Page:Life and adventures of Sir Wm. Wallace.pdf/19

                     (  19  ) and maintained against Robert Bruce.

At the same time, his two brothers, Thomas and Alexander Brute, with Ronald Crawford younger, I 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 hang- ed.

On the other side assembled to him, beside these above named, the young lord James Douglas, (who j hearing of his Father’s death, had returned from I 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 Athole, ( although of the Cumming blood, yet being father-in-law to Edward Bruce,) Sir Neil Campbell, Sir Gilbert Hay, Sir Christopher Seaten, Sir Tho- mas Ronald. Sir Hugh Hay, John Sumervile, David Barclay, Alexander and Simon Frazer, Sir Robert Boyd, Sir William Halyburton, with sundry who had stood with Wallace before.

With his company he passed into Scoon, and took upon him the crown of Scotland, in April 1309. Af- ter 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 at Randal, Barclay, Frazer, Inchmartine, Somerville, &c Sir Hugh Hay, who were constrained to swear ho- mage 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 traveled towards Argyll meaning to lurk for a time