The Waverley novels, by Sir Walter Scott, complete in 12 vol., printed from the latest English ed., embracing the author's last corrections, prefaces & notes.

382 WAVERLEY NOVELS.
leaving only a pass, in which, notwithstanding its extreme strength, the
warlike clan of MacDougal of Lorn were almost destroyed by the sagacious
Robert Bruce. That King, the Wellington of his day, had accomplished,
by a forced march, the unexpected manoeuvre of forcing a body of troops
round the other side of the mountain, and thus placed him in the flank and
in the rear of the men of Lorn, whom at the same time he attacked in front.
The great number of cairns yet visible, as you descend the pass on the westward side, shows the extent of the vengeance which Bruce exhausted on
his inveterate and personal enemies. I am, you know, the sister of soldiers, and it has since struck me forcibly that the manoeuvre which Donald
described, resembled those of Wellington or of Bonaparte. He was a great
man Robert Bruce, even a Baliol must admit that; although it begins now
to be allowed that his title to the crown was scarce so good as that of the
unfortunate family with whom he contended —But let that pass. —The
slaughter had been the greater, as the deep and rapid river Awe is disgorged from the lake, just in the rear of the fugitives, and encircles the
base of the tremendous mountain; so that the retreat of the unfortunate
flyers was intercepted on all sides by the inaccessible character of the
country, which had seemed to promise them defence and protection.*
Musing, like the Irish lady in the song, "upon things which are long
enough a-gone,"t we felt no impatience at the slow, and almost creeping
pace, with which our conductor proceeded along General Wade's military
road, which never or rarely condescends to turn aside from the steepest
ascent, but proceeds right up and down hill, with the indifference to height
and hollow, steep or level, indicated by the old Roman engineers. Still,
however, the substantial excellence of these great works - for such are the
military highways in the Highlands-deserved the compliment of the poet,
who, whether he came from our sister kingdom, and spoke in his own dialect, or whether he supposed those whom he addressed might have some
national pretension to the second sight, produced the celebrated couplet -
Had you hut seen these roads before they were made,
You would hold up your hands and bless General Wade.
Nothing indeed.can be more wonderful than to see these wildernesses penetrated and pervious in every quarter by broad accesses of the best possible
* "But the King. whose dear-bought experience in war had taught him extreme caution, remained in the
Braes of Balqlhidder till he had acquired by his spies and outskirries a perfect knowledge of the disposition
of the army of Lorn, and the intention Jf its leader. He then divided his force into two columns, intrusting
the command of the first, in which he placed his archers and lightest armed troops, to Sir James Douglas,
whilst he himself took tire leading of the other, which consisted principally of his knights and barons. On
approaching the defile, Bruce despatched Sir James Douglas by a pathway which the enemy had neglected
to occupy, with directions to advance silently, and gain the heights above and in front of the hilly ground
where the men of Lorn were concealed; and, having ascertained that this movement had been execuited with
success, he put himself at the head of his own division, and fearlessly led his men into the defile. Here, prepared as he was for what was to take place, it was difficult to prevent a temporary panic, when the yell
which, to this (lay, invariably precedes the assault of the mountaineer, burst from the rugged bosom of Ben
Cruachan; and the woods which, the moment before, had waved in silence and solitude, gave forth their birth
of steel-clad warriors, and, in an instant, became instinct with the dreadful vitality of war. But although
appalled and checked lor a brief space by the suddenness of the assault, and the masses of rock which the
enemy rolled down from the precipices, Bruce, at the head of his division, pressed up the side of the mountain. Whilst this party assaulted the men of Lorn with the utmost fury, Sir James Douglas and his party
shouted suddenly upon the heights in their front, showering down their arrows upon them; and, when these
missiles were exhausted, attacking themt with their swords and battle-axes. The consequence of such an
attack, both in front and rear, was the total discomfiture of the army of Lorn; and the circumstances to
which this chief had so confidently looked forward, as rendering the destruction of Bruce almost inevitable.
were now turned with fatal effect arainst himself. His great superiority of numbers cumbered and impeded
his movements. Thrust, by the double assault, and by the peculiar nature of the ground, into such narrow
room as the pass afforded, and driven to fury by finding themselves cut to pieces in detail, without power of
resistance, the men of Lorn fled towards Loci Eitive, where a bridge thrown over the Awe, and supported
upon two immense rocks, known by the name of the Rocks of Brandir, formed the solitary communication
between the side of the river where the battle took place, and the country of Lorn. Their olbject was to
gain the bridge, which was comrposed entirely of wood, and, having availed themselves of it in their retreat, to
destroy it, and thus throw the iimpassable torrent of the Awe between themn and their enemies. But their
intent.ion was instantly detected by Douglas, who, rushing down from the high grounds at the head of his
archers and light-armed foresters, attacked the body of the mountaineers. which had occupied the bridge,
and drove them from it with great slaughter, so that Bruce and his division, on coming up, passed it without
molestation: andl tnis last resource being taken froml them, the army of Lorn were, in a few hours. literally
cut to pieces, whilst their chief, who occupied Loch Eitive with his fleet, saw, from his ships, the discomfiture
of his men, alnd found it impossible to give them the least assistance."-T'ytler's Life of Bruce.
t This is a line from a very pathetic ballad which I heard sung by one of the young ladies of Edgeworths.
town in 1825. I do not know that it has been printed.