with great difficulty to Cantire, where Bruce was already landed; and when they met, they both agreed that they would never again separate whilst they lived. King Edward now resumed his favourite project of subduing all Scotland, and he declared his resolution of once more leading his army himself. Having ordered all his military nobles, with their attendants and equipages, to join him, he prepared for his march, and entered Scotland soon after Bruce's defeat at Methven. He divided his army into two parts, one of which was commanded by himself, and the other by his son, the Prince of Wales. As he passed on, he caused all who fell into his hands, whom he suspected of favouring Bruce's party, to be immediately put to death. Bruce's queen now began to be alarmed for her own safety, and she was advised to take refuge at the shrine of St. Duthac, in Ross-shire; but there she was taken prisoner by the Earl of Ross, who was of the English party, and, by Edward's order, she was sent to London; her daughter also was taken with her, and shut up in a religious house. The queen was removed from one prison to another, and not set at liberty till the end of the year 1314. Bruce had now lost every strong place, except the castle of Kildrommey, and that was soon besieged. A man, named Osburn, traitorously burnt the magazine; and the garrison, having no

provisions, was obliged to surrender: the common soldiers were hanged; Sir Neil Bruce and the earl of Athol were sent prisoners to Edward, who ordered them to be hanged on a gibbet fifty feet high, and then beheaded and burnt. The countess of Buchan, who had crowned king Robert, and lady Mary Bruce, the king's sister, were also taken, and put into close confinement in the castle of Berwick. About this time, many others of Bruce's friends were put to death, amongst whom were two of his brothers, Thomas and Alexander, and John Wallace, brother to the great Sir William. Bruce was now in the most forlorn state, and it was even reported that he was dead; but all his misfortunes could not intimidate him, nor prevent him from planning a most severe revenge upon the destroyers of his family. He went first to the castle of Dumbarton, where he was received very kindly by Angus lord of Kintyre; but not thinking himself safe there, he sailed in three days to Rachrin, a small island on the Irish coast, where he secured himself from the pursuit of his enemies. Notwithstanding the report of his death was spread abroad, his party increased considerably; and when he landed on this island, he was attended by three hundred men. From hence it was resolved to attempt the surprise of a fort, in the possession of the English, on the isle of Arran; and this was

performed with great success by his two friends, Douglas and Sir Robert Boyd, who put nearly all the garrison to the sword. When Bruce heard of their exploit, he went over to Arran; but not knowing in what part of the island his people resided, it is said he found them out by blowing a horn. He then sent Cuthbert, a trusty servant, into his own country, Carrick, with orders to light a fire on a certain point near his castle of Tunberry (if he found the people friendly to him), from whence it could be seen in Arran. Bruce and his party perceived the signal, as they thought, and immediately put to sea: their voyage was very short; and as he had now four hundred men with him, he resolved to surprise his own castle of Tunberry, which king Edward had given, with Bruce's estates, to lord Henry Percy, whom they drove out, with the English garrison; but, in the mean time, he met his servant Cuthbert, who brought him the unwelcome news that he had received very little encouragement on his landing, and therefore had not lighted the fire agreed upon as a signal of his success; that which Bruce had seen having been kindled by accident: he also told him that the English were in possession of the whole country, and advised him to be upon his guard. Soon after this, a lady of fortune joined him, and brought with her forty warriors, on which he

allowed Douglas to attempt the recovery of his own estate of Douglas Dale, in which he was joined by Thomas Dickson, a man of great fortune, who advised Douglas to keep himself quiet till Palm-Sunday, when he and his followers, with hidden armour, went to St. Bride's church, where the English were performing divine service, and took them all prisoners. He now got possession of his castle, where he found plenty of arms, provisions, and money. In the year 1307, the Earl of Pembroke and the English army attacked Bruce and his men, but were defeated by them; and, three days after, Bruce defeated, with great slaughter, another English general, Ralph de Monthermer, and obliged him to flee to the castle of Air. King Edward was now greatly enraged, and resolved to be dreadfully revenged, though he was suffering under a severe and dangerous illness. When he thought himself well enough to proceed on his march, he made an offering of the horse-litter, in which he had been carried, in the cathedral of Carlisle; and, mounting on horseback, proceeded towards Solway; but he was so weak, that he could go no farther than six miles in four days. Soon after, he expired, in sight of Scotland, which country he had so often devoted to destruction. When dying, he ordered that his body should be carried with the army

into Scotland, and not be buried till the whole country was conquered; but his son, Edward II. disobeyed this order, and soon deposited it in Westminster Abbey. After the King of England's death, Bruce had many battles with the English, in which he was sometimes the conqueror, and sometimes he was defeated. After one encounter with the Earl of Buchan and an undisciplined army of English, whom he entirely routed, he was seized with a severe illness, which weakened him so much, that he was not expected to recover. At this crisis, Buchan, and Mowbray, another English commander, attacked him with great fury. Bruce, being too ill to support himself, was held on horseback by two of his attendants; and he not only had the pleasure of seeing his enemies defeated, with great loss, but, it is said, the agitation of his spirits on that day was the means of curing him of his disease. This battle was fought on the 22d of May, 1308. After this, Bruce was successful every where, and he gained the love and admiration of his countrymen daily by the brave exploits of himself and his associates: the same spirit of enterprise was also communicated to all ranks of people in Scotland, and all longed to get rid of their oppressors. In the year 1311, a poor peasant, named William Binnock, surprised and took the castle of Linlithgow. The