Page:Life of the celebrated Scottish patriot Sir Wm. Wallace.pdf/6

6 the most opprobrious appellation that an English invention could supply. WallaeeWallace [sic] drew his dirk, and pierced the steward to the heart, leaving the sheriff's servant to return home with his provisions.

The English, who were guarding the town, assembled against WallaeeWallace [sic], who, with his sword, dealt destruetiondestruction [sic] with every blow. The gates having been barrieadedbarricaded [sic] to prevent his eseapeescape [sic], he attempted to jump over the wall at a plaeeplace [sic] adjacent to the sea, but multitudes of the English rushed upon him, and his sword, whiehwhich [sic] had been so much used that day having broken, he was overpowered, taken prisoner, and eonfinedconfined [sic] in the eastlecastle [sic], to wait the most exerueiatingexcruciating [sic] death. He languished in prison, deprived of every eonsolationconsolation [sic], and even of the necessaries of life; so that when they were about to bring him forth, want appeared to have terminated his existeneeexistence [sic]. They threw him over the wall of the prison; but he fortunately landed upon a soft draff-dunghill. His nurse having heard of the melaneholymelancholy [sic] event, hastened, and entreated that she might take away his corpse. He was eonveyedconveyed [sic] to her house in the new town of Ayr, where, by remedies and the most unwearied attention, he soon reeoveredrecovered [sic] his wonted strength, and, longing to avenge his eountry'scountry's [sic] wrongs, seized a sword, and proceeded to RieeartonRiccarton [sic], whither his friends and relatives hastened to eongratulatecongratulate [sic] him on his miraculous eseapeescape [sic]; rally round his standard, and bid defianeedefiance [sic] to the English arms. WallaeeWallace [sic], with a brave little band, went to shelter in a wood near Londen-bill, until an opportunity should present itself of attaekingattacking [sic] the enemy. A friend, having observed them enter the wood, earriedcarried [sic] provisions to them, and informed WallaeeWallace [sic] that an English squire's servant had rode past to Ayr, and that his master, with a party eseortingescorting [sic] some baggage from Carlisle to Ayr, would soon pass that way. Learning that they were aseendingascending [sic] the hill, he hast-