Page:Life and surprising adventures of Sir William Wallace.pdf/20

 20 John Stewart fought bravely and died honourably, as did all his dependants. And the guardian, who, in the begin- ning of the action, had juſt ſufficient time to addreſs this ſhort ſpeech to his men," I have brought you to the king, fly if you can," did all that could be ex- pected from the greateſt commander in the world. Thus Wallace, by the means to which we have already adverted, was obliged to retreat; on which account, and be- cauſe of the numerous forces he took to the field, he was branded as the main author of all the loſſes which his country had ſuſtained. This line of conduct, however, he was ſoon after diſpoſed to follow : for by Sir John Cumine's conduct, both before and after the battle, and by the converſation which he afterwards had with Robert Bruce earl of Carrick, he plainly under ſtood that theſe great men were actuated by mere jealouſy, a paſſion of all others the leaſt eaſily checked; and that both having an eye to the crown, would al- ways oppoſe at leaſt, would never hearti- ly concur with one, who, in their appre- hension, bad merit and ambition enough to ſet it on his own head. After the glorious victory obtained in the beginning of the campaign 1302, by