Middletown transcript., 1873-05-03
q teaf from the Past.
Battle Of Bannockburn.

June. l3ll in the reign of King Edward
Srcnni uf England aud We will preface
the following interesting account Of it, by
Mis- Jane Porter. with the following
familiar lines from Scotland lastly re-.
nnwneI poct. R'br'' BURNS. which pur.
port 10 b. Rrute's Al.ircss 10 tis Army, =
ON the eve of this conflict:
Scots VIA Lar " Wallace lied
scots ~hoW Etucs hl- o1cs ia
Welcome - Nnat gufy lci.
ur ~ ,It'sl
Nov 'hr l,y ana uau thr hour
>co he trout IT GgtrIr IoUcr
See alrtu.g, rvuA E.Na.i 'gowsr.
tia'a- ari sa.u
Who ot S,o,ltul, Hing ana tw.
Freedom sword vii strongly 4raw,
trcrtDsu .tfng aud trccmrn ihi,,
LeI him 9tl3n ue
Who vi.l tc g 'raiipr suavc.
WHO si base g., tc s slave
N hu alli f.. t awa.u VI gUDc'
u, hiiu 'agn aAl ilt.
1t the hasr 4 the midnight watch
the tFumget< q npprua hing ncralds re-.
sounded without the camp Robert Bruce
hastenpl "a the eauu'i!.tent, 10 receive
the n9w anticipated tiiiag. The com
munieatons ii iIambe'an had given him
reason 10 expect another sltaggle for his
kingdom aul IL message af the trump.
q, declared it ,aauli be 4 mortal one
.it the hcud ai agnit,i Thousand men.
Edward Lai forced rawi passage
through the lowani,, and SIS now With.
il tw h1ur- march ii Stirling. fully
determined to bury Scotland unier her
slain. ur, By one decisive blow. restore
her II hi, empirr When this was utter
ci ty the English herald. Bruce turned
70 Rnihycn With an heroic .mile aud
sail, 'l.,t him come. my brave barnns :,
and BE- ,hall lind that BAnnnrkbnrn shall
page Nl,h C4mtr.. hrnnrtA = The
strength Il tls Scottish arny lil not a.
mount TO more iliaa thirty thousand men
agaus, thi. host u ,iouthf9ns Bat thu
relies ot Wallace Mcrc lhare Ills sprii
glowrd in ths heart of Brara. Ths Young
monarch lost MT the advantage Of ehoos
ing hi- ground iir.t; and therefore, rs
his fprce vas deficient in cavalry. he -
took his field n- 10 compel the eucmy to
make it a battle ni iuf,utry alone 10
protect his exposed flank from the nnum.
cradle .uairons II Eiwarl. he dug deep
and wide pits near 70 Bnnuockburn aud
having ovetlaid th-ir mouths with turf
and brushwood. proceeded 10 marshal his
little phalanx on the shore Of the brook
till his front stretched to St Ninan's
monastery. Bruce stationed himself At
the head ot the reserve with him were
the veterans Lockawe aud Kirkpatrick
and Lord Boutwell,. with the true Tongue.
willie, aud the men Of l.anark all deter
mined to make this division tho stay Of
their littlo army, or the last sacrifice for
Scottish liberty and its martyred cham.
pions corpse There stood the sable
hcarsc of Wallace and the royal stand
ard. struck deep into the native rock oi
the ground, waved iis hlnodred volumes
over the sacred head. by that Heaven.
sent palladium of our freedom cried
Bruce. pointing to the bic., I'VE mus,
this day stand or fall He who deserts
it. murders William Wallace anew" A.
this appeal, the chiefs Of each battalion
assembled around the halowed spot, and
laying their hands on the pail. sworc tc
gil up ono grave with their dauntlcs.
Wallace, rather than yield the ground
which he had rendered ioubly preciou,
by having made it the scene and the guer.
don Of his inyinciblc deeds When Kirk
patrick approached the side of his dead
chief. he burst into tears. and his sobs a.
lone proclaimed his participation in the
solemni'y. My leader in death, as in
life !" exclaimed Bruce. clasping hi,
friends sable shroud to bis heart. "thy
pale corpse shall again redeem the coun.
try which cast thee. living. among de.
vouring lions It, presence shall Ggh,
and conquer for thy friend and king :"
Bruce. having placed his array, disposed
the supernumcraries Of the army. the
families Of his soldiers. and othe appar.
emily useless followers Of the camp. 10 the
rear Of an adjoining hill. BY day-break
the whole Of the Sou.hron army (the En-.