Page:Life and adventures of Sir William Wallace, General and Governor of Scotland (1).pdf/23

 BATTLE OF BANNOCKBURN. 23

its vicinity to a fmall village of that name: much of this bog is ftill undrained, and a part of it is at prefent a mill dam. As it was then the middle of fummer, it was almoft quite dry. But King Robert had recourfe to a ftratagem, in order to prevent any attack from that quarter. He had ordered many ditches and pits to be digged in the morafs, and ftakes, fharpened at both ends, to be driven into them, and the whole to be covered over again with green turf, fo that the ground had ftill appearance of being firm. He alfo caufed crow-feet, or fharp painted irons to be-fcatter- ed throughout the morafs: fome of them have been found there to the memory of people ftill living: the fame man- euvers were likewife carried on far a little way along the front of the left wing; for there the banks, for about two hundred yards, being more flat than they are any where elfe, it was the only place where the enemy could pafs the river in any fort of order. By means of thefe artificial improvement, joined to the natural ftrength of the ground, the Scots army flood as within an entrench- ment and the invifibie pits and ditches anfwered the con- cealed batteries of more modern times. Amongft the other occurences of this memorable day, hiftorians mention an accident of a fingular nature. As the two armies were about to engage. The Abbot of Inchaffery pofting himfelf before the Scots with a crucifix in his hand, they all fell down upon their knees in the act of devotion. —The enemy obferving them in fo uncommon a pof- ture concluded that they were frighted into fubmiffion, and that, by kneeling, when they fhould be ready to fight, they meant to furrender at diferetion, and only to beg their lives: but they were foon undeceived, when they faw them rife again, and ftand to their arms with fteady countenances. The Englifh began the action, by a brifk charge upon the left wing of the Scots commanded by Randolph, near the fpot, where the bridge is now thrown over the river, at the fmall village of Charter’s hall. Hereabout was the only place where the river could be croffed in any order. A large body of cavalry advanced to attack him in front, while another fetched a compafs to tall upon his flank and rear, but before they could come to clofs engagement, they fell into the fnare that had been laid for them. Ma- ny of their horfes were foon difabled, by the fharp irons rufhing into their feet, others tumbled into the concealed pits, and could not difentangle themfelves. Pieces of their harneffing, with bits of broken fpears, and other armours, ftill continue to be dug up in the bog. In the beginning of the engagement, an incident hap- pened, which, tho’ in itfelf of fmall moment, was render- ed important by its confequences. King Robert was mount-