Page:Life and adventures of Sir William Wallace, General and Governor of Scotland (1).pdf/18

 18 THE HISTORY Of 1500 chofen men, very near furprized the king in Gien- tele-wood ; But the king with his men taking courage, refoluteiy defended the place, which was very ftrong, and kffing divers of the firft who affauhed them, the reft fled back. Therefore, with more courage, he went into the fields, reduced Kyle and Cunningham to his obedience, Sir James Douglas alfo, with 60 men lying in an ambafh at a ftrait place in Cunningham, called the Netherforud where Sir Philip Monbray was paffing, with 1000 men againft the king, being then in Kyle, killed many of them and pm the reft to fight. On May 10th following, Aymer with 3000 men came againft the king, then lying in Gal- fton in Kyle: King Robert hearing of his coming, albeit he exceeded net 600 men, came forth againft him at a place under Loudon hill, which he fo fortified on every hand with dykes and foufies, that the enemy could not inclofe him on both fides; and fo by the flout and refolure valour of fo few, Sir Aymer was put to flight, which he took fo fore to heart that he retired into England, and gave over his office of warden or viceroy, John of Britain earl of Richmond being fent into Scotland in his place. King Robert after this paft into the north, leaving Sir James Douglas on the borders, who, taking his own caftle of Douglas by a ftratagem, razed it to the ground, and in a few days chafed all the Englifh out of Douglas dale, Et- trick foreft, and Jodburgh foreft, and took Sir Thomas Randal the King’s Sifter’s fon, (who had followed the Englifh ever fince his captivity,) and Sir Alexander Stew- art of Bunkle. Sir Alexander and Simon Frazer, meeting king Robert in the north, fhewed him, how-John Cum- ing earl of Buchan, David lord Brechin, Sir John Mou- bray, and the reft of the Cumming faction, were gather- ing an army againft him Meanwhile, by the affiftance of his friends in thefe quarters, on a fudden he furpriz'd the caftle of Invernefs, the fame of which victory caufed many other to yield: all which he overthrew and great- ly increafed the number of his friends. In his return, tak- ing ficknefs at Inverury. Cumming let upon him. The King, after his friends had for a time defended him, re- covering fomewhat, went out to the field, and fo hardly af- faulted his enemy at Old Meldrum, that albeit their num- ber was far greater, yet they took their flight, Which the like fuccefs he let upon the King, in Glenafk in Angus, where, being fhamefully put to. he fled into Eng- land, with Sir John Moubray, and cid there fhortlyafter. Lord David Brechin forthied his own caftle bt David earl of Athol, forced him to yield it and himfelf to the King. Mean time, Frazer took the caftle of For- far: and the King, purfuing this victory, reduced all the



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