shire, actually gained possession of his maternal castle. But the tradition is not accurate. The fact is, that he was only strong enough to alarm and drive in the outposts of the English garrison, then commanded, not by Clifford, as assumed in the text, but by Percy. Neither was Clifford slain upon this occasion, though he had several skirmishes with Bruce. He fell afterwards in the battle of Bannockburn. Bruce, after alarming the castle of Turnberry, and surprising some part of the garrison, who were quartered without the walls of the fortress, retreated into the mountainous part of Carrick, and there made himself so strong that the English were obliged to evacuate Turnberry, and at length the castle of Ayr. Many of his benefactions and royal gifts attest his attachment to the hereditary followers of his house, in this part of the country. It is generally known that Bruce, in consequence of his distresses after the battle of Methven, was affected by a scorbutic disorder, which was then called a leprosy. It is said he experienced benefit from the use of a medicinal spring about a mile north of the town of Ayr, called from that circumstance King's Ease. The following is the tradition of the country, collected by Mr Train: -« After Robert ascended the throne, he founded the priory of dominican monks, every one of whom was under the obligation of putting up to Heaven a prayer once every week-day, and twice in holydays, for the recovery of the king; and, after his death, these masses were continued for the saving of his soul. The ruins of this old monastery are now nearly level with the ground. Robert likewise caused houses to be built round the well of King's Ease, for eight lepers, and allowed eight bolls of oatmeal, and 281. Scotch money, per annum, to each person. These donations were laid upon the lands of Fullarton, and are now payable by the Duke of Portland. The farm of Sheils, in the neighbourhood of Ayr, has to give, if required, a certain quantity of straw for the lepers' beds, and so much to thatch their houses annually. Each leprous person had a drinking-horn provided him by the king, which continued to be hereditary in the house to which it was first granted. One of those identical horns, of very curious workmanship, was in the possession of the late Colonel Fullarton of that ilk.»> have been kept by the freemen of Prestwick in a place of security. There is one of these charter-stones at the village of Old Daily, in Carrick, which has become more celebrated by the following event, which happened only a very few years ago:-The village of New Daily being now larger than the old place of the same name, the inhabitants insisted that the charter-stone should be removed from the old town to the new, but the people of Old Daily were unwilling to part with their ancient right. Demands and remonstrances were made on each side without effect, till at last man, woman, and child, of both villages, marched out, and by one desperate engagement put an end to a war, the commencement of which no person then living remembered. Justice and victory, in this instance, being of the same party, the villagers of the old town of Daily now enjoy the pleasure of keeping the blue-stane unmolested. Ideal privileges are often attached to some of these stones. In Girvan, if a man can set his back against one of the above description, he is supposed not liable to be arrested for debt; nor can cattle, it is imagined, be poinded, so long as they are fastened to the same stone. That stones were often used as symbols to denote the right of possessing land, before the use of written documents became general in Scotland, is, I think, exceedingly probable. The charter-stone of Inverness is still kept with great care, set in a frame, and hooped with iron, at the market-place of that town. It is called by the inhabitants of that district Clack na Couddin. I think it is very likely that Carey has mentioned this stone in his poem of Craig Phaderick. This is only a conjecture, as I have never seen that work.While the famous marble chair was allowed to remain at Scoon, it was considered as the charter-stone of the kingdom of Scotland.»