Bruce

King Robert Bruce was born on July 11, 1274; 738 years ago.  Much has been written about Bruce, and Scott had much to say, in “Tales of a Grandfather”, some of which is below.

‘The Rise of Robert the Bruce.
[1305—1310]

I Hope, my dear child, that you have not forgotten that all the cruel wars in Scotland arose out of the debate between the great lords who claimed the throne after King Alexander the Third's death, which induced the Scottish nobility rashly to submit the decision of that matter to King Edward of England, and thus opened the way to his endeavouring to seize the kingdom of Scotland to himself. You recollect also, that Edward had dethroned John Baliol, on account of his attempting to restore the independence of Scotland, and that Baliol had resigned the crown of Scotland into the hands of Edward as lord paramount. This John Baliol, therefore, was very little respected in Scotland ; he had renounced the kingdom, and had been absent from it for fifteen years, during the greater part of which time he remained a prisoner in the hands of the King of England.

It was therefore natural that such of the people of Scotland as were still determined to fight for the deliverance of their country from the English yoke, should look around for some other king, under whom they might unite themselves, to combat the power of England. The feeling was universal in Scotland, that they would not any longer endure the English government; and therefore such great Scottish nobles as believed they had right to the crown, began to think of standing forward to claim it.

Amongst these, the principal candidates (supposing John Baliol, by his renunciation and captivity, to have lost all right to the kingdom) were two powerful noblemen. The first was Robert Bruce, Earl of Carrick, the grandson of that elder Robert Bruce, who, as you have heard, disputed the throne with John Baliol….

Now, this Robert the Bruce was a remarkably brave and strong man: there was no man in Scotland that was thought a match for him except Sir William Wallace ;and now that Wallace was dead, Bruce was held the best warrior in Scotland. He was very wise and prudent, and an excellent general ; that is, he knew how to conduct an army, and place them in order for battle, as well, or better than any great man of his time. He was generous, too, and courteous by nature; but he had some faults, which perhaps belonged as much to the fierce period in which he lived as to his own character. He was rash and passionate, and in his passion, he was sometimes relentless and cruel…’

Robert Bruce Crowned

‘After the deed was done (the slaying of Comyn), Bruce might be called desperate.  He had committed an action which was sure to bring upon him the vengeance of all Comyn’s relations, the resentment of the King of England, and the displeasure of the Church, on account of having slain his enemy within consecrated ground.  He determined, therefore, to bid them all defiance at once, and to assert his pretensions to the throne of Scotland.  He drew his own followers together, summoned to meet him such barons as still entertained hopes of the freedom of the country, and was crowned King at the Abbey of Scone, the usual place where the Kings of Scotland assumed their authority.’

From Walter Scott’s "Tales of a Grandfather".  Robert Bruce became King of Scotland on March 25^th, 1306. 

Battle of Methven

The Battle of Methven was more of a slaughter, by Aymer de Valence's English backed men, on Robert Bruce's unprepared forces.   The fighting took place on June 19, 1306, just a few months after Bruce slayed John Comyn (February 1306).  Walter Scott refers to people from this battle in his "Lord of the Isles":

XIII.

Song Continued.

"Vain was then the Douglas brand,
Vain the Campbell's vaunted hand,
Vain Kirkpatrick's bloody dirk,
Making sure of murder's work;

Barendown fled fast away,
Fled the fiery De la Haye,1
When this broach, triumphant borne,
Beam'd upon the breast of Lorn.

"Farthest fled its former Lord,
Left his men to brand and cord,
Bloody brand of Highland steel,
English gibbet, axe, and wheel.
Let him fly from coast to coast,
Dogg'd by Comyn's vengeful ghost,
While his spoils, in triumph worn,
Long shall grace victorious Lorn!" 

1 These knights are enumerated by Barbour among the small number of Bruce's adherents, who remained in arms with him after the battle of Methven. 

"With him was a bold baron,
Schyr William the Baroundoun, 

Schyr Gilbert de la Haye alsua."

