Page:Life and adventures of Sir William Wallace, General and Governor of Scotland (2).pdf/17

SIR WILLIAM WALLACE. 17 killing divers of the first who aſſaulted them, the reſt fled back. Therefore, with more courage, he went into the fields, reduced Kyle and Cunningham to his obedience, Sir James Douglas alſo, with 60 men lying in an ambuſh at a ſtrait place in Cunningham, called the Netherford; where Sir Philip Moubray was paſſing, with 1000 men againſt the King, being then in Kyle, killed many of them and put the reſt to flight. On May 10th following, Sir Aymer with 3000 men came against the King, then lying in Galſton in Kyle: King Robert hearing of his coming, albeit he exceeded not 600 men, came forth againſt him at a place under Loudon hill, which he ſo fortified on every hand with dykes and foufies, that the enemy could not incloſe him on both ſides; and ſo by the ſtout and reſolute valour of ſo few, Sir Aymer was put to flight, which he took ſo fore to heart that he retired into England, and gave over his office of warden, or viceroy, John of Britain earl of Richmond being ſent into Scotland in his place.

King Rebert after this paſt into the north, leaving Sir James Douglas on the borders, who, taking his own caſtle of Douglas by a ſtratagem, razed it to the ground, and in a few days chaſed all the English out of Douglas-dale Ettrick foreſt, and Jedburgh foreſt, and took Sir Thomas Randal the King's Siſter's ſon, (who had followed the Engliſh ever ſince his captivy,) and Sir Alexander Stewart of Bunkle. Sir Alexander and Simon Frazer, meeting king Robert in the north, ſhewed him, how John Cumming earl of Buchan, David lord Brechin, Sir John Moubray, and the rest of the Cumming faction, were gathering an army againſt him. Mean while, by the aſſiſtance of his friends in theſe quarters, on a ſudden he ſurpriz'd the caſtle of Inverneſs, the ſame of which victory cauſed many other ſtrengths to yield: all which he overthrew and greatly increaſed the number of his friends. In his return, taking ſickneſs at Inverury, Cumming ſet upon him. The King, after his friends had for a time defended him, recovering ſomewhat, went out to the field, and ſo hardly aſſaulted his enemy at Old Meldrum, that albeit their number was far greater, yet they took their flight. With the like ſucceſs, he ſet upon the King, in Glenaſk in Angus, where, being ſhamefully put to flight, he fled into England, with Sir John Monbray, and died there ſhortly after. Lord David Brechin fortified his own caſtle, but David