> My noble fathers loved of yore." These mazers were large drinking-cups, or goblets. Mention of them occurs in a curious inventory of the treasure and jewels of James III, which will be published, with other curious documents of antiquity, by my friend, Mr Thomas Thomson, D. Register of ScotMy correspondent proceeds to mention some curious land, under the title of « A Collection of Inventories, remnants of antiquity respecting this foundation. << In and other Records of the Royal Wardrobe, Jewelcompliment to Sir William Wallace, the great deliverer House,» etc. I copy the passage in which mention is of his country, King Robert Bruce invested the descend-made of the mazers, and also of an habiliment, called ants of that hero with the right of placing all the King Robert Bruce's serk,» i. e. shirt, meaning, perlepers upon the establishment of King's Ease. This haps, his shirt of mail; although no other arms are patronage continued in the family of Craigie, till it was mentioned in the inventory. It might have been a resold, along with the lands of the late Sir Thomas Wal-lique of a more sanctified description, a penance shirt The burgh of Ayr then purchased the right of perhaps. applying the donations of King's Ease to the support of the poor-house of Ayr. The lepers' charter-stone was a basaltic block, exactly the shape of a sheep's kidney, and weighing an Ayrshire boll of meal. The surface of this stone being as smooth as glass, there was not any other way of lifting it than by turning the hollow to the ground, there extending the arms along each side of the stone, and clasping the hands in the cavity. Young lads were always considered as deserving to be ranked among men, when they could lift the blue-stone of King's Ease. It always lay beside the well, till a few Item, thre platis of silver. years ago, when some English dragoons encamped at that place wantonly broke it, since which the fragments lace. Extract from « Inventare of ane Parte of the Gold and Silver conyeit and unconyeit, Jowellis, and uther Stuff perteining to Umquhile our Soverane Lords Fader, that he had in Depois the Tyme of his Deceis, and that come to the Handis of our Soverane Lord that now is. M.CCCC.LXXXVIII.>> Memorandum fundin in a bandin kist like a gardeviant,' in the fyrst the grete cheyne of gold, contenand sevin score sex linkis. 1 Garde-vin, or wine-cooler. 2 Chain. Item, tuelf salfatis.' Item, fyftene discheis ouregilt. Item, twa grete bassingis 3 ouregilt. Item, a grete gilt plate. dated at Faulkland. The freemen of Newton were formerly officers by rotation. The provost of Ayr, at one time, was a freeman of Newton, and it happened to be his turn, while provost in Ayr, to be officer in New Item, FOUR MASARIS, CALLED KING ROBERT THE BROCis, ton, both of which offices he discharged at the same with a COVER. Item, a grete cok maid of silver. Item, the hede of silver of ane of the coveris of masar. Item, a fare dialle.4 5 Item, twa kasis of knyffis Item, a pair of auld kniffis. Item, takin be the smyth that opinnit the lokkis, in gold fourty demyis. Item, in Inglys grotis 6 - ----xxiiii li. and the said silver given again to the takaris of hym. Item, ressavit in the cloissat of Davidis tour, ane haly waterfat of silver, twa boxis, a cageat tume, a glas with rois-water, a dosoune of torchis, KING ROBERT BRUCIS SERK. The real use of the antiquarian's studies is, to bring the minute information which he collects to bear upon points of history. For example, in the inventory I have just quoted, there is given the contents of the black kist, or chest, belonging to James III, which was his strongbox, and contained a quantity of treasure in money and jewels, surpassing what might have been at the period expected of « poor Scotland's gear.»> This illustrates and authenticates a striking passage in the history of the House of Douglas, by Hume of Godscroft. The last Earl of Douglas (of the elder branch) had been reduced to monastie seclusion in the Abbey of Lindores, by James II. James III, in his distresses, would willingly have recalled him to public life, and made him his lieutenant. << But he,» says Godscroft, « laden with years and old age, and weary of troubles, refused, saying, Sir, you have kept mee, and your black coffer in Stirling, too long; neither of us can doe you any good: I, because my friends have forsaken me, and my followers and dependers are fallen from me, betaking themselves to other masters; and your black trunk is too farre from you, and your enemies are between you and it; or (as others say) because there was in it a sort of black coyne, that the king had caused to be coyned by the advice of his courtiers; which moneys (saith he), sir, if you had put out at the first, the people would have taken it; and if you had employed mee in due time I might have done you service. But now there is none that will take notice of me, or meddle with your money.»-HUME's History of the House of Douglas, fol. Edinb. 