As in the story of Wallace, so in the story of Bruce, the narrative is based on the primary authorities. Happily State records and official papers supply much trustworthy material, which furnishes also an invaluable test of the accuracy of the numerous and wayward race of chroniclers. Barbour's poem, with all its errors of fact and deflections of judgment, is eminently useful--in spite of the indulgence of historical criticism. There is no space here to set forth the long list of sources, or to attempt a formal estimate of their comparative value. Some of them appear incidentally in the text, though only where it seems absolutely necessary to name them. The expert knows them; the general reader will not miss them. Nor is there room for more than occasional argument on controverted points; it has very frequently been necessary to signify disapproval by mere silence. The writer, declining the guidance of modern historians, has formed his own conclusions on an independent study of the available materials. After due reduction of the exaggerated pedestal of Patriotism reared for Bruce by the indiscriminating, if not time-serving, eulogies of Barbour and Fordun, and maintained for some five centuries, the figure of the Hero still remains colossal: he completed the national deliverance. CONTENTS CHAPTER I PAGE THE ANCESTRY OF BRUCE 11 CHAPTER II OPPORTUNIST VACILLATION 18 CHAPTER III THE CORONATION OF BRUCE 26 CHAPTER IV DEFEAT AND DISASTER: METHVEN AND KILDRUMMY 36 CHAPTER V THE KING IN EXILE 53 CHAPTER VI THE TURN OF THE TIDE 58 CHAPTER VII RECONQUEST OF TERRITORY 69 CHAPTER VIII RECOVERY OF FORTRESSES 84 CHAPTER IX THE BATTLE OF BANNOCKBURN 92 CHAPTER X INVASION OF ENGLAND AND IRELAND 108 CHAPTER XI CONCILIATION AND CONFLICT 119 CHAPTER XII PEACE AT THE SWORD'S POINT 134 CHAPTER XIII THE HEART OF THE BRUCE 149 KING ROBERT THE BRUCE CHAPTER I THE ANCESTRY OF BRUCE