the morasses, in the forests, or the 
mountains. At times he dispersed his associates in one 
place, and, collecting them again in some distant quarter, 
surprised and routed the English before they had any idea 
of his approach. Every day was marked by some daring 
exploit, which increased his influence and means. At length 
he resolved to strike a decisive blow', by attacking Ormesby 
at Scone. The justiciary, apprized of his intentions, fled 
hastily into England, and was followed by all his colleagues 
in office, an event which gave a new character to the efforts 
of Wallace. Many of the principal barons, and particularly 
Sir William Douglas, now openly countenanced his party, 
and the nation at large prepared to defend, by an united 
effort, that liberty, which they had so unexpectedly reco¬ 
vered. 
In the mean time, the earl of Surrey having mustered an 
army of 40,000 men, hastened to suppress an insurrection, 
which had become formidable in a great measure from his 
own negligence. After traversing Annandale, he marched 
along the western coast to Irvine, where he found the Scots 
encamped, and sufficiently formidable by their numbers to 
have punished his temerity, if distrust and disunion had not 
weakened their ranks. Fortunately for him, however, the 
jealousies of the nobles were still stronger than their 
patriotism, and many of them auguring no advantage from 
resistance, submitted to the English, and received pardon. 
Others, who had not so unequivocally declared themselves, 
likewise joined the oppressors of their country. Wallace 
alone remained inexorable to bribe or threat; but thus de¬ 
serted, he was unable to give battle to the governor, and 
therefore marched to the northward, with the intention of 
prolonging the war, and of turning to his advantage the 
mountainous districts of the Plighlands. When Warrene 
arrived at Stirling, the Scottish hero lay encamped at Cam- 
buskenneth, on the opposite side of the Forth; the English 
commander again endeavoured to negociate, but Wallace 
replied, that his object was not to treat, but to set Scotland 
free. This bold language irritated the English, and they 
demanded to be led against the enemy. Warrene hesitated, 
but Cressingham urged an immediate attack, and his coun¬ 
sels prevailed. The English began to pass the bridge that 
separated the two armies, but before half of them had 
reached the opposite side, they were attacked by Wallace, 
and either driven into the river or destroyed by the sword. 
Among the slain was Cressingham himself, whose memory 
was so hateful to the Scots, that they flayed his dead body, 
and made girths of his skin. The remainder of the English 
army precipitately retreated into England. Wallace pur¬ 
sued, and reduced the fortresses of Berwick and Roxburgh ; 
Dundee and some other strong holds also capitulated. 
Wallace was now declared guardian of the kingdom by 
the unanimous voice of his followers, and under this title he 
directed affairs in the name of the captive Baliol. As the 
misfortunes of war and an unfavourable season had produced 
a famine, he marched into England, laid waste the northern 
counties, and returned loaded with spoils. 
Edward, who during these transactions was prosecuting 
the war in Flanders, having concluded a truce with France, 
hastened over to England, in the confident hope of recover¬ 
ing the important conquest of Scotland, which he always 
regarded as the chief advantage of his reign. For this pur¬ 
pose he assembled an immense army, with which he laid 
siege to the castle of Dirleton. Wallace, in the mean time, 
sensible of the jealousy of the Scottish nobles, voluntarily 
resigned his authority as guardian to the Stewart of Scotland, 
and Cumyn of Badenoch, men of eminent birth, under 
whom he hoped the great chieftains would be more whiling 
to fight in the defence of their country. These two com¬ 
manders took post at Falkirk, and determined there to aw’ait 
the assault of the English. Wallace also brought his troops 
hither, and placed them at the disposal of the regents. The 
resolution of the Scottish chiefs to risk a general battle was 
highly agreeable to Edward, whose army was already much 
straitened for provisions, and was in a state of mutiny. He 
LAND. 
advanced therefore with great rapidity to Falkirk, and imme¬ 
diately on his arrival led his troops to the attack. Cumyn, 
with his division, fled on the first onset, and left that of the 
Stewart to be cut to pieces. This cowardly conduct de¬ 
cided the fate of the day; but in the general route, Wallace’s 
military skill enabled him to preserve his patriot bands 
entire. After a gallant resistance, he retreated leisurely 
along the banks of the Carron, followed by a corps of the 
English army, under the orders of Bruce, who demanded a 
conference with the Scottish hero, in which the latter fully 
convinced him of his want of patriotism, in espousing the 
cause of the oppressor of his country. 
Soon after this victory, Edward returned to England, and 
the Scots once more rallied, and obtained many advantages 
over the forces left behind by the English monarch. Three 
victories were gained in one day, and the renown of these 
great exploits, seconded by the favourable disposition of 
the people, soon made the regent master of all the fortresses 
in the south, and it became necessary for Edward to begin 
anew the conquest of the kingdom. 
The English king accordingly prepared for that event 
with his usual activity and prudence. He assembled both a 
great fleet and army, and entering the kingdom, proceeded 
almost to its furthest extremities, without encountering any 
opposition. All the nobles, and even the regent himself, 
made their submissions to the conquerer. The only for¬ 
tresses which did not immediately yield, w'ere those of Brechin 
and Stirling. So gallantly, indeed, did the garrison of the 
latter defend their trust, that it was nearly demolished before 
Edward, after a siege of four months, was enabled to take 
it by assault, an event which again placed the whole of 
Scotland under his power. Still, however, he distrusted 
the permanency of his success, for Wallace was yet alive, 
unsullied in his character, and unsubdued in his spirit. 
Edward employed every art to discover his retreat, and to 
obtain possession of his person ; and he at length succeeded, 
through the treachery of Sir John Monteith, whom Wallace 
had always regarded as one of his bosom friends. By him 
he was arrested, and sent in fetters to London, where he was 
tried as a traitor, though he had never made submissions or 
sworn fealty to England, and was executed on Tower-hill, 
on the 23d of August, 1305. Such was the unworthy fate 
of the greatest hero of whom Scotland has to boast. 
The execution of Wallace, by which Edward hoped to 
strike terror into the Scots, served only to inflame their 
resentment; even the nobles, whose jealousy of Wallace 
had prevented his final success against the tyranny which 
oppressed them, bewailed his fate, and vowed vengeance 
against his murderer. Bruce, in particular, became more 
confirmed in his purpose of asserting his rights, and vindi¬ 
cating the liberties of his country. He incited the people to 
rise against their oppressors, attacked and defeated the de¬ 
tached parties of the English, secured the possession of many 
fortresses, and having established his authority in most 
places of the south, proceeded to Scone, where he was so¬ 
lemnly crowned on the 27th of March, 1306. 
Bruce having by repeated successes driven all the English 
from Scotland, except such as fled to the few fortresses still 
in their hands, Edward dispatched Aylmer de Valence to 
crush this new and formidable revolt. That nobleman ad¬ 
vanced without opposition to Methuen, in Perthshire, 
where he found the Scottish forces encamped, attacked them 
before they were aware of his approach, and gained a com¬ 
plete victory. The Scottish king fought with great courage, 
but was at last obliged to quit the field, and to seek security 
for himself and a few followers in the Western islands. All 
the prisoners of note were executed as rebels, and many acts 
of outrageous oppression were exercised against those of 
inferior rank. On the death of Edward, which happened 
in 1307, Bruce resolved again to try the fortune of war. He 
attacked and brought under his dominion the territories of 
Argyle, and afterwards took the fortresses of Inverness, 
Forfar, and Brechin. By these exploits he gradually in¬ 
creased his influence, and reconciled the barons to his cause. 
Indeed, 
/ 
