The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1873-04-26
g Ieaf from the past.
BATTLE OF BANNooKBURN.

the following interesting account Of it, by
Miss Jane Porter, with the following
familiar lines from Scotlands justly re-
nowned poet, Robert Burns, which pur-
port to be "Bruce's Address to his Army"
on the eve of this conflict
Scots, wha hae wi Wallace bled
Scots whom Bruce has often led
Welcome to your CORY bed,
Or to victory
Now's the day and now's the hour
See the front Of battle lower,
See approach proud Edwards power,
Chains, and slavery
Who, for Scotland king and law,
Freedoms sword will strongly draw,
Freemen stand and freemen fall,
Let him follow me
Who will be a traitor knave,
Who, so base as be a slave,
Who will gil coward grave?
Let him turn and feet
SAT the hour of the midnight watch,
the trumpets of approaching heralds re-
sounded without the camp. Robert Bruce
hastened to the council-tent, to receive the
now anticipated tidings The communica-
tions Of Hambleton had given him reason
to expect another struggle for his king
dom and the message of the trumpets
declared ii should be mortal one At
the head of hundred thousand men,
Edward had forced rapid passage through
the lowlands, and was now within few
hours march of Stirling, fully determined
to bury Scotland undor her slain, or, by
one decisive blow, restore her to his
empire, When this was uttered by the
English herald, Bruce turned to Ruthven,
with an heroic smile, and said, "Let him
come, my brave barons and he shall find
that Bannockburn shall page with Cambus-
Kenneth r The strength Of the Scottish
army did not amount to more than thirty
thousand men against this host of South
rons But the relics of Wallace were
there His spirit glowed in the heart of
Bruce. The young monarch lost not the
advantage of choosing his ground first and
therefore, as his force was deficient in
cavalry, he so took his field as to compel
the enemy to make it a battle Of infantry
alone. To protect his exposed flank from
the innumerable squadrons of Edward, he
dug deep and wide pits near to Bannock-
burn and having overlaid their mouths
with turf and brushwood, proceeded to
marshal his little phalanx on the shore Of
that brook, till his front stretched to St
Ninian's monastery. Bruce stationed him.
self at the head of the reserve; with him
were the veterans Lockawe and Kirkpa-
trick, and Lord Boutwell,, with the true
Longueville, and the men of Lanark all
determined to make this division the stay
Of their little army, or the last sacrifice fol
Scottish liberty and its martyred cham.
pion's corpse. There stood the sable
hearse of Wallace and the royal standard
struck deep into the native rock of the
ground, waved its bloodred volumes ovel
the sacred head. "By that Heayen-seni
palladium of our freedom" cried Bruce
pointing to the bier, "we must this day
stand or fall. He who deserts it, murders
William Wallace anew" AT this appeal
the chiefs of each battalion assembled
around the hallowed spot, and laying theil
hands on the pail, swore to fill up one
grave with their dauntless Wallace, rather
than yield the ground which he had rem
dered doubly precious by having made il
the scene and the guerdon of his invinei
bic deeds When kirkpatrick approached
the side Of his dead chief, he burst into
tears, and his sobs alone proclaimed his
participation in the solemnity. "My leader
in death, as in lifer' exclaimed Bruce
clasping his friends sable shroud to hi
heart, "thy pale corpse shall again redeem
the country which cast thee, living, amone
devouring lions Its presence shall fght
and conquer for thy friend and king 7
Bruce, having placed his array, disposed
the supernumeraries of the army, the
families ofhis soldiers, and other apparently
useless followers of the camp, in the real
of an adjoining hill. By day-break the
whole Of the Southron army (the Englisl
were called Southrons by the Scots, in
those days. came in view. The van, con
sisting Of archers and men-at-arms, dis
played the banner of Earl de Warrenne
the main body was led on by Edward
himself, supported by train of his mos
redoubtablc generals Asthey approached
the Bishop of Dunkeld stood on the face Of
the opposite hill, between the abbots Of
Cambus-Kenneth and Inchaffracy, ccle
brating mass, in the sight of the opposing
armies. He passed along in front of the
Scottish lines, barefoot, with the crucifs
in his hand, and in few but forcible word.
exhorted them, by every sacred hope, tc
fight with an unreeeding step for theil
rights, their king, and the corpse o.
William Wallace. At this adjuration
which seemed the call of Heaven itself, tn,
Scots fell on their knees, to confirm theil
resolution with av vow. The sudden humiI
iation of their posture excited an instan
triumph in the naughty mind Of Edward
and spurring forward he shouted aloud
eThey yield!' ssThey cry for mercy r
replied Percy, trying to withhold hi
Majesty, s'but not from as. On tina