Page:A biographical dictionary of eminent Scotsmen, vol 7.djvu/270

 40 G SIR WILLIAM WALLACE.

Bliud Harry's description of the distress of Wallace, when he saw the body of his beloved friend and brother in arms, is touching in the extreme.

The corse of Graym, for whom he murned maist, When thae him fund, and Gude Wallace him saw, He lychtyt down, and hynt him frae thame aw In armyss up. Behaldand his pale face, He kyssyt him, and cryt full oft, ' A lace I My best brothir in warld that evir I had ! My afald freynd quhen I was hardest stad I My hope, my heill ! thow was in maist honour ! My faith, my help, my strengthener in stour ! In thee was wit, fredom, and hardiness ; In thee was treuth, manhood, and nobilness; In thee was rewll ; in thee was govemans ; In thee was virtue, withouten varians ; In thee lawty ; in thee was gret largness; In thee gen trice; in thee was stedfastness. Thow was gret cause off winning off Scotland. Thoch I began, and tok the war on hand. I vow to God, that has the warld in wauld, Thy dead sail be to Southearn full dear said ! Martyr thow art for Scotlandis rycht and me ! I sail thee venge, or els therefor sail dee !'

The remains of the Scottish army, in their retreat, burnt the town and castle of Stirling. Edward, who had not recovered from the kick he re- ceived from his horse, took up his quarters for some time in the convent of the Dominicans there, which had escaped the flames ; and sent a division of his army into Clackmannanshire, Monteith, and Fifeshire, who laid waste the country. He then marched to the west, through the district of Clydesdale to Lanark, and afterwards to Ayr, where he found the castle forsaken, and burnt by Robert Bruce. A want of provisions prevented Edward from pursuing Bruce into Galloway, as he intended. After capturing Bruce's castle of Loch- niaben, he was constrained to march through Annandale into England, leaving Scotland only partially subdued, and ready to rise into a new revolt against him.

Wallace, after the defeat of Falkirk, feeling how little he was supported by the nobility, and how much jealousy and envy his elevation had occasioned, re- signed the office of governor of Scotland, reserving to himself no other privi- lege than that of fighting against the enemies of his country, at the head of such friends as might be inclined to adhere to him. His resignation was fol- lowed by the election of a regency, consisting, at first, of John Comyn of Badenoch, the younger, and John de Soulis ; to whom were afterwards added, as partners in administration, Bruce, earl of Carrick, and William Lamberton, bishop of Saint Andrews.

The first enterprise of the new governors was against the castle of Stirling, which Edward had left garrisoned. To preserve that important place from falling into their hands, Edward determined upon another expedition into Scot- land, and with that purpose assembled his army at Berwick ; but the English

Sir lone ye Grame, verry vicht and wyse, One of ye cheefs relievit Scotland thryse, Favght vith ys svord, and ner thout schame, Commandit nane to beir it bot his name.

Minima's History of Stirlingshire.