1644, p. 206. Note 10. Stanza xxxiv. Arouse old friends, and gather new. As soon as it was known in Kyle, says ancient tradition, that Robert Bruce had landed in Carrick, with the intention of recovering the crown of Scotland, the Laird of Craigie, and forty-eight men in his immediate neighbourhood, declared in favour of their legitimate prince. Bruce granted them a tract of land, still retained by the freemen of Newton to this day. The original charter was lost when the pestilence was raging at Ayr; but it was renewed by one of the Jameses, and is Salt-cellars, anciently the object of much curious workmanship. 3 Basins. 2 Dishes. 6 English groats. 4 Dial. 5 Cases of knives. time. Note II. Stanza xxxiv. The forest of Selkirk, or Ettrick, at this period, occupied all the district which retains that denomination, and embraced the neighbouring dales of Tweeddale, and at least the Upper Ward of Clydesdale. All that tract was probably as waste as it is mountainous, and cover ed with the remains of the ancient Caledonian Forest, The glance of the morn had sparkled bright Far, far from the clustering green-wood shade! CANTO VI. Note 1. Stanza i. When Bruce's banner had victorious flow'd O'er Loudoun's mountain, and in Ury's vale. The first important advantage gained by Bruce, after landing at Turnberry, was over Aymer de Valence, Earl of Pembroke, the same by whom he had been defeated near Methven. They met, as has been said, by appointment, at Loudoun-hill, in the west of Scotland. Pembroke sustained a defeat; and from that time Bruce was at the head of a considerable flying army. Yet he was subsequently obliged to retreat into Aberdeenshire, and was there assailed by Comyn, Earl of Buchan, desirous to avenge the death of his relative, the red Comyn, and supported by a body of English troops under Philip de Moubray. Bruce was ill at the time of a scrofulous disorder, but took horse to meet his enemies, although He was victoriobliged to be supported on either side. ous, and it is said that the agitation of his spirits restored his health. The <<< Note 2. Stanza i. upon When English blood oft deluged Douglas-dale. good Lord James of Douglas,» during these commotions often took from the English his own castle of Douglas, but, being unable to garrison it, contented himself with destroying the fortifications, and retiring into the mountains. As a reward to his patriotism, it is said to have been prophesied, that how often soever Douglas Castle should be destroyed, it should always again arise more magnificent from its ruins. Upon one of these occasions, he used fearful cruelty, causing all the store of provisions, which the English had laid up in his castle, to be heaped together, bursting the wine and beer-casks among the wheat and flour, slaughtering the cattle upon the same spot, and the top of the whole cutting the throats of the English prisoners. This pleasantry of the « good Lord James >> is commemorated under the name of the Douglas's Larder. A more pleasing tale of chivalry is recorded by Godscroft. «By this means, and such other exploits, he so affrighted the enemy, that it was counted a matter of great jeopardie to keep this castle, which began to be called the adventurous (or hazardous) castle of Douglas; whereupon Sir John Walton being in suit of an English lady, she wrote to him, that when he had kept the adventurous castle of Douglas seven years, then he might think himself worthy to be a suitor to her. Upon this occasion Walton took upon him the keeping of it, and succeeded to Thruswall, but he ran the same fortune with the rest that were before him. For Sir James, having first dressed an ambuscado near unto the place, he made fourteen of his men take so many sacks, and fill them with grass, as though it had been corn, which they carried in the way to Lanark, the chief market-town in that county so hoping to draw forth the captain by that bait, and either to take him or the castle, or both. Neither was this expectation frustrated, for the captain did bite, and came forth to have taken this victual (as he supposed). But ere he could reach these carriers, Sir James, with his com pany, had gotten between the castle and him; and these disguised carriers, seeing the captain following after them, did quickly cast off their sacks, mounted themselves on horseback, and met the captain with a sharp encounter, being so much the more amazed, at it was unlooked for; wherefore, when he saw these carriers metamorphosed into warriors, and ready to assault him, fearing that which was, that there was some train laid for him, he turned about to have retired to his castle, but there he also met with his enemies; between which two companies he and his whole followers were slain, so that none escaped the captain afterwards being searched, they found (as it is reported) his mistress's letter about him.»