Page:Life of Sir William Wallace.pdf/24

 Thus fell Wallace, a victim to the selfish policy of Edward: but his example was not lost to his countrymen, for the spirit of resistance, which he was among the first to inspire, wrought out in more auspicious days, the deliverance of his native land. The more narrowly the character of Wallace is examined, the more interesting it appears, for his love of country was unmingled with any base or selfish motive. His ruling passion was a love of liberty, and an aversion to the domination of Edward, which never forsook him. Fordun relates concerning him, that when Edward made very liberal offers to induce him to submit, as many of his countrymen had done, and some of his own friends joined in endeavouring to persuade him, Wallace with much emotion exclaimed, "Scotland, too credulous of fair speeches, and not aware of the calamities which are coming upon you, if you were to judge as I do, you would not easily put your neck under a foreign yoke.— When I was a boy, the priest, my uncle, carefully inculcated upon me this proverb, which I then learned, and have ever since kept in my mind :—

"I tell you a truth, liberty is the best of things. My son, never live under a slavish bond. Therefore, I shortly declare, that if all others, the natives of Scotland, should obey the king of England, I and my associates, who may be willing to adhere to me in this point, will stand for the liberty of the kingdom, and, by God's assistance, will only obey the king or his lieutenant."

&#8757; For an additional account of the struggles for the Independence of Scotland, see the Life of KING ROBERT BRUCE.