Chapter LXXVII.
Wallace's Tent.
When Wallace approached his tent, he found not only the captains of hisown army, but the followers of Soulis and the chieftains of Lothian.He looked on this range of his enemies with a fearless eye, and passingthrough the crowd, took his station beside the embassadors, on theplatform of the tent. The venerable Hilton turned away with tears onhis veteran cheeks as the chief advanced, and Le de Spencer cameforward to speak. Wallace, with a dignified action, requested hisleave for a few minutes, and then addressing the congregated warriorsunfolded to them the offer of Edward to him, and his reply.
"And now," added he, "the embassador of England is at liberty todeclare his master's alternative."
Le de Spencer again advanced; but the acclamations with which thefollowers of Wallace acknowledged the nobleness of his answer, excitedsuch an opposite clamor on the side of the Soulis party, that Le deSpencer was obliged to mount a war carriage which stood near, and tovociferate long and loudly for silence before he could be heard. Butthe first words which caught the ears of his audience acted like aspell, and seemed to hold them in breathless attention.
"Since Sir William Wallace rejects the grace of his liege lord, EdwardKing of England offered to him this once, and never to be againrepeated: thus saith the king in his clemency to the earls, barons,knights, and commonalty of Scotland! To every one of them, chief andvassal, excepting the aforesaid incorrigible rebel, he, the royalEdward, grants an amnesty of all their past treasons against his sacredperson and rule, provided that within twenty-four hours after they hearthe words of this proclamation they acknowledge their disloyalty, withrepentance, and laying down their arms, swear eternal fealty to theironly lawful ruler, Edward, the lord of the whole island from sea tosea." Le de Spencer then proclaimed the King of England to be now onthe borders with an army of a hundred thousand men, ready to march withfire and sword into the heart of the kingdom, and put to the rack allof every sex, age, and condition, who should venture to dispute hisrights. "Yield," added he, "while you may yet not only grasp the mercyextended to you, but the rewards and the honors he is ready to bestow.Adhere to that unhappy man, and by to-morrow's sunset your offendedking will be on these hills, and mercy shall be no more! Death is thedoom of Sir William Wallace, and a similar fate to every Scot who afterthis hour dares to give him food, shelter, or succor. He is theprisoner of King Edward, and thus I demand him at your hands!"
Wallace spoke not, but with an unmoved countenance looked around uponthe assembly. Edwin precipitated himself into his arms. Bothwell'sfull soul then forced utterance from his laboring breast:
"Tell your sovereign," cried he, "that he mistakes. We are theconquerors who ought to dictate terms of peace! Wallace is ourinvincible leader, our redeemer from slavery, the earthly hope in whomwe trust, and it is not in the power of men nor devils to bribe us tobetray our benefactor. Away to your king and tell him that AndrewMurray, and every honest Scot, is ready to live or to die by the sideof Sir William Wallace."
"And by this good sword I swear the same!" cried Ruthven.
"And so do I!" rejoined Scrymgeour, "or may the standard of Scotland bemy winding-sheet!"
"Or may the Clyde swallow us up, quick!" exclaimed Lockhart of Lee,shaking his mailed hand at the embassadors.
But not another chief spoke for Wallace. Even Sinclair wasintimidated, and like others who wished him well, he feared to utterhis sentiments. But most, oh! shame to Scotland and to man, cast uptheir bonnets and cried aloud, "Long live Kind Edward, the onlylegitimate Lord of Scotland!" At this outcry, which was echoed even bysome in whom he had confided, while it pealed around him like a burstof thunder, Wallace threw out his arms, as if he would yet protectScotland from herself. "Oh! desolate people," exclaimed he, in a voiceof piercing woe, "too credulous of fair speeches, and not aware of thecalamities which are coming upon you! Call to remembrance the miseriesyou have suffered, and start, before it be too late, from this lastsnare of your oppressor! Have I yet to tell ye that his embrace isdeath? Oh! look yet to Heaven and ye shall find a rescue!" Bruceseemed to rise at that moment in pale but gallant apparition before hissoul.**
**This speech is almost verbatim from one of our old historians.
"Seize that rebellious man," cried Soulis to his marshals. "In thename of the King of England I command you."
"And in the name of the King of kings I denounce death on him whoattempts it!" exclaimed Bothwell, throwing himself between Wallace andthe men; "put forth a hostile hand toward him, and this bugle shallcall a thousand resolute swords to lay this platform in blood!"
