Page:Life and adventures of Sir Wm. Wallace.pdf/23

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tives, he took St, Johnstoun by surprizal from that he passed into Lorn, the Lord whereof had ambushed two thousand men, on the side of a steep hill, where the king behoved to enter thro’ a narrow passage : but Sir James Douglas, with Sir Alexander Frazer and Sir Andrew Gray climbing the hill came suddenly on their backs and put them to flight. John of Lorn fled into England by sea : his father Lord Alexander M c Dougal, yielded himself and the castle of Dunstaffnage to the king, By these means, all the north side of Forth was reduced to obdiences, Sir Edward his brother, in the mean time, who by long, and hard fighting, had conquered Galloway, James Douglas, by a stratagem surprised the strong castle of Roxburgh on the Fasten’s,even while all the garrison (after the custom of the time were feasting and playing the riot.

The report whereof to whetted the valiant T. Ran- dal, newly restored to his uncle’s favour and made earl of Murray that having beseiged the castle of Edin- burgh for some months, he set himself by all means to carry the same, which he obtained by a narrow passage up thro’ the rock, discovered by him, by which he and sundry stout gentlemen secretly passed up, and scaling the wall, after long and dangerous fighting, made themselves masters of the place.

The garrisons of Rutherglen, Lanerk, Dunmfries, Air, Dundee and Bute hearing this, yielded up these castles, which were all razed.

The isle of Man. also returned to the obedience of the crown of Scotland Sir Edward Bruce, having besieged Stirling castle three months, agreed with the captain, Sir Philip Moubray, that if the King of Eng-l land did not rescue him within twelve months there- after, the castle should be yielded to king-Robert.

Albeit this seemed a rash provocation of so migh- ty a King as Edward Longshanks : (but far degene