by Jane Porter
Chapter XX.
The Cliffs of Loch Lubnaig.
In the cool of the evening, while the young chieftain was thusemployed, Kenneth entered to tell him that Sir William Wallace hadcalled out his little army, to see its strength and numbers. Edwin'ssoul had become not more enamoured of the panoply of war than thegracious smiles of his admired leader, and at this intelligence hethrew his plans over his brigandine, and placing a swan-plumed bonneton his brows, hastened forth to meet his general.
The heights of Craignacoheilg echoed with thronging footsteps, and aglittering light seemed issuing from her woods, as the rays of thedescending sun glanced on the arms of her assembling warriors.
The thirty followers of Murray appeared just as the two hundred Frasersentered from an opening in the rocks. Blood mounted into his face ashe compared his inferior numbers and recollected the obligation theywere to repay, and the greater one he was now going to incur. Howeverhe threw the standard worked by Helen on his shoulder, and turning toWallace, "Behold," cried he, pointing to his men, "the poor man's mite!It is great, for it is my all!"
"Great, indeed, brave Murray!" returned Wallace, "for it brings me ahost in yourself."
"I will not disgrace my standard!" said he, lowering the banner-staffto Wallace. He started when he saw the flowing lock, which he couldnot help recognizing. "This is my betrothed," continued Murray in ablither tone; "I have sworn to take her for better for worse, and Ipledge you my truth nothing but death shall part us!"
Wallace grasped his hand. "And I pledge you mine, that the head whenceit drew shall be laid low before I suffer so generous a defender to beseparated, dead or alive, from this standard." His eyes glanced at theempress; "Thou art right," continued he; "God doth goest with theconfidence of success, to embrace victory as a bride!"
"No, I am only the bridegroom's man!" replied Murray, gayly moving off;"I shall be content with a kiss or two from the handmaids, and leavethe lady for my general."
"Happy, happy youth!" said Wallace to himself, as his eyes pursued theagile footsteps of the young chieftain; "no conquering affection hasyet thrown open thy heart; no deadly injury hath lacerated it withwounds incurable. Patriotism is a virgin passion in thy breast, andinnocence and joy wait upon her!"
"We just muster five hundred men!" observed Ker to Wallace; "but theyare all stout in heart as in condition, and ready, even to-night, ifyou will it, to commence their march."
"No," replied Wallace; "we must not overstrain the generous spirit.Let them rest to-night, and to-morrow's dawn shall light us through theforest."
Ker, who acted as henchman to Wallace, now returned to the ranks togive the word, and they marched forward.
Sir Alexander Scrymgeour, with his golden standard charged with thelion of Scotland, led the van. Wallace raised his bonnet from hishead, as it drew near. Scrymgeour lowered the staff; Wallace threw uphis outstretched hand at this action, but the knight not understandinghim, he stepped forward. "Sir Alexander Scrymgeour," cried he, "thatstandard must now bow to me. It represents the royalty of Scotland,before which we fight for our liberties. If virtue yet dwell in thehouse of the valiant St. David, some of his offspring will hear of thisday, and lead it forward to conquest and to a crown. Till such anhour, let not that standard bend to any man."
Wallace fell back as he spoke, and Scrymgeour, bowing his head in signof acquiescence marched on.
Sir Roger Kirkpatrick, at the head of his well-appointed Highlandersnext advanced. His blood-red banner streamed to the air, and as itbent to Wallace he saw that the indignant knight had adopted the deviceof the hardy King Archaius,** but with a fiercer motto-"Touch, and Ipierce!"
**Archaius, King of Scotland, took for his device the thistle and theRewe, and for his motto, "For my defense."
"That man," thought Wallace, as he passed along, "carried a relentlesssword in his very eye!"
The men of Loch Doine, a strong, tall and well-armed body, marched on,and gave place to the advancing corps of Bothwell. The eye of Wallacefelt as if turning from gloom and horror to the cheerful light of day,when it fell on the bright and indigenuous face of Murray. Kennethwith his troop followed; and the youthful Edwin, like Cupid in arms,closed the procession.
Being drawn up in line, their chief, fully satisfied, advanced towardthem, and expressing his sentiments of the patriotism which broughtthem into the field, informed them of his intended march. He thenturned to Stephen Ireland: "The sun has now set," said he, "and beforedark you must conduct the families of my worthy Lanarkment to theprotection of Sir John Scott. It is time that age, infancy, and femaleweakness should cease their wanderings with us; to-night we bid themadieu, to meet them again, by the leading of the Lord of Hosts, infreedom and prosperity!"
As Wallace ceased, and was retiring from the ground, several old men,and young women with their babes in their arms, rushed from behind theranks, and throwing themselves at his feet, caught hold of his handsand garments. "We go," said the venerable fathers, "to pray for yourwelfare; and sure we are, a crown will bless our country's benefactor,here or in heaven!"
"In heaven," replied Wallace, shaking the plumes of his bonnet over hiseyes, to hide the moisture which suffused them; "I can have no right toany other crown."
"Yes," cried a hoary-headed shepherd, "you free your country fromtyrants, and the people's hearts will proclaim their deliverer theirsovereign!"
"May your rightful monarch, worthy patriarch," said Wallace, "whether aBruce of a Baliol, meet with equal zeal from Scotland at large; andtyranny must then fall before courage and loyalty!"
