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

236
NOTES.
arguments, when he has recourse to such as are con¬
fessedly not founded on reason—and to quibbles and
perversion of facts. Clydesdale, the ancient kingdom
of Strath-Cluyd, one of the first independent king¬
doms established in Britain by the expulsion of the
Romans, which for many centuries withstood the at¬
tacks of the Angles, PichtS, Scots, and Norwegians,
and had the honour to produce Stewart, Douglas,
and Walays, was never pretended to be any part of
the territories of which the kings of England claimed
the superiority; so the pretence that Walays Was a
traitor, in consequence of the place of his birth, falls
to the ground: and the pretence of rebellion is equal¬
ly unfounded; unless the noble exertions of a free
people against the unjustifiable attempts of a neigh¬
bouring prince to subject them to his dominion, are
to be branded with the name of rebellion. Well
may the spirit of the noble Walays forgive those
writers, for accusing him of inhumanity and rebel¬
lion, who have extolled the clemency of Edward I!”
Notes to Wyntoune's Chron.
P. 216. “ The statue of Sir William Wallace,
erected by the Earl of Buchan at Dryburgh, was
designed exactly from the authentic portrait of him,
painted in water colours during his residence in
France, which was purchased by the father of the
late Sir Philip Ainslie of Pillon, knight. The hero
is represented in the ancient Scottish dress and ar¬
mour, with a shield hanging from his left hand, and
leaning lightly on his spear with his right.” Edin.
Evening Courant, of May 19, 1817.