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

CHAPTER IV.
Wallace agrees to a truce with the English,, at the in¬
stigation of his uncle, Sir Raynauld Crawfurd.
Meets with the Orphan of Lymington. Truce
broken at Ayr.
The result of the affair with Fenwick was
not less encouraging to the Scots, than prejudi¬
cial to the English. The valuable convoy which
the latter had thus been deprived of, was a sub¬
ject of serious regret to Percy; more particu¬
larly as it appeared irretrievable,—his foraging
parties having already exhausted the dis¬
trict under his control, and reduced the in¬
habitants to the most wretched expedients to
maintain their miserable existence. The fields
remained in a great measure uncultivated; and
those among the commons who were fortunate
enough to possess a cow, endeavoured to con¬
ceal her, as their only resource. The poor
starvling was bled as often as nature would per¬
mit; and the blood, boiled to a consistency,
formed almost the sole repast of the unhappy