EDWARD’S POLICY RESPECTING THE SETTLEMENT OF SCOTLAND.--ENDEAVOURS
TO GAIN WALLACE TO HIS INTEREST.--SIEGE OF STIRLING.--IT
SURRENDERS.--CONDUCT OF EDWARD TOWARDS THE PRISONERS.--HALIBURTON
UNDERTAKES TO BETRAY WALLACE.
Edward having returned from the bleak regions of the North, took up
his quarters in Dunfermline,[59] judging that his presence in the
country, during the winter, would contribute much towards establishing
his authority, as he had formerly observed, that the places he had
conquered from the Scots in summer, were generally retaken when the
severe weather set in. He accordingly took every precaution for the
comfort of his troops; large supplies of provisions being ordered,
both by sea and land, that his army might not be placed in such
difficulties as had formerly compelled him to retreat into England.
In order, also, to secure his present conquest, he began to assimilate
the state of the country as much as possible to that of his other
dominions; and, for this purpose, he abrogated all the old laws and
customs--substituting those of England in their steed.[60] In the
prosecution of this object, he announced a parliament at St Andrew’s,
which was attended by all Scotsmen of any note, except Sir William
Wallace, Sir Simon Frazer, and Sir William Oliphant, governor of
Stirling Castle, the latter of whom refused either to appear or
surrender the trust, which had been committed to him by Lord Soulis,
who happened then to be in France. Of this fortress, which was now
the only one that held out against him, Edward determined to gain
possession as soon as the season would permit. As to Wallace, it is
said, that, at this time, among other great offers, he tendered him
the crown of Scotland, provided he would accept of it in fee of the
crown of England; to which, with his usual dignity, Wallace replied,
that as he had been born a free man, he was determined to die one; and
that he preferred rather to be the subject of his lawful sovereign,
than the crowned slave of one who had no right to his allegiance.[61]
That Edward was sincere in this offer, is a matter of considerable
doubt;--he had already cajoled others by similar proposals, and he
might naturally conceive, that although Wallace should not be caught by
the bait, the offer would have the effect of exciting the suspicions
of his countrymen, and thereby weakening his influence among them.
But whatever his motives may have been, Wallace sternly rejected all
compromise, and remained the only Scotsman who never acknowledged
his authority. On the present occasion, Sir Simon Frazer followed
his example, for which the tyrant passed sentence of banishment and
outlawry against him. This gallant gentleman, who now adhered to
the fortunes of Wallace, had given great offence to Edward, by the
conspicuous part he had acted at the battle of Roslin, as it was
generally believed to have been owing principally to him that the
English sustained the mortifying defeat.
1304. Early in the spring Edward discovered, that, through the
exertions of Wallace and Frazer, a body of troops had been got
together; in order to disperse which, before it became too formidable,
he took the field, and proceeded towards Stirling, in the neighbourhood
of which it had assembled. The force under the patriots, however, when
compared with the enemy, was so very insignificant, that they prudently
retreated to their former places of refuge. On the 21st April the siege
of Stirling commenced, and continued without intermission till the 24th
July; thus occupying Edward and his army for three months and three
days, during which time every artifice was put in practice, and every
piece of mechanism then known was directed against the besieged.
The stubbornness of the garrison, however, seemed to increase as the
means of annoyance multiplied around them; and the anxiety of Edward to
gain this last stronghold of the liberties of Scotland was displayed,
by his close and unremitting attendance on the details of the siege.
Though now advanced in years, he is represented as exposing himself
with all the imprudent gallantry of a youthful warrior; and on one or
two occasions he had nearly fallen a victim to his temerity. While
riding near the walls, a stone, from one of the engines at work on
the rampart, struck the ground before him with so much violence, that
his horse backed, and fell under him; and at another time, a javelin,
thrown by a soldier on the wall, struck him on the breast, and stuck
between the plates of his armour. The point of the missile, however,
had not pierced the skin. Pulling it out with his hand, he shook it in
defiance, and loudly proclaimed that he would hang the villain who had
hit him. In the mean time, the engines belonging to the castle were so
well managed, and the enormous stones which they threw, so skilfully
directed, that great numbers of the besiegers were destroyed.
