Scotland/Scots > Life of Sir William Wallace, Knight of Ellerslie, and Guardian of Scotland

14
LIFE OF
cruelty soon reached the ears of Wallace, who,
disguising himself in a dress worn by the
common people, sallied forth in quest of the
arrogant coxcomb, followed by a number of his
friends, to act as occasion might require. It
was not long before he discovered the young
sprig of nobility at his amusement, and, throw¬
ing himself in his way, soon came in for a share
of his notice. Instantly the hand of the indig¬
nant Scot was at his gorget, and wresting a
dagger from his hand, through an opening in
his armour, struck him lifeless to the ground.
Retreat was now the object to be obtained, and
from the confusion occasioned by a deed of such
a nature, committed in the neighbourhood of a
market place, crowded chiefly with his own
countrymen, who could not be supposed to be
very eager in the pursuit, while his own friends
according to previous agreement, having joined
in the hue and cry, for the purpose of bewil¬
dering the real pursuers, had the effect of faci¬
litating bis escape. According to some authors
he was sheltered on this occassion by a female
friend, who, having dressed him in the attire of
a maid servant, had him twirling the distaff,
while his enemies were searching the house; but
as this bears so close a resemblance, to what is
narrated of a certain hero of antiquity, we must