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

LIFE OF WALLACE.
dominions; and for that purpose he abrogated
all the old laws and customs, substituting those
of England in their place. In the prosecution
of this object, he summoned a parliament at St.
Andrew’s, which was attended by all Scotsmen
of any note, except Sir William Wallace, Sir
Symon Frazer, and Sir William Oliphant, go¬
vernor of Stirling Castle, who refused either to
appear or surrender his trust, which had been
committed to him by Lord Soulis, who hap¬
pened at this time to be in France; this for¬
tress which was now the only one that held out,
Edward determined to gain possession of as
soon as the season would permit. As to Wal¬
lace, it is said, that at this time, Edward among
other great offers, tendered him the crown of
Scotland, provided he would accept of it in
fee of the crown of England; to this, he re¬
plied, with his usual dignity, that as he had been
born a freeman, he was determined to die one,
and that he preferred being the subject of his
lawful sovereign, than tne crowned slave of
one who had no right to his allegiance. That
Edward was sincere in this offer, is a matter of
considerable doubt; he had already cajoled
others by similar proposals, and he natu¬
rally conceived that if Wallace would not be
caught by the bait, yet the offer might have the