way, when an additional force from the castle made its appearance. The battle was now renewed with redoubled fury on both sides; and the capture of our hero being the principal object in view, he became the subject of their most inveterate hostility. The few, however, who ventured within his reach, soon paid the forfeit of their temerity. Having collected his companions in a body, he fearlessly advanced into the centre of the English, diminishing their numbers with every stroke of his broadsword, while his followers pressed with determined ferocity upon those who attempted to intercept him. From the increasing number of his opponents, he at last became apprehensive of having his retreat cut off, if the unequal contest were much longer protracted. Placing himself, therefore, in front of the batile, he ordered them to make the best of their way, while he endeavoured to prevent the enemy from harassing their rear. By incredible exertions, they at last regained their post at the outside of the town; and, mounting their horses, they were soon lost to their pursuers amid the shades of Laglane woods, leaving about thirty of the English, among whom were three knights belonging to Northumberland, dead upon the streets of Ayr."

Wallace's interview with his Uncle is thus told:

"In the neighbourhood of the house where he had now taken refuge, was an oak of huge dimensions, in a cavity of which he had frequently concealed himself from his enemies, when the search was too close to allow of his remaining within doors. To this retreat he now repaired, after partaking of that refreshment which his situation so much required. One of the widow's sons was despatched to acquaint his uncle with his safety, and to request his assistance; while another was sent off towards the scene of his late conflicts, to obtain, if possible, some intelligence of his lost companions.

"The morning was pretty far advahced, when Wallace was awakened from his sleep by the sound of voices, and, starting to his feet, found his uncle and two of the widow's sons engaged in conversation, one of whom had been watching him during his sleep. His uncle, taking him by the arm, led him apart from the others, and began to inquire into his situation, representing to him, at the same time, the difficulties he was still likely to experience if he continued to persevere in so hopeless a cause.'Your followers,' added he, are now either slain or dispersed, and all your efforts in the district you have been in,

have not procured you a single friend to replace those you have lost; the plunder you have taken has either been recaptured, or left in places where it would' be madness to hazard yourself in regaining it. Besides, were you even successful, to your utmost wish, in expelling the English from our country, do you believe that so powerful, so ambitious a prince as Edward, one who is considered the most accomplished warrior of his age, would allow the laurels to be torn from his brow by the son of an obscure Scottish laird? Would not the whole force of his mighty kingdom, assisted if necessary, by his foreign auxiliaries and vassals, be poured upon our devoted country? Would not the inhuman butcheries which were witnessed at Berwick be again renewed in all our cities? Have we not already had too much experience of his cruelty, to think of increasing our misfortunes by fresh provocations? Listen, therefore, my dear son, to what I am authorized to propose to you, You are aware, that those men, whose duty and interest it was to have defended our country, have submitted to our enemies; if you will, therefore, give over your fruitless hostility to Edward, and acknowledge him as your liege Lord, you will, in place of skulking from covert to covert, have it in your power to become the most powerful vassal of his crown.'

"Before his uncle had time to explain, Wallace withdrew his arm from his grasp.

My situation,' said he, is gloomy enough, but not so desperate as you imagine. I regret nothing that has happened, save the loss of my gallant friends; but I know where the sound of my horn can still call forth as many resolute spirits as will enable me to revenge their fall. Those who have joined me, know that the liberty of our country is the only object I have in view; and they also know, that I have always been as ready to expose my own life as theirs in the quarrel. The liberty which an unprincipled usurper is endeavouring to deprive us of, is the birthright we have inherited from our ancestors, and which belongs to our posterity, to whom it is our duty to transmit it. If we perish in doing so, we perish in doing what is right; and that God, who made us free men, will avert the scenes you dread, if we show ourselves worthy of his gift. If, on the contrary, we basely surrender what we only hold in trust for our children, the galling yoke of slavery will be a just retribution for defrauding them of their sacred inheritance. the proposal, come from whom it may, you can acquaint them, that the destruc tion of a single enemy of my country's

As to

independence affords me more pleasure than all the wealth which our proud oppressor has it in his power to bestow. Have you forgot, unele,' said he, while his stern features relaxed into a smile almost sarcastic-' have you forgot 'Dico tibi verum, libertas optima rerum: Nunquam servili, sub nexu vivito, fili—' * 'have you forgot those sentiments which you was at such pains to impress on my mind in the halcyon days of my childhood,† when peace was in all our borders, and every man sat under his own vine and fig-tree, enjoying the fatherly protection of a righteous sovereign? And is there to be no effort, no sacrifice made to bring again those days to our poor distracted country?' He was proceeding, when the old man's eyes became suffused; recollections of the past crowded upon his mind, and he threw himself on the breast of his nephew."

