SIR WILLIAM WALLACE. 11 The King of England, grieved at the fortunate fuc- cefs of Wallace, and understanding that he was highly envied by the earl of March, the Cummings, (the greateft furname then in Scotland) and divers ancient noblemen, (from whofe honour Wallace’s renown feem- ed to derogate) he ftirred up Robert Bruce elder, and his faction, perfuading them that Wallace was Bruce’s only competitor for the crown. Having fo made a ftrong party for himfelf in the next fpring he came with an army of forty thoufand men, Scots and Eng- lifh, to Falkirk, fix miles from Stirling. The Scots army was very great, being thirty thoufand ftrong, if they had been all of one mind. For John Cumming lord of Cumbernauld, (who had an eye to the crown) had perfuaded the lord John Stewart of Bute, being tutor, and grandfather by the mother, to the lord James Stewart of Renfrew, lately deceafed, to contend with Wallace for the leading of the van-guard, alledg- ing that the fame belonged to the lord Stewart’s houfe by ancient privilege. Wallace refufing this, they part- ed one from another in high chaff, there remaining with him no more than 10,000 of his old foldiers. Gumming with 10,000 of his followers, after a fmall fhew of refiftance, fled treafonably, leaving the valiant Stewart inclofed by two battalions of the Englifh, by whom, after he had fought valiantly for a long time, he was cut off with all his followers. Wallace with his party defended themfelves valiantly, until they were fafely retired beyond the river Carron, lofing (befides fome others) the noble Sir John Graham, the moft va- liant worthy of Scotland, next unto Wallace. Bruce, whom the king of England had brought with all his friends into the field, pretending to affift him for re- covery of his tight from the ufurper. Bruce, perceiv- ing Wallace on the other fide the Carron, defired to fpeak with him, and upbraiding him with fo foolifh an ufurpation of the kingdom of Scotland, againft fo pow- erful a faction at home, affifted by fo mighty a king abroad. I, anfwered Wallace, intend never to reign in Scotland, but finding my native country abandoned by you and Baliol, who have the right to the crown, have fet myfelf to defend my friends and neighbours.
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