Page:History of Sir William Wallace (1).pdf/62

 ( 62 ) At a council he held at Durban, a short time after this. "he conferred the estates of those excepted in the articles upon various English all disaffected Scottish nobles: But while Edward was employed in England, in ether restraining or soothing the discontests of his subjects, and by lavish grants of land in Scotland, to aid him in the further conquest of that kingdom, 'the Scots soon rallied to de- fend their own liberties all independence Unfortunately for his native cor y, however, she was soon to be deprived of the active ex- ertions of Wallace. Reflecting upon the con- versation which he had with Bruce, in which he unjustly charged him with an attempt upon the crown; overpowered by ungenerous jeal- ousy of rival barons; deprived by the fatal battle of Falkirk, of many of his most faithful and culiant personal friends; disgusted by the conduct of those who deserted him in that battle: by miscarriage, losing some degree of that popularity which is always attached to victory and convinced, that in consequence of present animosities, the war could not be successfully carried on, he formed the resolu- tion retire. Before this disinterested and brave hero appeared to vindicate the liberties of his country his rank was too mean, and his possessions too small to render him the subject of jealousy or of intrigue, which had seduced many of the Scottish nobles to betray the in- dependence of their native country, but now that; by a train of unexampled deeds, he had