"Wallace's Oak-Torwood. The ground on which this tree stood was elevated above the surrounding level, which appears at one time to have been a sort of swamp. Causeways of a rude construction led up to the oak on different directions; and as the first formation of these causeways is beyond the memory of the oldest inhabitants living, it proves that the sheltering place of the defender of Scotland must have been an object of deep interest to his countrymen at a very early period. Although this ancient memorial of Wallace measured, in the recollection of people still living, fortytwo feet in circumference, not a vestige of it is now to be discovered. The veneration with which it was regarded, secured it from all human interference; and it was left to the winds of heaven, and the hand of time, till it reached that state of decay which indicated an approaching crisis. Its extinction was then hastened by an anxiety on the part of visitors to possess some portion of it, as a relict of one with whose name it had been so long associated; and so far was this feeling carried, that after the trunk had disappeared, the ground was dug up to the extent of twelve feet round it, in order to get at any fragment of the root that might chance to remain. This grand search took place after the time was fixed for the visit of George IV. to Scotland;

* I tell you a truth, Liberty is the best of all things:

My son, never live under any slavish bond.

The uncle of Wallace, a priest, so often inculcated, and so deeply imprinted, the following lines upon his mind and memory, that by them he squared all the thoughts of his great soul, and efforts of his vigorous body: Dico tibi verum, libertas optima rerum: Nunquam servili, sub nexu vivito, fili.'

and Mr. Craig, an artist residing at Helensburgh, of considerable taste in his profession, used a part of it which had then been found, in the formation of a snuff-box, ingeniously composed, besides, of various small pieces of wood, including portions of the Elderslie Oak,? 'Queen Mary's Yew,' the Bush abune Traquair,' and other celebrated inmates of the forest, which had been consecrated by the historical and poetical Muse of Scotland. This elegant little national gem was with much propriety presented to, and graciously accepted by, his Ma. jesty, during his residence in Scotland. Thus, after the lapse of ages, the root of that oak which had preserved the houseless patriot when outlawed by the enemies of his country, has, by a strange vicissitude, been transplanted to the personal possession of the legitimate descendant of that race of kings for whose right he so nobly contended, and whose. beloved representative now wields a sceptre over a countless accumulation of subjects, and a dominion from which the sun may be said never to withdraw his light."

"The fight of Stirling BridgeSir Marmaduke Twenge, a knight belonging to the North Riding of Yorkshire, of much experience and distinguished personal prowess, assisted Cressingham in leading the van. When nearly one half of the English had cleared the bridge without opposition, an attempt was made to dislodge the Scots from the ground they had chosen; and for that purpose, Sir Marmaduke rather impatiently charged up hill with a body of heavy-armed cavalry. The consequence was, however, fatal to the assailants, as the enemy, from their vantage-ground, drove them headlong before them with their long spears. In the meantime, the communication between the bridge and the van of the English army was cut off by a mas terly movement of a division of the Scots, who afterwards kept up such an incessant discharge of arrows, darts, 'gavelocks,' and other missiles, as completely interrupted the progress of the enemy. Wallace contemplated for a moment, the success of his plan, and instantly rushed down to the attack with an impetuosity which the scarcely formed battalions of the English were ill prepared to withstand. Giving way to the shock, they fell into irretrievable confusion, while the repeated charges of the compact bodies of the Scottish spearmen were fast covering the ground with the splendid wreck of the chivalry of England. The scene now became animating beyond measure; and many of those who had defended the

bridge forsook their companions to join in the desperate melee. The passage being thus left comparatively open, the royal standard of England, displaying Three gold leopards courant, set in red,' was advanced to the cry of 'For God and St. George !' attended by a strong body of knights, who, with their trian gular shields, defending themselves from the missiles which still showered thick upon the bridge, rushed forward to aid their fellow combatants. The banner of Warren next appeared, checquered with gold and azure, and followed by his numerous vassals. The day, however, was too far gone to be retrieved, even by his powerful assistance. Finding no room to form, they only increased the confusion, and swelled the slaughter made by the Scottish spearmen, before whose steady and overwhelming charges thousands were either borne down or driven into the river.

"While Warren, with inexpressible anxiety, beheld from the opposite bank the destruction of the flower of his army, the Steward of Scotland and the Earl of Lennox were seen approaching with a strong body of horse; but, as might be expected, instead of joining the English, they assisted their countrymen in pursuing and killing those who were attempting to save themselves. Sir Marmaduke Twenge gallantly cut his way to the bridge, and escaped.

"The panic now became general, and the face of the country was soon covered with a confused mass of terrified fugitives, hurrying on to avoid the swords of their conquerors, and increasing, as they fled, the disorder of their retreat, by throwing away their arms and their standards, in order to facilitate their flight.