There were more than one of the noble family of Hay engaged in Bruce's cause; but the principal was Gilbert de la Haye, Lord of Errol, a stanch adherent to King Robert's interest, and whom he rewarded by creating him hereditary Lord High Constable of Scotland, a title which he used 16th March, 1308, where, in a letter from the peers of Scotland to Philip the Fair of France, he is designed Gilbertus de Hay Constabularius Scotice. He was slain at the battle of Halidoun-hill. Hugh de la Haye, his brother, was made prisoner at the battle of Methven.

Battle of Loudoun Hill

'...The efforts of Bruce were not uniformly successful. Two of his brothers, Thomas and Alexander, had landed in Galloway, but were defeated and made prisoners by Roland Macdougal, a chief of that country who was devoted to England. He sent the unfortunate brothers to Edward, who executed them both, and became thus accountable to Bruce for the death of three of his brethren. This accident rendered the king's condition more precarious than it had been, and encouraged the Gallovidians to make many attempts against his person, in some of which they made use of bloodhounds. At one time he escaped so narrowly, that his banner was taken, and, as it happened, by his own nephew, Thomas Randolph, then employed in the ranks of the English. When pressed upon on this and similar occasions, it was the custom of Bruce to elude the efforts of the enemy by dispersing his followers, who, each shifting for himself, knew where to meet again at some place of rendezvous, and often surprised and put to the sword some part of the enemy which were lying in full assurance of safety.

At length, after repeated actions and a long series of marching and counter-marching, Pembroke was forced lo abandon Ayrshire to the Bruce, as Percy had done before him. Douglas on his part was successful in Lanarkshire,  and the numerous patriots resumed the courage which they had possessed under Wallace. A battle was fought at Loudoun-hill, in consequence of an express appointment between Bruce and his old enemy the earl of Pembroke, who was returning to the west with considerable reinforcements, the 10th of May, 1307. in which the Scottish king completely avenged the defeat at Methven...'

The Battle of Loudon Hill was the first major victory over the English, for Robert Bruce as King of Scotland.  Bruce's forces were approximately 600 strong.  English troops, under Aymer de Valence, number 3,000.  Bruce's brother Edward also fought at Loudoun Hill.  The text above is from Sir Walter Scott's "The History of Scotland".  The battle took place on May 10, 1307.

Declaration of Arbroath

The Declaration of Arbroath was signed on April 6, 1320.  This declaration was a response to Pope John XXII's excommunication of Robert Bruce, in the context of the ongoing wars with Edward I of England over sovereignty of Scotland.  John favored Edward's claim to Scotland.  According to author John Prebble, 'The Declaration of Arbroath was and has been unequalled in its eloquent plea for the liberty of man. From the darkness of medieval minds it shone a torch upon future struggles which its signatories could not have foreseen or understood.  The author of this noble Latin address is unknown, though it is assumed to have been composed by Bernard de Linton, Abbot of Arbroath and Chancellor of Scotland...'

Among these eloquent words: "For we fight not for glory nor for riches nor for honour, but only and alone for freedom, which no good man surrenders but with his life".

Sir Walter Scott discusses Arbroath as well, in his "Scotland":

'The pope continued obstinate in his displeasure, and as it broke forth anew just after the retreat of King Edward and the truce he had made with Scotland (1319), there is reason to believe that the holy father resumed his severe measures in compliance with the desires of the English king, who endeavored thus to maintain a spiritual war against Bruce after having laid down his temporal weapons. Indeed, it will afterward appear that Robert alleged the machinations of Edward II at Rome as an apology for his own breach of the truce. These intrigues were, however, successful; the pope once more renewed the thunders of his excommunication against Bruce and his adherents, in a bull of great length; and the inefficacy that had hitherto attended these efforts of his spleen had offended the pope so highly that the prelates of York and London were ordered to repeat the ceremony, with bell, book, and candle, every Sunday and festival day through the year.



