Tales of a Grandfather: ScotlandRobert Cadell, 1836 |
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afterwards Alexander Angus archers armour arms arrows assembled assistance attack attended Baliol barons battle began betwixt body brave brother called castle clans commanded Comyn crown danger David death defeated defend Douglasses Duke of Albany Earl of Douglas Earl of Surrey Edinburgh Edward Baliol enemy father fell fight followers force fought France Galloway hand head Henry Highlanders horse John Baliol John of Lorn killed King Edward King of England King of Scot King of Scotland King Robert King's kingdom of Scotland knight lady land lish Lord James Macbeth Macduff Malcolm marched nobility nobles Norman obliged party person possession prince prisoner quarrel Queen Randolph Regent reign retreat revenge Robert Bruce Robert the Bruce royal Scots Scottish army sent side Sir Andrew Sir Andrew Murray Sir Patrick slain soldiers sovereign spear Stirling sword Thane throne told took town victory wall Wallace William
Popular passages
Page 148 - The King, on his part, studied how he might supply, by address and stratagem, what he wanted in numbers and strength. He knew the superiority of the English, both in their heavy-armed cavalry, which were much better mounted and armed than that of the Scots, and in their archers, who were better trained than any others in the world.
Page 101 - Do you leave such a matter in doubt? " said Kirkpatrick. " I will make sicker ! " — that is, I will make certain. Accordingly, he and his companion Lindesay rushed into the church, and made the matter certain with a vengeance, by dispatching the wounded Comyn with their daggers.
Page 161 - The story had a singular conclusion ; for the English general, seeing that Robert the Bruce halted and offered him battle, and knowing that the Scottish King was one of the best generals then living, conceived that he must have received some large supply of forces, and was afraid to attack him.
Page 156 - B.-mnockbnrn, nor did the Scots ever gain one of the same importance. Many of the best and bravest of the English nobility and gentry, as I have said, lay dead on the field ; a great many more were made prisoners; and the whole of King Edward's immense army was dispersed or destroyed. The English, after this great defeat, were no longer in a condition to support their pretensions to be masters of Scotland, or to continue, as they had done for nearly twenty years, to send armies into that country...
Page 149 - Both these advantages he resolved to provide against. With this purpose, he led his army down into a plain near Stirling, called the Park, near which, and beneath it, the English army must needs pass through a boggy country, broken with water-courses, while the Scots occupied hard dry ground. He then caused all the ground upon the front of his line of battle, where cavalry were likely to act, to be dug full of holes about as deep as a man's knee. They were filled with light brushwood, and the turf...
Page 120 - The King again saw that he was followed by a large body, and being determined to escape from them if possible, he made all the people who were with him disperse themselves different ways, thinking thus that the enemy must needs lose trace of him. He kept only one man along with him, and that was his own foster-brother, or the son of his nurse. When John of Lorn came to the place where Bruce...
Page 116 - These animals were trained to chase a man by the scent of his footsteps, as foxhounds chase a fox, or as beagles and harriers chase a hare. Although the dog does not see the person whose trace he is put upon, he follows him over every step he has taken. At that time these bloodhounds, or sleuthhounds (so called from slot, or sleut, a word which signifies the scent left by an animal of chase), were used for the purpose of pursuing great criminals. The men of Galloway thought themselves secure, that...
Page 94 - ... country of Scotland, and obliged all its nobles and great men, one after another, to submit themselves once more to his yoke. Sir William Wallace alone, or with a very small band of followers, refused either to acknowledge the usurper Edward, or to lay down his arms. He continued to maintain himself among the woods and mountains of his native country for no less than seven years after his defeat at Falkirk, and for more than one year after all the other defenders of Scottish liberty had laid...
Page 149 - Scots, and in their archers, who were better trained than any others in the world. Both these advantages he resolved to provide against. With this purpose, he led his army down into a plain near Stirling, called the Park, near which, and beneath it, the English army must needs pass through a boggy country, broken with water-courses, while the Scots occupied hard dry ground. He then caused all the ground upon the front of his line of battle, where cavalry were likely to act, to be dug full of holes,...
Page 117 - Bruce caused his men to lie down to take some sleep, at a place about half a mile distant from the river, while he himself, with two attendants, went down to watch the ford, through which the enemy must needs pass before they could come to the place where King Robert's men were lying.