Page:Life and adventures of Sir William Wallace, General and Governor of Scotland (2).pdf/9

SIR WILLIAM WALLACE. try, cauſing the nobility to ſwear to be faithful to the State, till ſuch times as they might condeſcend who ſhould be King: Earl Patrick Dunbar refuſing to acknowledge the authority of this parliament, was chaſed out of Scotland; and becauſe the year by-paſt, the ground had not been manured, and great famine threatened the land, Wallace aſſembled a great hoſt, and entered England, where he remained all the winter and the ſpring following, living upon the enemies' proviſions, and enriching his ſoldiers by their ſpoil; during which time the Engliſh durſt never encounter him in open field: Only at the first entry, King Edward, with a great army of raw ſoldiers, came againſt him in the plain of Stanmure; but perceiving the diſcipline and hardy reſolution of Wallace's hoſt, before they came nearer than half a mile, drew back his army and retired; Wallace, for fear of ambuſh; kept his ſoldiers in order, and purſued them not. Thus King Edward left his country to the mercy of a provoked enemy; and notwithſtanding that he promiſed battle, yet he kept himſelf cloſe till a peace was concluded for five years, Berwick and Roxburgh being rendered to the Scots.

Scotland thus enjoying perfect liberty, Wallace, being earneſtly requested by the French King, to the end that his ſpecial captains might be kept in military exerciſe during the peace, ſailed over to France, with 50 of them in his company. He was encountered on the way by Thomas of Charters, (commonly called Thomas of Longueville,) who, with 16 ſail, infeſted the ſeas: bat boarding Wallace's ſhip, he was taken by him, and thereafter fought moſt valiantly under him and king Robert Bruce, for the liberty of Scotland. After Wallace landed in France, he was employed in war againſt the Engliſh, who at that time poſſeſſed the duchy of Guienne and Bourdeaux; them he defeated in ſundry ſkirmiſhes. But in a few days he was called home by ſome of his friends in Scotland! for King Edward, understanding his abſence, and pretending that he had broken the peace in Guienne, dealt with Robert Bruce earl of Carrick, and his friends, and with ſuch noblemen of Scotland as held lands in England, or envied Wallace's, glory telling, that it was a ſhame for them to ſuffer Wallace a mean gentleman, to rule Scotland, while any of the blood royal did remain; ſo promiſing his aſſiſtance to Robert Bruce, he ſent a great army into Scotland, and by the