The parliament of Scotland now took it upon them to reply to the pope in vindication of themselves and their sovereign. At Aberbrothock or Arbroath, on the 6th of April, 1320, eight earls and thirty-one barons of Scotland, together with the great officers of the crown, and others, in the name of the whole-community of Scotland, placed their names and seals to a spirited manifesto or memorial, in which strong sense and a manly spirit of freedom are mixed with arguments suited to the ignorance of the age.


This celebrated document commences with an enumeration of proofs of the supposed antiquity of the Scottish nation, detailing its descent from Scota, daughter of Pharaoh, king of Egypt, its conversion to the Christian faith by Saint Andrew the Apostle, with the long barbarous roll of baptized and unbaptized names, which, false and true, filled up the line of the royal family. Having astounded, as they doubtless conceived, the pontiff with the nation's claim to antiquity, of which the Scots have been at all times more than sufficiently tenacious, they proceeded in a noble tone of independence. The unjust interference of Edward I. with the affairs of a free people, and the calamities which his ambition had brought upon Scotland, were forcibly described, and the subjection to which his oppression had reduced the country was painted as a second Egyptian bondage, out of which their present sovereign had conducted them victoriously by his valor and prudence, like a second Joshua or Maccabaeus. The crown they declared was Bruce's by right of blood, by the merit which deserved it, and the free consent of the people who bestowed it. But yet they added in express terms, that not even to this beloved and honored monarch would they continue their allegiance, should he show an inclination to subject his crown or his people to homage or dependence on England, but that they would in that case do their best to resist and expel him from the throne; "for," say the words of the letter, "while a hundred Scots are left to resist, they will fight for the liberty that is dearer to them than life." They required that the pope, making no distinction of persons, like that Heaven of which he was the vicegerent, would exhort the king of England to remain content with his fair dominions, which had formerly been thought large enough to supply seven kingdoms, and cease from tormenting and oppressing a poor people, his neighbors, whose only desire was to live free and unoppressed in the remote region where fate had assigned them their habitation. They reminded the pope of his duty to preserve a general pacification throughout Christendom, that all nations might join in a crusade for the recovery of Palestine, in which they and their king were eager to engage, but for the impediment of the English war. They concluded by solemnly declaring, that if his holiness should, after this explanation, favor the English in their schemes for the oppression of Scotland, at his charge must lie all the loss of mortal life and immortal happiness which might be forfeited in a war of the most exterminating character. Lastly, the Scottish prelates and barons declared their spiritual obedience to the pope, and committed the defense of their cause to the God of Truth, in the firm hope that he would endow them with strength to defend their right, and confound the devices of their enemies.'

Battle of Dalrigh

'...Hitherto Bruce and his companions in wandering appear to have experienced neither favour nor opposition from the inhabitants of the districts through which they rambled; but most part of the shire of Argyle, which they now approached, was under the command of a powerful chief called Macdougal, or John of Lorn. This prince had married an aunt of the slaughtered John Comyn, and desired nothing with more ardour than an opportunity to revenge the death of his ally upon the homicide. Accordingly, when Bruce attempted to penetrate into Argyleshire at the head of his company, he was opposed by John of Lorn, who encountered him at a place called Dalry (i. e. the king's field), near the head of Strathfillan. The Highlandmen being on foot, and armed with long pole-axes, called Lochaber-axes, attacked the little band of Bruce where the knights had no room to manage their horses, and did them much injury. Bruce, compelled to turn back, placed himself in the rear of his followers, and protected their retreat with the utmost gallantry. Three Highlanders, a father and two sons, assaulted him at once; but Bruce, completely armed, and excellent at the use of his weapon, rid himself of them by despatching them one after another. " Look at him," said John of Lorn, in unwilling admiration; " he guards his men from us as Gaul, the son of Morni, protected his host from the fury of Fingal...'

