Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1875-10-08
snrott'a Wife


Bruce, although now crowned king o
Scotland, was obliged TO wander abou
from place to place with a small band o.
devoted followers he was attacked in the
wilds Of Galloway by a troop of EDglist
OF about equal numbers, under the com
mand Of Sir Walter Selby.
The combat took place near the cot
tage of a soldier herdsman named
Sprott, and all of the parties, with the
exception of the commanders, were soon
stretched on the ground, dead OF
wounded Bruce and Selby, however
continued to hew at each other with their
swords so furiously tia. wood and water
rang; the noise excited the attention OF
Sprott's wife, bold and shrewd woman,
and on going out of her cottage she was
a witness Of the encounter. Aware that
one Of the two knights must be her coun-
tryman, she was naturally desirous to
assist him; but as the visors of both
knights were down, she of course was un-
able to distinguish between them.
However, at last Bruce dealt Selby a
blow which staggered but did not fell
him, so that, uttering an imprecation in
the choicest Anglo-NormAn, that gentle
man prepared to return the compliment.
This, however, was enough for Mrs.
Sprott although Bruce, most probably,
like Selby, spoke French, yet the accent
at once betrayed the Southron, and
springing upon him, she seized him by a
lock of hair which hung from his helmet
and pulled him down on bis back. OF
course he was obliged to yield, and in
the dialogue which ensued between him
self and his captor, the heroine of the
cottage discovered that she was in the
presence of her king. She accordingly
invited him 10 her dwelling, and offered
him some butter brose for breakfast, of
which he appears to have been much in
need as he had tasted for three days
AT the same time che intimated to Selby,
in terms by no means complimentary,
that he should have none OF her brose
which she informed him she would, but
for the kings presence, have applied to
him externally. Resisting the entreaties
of Bruce, she persevered in this resolu-
ton until the good-humored monarch,
partly to prevent his captive from going
without breakfast, but chiefly to reward
her loyalty and daring, thus addressed
her: "All this land both hill and vale
is mine, and | make thee lady of as
much Of it as thou canst run round while
/ am eating my breakfast. The brose is
hot and the bowl is large, so kilt thy coats
and run"
She accordingly tucked up her coats
and started off at full speed. Quickly did
she run up round the hill, quickly round
the holm, cogitating on the probability
that in her absence the generous Bruce
would not fail to impart a portion Of his
breakfast to the hated Southron. Com.
forting herself, however, with the consd.
Grafton that no two men could possibly
empty the bowl, che completed the cir
Gle which she had proposed to herself,
but kept exclaiming, somewhat loudly:
No doubt we shall be called the Sprotts
OF the Mount Urr, while Dalbeatie woods
grows, and Urr water runs; and the ten.
ure by which our lands shall be held will
be the presenting Of butter brose to the
Kings of Scotland when they chance to
pass the Urr"
King Robert overhearing her, said;
" On thine own terms, my brave dame
shall the Sprotts of Urr hold this heri.
tage."
And King Roberts bowl, as it is called,
is to this day preserved in the Sprott
family; and in their arms is a royal
crown-a bearing conferred upon them
by the grateful monarch.