Edward now saw, that, without still greater efforts, the place was
not likely soon to capitulate. He therefore wrote to London, and
other towns in England, ordering the most powerful engines to be sent
him, with supplies of javelins, quarrells, and other missiles; and
the lead was torn from the roof of the Cathedral of St Andrew’s to
furnish materials for the siege. Thirteen engines of the largest size
were at last brought to bear upon the castle, one of which, called by
Langtoft “the Ludgare,[62] or Lurdare of Strivelyn,” was of the most
formidable description. This “hidous engyn,” when put in operation,
made tremendous breaches in the walls, which the besieged in vain
attempted to repair; and after many destructive sallies, and “fulle
and hard affrays,” and a siege unparalleled in the history of the
war--their provisions exhausted, and their walls torn to pieces--Sir
William Oliphant and his brave little garrison were forced to surrender
at discretion. Every possible indignity which a tyrannical mind
destitute of generosity, and exasperated by opposition, could inflict,
was now heaped upon the gallant defenders. They were compelled to go in
procession to the tent of Edward, and--denuded of every garment save
their shirts, their heads and feet uncovered--on their bended knees,
with uplifted hands, had thus to implore his clemency; upon which
their _magnanimous_ conqueror condescended to spare their lives, and
sent them to expiate their offences in the dungeons of England. The
garrison, according to Langtoft, consisted of Sir William Oliphant, Sir
William Duplin, twenty gentlemen of inferior degree, a preaching friar,
a monk, and thirteen “maydens and ladies.” The common soldiers are said
to have amounted to 140, whose names, it is to be regretted, have not
been preserved. The following are all that remain on record:
Domini Willielmus Olyfard.
Willielmus de Dupplyn, milites.
Fergus de Ardrossan.
Robinus de Ardrossan, frater ejus.
Willielmus de Ramseya.
Hugo de Ramseya.
Radulfus de Haleburton.
Thomas de Knellhulle.
Thomas Lellay.
Patricius de Polleworche.
Hugo Olyfard.
Walterius Olyfard.
Willielmus Gyffard.
Alanus de Vypont.
Domini Andreas Wychard.
Godefridus le Botiller.
Johannes le Naper.
Willielmus le Scherere.
Hugo le Botiller.
Johannes de Kulgas.
Willielmus de Anart.
Robertus de Ranfru.
Walterus Taylleu.
Simon Larmerer.
Frater Willielmus de Keth, ordinis Sancti Dominici Prædicatorum.
Frater Petrus de Edereston de domo de Kelsou, ordinis Sancti
Benedicti.
The proceedings of Edward at length gave umbrage to Cumyn and Bruce.
These chieftains, after Baliol, had the nearest pretensions to the
crown, and they had both been amused by Edward with hopes of the
kingdom. In the destruction, however, of the fortresses, and the
alterations he had made in the constitution of the country, they saw
little that tended towards the fulfilment of the promises he had made
them. Cumyn, therefore, having found an opportunity, broke the matter
to Bruce, by lamenting the state to which their country was reduced by
the power or policy of Edward, who endeavoured to sow discord among
those whose interest it was to be friends; and by taking advantage
of the animosities he thus excited, furthered his own ambitious and
tyrannical designs.
These remarks begat the confidence of his rival, who communicated
without reserve the promises that had been held out to him by Edward;
which drew from Cumyn a proposal for the delivery of their country,
in which he offered to give Bruce his estates, on condition that he
relinquished his claim, and assisted him to gain the crown; or to
accept of Bruce’s estates on the same terms. Bruce, who considered his
claim to be better founded than that of Cumyn, agreed to make over his
estates on attaining to the kingdom through the assistance of Cumyn;
and a private bond was entered into between them for this purpose.[63]
In order to cover their intentions, Bruce agreed to accompany Edward
to London, and leave his brother, Edward Bruce, to attend to his
interest in Scotland.
The English monarch having now, as he thought, completely depressed the
spirit of the Scots, and brought them effectually under his yoke, began
to make preparations for his return to England; and with this view, he
appointed Adomer de Valence regent or viceroy of the kingdom, filling
all places of trust with Englishmen, or such creatures among the Scots
as he found suitable to his purpose. Having made these, and such other
arrangements as his policy suggested, he returned home in triumph,
firmly persuaded that he had finally reduced the kingdom of Scotland to
the condition of a province of England.
Edward, however, had scarcely arrived in London, before accounts from
the North convinced him of the uncertain nature of his conquest, so
long as Wallace remained at large in the country; and as neither
threats nor promises could subdue his inflexible fidelity to the
liberties of his native land, large rewards were offered for securing
his person, dead or alive. Influenced by the great promises held out
to him, Ralph de Haliburton,[64] one of the prisoners whom Edward
had carried with him into England, undertook the perfidious office,
and for that purpose was allowed to return to Scotland. Of his after
proceedings, we have, however, but a very imperfect outline; and from
all that we can collect, his exertions in his villanous mission appear
to have been limited to one or two attempts; in the last of which,
from his knowledge of Wallace and his retreats, he contrived to have
him beset by a strong body of cavalry, in a situation where he had
no way of escape, but by springing his horse over a precipice. This
he effected; and his pursuers, drawing back with horror, left him to
pursue his retreat on foot, his gallant steed having perished in the
fearful enterprise.
After this, it is supposed that Haliburton, alarmed for the consequence
of his conduct, and dreading the vengeance of his countrymen, returned
with precipitation to England.