The transaction is thus related by Wyntown, with whom Barbour agrees in every particular, and by which it will be seen, that “the two conspirators” did not “_meet_ together,” as his Lordship asserts, but were riding together to Stirling; and the instrument was drawn and sealed the same night in that place:-- “Quhen all this sawe the Brws Robert, That bare the Crowne swne eftyrwart, Gret pytté of the folk he had, Set few wordis tharof he mád. A-pon á tyme Schyr Jhon Cwmyn, To-gydder rydand frá Strevylyn, Said til hym, ‘Schyr, will yhe noucht se, How that governyd is this cuntré? Thai sla oure Folk but enchesown, And haldis this Land agayne resown; And yhe thar-of full Lord suld be. For-thi gyve ye will trow to me, Yhe sall gere mak yhow thare-of Kyng; And I sall be in yhoure helpyng, Wyth-thi yhe gyve me all the Land, That yhe hawe now in-til yhoure hand, And gyve that yhe will noucht do swá, Na swilk a State a-pon yhowe tá, All hale my Landis sall yhowris be; And lat me tá the State on me, And bryng this Land owt of Thryllage. For thare is nother man ná page In all this Land na thayne sal be Fayne to mak thaime selfyn fre.’ “The Lord the Brws hard his karpyng, And wend he spak bot faythful thyng: And for it lykyd til his will, He gave swne his Consent thare-til, And sayd, ‘Syne yhe will, it be swá, I will blythly a-pon me tá The State; for I wate, I have Rycht: And Rycht oft makis the febil wycht.’ “Thus ther twa Lordis accordyt are. That ilke nycht than wryttyne ware Thare Indentwris, and Aithis made Til hald all, that thai spokyn had.” V. ii. p. 123 [64] It is with regret that we find this recreant’s name in the list of the defenders of Stirling. Emancipation from a dungeon, and the prospect of attaining to great riches, were no doubt powerful motives. Whether the following relation in Henry has any subsequent connection with this individual, we must leave our readers to determine. If it does, he appears to have received from the hand of our hero the recompence of his labours. The small party of adherents which still clung to the fortunes of Wallace and the cause of independence, were reduced to the greatest distress for want of provisions. Our hero had left them, in order to look out for a place where they might obtain supplies; and, while wandering through the wilds of Lorn, overcome by hunger and fatigue, he threw himself down in despair at the entrance of a forest, when the following adventure occurred to him:--