And present right to the king.
And they there were of his leading,
That till the king bad broken fay,"
Were all dead, and destroyed away.”

BARBOUR's Bruce, vol. III, Book XV. pp. 14, 15. .

1

Note IX.
The sun, ere yet he sunk behind
Ben-ghoil,“ the Mountain of the Wind,"
Gave his grim peaks a greeting kind,

And bade Loch-Ranza smile.--St. XIII. p. 145.
Loch-Ranza is a beautiful bay, on the northern extremity of
Arran, opening towards East Tarbat Loch. It is well described
by Pennant.

“ The approach was magnificent: a fine bay in front, about a mile deep, having a ruined castle near the lower end, on a low far-projecting neck of land, that forms another harbour, with a narrow passage ; but within has three fathom of water, even at the lowest ebb. Beyond is a little plain watered by a stream, and inhabited by the people of a small village. The whole is environed with a theatre of mountains; and in the back-ground the serrated crags of Grianan-Athol soar above." -PENNANT's Tour to the Western Isles, p. 191, 2.

Ben-Ghaoil, “ the mountain of the winds,” is generally known by its English, and less poetical name, of Goatfield.

* Faith

Note X. Each to Loch-Ranza's margin spring ; That blast was winded by the King !-St. XVIII. p. 153. The passage in Barbour, describing the landing of Bruce, and his being recognized by Douglas and those of his followers who had preceded him, by the sound of his horn, is in the original singularly simple and affecting.—The king arrived in Arran with thirty-three small row-boats. He interrogated a female if there had arrived any warlike men of late in that country. “ Surely, sir," she replied, “ I can tell you of many who lately came hither, discomfited the English governor, and blockaded his castle of Brodick. They maintain themselves in a wood at no great distance.” The king, truly conceiving that this must be Douglas and his followers, who had lately set forth to try their fortune in Arran, desired the woman to conduct him to the wood. She obeyed.

" The king then blew bis horn on high;
And gert his men that were him by,
Hold them still, and all privy;
And syne again his horne blew he.
James of Dowglas heard him blow,
And at the last alone gan know,
And said, 'Soothly yon is the king ;
• I know long while since his blowing.
The third time therewithall he blew,
And then Sir Robert Boid it knew ;
And said, “ Yon is the king, but dread,
•Go we forth till him, better speed.'

Then went they till the king in hye,
And him inclined courteously.
And blithly welcomed them the king,
And was joyful of their meeting,
And kissed them; and speared' syge
How they had fared in hunting ?
And they him told all, but lesing: 2
Syne laud they God of their meeting.
Syne with the king till bis harbourye
Went both joyfu' and jolly."

BARBOUR's Bruce, Book V. p. 115, 16.

Note XI. his brother blamed, But shared the weakness, while ashamed, With haughty laugh his head he turn'd, And dash'd away the tear he scorn'de-St. XX. p. 156. The kind, and yet fiery character of Edward Bruce, is well painted by Barbour, in the account of his behaviour after the battle of Bannockburn. Sir Walter Ross, one of the very few Scottish nobles who fell in that battle, was so dearly beloved by Edward, that he wished the victory had been lost, so Ross had lived.

Out-taken him, men has not seen
Where he for any men made moaning.

1 Asked.

2 Without lying

And here the venerable arch-deacon intimates a piece of scandal. Sir Edward Bruce, it seems, loved Ross's sister, per amours, to the neglect of his own lady, sister to David de Strathbogie, Earl of Athole. This criminal passion had evil consequences; for, in resentment of the affront done to his sister, Athole attacked the guard which Bruce had left at Cambuskenneth, during the battle of Bannockburn, to protect his magazine of provisions, and slew Sir William Keith the commander. For which treason he was forfeited.

In like manner, when in a sally from Carrick-fergus, Neil Fleming, and the guards whom he commanded, had fallen, after the protracted resistance which saved the rest of Edward Bruce's

army, he made such moan as surprised his followers:

« Sic moan be made men had ferly,'
For he was not customably
Wont for to moan men any thing,
Nor would not hear men make moaning."

Such are the nice traits of character so often lost in general history.

1 Wonder.

Note XIII.

Thou heardst a wretched female plain,
In agony of travail-pain,
And thou didst bid thy little bund

Upon the instant turn and stand.---St. XXVII. p. 164. This incident, which illustrates so happily the chivalrous generosity of Bruce's character, is one of the many simple and natural traits recorded by Barbour. It occurred during the expedition which Bruce made to Ireland, to support the pretensions of his brother Edward to the throne of that kingdom. ' Bruce was about to retreat, and his host was arrayed for moving.

“ The king has heard a woman cry,
He asked, what that was in hy.'
" It is the layndar, sir,' sai ane,
“That her child-ill 3 right now has ta'en :
• And must leave now behind us here,
“Therefore she makes an evil cheer:"4
The king said ' Certes,s it were pity
« Tbat she in that point left should be,
. For certes I trow there is no man
« That he po will rue 0 a woman than.'
His hosts all there arested he,
And gert a tent soon stintit7 be,
And gert her gang in hastily,
And other women to be her by.

Haste. 5 Certainly.

4 Stop:

2 Laundress.
6

Pity.

3 Child-bed.
7 Pitched.