Edward being made acquainted with the circum stances, quickly ascertained the importance of car rying succours to Stirling Castle, and resolved to levy a powerful force for the purpose of combating the Scottish king, who was posted se as to intercept his access to it. From the writ commanding the ent counties to furnish their respective proportions of the military, it would appear either that the design of Robert to dislodge his enemies was long premeditated, or that he had remained a considerable time encamped at theplace of rendezvous, the Torwood, a few miles east of Stirling. It specifies that "the Scots bad en deavoured, as far as they were able, to collect a vast body of foot in a strong and rugged position, where it was difficult for cavalry to act, between him and his castle of Stirling." Probably the Torwood then extend ed farther west than we are accustomed to fix its limits at the present day ; therefore we must seek for the Scottish camp nearer the object of contention. There were assembled about 30,000 men, besides an un armed and undisciplined rabble of followers and re tainers, amounting to a great number, not less than perhaps two-thirds of the regular force. The Scottish historians calculate the English army at 100,000 men.
But here we cannot sufficiently regret that it is principally from a poetical narrative and tradition we are enabled to deduce the interesting events of that sera ; therefore, as poets are in general but faithless historians, their writings must always be received with reserve. At the same time, Barbour, the poet who records the battle of Bannockburn in detail, seems to have had little in view, besides the glory of his country ; and there are also some slight notices to be found elsewhere corroborative of the general train of the history.
On Saturday the 22d of June, Robert having re ceived intelligence that the English had reached Edinburgh, withdrew his army from its encampment in the Torwood, to .take up another position in the neighhourhood of Stirling Castle. There be extend ed his troops in three divisions, occupying a wood, it would appear, from the stream called Bannock, on the right towards the church of St Ninian, and og the left nearly, it is supposed, in the direction of the present rbad from Edinburgh to Stirling. In the night he directed a great number of small pits to be dug knee-deep, and covered with turf; concealing at the bottom a kind of projecting spikes called cal throps, or caltrops, designed for the destruction of cavalry. The position was besides protected by a morass in the vicinity, and peculiarly favoul•ble in many respects, against the attack of cavalry, which the Scottish king chiefly dreaded. On Sunday the 23d, an alarm spread of the approach of the enemy, and Bruce prepared to receive them, for he had now chosen the ground on which be awaited the at. tack ; his whole army heard mass, and in answer to his proclaiming that those who were not confident of victory might retire, all unanimously declared their resolution to conquer or die. His troops were mar
shalled in three divisions, of which that on the right was commanded by his brother Edward, the left wing by Lord Douglas and the young of Scotland, and the centre by nephew, Randolph, Earl of Murray, while he himself took the command of the reserve, posted on a rising ground in the rear, whence he could obtain a view of the passing inci dents. But it is remarkable that this reserve con sisted of the most savage part of the inhabitants of Scotland, the Western Islanders and men of Argyle, as also his own vassals of Carrick in Ayrshire. The followers of the camp were now sent to a valley at a little distance to the left of the position. In this manner Bruce designed to deceive his enemies.
Meantime a squadron of 800 horse was detached from the English army for the purpose of gaining Stirling Castle, by a circuitous route through the low ground to the north-east. The king, the first to perceive it, reproached the Earl of Murray, his nephew, with leaving the place exposed, and he, anxious to repair his fault, hastened with 500 spear men to check the enemy, wherein he with difficulty succeeded. Soon after, the van of the English ap peared in sight, while Robert was in front of the Scottish line. He was recognised by Henry de Bo hun advancing a bow-shot before his comrades, from a crown surmounting his helmet, and the authorita tive manner in which he disposed his troops. Being mounted on a sorry horse, the Englishman quickly advanced upon him, but his spear missing the king in his course, the latter, rising in his stirrups, cleft his helmet with a single blow of his battle-axe, and Bohun fell to the earth. This valiant deed encou raged his people ; but to his friends, who warned him he had exposed himself too hardily to danger, he ta citly seemed conscious of temerity, and regretted that the shaft of his weapon had been broken by the violence of the blow. This closed the operations of the first day. ' The armies reposed in the vicinity of each other ; both were impatient for the succeeding dawn, the one anticipating undoubted victory, the other in anxious hopes of being liberated from the yoke of strangers. Bruce addressed his troops, recapitulat ing the conduct of the enemy, how the government of the country had been usurped, and those that had fallen into their hands most barbarously treated ; that now they were to fight for all they held dear, their own personal liberty and the safety of their fa milies. He showed them, that their position was such as would insure success ; that they fought in a good cause, hut the English only for conquest ; that they would, when victorious, be enriched with the spoils of the vanquished, and he promised that the heirs of those who fell should enjoy privileges merit ed by the conduct of their predecessors. But he stre nuously urged the necessity for order, to avoid pil laging the slain, and to preserve their line unbroken.