Page:History of Sir William Wallace, the renowned Scottish champion.pdf/12

12 he did not hesitate to attempt forcing the pass; but he was soon convinced of his error. Encumbered by the train of waggons, and carriages he was thrown into irrecoverable confusion, and the Scots, after a great slaughter, capture the whole convoy, which, besides wine, and forage, included two hundrerd horses, and a considerable plunder in arms and accoutrements. Wallace having been thus successful in various partial encounters, many of the barons and other persons of high rank flocked to his standard. Edward now prepared a fresh army, which, under the command of Sir Robert Clifford and Sir Henry Percy, a second time invaded Scotland. Hastening to quell the insurrection, they came up with Wallace and his army, occupying an advantageous position in the neighbourhood of Irvine in Ayrshire, and much superior to the English in numbers, but far inferior in discipline and appointments. By that sort of fatality, which seems inherent in divided command and undisciplined masses, when they are most required to act in concert, and which always leads to distrust and perplexity, the commanders, on this occasion, were determined to be each independent, and were therefore intractable. They could agree upon no measure, Dissension and heartburnings were every where: and Sir Richard Lundin, who