Page:Life and adventures of Sir William Wallace, General and Governor of Scotland (2).pdf/12

12 THE HISTORY OF been to Wallace. For, after 7 months trace, obtained by means of the French king, Edward ſent Sir Ralph Godfrey with a great army to ſubdue the Scots, and to put an end to the war, which they expected would be eaſy, Wallace being now out of the way. John Cumming, joining with the lord Simon Fraſer, making 8000 or 9000 men, came to reſiſt the Engliſh, who having waſted the country as far as Roſlin, about 5 miles from Edinburgh, expecting no reſiſtance, divided themselves into 3 parties, that they might ſpoil farther into the country. The Scots embracing the occaſion, ſet upon the firſt diviſion, and eaſily diſcomfited them; the ſecond alſo, albeit ſtronger by the joining of thoſe who fled, was after a long conflict put to the rout. By this the third diviſon, coming to the revenge, put the Scots to a great ſtrait, as being ſorely wounded, wearied, and weakened, in the two former battles, and having to withstand a freſh enemy, of far greater number: hereupon they were forced to kill all the captives, leſt they ſhould aſſiſt the enemy, and with their weapons to arm the baggage men; and ſetting forward both with courage and neceſſity, ſeeing no eſcape, after a long and hard fight, they put the enemy to flight. This was March 24th, 1302.

King Edward, ſore incenſed by this evil ſucceſs, ſent for Robert Bruce younger out of Calais, whom he perſuaded, that he had for a long time, againſt Wallace, defended his father's right to the crown of Scotland: that having put Wallace out of the way, he found the Cummings as great enemies: Notwithſtanding, he intended yet once more to put that enemy out of the way, and to ſettle him in his kingdom. The young prince believing him, cauſed all his, friends and favourers in Scotland, to join with him, and entering the border, ſpoiled the country, and took divers caſtles as far as Douglas Some report that the Lady Douglas, named Ferras, an Engliſh woman, betrayed that caſtle to the Bruce, who took the lord William Douglas captive, with all his children and goods. The Lord himſelf was kept priſoner in Berwick, and thereafter in York, where he died. Mean time, king Edward had prepared a mighty army, both by land and ſea, with which he entered Scotland, and ſubdued all before him while he came to Stirling, kept then by Sir William Oliphant, who after a long ſiege, knowing of no relief, yielded the caſtle upon condition, that himſelf and all that were with him, ſhould paſs with