A N APPENDIX Containing the Lives of feveral Perfons of Quality, who were concern'd in the Government, Civil or Military. The Life of Sir WIILIAM WALLACE Guardian of SCOTLAND. S IR William Wallace Guardian and great Chame pion of Scotland in the Reign of John Balinl when the Kingdom was over-run by the English, was a Gentleman of very low Fortune, but Noble Birth, great Spirit, and arong Body; fo that he perform ed Things beyond belief: Englifo Authors will not allow B b him him to havebeen born a Gentle man,but this is a Falsehood even demonftrable in our Days, and Sir James Dalrumple hath actually demonftrated from Original Characters, that in the Reign of King Alexander 2d, there was a Family of the Name of Wallace in the Weft, where Sir William was born; and that one of this Family namely Richard or Richard Wallace ( from whence Richartoun in Kyle his principal Seat had its Appellation) was even then poffeffed of the Lands of Achinroe, one of that gentleman's Pofterity married the Heirels of Graigie, fince which Time they have taken their Defignation from this laft Place, as does at prefent Sir Thomas Wallace Baronet; now that Sir William Wallace being of the fame Name and born at Ellerflie in the fame County, and by all Scots Hiftorians faid to be defcended of a good Family, was of Kin to the faid Richard above named, and by Confequence a Gentleman,no Body can doubt. His Father was according to the fame Authors [I need Cite none in particular for in this they all agree] honoured with Knighthood, and blind Mary tells us that his Name was Malcom, that he was Laird of Ellerflie Auchinbothie &c. that he married the Daughter of a very worthy, Gentleman Sir Raynald Crawford Sherriff of Air and had by her two Sons, Sir Malcom [ or as others write Sir John} and Sir William. SIR William muft needs have been born in the Reign of King Alexander 3d, and about or not long after that Year 1286; when that Prince died he was a Scholar at Dundee,under the Infpection of his Uncle a Pricft, who fo often inculcated, and fo deeply imprinted the following Lincsupon his Mind and Memory, that by them he fquared all the Thoughts of his great Soul, and Efforts of his vigorous Body. Dico tibi verum Libertas optima Rerum, WHITHER he was in Arms in that fatal Campaign of 1296 is uncertain, if he was, it feems he retired to Dundee upon the inglorious Surrender, made by King John at Brechin, which being in fome Measure confirmed by the Submiffion of almoft all the Freeholders of the Kingdom, at Berwick, and thought fecured by the Exile Exile and Imprisonment of the bravest and best of the Nobility and Gentry who were convoyed to, and difpoled through different Parts of England, all Scotland was immediatly filled with English Souldiers and EngLish Governou's: Thefe could be no welcome Guests to the oppreffed People over whom they lorded it with extream Jafolence, as the Lordanes had formerly done over them; their rough and Imperious Behaviour met with frequent Refentments, and had they been more mannerly yet there were these who would (as ordinatly on the like Occafions) have fetched Quarrels from any Thing, a Word a Look a Jeft. WILLIAM WALLACE was of this Humour: He was incredibly Strong, and his Averfion to the English could not be equalled but by the Love he had for his Country; to be forthe quarrelled with, and killed feveral of them, first one Selbie, the Conftable's Son of Dundee, and afterwards the Sherriff of Lanerk a Man of Quality and Power, for thefe Slaughters he was outlaw'd, and therefore obliged to pals the Winter in obfcure unfearchable Retiremens, whither none could come but fuch as himself, Men determined to live and dy unconquered; of thefe Scotland afforded in thefe Days many, and what added to their Number was the Uncon fcionable Severity of the K. of England's Jufliciary WilLiam Ormes who banished all fuch as being really Confcientious refufed to qualify themselves according to the Law, that is, would not fwear Fealty to a King they confidered as an Ulurper. Upon the Head of Men of these Principles did S.William Wallace atchieve thofe Exploits, which for their Variety, Number, and Greatnefs, Profterity cannot believe, he would often fally out of his lurking Places, and feize upon Convoys, cut off Parties, furprize Caftles, and with Handfulls defeat Multitudes; he alone was Match enough for Three or Four even in the open Fields; and its confidently reported of him, that no Armour was proof against his Sword, and that one Blow if it chanced to hit fair gave prefent Death, whosoever received it, yet he did not fo much truft to his ftrength as to Conduct and Stratagem, being Expeditious and Indefatigable. He feemed to be every where at a Time, yet could