Page:Life of the celebrated Scottish patriot Sir Wm. Wallace.pdf/19

Rh Methven. One hundred took refuge in the church, but were slain. By this succcssfulsuccessful [sic] adventure, Wallace acquired much booty and a military station of vast importance to future conquests. They now proeeededproceeded [sic] towards Fife, and reduced the several towns and castles in that populous county. A party of the English, however, tocktook [sic] shelter in Lochleven Castle, and Wallace, determining to dislodge them, selected eighteen of his bravest men, and marched towards it during the darkness of the night. Tying his sword about his neck, lie swam across, returning with their boat, and conveyed his men in safety to the castle, which he took, and spared none but the women and children.

Wallace next marched to Dumbarton in the night, and called upon a widow he knew, who received him and his men with great kindness, and concealed them in a barn At Wallace's request, she marked all the doors where the English were lodged; and, commencing with an English captain, who, with his mates, were carousing in a public-house, he set on fire all the houses where the English were quartered, and fled to Dumbarton cave before day. They next went to Roseneath Castle, and having slain more than 80 of the English, who were returning from a wedding, they entered with those who escaped, slew every Englishman they found, and set fire to the castle. Wallace now began his march sonthsouth [sic], and cut off Revindale, an English captain, who, with 200 men, was in the vicinity of Kilsyth. In the same route he burnt the towns of Linlithgow, Dalkeith, and Newcastle, expelling the English wherever he came. The friends of Wallace now began daily to increase. The renowned Lander and Seaton, who had for some time fortified themselves in the Bass, having heard of his success, issued from their retreat, burned North Berwick, and joined Wallace, who proceeded to Peebles,