The women wept as they clung to his hand and the daughter of Ireland,holding up her child in her arms, presented it to him. "Look on myson!" cried she, with energy; "the first word he speaks shall beWallace; the second liberty. And every drop of milk he draws from mybosom, shall be turned into blood to nerve a conquering arm, or to flowfor his country!"
At this speech all the women held up their children toward him."Here," cried they, "we devote them to Heaven, and to our country!Adopt them, noble Wallace, to be thy followers in arms, when, perhaps,their fathers are laid low!"
Unable to speak, Wallace pressed their little faces separately to hislips, then returning them to their mothers, laid his hand on his heart,and answered in an agitated voice. "They are mine!-my weal shall betheirs--my woe my own." As he spoke he hurried from the weeping group,and emerging amid the cliffs, hid himself from their tears and theirblessing.
He threw himself on a shelving rock, whose fern-covered bosom projectedover the winding waters of Loch Lubnaig, and having stilled his ownanguished recollections, he turned his full eyes on the lake beneath;and while he contemplated its serene surface, he sighed, and thoughthow tranquil was nature, till the rebellious passions of man, wearyingof innocent joys, disturbed all by restlessness and invasion on thepeace and happiness of others.
The mists of evening hung on the gigantic tops of Ben Ledi and BenVorlich; then sailing forward, by degrees obscured the whole of themountains, leaving nothing for the eye to dwell on but the long silentexpanse of the waters below.
"So," said he, "did I once believe myself forever shut in from theworld, by an obscurity that promised me happiness as well as seclusion!But the hours of Ellerslie are gone! No tender wife will now twineher faithful arms around my neck. Alas, the angel that sunk mycountry's wrongs to a dreamy forgetfulness in her arms, she was to beimmolated that I might awake! My wife, my unborn babe, they must bothbleed for Scotland!-and the sacrifice shall not be yielded in vain.No, blessed God," cried he, stretching his clasped hands toward mycountrymen to liberty and happiness! "Let me counsel with thy wisdom;let me conquer with thine arm! and when all is finished, give me, Ogracious Father! a quiet grave, beside my wife and child."
Tears, the first he had shed since the hour in which he last pressedhis Marion to his heart, now flowed copiously from his eyes. Thewomen, the children, had aroused all his recollections but in sosoftened a train, that they melted
his heart till he wept. "It is thyjust tribute, Marion," said he; "it was blood you shed for me, andshall I check these poor drops? Look on me, sweet saint, best-belovedof my soul; O! hover near me in the day of battle, and thousands ofthine and Scotland's enemies shall fall before thy husband's arm!"
The plaintive voice of the Highland pipe at this moment broke upon hisear. It was the farewell of the patriarch Lindsay, as he and hisdeparting company descended the winding paths of Craignacoheilg.Wallace started on his feet. The separation had then taken placebetween his trusty followers and their families; and guessing thefeelings of those brave men from what was passing in his own breast, hedried away the traces of his tears, and once more resuming thewarrior's cheerful look, sought that part of the rock where theLanarkmen were quartered.
As he drew near he saw some standing on the cliff and others leaningover, to catch another glance of the departing group ere it was lostamid the shades of Glenfinlass.
"Are they quite gone?" asked Dugald.
"Quite," answered a young man, who seemed to have got the mostadvantageous situation for a view.
"Then," cried he, "may St. Andrew keep them until we meet again!"
"May a greater than St. Andrew hear thy prayer!" ejaculated Wallace.At the sound of this response from their chief they all turned round."My brave companions," said he, "I come to repay this hour's pangs bytelling you that, in the attack of Dumbarton, you shall have the honorof first mounting the walls. I shall be at your head, to sign eachbrave soldier with a patriot's seal of honor."
"To follow you, my lord," said Dugald, "is our duty."
"I grant it," replied the chief; "and as I am the leader in that duty,it is mine to dispense to every man his reward; to prove to all menthat virtue alone is true nobility."
"Ah, dearest sir!" exclaimed Edwin, who had been assisting the women tocarry their infants down the steep, and on reascending heard the latterpart of this conversation; "deprive me not of the aim of my life!These warriors have had you long--have distinguished themselves in youreyes. Deprive me not, then, of the advantages of being near you; itwill make me doubly brave. Oh, my dear commander, let me only carry tothe grave the consciousness that, next to yourself, I was the first tomount the rock of Dumbarton, and you will make me noble indeed!"
Wallace looked at him with a smile of such graciousness, that the youththrew himself into his arms. "You will grant my boon?"
"I will, noble boy," said he; "act up to your sentiments, and you shallbe my brother."
"Call me by that name," cried Edwin, "and I will dare anything."
"Then be the first to follow me on the rock," said he, "and I will leadyou to an honor, the highest in my gift; you shall unloose the chainsof the Earl of Mar! And ye," continued he, "commemorate the duty ofsuch sons. Being the first to strike the blow for her freedom, yeshall be the first she will distinguish. I now speak as her minister;and, as a badge to times immemorial, I bid you wear the Scottish lionon your shields."
A shout of proud joy issued from every heart; and Wallace, seeing thathonor had dried the tears of regret, left them to repose. He sentEdwin to his rest; and himself, avoiding the other chieftains, retiredto his own chamber in the tower.