be no where found out, nor ever laid himfeif open to any Number of Men, but when Bb 2 fure fure to foil them, fome have faid that being once apprehedned and he was imprisoned at Air, and almoft farved for want of Food, thrown out at a Window by the Keepers who believed him Dead: what Truth may be in this Story I know not, if it was fo, he had very leon after the Pleasure of being revenged in the fame Place, the Manner thus. THE English had proclaimed a Juftice Air to be kept at Air, all the neighbouring Gentry, at least such as had fubmitted to the Government, went thither according to Cuftom; and fome of them particularly S. Rannald Crawford Sherriff of the Place, and Uncle to S. William Wallace, Sir George Blair, and Sir Niel Montgomry, were for I know not what pretended Crimes condemned and executed: Sir William Wallace got quickly notice of this, as he did whatever was done to the prejudice of Scotfmen in the Country, and therefore came upon the Head of Fifty of his Followers in the Night, fet Fire to the Barns, where a great many English lay fecure and afleep, and thofe that efcaped from the devouring Flames, fell all into an Ambush laid for them and were cut off by the Sword: this done, he feized, the Caftle into his own Hands, then marched inftantly to Glasgow, where falling upon a Body of Souldiers commanded by the Lord Henry Piercy the Earl of Surrey's Nephew, Lord Lieutenant for King Edward, he routed them, and fo continued to range over all Places, and every other Day to do fome fignal Mifchief to the EngLib, whom he fell upon where ever he found them, tho' Superior to him in Number, and having Success by his Celerity and Boldness, his Fame did quickly spread, and his Number increased fo, that having formed a confiderable Army, they with unanimous Confent of almost the whale Nation, elected and acknowledged Sir William Wallace Guardian of the Kingdom and Captain General of the Army under King John. Some are pofitive that he had his Commiffion from that Prince, tho' at the Time a Prifoner in the Tower of London. Sure it is that henceforth he gave Lands and granted Characters to deferving Perfons, particularly to Scrimgeor of Dudhope, and that in thefe he defigned himself Dux Exercitus Scotie, nay as fuch and in Name of King 70 HN he gave Protection to religious Houfes in England a Cafe Conduct tothese of the Freny that wanted to have them; them; and all Scots Hiftorians are agreed upon the main that he was a lawful Magiftrate, and fays Bishop Lefty, Omnium fuffragiis Dux Liberande Patrie creatus est; but whether he got hisCommiffion from the K. or was e lected bythe Communities is uncertain. Thus being cloathed with Power and back'd by a Gallant, but finall Army, he cemed rather to flee over, than to march thro' all Parts of the Kingdom; all or moft Garrisons terrified at the very found of his Name,and much more at the Approach of his Army, yielded as foon as he appeared before their refpeetive Fortreffes; whereupon Edward I. ordered the Earl of Surrey to raise Forces, and joyn Hugh de Creffingbam in Scotland, to fight Wallace, who having certain Intelligence of their Approach, while he was before the Castle of Couper in Fife, others fay Dundee, he commanded the Burghers upon pain of Death, to continue the Siege he had begun, and himself with his little, but refolute AR MY marched towards STIRLING, and encamped in an advantagious Poft upon a Hill above the Monaftry of CAMBUS KENNETH; the ENEMY lay on the South Side of the Forth with an Army of above 40000 ftrong, WALLACE on the North Side, had not above 10000 Men, but before Hand had taken fuch Measures as counter-ballanced the Inequality of Numbers. The Bridge over which the Army must país was both Narrow and weak, and the Scots Carpenter who had alittle before been employed to Mend it, had at the Guardian's Defire cut the main Beam of it half through and thereby made it incapable to fupport a great Weight. The Earl of Surrey gave Orders to the Army to march along the Bridge, and Sir Mar~`· maduke Twenge a Gentleman of noted Courage and Refolution, led the Van, and bravely advanced to the Foot of the Hill, on which the Scots were drawn up in Order of Battle. Thefe laft did not move till they faw as many of the Enemy got over as the Guardian thought they could Vanquish, nor did they make agreat Oppofition to Sir Marmaduke, but on the firft oníet retired as if they had fled, he purfued hotly, when at a great Distance from the Bridge he was by one near him made to take Notice, that none of the English Standards were in his Rear, nor was he followed by an English Horfe: The Reafon was this, while fome of the Scots Army feemed to fly before him, the moft Part had taken a By-way to Bb 3 the |