Page:Life and adventures of Sir William Wallace, General and Governor of Scotland (2).pdf/15

SIR WILLIAM WALLACE. 15 ing to Dumfries, and finding Cumming at the maſs of the Grey-Friers, after he had ſhown him his letters, in impatience, he ſtabbed him with his dagger and others who were about him doing the like, not only diſpatched him, but alſo his couſin Sir Edward Cumming, and others who aſſiſted him. This ſlaughter fell out on the 9th of February, in the year 1306, as we now account.

The Bruce, thus rid of one enemy, found a great number as it were riſing out of his aſhes, even the whole puiſſant name of Cumming, with their allies, the earl of March, the lord of Lorn, the lord of Abernethy, the lord of Brechin, the lord Soules, the most part of the North, and all Galloway followed the Cummings: the earl of March, the lord William Soules commanded the Merſe, with Berwick and the border: all which they yielded to king Edward, and maintained againſt Robert Bruce. At the ſame time his two brothers, Thomas and Alexander Bruce, with Ronald Crawford younger, ſecretly landing in Galloway, were taken by Duncan Macdougal a great man in Galloway, and ſent to King Edward, who cauſed them all three to be hanged. On the other ſide, aſſembled to him, beſide theſe above named, the young lord James Douglas, (who hearing of his father's death, had returned from France, where he was at ſchool, and ſtaid a time with his kinſman, William Lamberton, biſhop of St. Andrews,) earl Malcom Lennox, earl John of Athol, (altho' of the Cumming blood, yet being father-in-law to Edward Bruce,) Sir Neil Campbell, Sir Gilbert Hay, Sir Chriſtopher Seaton, Sir Thomas Ronald, Sir Hugh Hay, John Somerville, David Barclay, Alexander and Simon Frazer, Sir Robert Boyd, Sir William Halyburton, with ſundry who had ſtood with Wallace before. With this company he paſt into Scoon, and took upon him the crown of Scotland, in April 1309. After this he gathered an army, minding to beſiege St. Johnſtoun. But finding his power too weak, he retired to Methven, where he was unexpectedly aſſaulted and diſcomfited by Sir Aymer de Vallance, but with ſmall loſs of men, except ſome who were taken, as Randal Barclay, Frazer, Inchmartine, Somerville, and Sir Hugh Flay, who were conſtrained to ſwear homage to king Edward. The commons diſcouraged with this hard ſucceſs, fearing the Engliſh, forſook the new king; who had a ſmall company of gentlemen about him, with whom he travelled to-