-HUME's History of the House of Douglas, fol. pp. 29, 30. Note 3. Stanza i. And fiery Edward routed stout St John. << John de St John, with 15,000 horsemen, had advanced to oppose the inroad of the Scots. By a forced march he endeavoured to surprise them, but intelligence of his motions was timeously received. The courage of Edward Bruce, approaching to temerity, frequently enabled him to achieve what men of more judicious valour would never have attempted. He ordered the infantry, and the meaner sort of his army, to entrench themselves in strong narrow ground. He himself, with fifty horsemen well harnessed, issued forth under cover of a thick mist, surprised the English on their march, attacked and dispersed them.»-DALRYMPLE's Annals of Scotland, quarto, Edinburgh, 1779, p. 25. Note 4. Stanza i. When Randolph's war-cry swell'd the southern gale. Thomas Randolph, Bruce's sister's son, a renowned Scottish chief, was in the early part of his life not more remarkable for consistency than Bruce himself. He espoused his uncle's party when Bruce first assumed the crown, and was made prisoner at the fatal battle of Methven, in which his relative's hopes appeared to be ruined. Randolph accordingly not only submitted to the English, but took an active part against Bruce, appeared in arms against him, and in the skirmish where he was so closely pursued by the blood-hound, it is said his nephew took his standard with his own hand. But Randolph was afterwards made prisoner by Douglas in Tweeddale (see p. 337), and brought before King Robert. Some harsh language was exchanged between the uncle and nephew, and the latter was committed for a time to close custody. Afterwards, however, they were reconciled, and Randolph was created Earl of Moray about 1312. After this period he eminently distinguished himself, first by the surprise of Edinburgh Castle, and afterwards by many similar enterprises, conducted with equal courage and ability. Note 5. Stanza iv. Beleaguer'd by King Robert's powers; And they took term of truce. When a long train of success, actively improved by Robert Bruce, had made him master of almost all ScotThe care land, Stirling Castle continued to hold out. of the blockade was committed by the king to his brother Edward, who concluded a treaty with Sir Philip Mowbray, the governor, that he should surrender the fortress, if it were not succoured by the King of England before St John the Baptist's day. The king severely blamed his brother for the impolicy of a treaty, which gave time to the King of England to advance to the relief of the castle with all his assembled forces, and obliged himself either to meet them in battle with an << Let all inferior force, or to retreat with dishonour. England come,» answered the reckless Edward, «< we will fight them were they more.>> was, of course, that each kingdom mustered its strength for the expected battle, and as the space agreed upon reached from Lent to Midsummer, full time was allowed for that purpose. Note 6. Stanza iv. To summon prince and peer, The consequence At Berwick-bounds to meet their liege. There is printed in Rymer's Fœædera the summons issued upon this occasion to the sheriff of York; and he mentions eighteen other persons to whom similar ordinances were issued. It seems to respect the infantry alone, for it is entitled, De peditibus ad recussum Castri de Stryvelin a Scotis obsessi properare faciendis. This circumstance is also clear from the reasoning of the writ, which states, « We have understood that our Scottish enemies and rebels are endeavouring to collect as strong a force as possible of infantry, in, strong and marshy grounds, where the approach of cavalry would be difficult, between us and the castle of Stirling.»It then sets forth Mowbray's agreement to surrender the castle, if not relieved before St John the Baptist's day, and the king's determination, with divine grace, to raise the siege. «< Therefore,» the summons further bears, << to remove our said enemies and rebels from such places as above-mentioned, it is necessary for us to have a strong force of infantry fit for arms.