Page:Life and adventures of Sir Wm. Wallace.pdf/16

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ward with the course of victory, as far as the utmost bounds of Ross; and in his back coming,^carried away with him into England all books, registers, histories, laws and monuments of the kingdom : and among others, the fatal marble chair, whereupon the former Scots Kings used to be crowned at Scoon, on which w *s engraved a prophecy ‘ That wherever this chair should be transported, the Scots should command there

He carried also with him all the learned men and professors of Scotland, among others the famous Dr. John Duns, surnamed Scotus, thinking thereby to dis- courage and effeminate the minds of the Scots, that they should cast off all care of recovering their liberty, the memory thereof being drowned in oblivion.

At his return into England, he left his cousin, Sir Aymer Valance, Earl of Pembroke, viceroy, having fortified all the castles with strong garrisons.

The Scots who stood for the liberty of their coun- try being forsaken by John Gumming, sent earnest letters to France,.to move Wallace to return—he was then making war upon the English in Guienne; but hearing the mischiefs of his country, he obtained leave of the French King to return ; and secretly gathering some of his friends, recovering divers castles and towns in the north, and having greatly increased his army, besieged St. Johnstoun, till it surrendered.

But as he proceeded in the course of his victories he was betrayed by his familiar friend, Sir John Monteith to Aymer de Vallance, who sent him to England, where by King Edward’s command, he was put to death, and his body quartered, and sent into the principal cities of Scotland, to be set up f»r a terror to others.

Notwithstanding, this cruelty prevailed little for