Page:Life and adventures of Sir William Wallace, General and Governor of Scotland (1).pdf/2

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THE HISTORY OF SIR WILLIAM WALLACE. THE hiftory of Sir WILLIAM WALLACE, with the other of the valiant King ROBERT BRUCE, which followeth upon the end of it, and of which this is an bridgement,was written in Latin by Mr. John Blair, cha lain to Wallace, and turned into Scots metre by one ca ed Blind Harry, in the days of King James IV. and the hiftory of Bruce was written by Mr. John Barbour, arcl dean of Aberdeen, a learned man, in the days of K. Da vid Bruce and Robert Stewart, and both together conta a relation of the moft famous war that ever fell out in the ifle of Britain, fought moft valiantly for the fpace of a years, between the two realms of Scotland and England the one unjuftly purfuing, the other conftantly defending the liberties of their country. During which broils, the happened great alterations, both in the general ftate this kingdom, and in the overthrow and advancement particular families, the one for betraying, the other f maintaining their country’s freedom and welfare. That the whole hiftory may be more clear, we ha thought good, in a fhort introducion, to fet down the can. es, occafious,and the moft memorable paffages of this wa In the year 1285, Alexander the II Id. King of Scot land, being fuddenly taken away by a fall from his hor at Kinghorn, without any iffue of his body, and in his the whole pofterity of his father Alexander the Hd. a grandfather William the Lyon, being extinct, the rig of the crown fell to the heirs of David earl of Huntingt and Garioch, youngeft brother to William the Lyon, had left three daughters, the eldeft Margaret, married Allan Lord of Galloway; the fecond, Ifabel, to Robert Bruce, (firnamed the Noble,) Lord of Annandale a Cleveland; the youngeft Ada, married Henry Hafting an Englifhman; who having no juft title to the crow the contention refted betwixt the pofterity of the two der daughters; for Allan, Lord of Galloway, leaving fons by his wife Margaret ; his eldeft daughter Dor: gilla of Galloway, married John Baliol, a man of gr power and lands both in Scotland, England, and France and bare to him John Baliol afterwards King. Robert Bruce, by his wife Ifabel of Huntington, had Robert Bruce, who came to be earl of Carrick, by marrying M