Page:History of Sir William Wallace the renowned Scottish champion (1).pdf/12

 12

he did not hesitate to attempt forcing the pass but he was soon convinced of his error. Encum- bered by the train of waggons, and carriages he     was thrown into irrecoverable confusion, and the Scots, after a great slaughter, captured the whole convoy, which, besides wine, and forage, included two hundred horses, and a conssderable plunder in arms and accoutrements. Wallace having been thus suecessful 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, un- der 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 ad- vantageous position in the neighbourhood of Ir- vine, in Ayrshire, and mueh superior to the Eng- lish in numbers, but far inferior in discipline and appointments. By that sort of fatality, which seems inherent in divided command and undis- ciplined masses, when they are most required to     act in coneert, 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 here every where: and Sir Riehard Lundin, who