>> And accordingly the sheriff of York is commanded to equip and send forth a body of four thousand infantry, to be assembled at Werk, upon the tenth day of June first, under pain of the royal displeasure, etc. Note 7. Stanza iv. And Cambria, but of late subdued, Edward the First, with the usual policy of a conqueror, employed the Welch, whom he had subdued, to assist him in his Scottish wars, for which their habits, as mountaineers, particularly fitted them. But this policy was not without its risks. Previous to the battle of Falkirk, the Welch quarrelled with the English menat-arms, and after bloodshed on both parts, separated themselves from his army, and the feud between them, at so dangerous and critical a juncture, was reconciled with difficulty. Edward II followed his father's example in this particular, and with no better success. They could not be brought to exert themselves in the cause of their conquerors. But they had an indifferent reward for their forbearance. Without arms, and clad only in scanty dresses of linen cloth, they appeared naked in the eyes even of the Scottish peasantry; and after the rout of Bannockburn, were massacred by them in great numbers, as they retired in confusion towards their own country. They were under command of Sir Maurice de Berkley. Note 8. Stanza iv. And Connaught pour'd from waste and wood There is in the Fœdera an invitation to Eth O'Connor, chief of the Irish of Connaught, setting forth that the king was about to move against his Scottish rebels, and therefore requesting the attendance of all the force he could muster, either commanded by himself in person, or by some nobleman of his race. These auxiliaries were to be commanded by Richard de Burgh, Earl of Ulster. Similar mandates were issued to the following Irish chiefs, whose names may astonish the unlearned, and amuse the antiquary. «Eth O Donnuld, Duci Hibernicorum de Tyrconil; Fitz-Louis, or Mac-Louis, otherwise called Fullarton, is a family of ancient descent in the Isle of Arran. They are said to be of French origin, as the name intimates. They attached themselves to Bruce upon his first landing; and Fergus Mac-Louis, or Fullarton, received from the grateful monarch a charter, dated 26th November, in the second year of his reign (1307), for the lands of Kilmichel, and others, which still remain in this very ancient and respectable family. Note 10. Stanza x. In battles four beneath their eye, The forces of King Robert lie. The arrangements adopted by King Robert for the decisive battle of Bannockburn, are given very distinctly by Barbour, and form an edifying lesson to tacticians. Yet, till commented upon by Lord Hailes, this important passage of history has been generally and strangely misunderstood by historians. I will here endeavour to detail it fully. Two days before the battle, Bruce selected the field of action, and took post there with his army, consisting of about 30,000 disciplined men, and about half the number of disorderly attendants upon the camp. The ground was called the New Park of Stirling: it was partly open, and partly broken by copses of wood and four divisions. Three of these occupied a front line He divided his regular forces into marshy ground. separated from each other, yet sufficiently near for the purposes of communication. The fourth division formed a reserve. The line extended in a north-easterly direction from the brook of Bannock, which is so rugged and broken as to cover the right flank effectually, to the village of Saint Ninian's, probably in the line of the present road from Stirling to Kilsyth. Edward Bruce commanded the right wing, which was strengthened by a strong body of cavalry under Keith, the Marshal of Scotland, to whom was committed the important charge of attacking the English archers; Douglas, and the young Steward of Scotland, led the central wing; and Thomas Randolph, Earl of Moray, the left wing. The king himself commanded the fourth division, which lay in reserve behind the others. The royal standard was pitched, according to tradition, in a stone, having a round hole for its reception, and thence called the Bore-stone. It is still shown on the top of a small eminence, called Brock's-brae, to the south-west of St Ninian's. His main body thus disposed, King Robert sent the followers of the camp, fifteen thousand and upwards in number, to the eminence in rear of his army, called from that circumstance the Gillies' (i. e. the servants') hill. The military advantages of this position were obvious. and the Marshal were sent to reconnoitre with a body The Scottish left flank, protected by the brook of of cavalry. Bannock, could not be turned; or if that attempt were made, a movement by the reserve might