Transcriber's Note Italics are indicated by _underscores_, and superscript by caret symbols, e.g. "S^r William". THE BRUCE; AND WALLACE; PUBLISHED FROM TWO ANCIENT MANUSCRIPTS, PRESERVED IN THE LIBRARY OF THE FACULTY OF ADVOCATES. WITH NOTES, BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES, AND A GLOSSARY. _A NEW EDITION._ IN TWO VOLUMES. VOL. II. GLASGOW: MAURICE OGLE & CO. 1869. GLASGOW: PRINTED BY ROBERT ANDERSON. _22_ ANN STREET. WALLACE; OR, THE LIFE AND ACTS OF SIR WILLIAM WALLACE, OF ELLERSLIE. BY HENRY THE MINSTREL. PUBLISHED FROM A MANUSCRIPT DATED M.CCCC.LXXXVIII. WITH NOTES, AND PRELIMINARY REMARKS. BY JOHN JAMIESON, D.D., FELLOW OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF EDINBURGH, OF THE SOCIETY OF THE ANTIQUARIES OF SCOTLAND, AND THE AMERICAN ANTIQUARIAN SOCIETY. _A NEW EDITION._ [Illustration] GLASGOW: MAURICE OGLE & CO. 1869. PRELIMINARY REMARKS, CHIEFLY REGARDING THE LIFE OF THE AUTHOR, AND CHARACTER OF THE WORK. So little is known, with respect to Henry the Minstrel, that I can scarcely pretend to add any thing to the meagre account which has been given of him by former writers. As we cannot certainly fix the time, we can form no conjecture even as to the place, of his birth. Almost all that can be viewed as an historical record concerning him, is that with which we are supplied by Major. Integrum librum, he says, Guillelmi Vallacei Henricus, a natiuitate luminibus captus, meae infantiae tempore cudit; et quæ vulgo dicebantur, carmine vulgari, in quo peritus erat, conscripsit; (ego autem talibus scriptis solum in parte fidem impertior); qui historiarum recitatione coram principibus victum et vestitum quo dignus erat nactus est. Hist. Lib. IV. c. 15. “Henry, who was blind from his birth, in the time of my infancy composed the whole _Book of William Wallace_; and committed to writing in vulgar poetry, in which he was well skilled, the things that were commonly related of him. For my own part, I give only partial credit to writings of this description. By the recitation of these, however, in the presence of men of the highest rank, he procured, as he indeed deserved, food and raiment.” This account, as it merely respects the recitation of his poem, is not inconsistent with what Henry himself says, when he asserts his independence in the composition of it, and declares that the motive by which he was chiefly actuated, was a patriotic desire to preserve the memory of the illustrious deeds of Wallace from oblivion. All worthi men at redys this rurall dyt, Blaym nocht the buk, set I be wnperfyt. I suld hawe thank, sen I nocht trawaill spard; For my laubour na man hecht me reward; Na charge I had off king nor othir lord; Gret harm I thocht his gud deid suld be smord. I haiff said her ner as the process gais; And fenyeid nocht for frendschip nor for fais. Costis herfor was no man bond to me; In this sentence I had na will to be, &c.