:

"Wallace having crossed the ford alluded to by Lundin, the pursuit was followed up with the most destructive perseverance. The day of retribution had arrived the butcheries of Berwick, the carnage of Dunbar, with a long list of national indignities and personal sufferings, had now to be atoned for. Conscious of the provocation which had roused to frenzy the vengeance of an infuriated people, Warren turned with dismay from the scene of havoc, leaving twenty thousand of his soldiers to manure the fields of those they had so lately oppressed. Cressingham, the most detested of all the tools of Edward, was among the number of the slain ;-and when Wallace came up, a party were employed in flaying the body. According to the MS. Chronicle of Lanercost, he is said to have ordered only as much of the skin to be

taken off as would make a sword-belt; and his men, perhaps, imitating his example, might have appropriated the rest. This, says a respectable author, is no doubt the origin of the tale told by Abercromby and some other historians, of the Scots having used it as girths to their horses. An order of this kind, given in the heat of the pursuit, was perhaps never thought of afterwards; at least, we have no account of Wallace ever wearing such an appendage. The circumstance, however, shows the deep-rooted detestation with which the individual was regarded.

"Warren, who fled rapidly to Berwick, was most probably, like another English general of more modern times, the first herald of his own discomfiture. The consternation which his disaster occasioned among his countrymen in Scotland was so great, that few or none would venture to wait the approach of ' the enemy; but, abandoning their strongholds, they hurried southward with the greatest precipitation, justly conceiving that the terms they were likely to obtain from one who followed up his victories with so much energy, were hardly worth staying for. The loss on the part of the Scots was comparatively small; none of note having fallen, save the brave Sir Andrew Murray of Bothwell."

With the above account we must close -our extracts, which we do with reluctance, as we find so many other passages in this interesting book worthy of being transferred. In taking leave of its seductive pages, we earnestly recommend it to our readers' attention.

Cumberland's Theatres.

Does the proprietor of the British Theatre possess the purse of Fortunatus? we think he must, or else surely he could not be able to cater so expensively for public favour; it is but a week or two since we noticed some half-a-dozen copyright pieces then published, and now we have nearly as many more before us, major and minor. In the former we have Lacy's "Maid of Judah," an opera of considerable merit, and the laughable "Teddy the Tiler" of Rodwell, whose powers of exciting the risible muscles of our fellow countrymen has been felt "pretty considerably" of late. Passing from the major, we will strike into the minor, and say a word or two upon what we find here to gratify the lover of novelty. First and foremost we have Somerset's version of Sylvana, an opera produced by Elliston very effec tively at the Surrey; illustrated by a splen did portrait (we say splendid, for no other word would convey an idea of its excel

lence) of Miss Graddon, as Count Rudolph, the hero of the piece; and though last not least, a resuscitation of the sheer hulk of poor "Tom Bowling," satisfactorily effected by the wand of Campbell (not the poet.) Mr. Cumberland's industry and spirit is unbounded, and we trust that his remuneration will be as ample.

The Old English Drama.-Part IV. We are gratified to find this cheap and curious collection of the dramas of other days prosper, and we trust it will continue to find favour in the eyes of our countrymen. The part before us contains a reprint of a scarce old comedy, by Will Haughton, called "Englishmen for my Money." It is a production far above mediocrity, containing a good sprinkling of that racy and quaint humour which distinguished the Playwrights of the Elizabethan age. Alone viewed as a picture, calculated to illustrate the manners of our forefathers, it is valuable, and to those who delight in poring over the pages of ancient lore, it must prove a delectable treat; we have found it well suited to wile away an odd hour pleasantly, and for that purpose recommend it to our readers.

The Naturalist.

the bones of animals not now mét with alive, are often found. Those remains occur in several places of England, and give evidence that the animal of which they are now the only monument, must have been at least the size of an ordinary horse.

The Wolf, though now extinct, comes down much nearer to the present time; and seems to have been peculiarly abundant in the time of the Saxons. The cold time of the year, when the food of the wolf in his native forest fails, is still the season at which he most boldly attacks domestic animals, and sometimes man himself.

The Saxons called January Wolfenmoneth; but whether they invented the name after they came to England, or imported it from Germany, does not appear; though from the number of names in Germany that are compounded of wolf, the probability is that they brought the name from that country. In the tenth century, the number of wolves in England is supposed to have been very much thinned, in consequence of a law of Edgar, which commuted certain punishments for a fine of so many wolfs' tongues. In 1680, Sir Ewen Cameron, of Lochiel, is said to have killed the last wolf in Scotland; that in Ireland fell within thirty years after; but neither the time nor the final extirpator for England is mentioned. The remains of the wolf in England have not, so far as we know, been met with, except in the monumental caves to which allusion has been made; and along with them sleep the remains of other two distinct species, a tiger about the size of the Bengal Tiger, and a Hyæna about the size, and resembling in the skeleton those of Southern Africa. These two belong to extinct species, and, with the larger bear, appear to have inhabited the northern parts of the old continent about the same time with the extinct elephant, rhinoceros, and hippopotamus. But though all these are gone, there still exists in many parts of the country the Waod or Wild Cat, an animal which is very destructive of birds and small quadrupeds, and which, when it can find no means of retreat, sometimes springs at The British Naturalist.*

man.

DETRACTORS.

He who praises bestows a favour, but he who detracts commits a robbery, in taking from another what is justly his; and certainly, to give is more noble than to take.

* Whittaker & Co.