Page:History of Sir William Wallace, the renowned Scottish champion.pdf/21

21 his horse to the ground. With Sir Brian le Jay, a knight-templar of high military renown, the Scottish hero was more successful. With a single blow of his battleaxe he laid him dead in the midst of his followers. Wallace now retreated across the Forth. But previous to this movement, and while wandering on the banks of the Carron, Wallace was recognised by the misguided Bruce, who descried him from the opposite bank, and, with the view perhaps of justifying his own dastardly conduct, ascribed to ambitious motives, in his opposition to the English. “ No," said Wallace, " my thoughts never soared so high; I only mean to deliver my country from oppression and slavery, and to support a cause which you and others have abandoned. If you have but the heart, you may yet win a crown with glory, and wear it with justiçe, I can do, neither : but will live and die a free born subject." The generous mind of Bruce was much struck with these glorious sentiments; he repeated that he had joined Edward; he felt that he had be- trayed his country and his own rights and be secretly determined to seize the first opportunity of joining his, oppressed countrymen. In this battle, the loss on both sides was very great. The number of the English, according