While Robert Bruce was gradually getting possession of the country, and
driving out the English, Edinburgh, the principal town of Scotland,
remained with its strong castle in possession of the invaders. Sir
Thomas Randolph, a nephew of Bruce, and one of his best supporters, was
extremely desirous to obtain this important place; but, as you well
know, the castle is situated on a very steep and lofty rock, so that it
is difficult, or almost impossible, even to get up to the foot of the
walls, much more to climb over them. So, while Randolph was considering
what was to be done, there came to him a Scottish gentleman named
Francis, who had joined Bruce’s standard, and asked to speak with him in
private. He then told Randolph that, in his youth he had lived in the
Castle of Edinburgh, and that his father had then been keeper of the
fortress. It happened at that time that Francis was much in love with a
lady who lived in a part of the town below the castle, which is called
the Grassmarket. Now, as he could not get out of the castle by day to
see the lady, he had practised a way of clambering by night down the
castle crag on the south side, and returning up at his pleasure; when he
came to the foot of the wall he made use of a ladder to get over it, as
it was not very high on that point, those who built it having trusted to
the steepness of the crag. Francis had come and gone so frequently in
this dangerous manner that, though it was now long ago, he told Randolph
that he knew the road so well that he would undertake to guide a small
party of men by night to the bottom of the wall, and as they might bring
ladders with them, there would be no difficulty in scaling it. The great
risk was that of being discovered by the watchmen while in the act of
ascending the cliff, in which case every man of them must have perished.
Nevertheless, Randolph did not hesitate to attempt the adventure. He
took with him only thirty men (you may be sure they were chosen for
activity and courage), and came one dark night to the foot of the crag,
which they began to ascend under the guidance of Francis, who went
before them on his hands and feet, up one cliff, down another, and round
another, where there was scarce room to support themselves. All the
while these thirty men were obliged to follow in a line, one after the
other, by a path that was fitter for a cat than a man. The noise of a
stone falling, or a word spoken from one to another, would have alarmed
the watchman. They were obliged, therefore, to move with the greatest
precaution. When they were far up the crag, and near the foundation of
the wall, they heard the guards going their rounds to see that all was
safe in and about the castle. Randolph and his party had nothing for it
but to lie close and quiet, each man under the crag as he happened to be
placed, and trust that the guards would pass by without noticing them.
And while they were waiting in breathless alarm, they got a new cause of
fright. One of the soldiers of the castle, wishing to startle his
comrade, suddenly threw a stone from the wall and cried out, “Aha, I see
you well!” The stone came thundering down over the heads of Randolph and
his men, who naturally thought themselves discovered. If they had
stirred or made the slightest noise they would have been entirely
destroyed, for the soldiers above might have killed every man of them
merely by rolling down stones. But being courageous and chosen men, they
remained quiet, and the English soldiers, who thought their comrade was
merely playing them a trick (as, indeed, he was), passed on without
further examination.
Then Randolph and his men got up, and came in haste to the foot of the
wall, which was not above twice a man’s height in that place. They
planted the ladders they had brought, and Francis mounted first to show
them the way. Sir Andrew Grey, a brave knight followed him, and Randolph
himself was the third man who got over. Then the rest followed. When
once they were within the walls there was not much to do, for the
garrison were asleep and unarmed, excepting the watch, who were speedily
destroyed. Thus was Edinburgh Castle taken in the year 1313.—_Scott’s
Tales of a Grandfather._