have covered it. Again, the English could not pass the Scottish army, and move towards Stirling, without exposing their flank to be attacked while in march, If, on the other hand, the Scottish line had been drawn up east and west, and facing to the southward, as affirmed by Buchanan, and adopted by Mr Nimmo, the author of the history of Stirlingshire, there appears nothing to have prevented the English from approaching upon the carse, or level ground, from Falkirk, either from turning the Scottish left flank, or from passing their position, if they preferred it, without coming to an action, and moving on to the relief of Stirling. And the Gillie's hill, if this less probable hypothesis be adopted, would be situated, not in the rear, as allowed by all the historians, but upon the left flank of Bruce's army. The only objection to the hypothesis above laid down is, that the left flank of Bruce's army was thereby exposed to a sally from the garrison of Stirling. But first, the garrison were bound to neutrality by terms of Mowbray's treaty; and Barbour even seems to censure, as a breach of faith, some secret assistance which they rendered their countrymen upon the eve of battle, in placing temporary bridges of doors and spars over the pools of water in the carse, to enable them to advance to the charge. 2dly, Had this not been the case, the strength of the garrison was probably not sufficient to excite apprehension. 3dly, The adverse hypothesis leaves the rear of the Scottish army as much exposed to the Stirling garrison, as the left flank would be in the case supposed. It only remains to notice the nature of the ground in front of Bruce's line of battle. Being part of a park, or chase, it was considerably interrupted with trees, and an extensive marsh, still visible, in some places rendered it inaccessible, and in all of difficult approach. More to the northward, where the natural impediments were fewer, Bruce fortified his position against cavalry, by digging a number of pits so close together, says hour, as to resemble the cells in a honey-comb. They Bar were a foot in breadth, and between two and three feet deep, many rows of them being placed one behind the other. They were slightly covered with brushwood and green sods, so as not to be obvious to an impetuous And soon the great host have they seen, Their foes unto such quantity. BARBOUR'S Bruce, vol, II, p. 111. The two Scottish commanders were cautious in the account which they brought back to their camp. То the king in private they told the formidable state of the enemy; but in public reported that the English were indeed a numerous host, but ill commanded and worse disciplined. Note 12. Stanza xi. With these the valiant of the Isles Beneath their chieftains rank'd their files. The men of Argyle, the Islanders, and the Highlanders in general, were ranked in the rear. They must have been numerous, for Bruce had reconciled himself with almost all their chieftains, excepting the obnoxious Mac-Dougals of Lorn. The following deed, containing the submission of the potent Earl of Ross to the king, was never before published. It is dated in the third year of Robert's reign, that is, 1309. OBLIGACIO COMITIS ROSSENSIS PER HOMAGIUM Universis Christi fidelibus ad quorum noticiam presentes literæ peruenerint Willielmus Comes de Ross salutem in domino sempiternam. Quia magnificus princeps Dominus Robertus Dei gracia Rex Scottorum clemencia, et gracia speciali remisit michi Dominus meus ex innata sibi bonitate, inspirataque pure ranomnimodas transgressiones seu offensas contra ipsum corem animi sui, et relaxauit ac condonauit michi et suos per me et meos vsque ad confeccionem literarum presencium perpetratas: Et terras meas et teneminus de terra de Dingwal et Ferncroskry infra menta mea omnia graciose concessit. Et me nichilocomitatum de Suthyrland de benigna liberalitate sua heriditarie infeodare curauit. Ego tantam principis beneuolenciam efficaciter attendens, et pro tot graciis michi factis, vicem sibi gratitudinis meis pro viribus subiicio et obligo me et heredes meos et homines meos de cetero digne--vite cupiens exhibere, vniuersos dicto Domino meo Regi per omnia▬▬▬▬▬ -——erga suam regiam dignitatem, quod erimus de cetero fideles sibi et heredibus suis et fidele sibi seruicium auxilium et conciliumcontra omnes homines et feminas qui vivere poterint aut mori, et super h--Ego Willielmus pro me—— hominibus meis vniuersis dicto ---manibus homagium domino meo Regi--sponte feci et super Dei ewangelia sacramentum prestiti -In quorum omnium testimonium sigillum |