The Battle of Dalrigh, which Walter Scott covers in his "History of Scotland", was a defeat for Robert Bruce.  John MacDougall led Clan MacDougall, and the two adversaries would once have fought on the same side, but this became impossible after Bruce slayed his nephew John Comyn at Dumfries.  This episode in the Wars of Scottish Independence occured on August 11, 1306.  Bruce managed to escape from Dalrigh, and was on the run for about half a year.

Battle of Bannockburn

On St. John's Day (June 24) in 1314, the Battle of Bannockburn took place.  The siege of Stirling Castle by Edward Bruce focused activity in this area, and toward this day.  Bruce made a deal with Sir Philip Mowbray, who commanded the castle, that if English reinforcements did not arrive by midsummer's day (6/24), the castle would be turned over to the Scots. 

King Edward II of England moved approximately 18,000 troops to the area to prevent the loss of the castle, and to meet the Scots in pitched battle.  The Scottish forces, under King Robert Bruce, are estimated in the 6,000 - 7,000 range.  Among those may have been a group of excommunicated Knights Templar under Sir William Sinclair.  The day turned decidedly in favor of the Scots, in a major pivotal victory in the Wars of Scottish Independence.

Walter Scott includes Bannockburn in his The Lord of the Isles.  He also wrote a history, which is included in "Builders of Democracy" by Edwin Greenlaw.  A small portion is below:


THE BATTLE OF BANNOCKBURN


SIR WALTER SCOTT

(1314)

King Edward the Second, as we have already said, was not a wise and brave man like his father, but a foolish prince, who was influenced by unworthy favorites, and thought more of pleasure than of governing his kingdom. His father Edward the First would have entered Scotland at the head of a large army, before he had left Bruce time to conquer back so much of the country. But we have seen that, very fortunately for the Scots, that wise and skilful, though ambitious King, died when he was on the point of marching into Scotland. His son Edward had afterwards neglected the Scottish war, and thus lost the opportunity of defeating Bruce when his force was small. But now when Sir Philip Mowbray, the governor of Stirling, came to London, to tell the King that Stirling, the last Scottish town of importance which remained in possession of the English, was to be surrendered if it were not relieved by force of arms before midsummer, then all the English nobles called out, it would be a sin and shame to permit the fair conquest which Edward the First had made to be forfeited to the Scots, for want of fighting. It was therefore resolved that the King should go himself to Scotland, with as great forces as he could possibly muster...


Sources:
http://sinclair.quarterman.org/sinclair/history/med/battleofbannockburn.html
http://militaryhistory.about.com/od/battleswars12011400/p/bannockburn.htm

Versailles

On May 6, 1682, King Louis XIV moved his court to Versailles.  Walter Scott visited Versailles in 1815.  Some of Scott's observations, and a bit of a Scottish song Scott remembered were recorded by John Scott, who traveled to Belgium and France with Walter, Alexander Pringle, and Robert Bruce.  John Scott's "Journal of a tour to Waterloo and Paris in company with Sir Walter Scott"  was published in 1842.  An excerpt:

"...The fineness of the day, and the beauty of our drive, however, restored our equanimity. We passed through Marli* and St. Germain, where we paused to look at the palace. I was aware that we should pass this ancient abode of the house of Stuart, and was of course anxious to hear what the supposed author of Waverley might say on the occasion. He did not entirely pass over the subject, and mentioned one or two well-known anecdotes respecting the family. The topic, however, was evidently one to which he was unwilling to refer, and I therefore forbore to press it so much as I confess I felt inclined to do.



We admired the extensive view from the terrace ; and could not help wondering at the preference given by Louis XIV. to the comparatively dull situation of Versailles—" the favourite without merit," as it was called by the wits of the court.



* Scott's additional words to the song,


" Bannocks of beer meal,
Bannocks of barley;
Here's to the lads
That eat bannocks of barley;"


may be recollected by his friends ; I know not if they were ever published.

" Who is't keeps guard
At Versailles and at Marli?
Who but the lads
That eat bannocks of barley?"...