The following extract is of a more romantic character. Wallace, being closely pursued by the English, had, in a mingled fit of anger and suspicion, struck off the head of one of his followers, by name Fawdoun. At night, when he and his men had taken refuge in a tower, they heard a horn blown at hand. Two of them went out to see what the cause might be; they did not return, and the horn was again heard louder than before. Two more were sent, and so, till Wallace was left alone. When he alane Wallace was leavit there, The awfull blast abounded mickle mair. Then trowed he they had his lodging seen; His sword he drew, of noble metal keen, Syne[52] forth he went whereat he heard the horn. Without the door Fawdoun was them beforn, As till his sight, his awn head in his hand. A cross he made, when he saw him so stand. At Wallace in the head he swaket[53] there; And he in haste soon hynt[54] it by the hair, Syne out again at him he couth[55] it cast; Intil his heart he greatly was aghast. Right well he trowed that was no sprite of man, It was some devil, that sic malice began. He wist no waill[56] there longer for to byde. Up through the hall thus wight Wallace can glide, Till a close stair: the boards rave in twain. Fifteen foot large he lap out of that inn.[57] Up the water suddenly he couth fare; Again he blent[58] what perance he saw there. Him thought he saw Fawdoun, that hugly sir; That haill hall he had set in a fire; A great rafter he had intill his hand. Wallace as then no longer would he stand. Of his gude men full great merveill had he, How they were lost through his fell fantasy. In the spring of 1297 his career of victory was checked at Irvine, by the dissensions and desertion of his army; but the cloud soon passed away, for in the autumn we find him engaged in the siege of Dundee, from which he was recalled by the approach of the English, under the command of Warenne, Earl of Surrey. Wallace determined to await the enemy on the banks of the Forth, near Stirling, where the river could be crossed only by a narrow and inconvenient bridge, that scarce admitted the passage of two horsemen together. The Scottish army consisted of forty thousand foot, and one hundred and eighty horse; the English, of fifty thousand foot, and one thousand horse.