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and he marched triumphantly from one end of the kingdom to the other, ruining the whole country, and reducing all the castles. All the nobility, and even Cummin, the regent, submitted to him. The castle of Brechin, defended by the brave Sir Thomas Maule, made the most obstinate resistance; and did not submit till the governor was killed. Edward had now gained a complete conquest of the kingdom; but he did not think it secure as long as Wallace was alive; he therefore tried every means to discover where he had retreated, and to get him into his power. last that brave warrior, who was determined never to submit, was treacherously betrayed by his friend, Sir John Menteith, whom he had informed of the place of his concealment, and who made it known to Edward. The king, whose natural bravery should have made him admire and respect Wallace's heroism and love of his country, was so enraged at the resistance he had met with from him, that he ordered him to be carried in chains to London; to be tried as a rebel, though he had never sworn allegiance to him; and to be executed on Tower-Hill. Such was the end of a hero, who had for a great many years, with unsubdued courage, fought and conquered for the liberties of his country. All the envy of his countrymen, which had attended him in his

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lifetime, was now forgotten, and he was universally lamented and looked upon as the champion of the Scots. The people were inflamed with rage against the conqueror; and it was not long before a new hero arose, who conducted them to liberty and revenge.

CHAPTER XI.

ROBERT I. (BRUCE).

Began to reign, 1306. Died, 1329, aged 55.

ROBERT BRUCE, grandson of that Bruce who had been one of the competitors for the crown after the death of the Maid of Norway, was a young nobleman of great ambition and undaunted courage; and he had long desired to free his country from the bondage of the English, though he was afraid of expressing his wish to any one. At last, he ventured to open his mind to his friend John Cummin, a powerful nobleman, whom he believed to be equally desirous of the liberty of his country. He found this friend, as he thought, full of the same ideas; and he easily persuaded him to take the resolution of throwing off his subjection to the English, on the first opportunity that should offer; but, when Bruce had left him, to attend

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king Edward to London, Cummin, either through fear or treachery, determined to reveal the secret to Edward. The king did not immediately send Bruce to prison, because he wished to get his three brothers into his power, and then destroy the whole family at once. He, therefore, took no notice of what had been told him, but only placed spies near Bruce, and ordered him to be closely watched. The king, however, having drunk a great deal of wine one evening, forgot himself, and told some of his lords that he had resolved to put Bruce to death the next day. The earl of Gloucester, who was present, and who was Bruce's intimate friend, did not dare to talk with him, and tell him of his danger; but, in order to give him warning that it was high time for him to make his escape, he sent him a pair of gilt spurs, and a purse of gold, which he pretended to have borrowed from him; and he hoped his friend would find out his meaning, which was really the case; for Bruce understood it directly, and made his escape. The ground was at that time covered with snow, which would have betrayed the road he went; but he had the thought to order the farrier to shoe his horses the wrong way, that he might deceive those who should attempt to find out his track, and he immediately set out for Scotland, accompanied by his secretary and groom. On his way, he saw a person walking, whose behaviour

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