The English, after this great defeat, were no longer in a condition to support their pretensions to be masters of Scotland, or to continue, as they had done for nearly twenty years, to send armies into that country to overcome it. On the contrary, they became for a time scarce able to defend their own frontiers against King Robert and his soldiers. Thus did Robert Bruce arise from the condition of an exile, hunted with bloodhounds like a stag or beast of prey, to the rank of an independent sovereign, universally acknowledged to be one of the wisest and bravest kings who then lived. The nation of Scotland was also raised once more from the situation of a distressed and conquered province to that of a free and independent state, governed by its own laws, and subject to its own princes; and although the country was, after the Bruce’s death, often subjected to great loss and distress, both by the hostility of the English, and by the unhappy civil wars among the Scots themselves, yet they never afterwards lost the freedom for which Wallace had laid down his life, and which King Robert had recovered, not less by his wisdom than by his weapons. And therefore most just it is, that while the country of Scotland retains any recollection of its history, the memory of those brave warriors and faithful patriots should be remembered with honor and gratitude. NOTES AND QUESTIONS =Discussion.= 1. Describe the two armies, the English and the Scottish. 2. What stratagem did the King use? 3. Draw a diagram of the Scottish line showing the relative positions of the Park, Bannockburn, Stirling, Gillies’ hill, the church of St. Ninian’s, and Falkirk. 4. What did the King mean when he said to Randolph, “There is a rose fallen from your chaplet”? 5. Read passages that show two fine sides of Douglas’s nature. 6. Describe the Scottish king as he rode up and down the ranks of his army. 7. Describe the battle. 8. What decided the victory? 9. Read the passages that seem to you the most thrilling. 10. Why was this such an important battle? 11. Read Bruce’s address to his soldiers as given by Robert Burns in his poem “Bannockburn.” 12. Pronounce the following: boggy; exhorted; fugitive; frontiers. =Phrases= fair conquest, 311, 8 disadvantage of situation, 312, 15 was obstinately maintained, 315, 22 disorderly rabble, 315, 30 valiant knight, 315, 33 entreated admittance, 316, 3 fugitive sovereign, 316, 4 civil wars, 316, 37 THE EXPLOITS OF DOUGLAS AND RANDOLPH (1315-1330)