Soulis, followed by his knights, pressed forward to execute his treasonhimself. Scrymgeour, Ruthven, Lockhart, and Ker rushed before theirfriend. Edwin, starting forward, drew his sword, and the clash ofsteel was heard. Bothwell and Soulis grappled together, the falchionof Ruthven gleamed amidst a hundred swords, and blood flowed around.The voice, the arm of Wallace, in vain sought to enforce peace; he wasnot heard, he was not felt in the dreadful warfare; Ker fell with agasp at his feet, and breathed no more. At such a sight thesoul-struck Wallace wrung his hands, and exclaimed in bitter anguish,"Oh, my country! was it for these horrors that my Marion died? that Ibecame a homeless wretch, and passed my days and nights in fields ofcarnage? Venerable Mar, dear and valiant Graham! is this theconsummation for which you fell?" At that moment Bothwell havingdisabled Soulis, would have blown his bugle to call up his men to ageneral conflict, but Wallace snatched the horn from his hand, andspringing upon the very war-carriage which Le de Spencer had proclaimedEdward's embassy, he drew forth his sword, and stretching the mightyarm that held it over the throng, with more than mortal energy heexclaimed, "Peace! men of Scotland, and for the last time hear thevoice of William Wallace." A dead silence immediately ensued, and heproceeded: "If you have aught of nobleness within ye, if a delusionmore fell than witchcraft have not blinded your senses, look beyondthis field of horror, and behold your country free. Edward, in theseapparent demands, sues for peace. Did we not drive his armies into thesea? And were we resolved, he never could cross our borders more.What is it then you do, when you again put your necks under his yoke?Did he not seek to bribe me to betray you? And yet, when I refuse topurchase life and the world's rewards in such baseness, you--you forgetthat you are free-born Scots, that you are the victors, and he thevanquished; and you give, not sell, your birthright to the demands of atyrant! You yield yourselves to his extortions, his oppressions, hisrevenge! Think not he will spare the people he would have sold topurchase his bitterest enemy, or allow them to live unmanacled whopossess the power of resistance. On the day in which you are in hishands you will feel that you have exchanged honor for disgrace, libertyfor bondage, life for death! Me you abhor, and may God in yourextremest hour forget that injustice, and pardon the faithful blood youhave shed this day! I draw this sword for you no more. But there yetlives a prince, a descendant of the royal heroes of Scotland, whomProvidence may conduct to be your preserver. Reject the proposals ofEdward, dare to defend the freedom you now possess, and that princewill soon appear to crown your patriotism with glory and happiness!"
"We acknowledge no prince but King Edward of England!" cried Buchan."His countenance our glory, his presence our happiness!"
The exclamation was reiterated by a most disgraceful majority on theground. Wallace was transfixed.
"Then," cried Le de Spencer in the first pause of the tumult, "to everyman, woman, and child throughout the realm of Scotland, excepting SirWilliam Wallace, I proclaim, in the name of King Edward, pardon andpeace."
At these words several hundred Scottish chieftains dropped on theirknees before Le de Spencer, and murmured their vows of fealty.Indignant, grieved, Wallace took his helmet from his head, and throwinghis sword into the hand of Bothwell, "That weapon," cried he, "which Iwrested from this very King Edward, and with which I twice drove himfrom our borders, I give it to you. In your hands it may again serveScotland, I relinquish
a soldier's name, on the spot where I humbledEngland three times in one day, where I now see my victorious countrydeliver herself, bound, into the grasp of the vanquished! I go withoutsword or buckler from this dishonored field, and what Scot, my publicor private enemy, will dare to strike the unguarded head of WilliamWallace?" As he spoke, he threw his shield and helmet to the ground,and leaping from the war-carriage, took his course, with a fearless anddignified step, through the parting ranks of his enemies, who,awe-struck, or kept in check by a suspicion that others might notsecond the attack they would have made on him, durst not lift an arm orbreathe a word as he passed.
Wallace had adopted this manner of leaving the ground, in hopes, if itwere possible, to awaken the least spark of honor in the breasts of hispersecutors, to prevent the bloodshed which must ensue between hisfriends and them, should they attempt to seize him. Edwin and Bothwellimmediately followed him; but Lockhart and Scrymgeour remained to takecharge of the remains of the faithful Ker, and to observe the tendencyof the tumult which began to murmur amongst the lower orders of thebystanders.