the necessity of trusting to unexperienced or faithless guides. Though often on the brink of ruin, though actually hunted by blood-hounds, he never despaired. Success gave him new friends, his conciliating manners preserved the old; fort after fort was surprised, or reduced to surrender, and was immediately dismantled, because he was sure of a retreat in his native mountains; whereas the defeats of his enemies became irretrievable.

It was in these circumstances, and when the whole of Scotland was cleared of his enemies, that he ventured his crown and life, in the decisive battle of Bannock-burn, which crushed the whole army,.and nearly the courage, of the English. This battle, on which Barber naturally dwells with considerable exultation, occupies two books, the twelfth and thirteenth; and the remaining seven contain the exploits of Edward Bruce in Ireland; the several predatory incursions into England, which were undertaken by Douglas, Murray, and other leaders; the death of Douglas in Spain, and all the remaining incidents of Robert Bruce's reign. In describing the campaign in Ireland, in which the king had marched an army to the assistance of his brother, Barber suddenly stops to relate au anecdote, which a monkish historian would probably have thought beneath the dignity of history;

but the simple and affectionate heart of our poet, would have prompted him to risk a much greater indecorum, for the purpose of illustrating the humane character of his hero. The king was at this time preparing to return with his army from the south of Ireland towards Carrickfergus.

And when that they all ready were,
The king has heard a woman cry,
He asked what that was in hy.1
said ane,

"It is the lavender," sir,

"That her child-ill right now has taen:
“And we mon leave behind us here;
"Therefore she makes yon evil cheer."
The king said, " Certes, it were pité
"That she in that point left should be,
"For, certes, I trow there is no man
"That will ne rue a woman than."
His host all there arrested he,

4

And gert 3 a tent soon stinted + be;

And gert her gang in hastily,

And other women to be her by.

While she was delivered, he abode,

And syne, forth on his wayis rode,

In haste.

Lavendiere, Fr. ; laundress, washer-woman. a Caused.

• Stretched.

And, how she forth should carried be,
Ere he forth fared, ordained he.
This was a full great courtesy !
That such a king, and so mighty,

Gert his men dwell in this manére,
But for a poor lavender!

This little incident, and innumerable details contained in Barber's narrative, shew that it must have been very principally compiled from the relations of eye-witnesses. Hence the variety in his descriptions of battles, which are as much diversified as the scenery of the country where they were fought. But a soldier will sometimes exaggerate the exploits of a leader in whose glory he participates; and Barber was occasionally, in a very awkward dilemma, between his love of veracity, and his fear of depreciating the valour of a hero to whom, in his own opinion, no efforts were impossible. Of this there is a curious instance in the beginning of the sixth book, where Bruce singly discomfits a body of two hundred men of Galloway, of whom he kills fourteen. Barber seems to have hesitated: but fortunately his learning comes in aid of his propensity; he recollects a parallel instance in the history of Thebes, relates it much at length, and thus silences all his scruples: those of

his readers probably would have been still more easily satisfied.

Barber's poetical character cannot be more correctly described than in the words of his editor. "Here (says Mr. Pinkerton) the reader will find "few of the graces of fine poetry, little of the "Attic dress of the muse: but here are life, and "spirit, and ease, and plain sense, and pictures of "real manners, and perpetual incident and enter"tainment. The language is remarkably good for "the time; and far superior, in neatness and elegance, even to that of Gawin Douglas, who "wrote more than a century after."

The following extract from the Bruce is selected, not as giving the most brilliant specimen of Barber's poetical talent, but as forming a distinct episode, and consequently possessing an independent interest; and because it is sufficiently long, to afford a fair estimate of the poet's general style and language, and is an example of the fashionable mode of argument, in that story-telling age, when apologue was necessary even in the eloquence of the pulpit, and employed in the discussion of the fate of armies and of empires.

Douglas is represented as dissuading Murray from hazarding a battle against the superior forces of Edward III.

The Lord Douglas said, " By Saint Bride, "It were great folly at this tide, "Till us with swilk an host to fight, "It growis, ilka day, of might; "And has victual therewith plenté. "And in their country here are we, "Where there may come us no succours; "Hard is to make us here rescours.1 "Na we us may ferrar 2 meat to get: "Swilk as we have here mon we eat. "Do we with our foes therefore, "That are here lyand us before, "As Ich heard tell this other year "That a fox did with a fishér."

"How did the fox ?" the Earl gan say. He said, "A fisher whilom lay “Beside a river, for to get

"His nets, that he had therein set.

"A little lodge thereby he made;

"And there-within a bed had; "And a little fire also.

"A door there was, forouten 3 mo.

"A night, his nettis for to see,

"He rose; and there well long dwelt he.

1 Rescue. Fr.

• Without.

VOL. I.

* Farther.

R