The poetical works of Sir Walter Scott, with memoir of the author.

366 APPENDIX TO THE
sonally known. "Yours, sir," answered the knight.
"I receive you," answered the king, and, treating him
with the utmost courtesy, loaded him with gifts, and
dismissed him without ransom. The other prisoners
were all well treated. There might be policy in this,
as Bruce would naturally wish to acquire the good
opinion of the English barons, who were at this time
at great variance with their king. But it also well
accords with his high chivalrous character.
NOTE B 2.
0! give their hapless prince his due.-P. 259.
Edward II., according to the best authorities, showed,
in the fatal field of Bannockburn, personal gallantry
not unworthy of his great sire and greater son. He
remained on the field till forced away by the Earl
of Pembroke, when all was lost. He then rode to the
Castle of Stirling, and demanded admittance; but the
governor, remonstrating upon the imprudence of shutting himself up in that fortress, which must so soon
surrender, he assembled around his person five hundred men-at-arms, and, avoiding the field of battle
and the victorious army, fled towards Linlithgow,
pursued by Douglas with about sixty horse. They
were augmented by Sir Lawrence Abernethy with
twenty more, whom Douglas met in the Torwood
upon their way to join the English army, and whom
he easily persuaded to desert the defeated monarch,
and to assist in the pursuit. They hung upon Edward's flight as far as Dunbar, too few in number to
assail him with effect, but enough to harass his retreat