Historical account of the family of Frisel or Fraser, particularly Fraser of Lovat

FAMILY OF FRASEH. 25
exacting an oath from the Prince of Wales and the other leaders of the
kingdom, that, were he to die in that expedition, they should not bury
his body tiU a complete victory had been gained over the usurper
and his accursed nation. » Bruce, nowise intimidated at the magnitude ' HoUingshed, n.
p. 842. Froissart,
of the preparations against him, nor dismayed by the defection of a t.i. c. 27. m. West-
considerable number of his subjects, who adhered to the Cumines, await-
ed the enemy with an inconsiderable army at Methven, near Perth. '' "" Buchanan, B.
•' .... y\\\. p. 352.
Here the English general surprised him in the night, and forced his
camp, on the 24th June 1306. " Bruce fought with the most determined 'y"'vn ^"u*!'
valorn'. He was thrice dismounted, and as often replaced, by the un- tcWevements I
exampled gallantry of Sir Simon Fraser, ^ but he was obHged to }^ield to ^^^^^' ^'^^9
fortune, and to take shelter, with a few followers, in the Western Isles. ' ^ Waisingham.
l^rynne, 111.
The scaifold awaited such of them as the fight had spared. After thrice i'^^^g-g £„ xm,A
rescuing the king. Sir Simon Fraser sealed his fidelity with his blood ; ^''''- ^^- p- ^^^•
for, being taken prisoner by David de Breghyn, and committed to the
custody of Aymer de Valance, he was conveyed to London, and there
executed, on the 8th September, 1306, under circumstances of horrible A. D. 1306.
barbarity, which are detailed with peculiar minuteness by the English
writers of the day. ^ 'HSgf.Voi.1.
When the rumour of this renowned warrior's capture went abroad, it \ 223.Abercroinby,
* ' ^ Achievements, 1.
seemed, saj's an old author, * utterly incredible ; for such was the confi- ^^^'^*
Maitland's Hist, of
dence of his countrymen in his valour, that they asserted he never coidd Sotiand, Voi. i.
p. 475.
be taken ; and one Herbert de Norham, a man of lofty stature and ele- Notes to Lord of
thfi Tslfis StsuzA 27
gant mien, consented to lose his head, should the report be true. When Scofs Hist, of Scot!
he saw Sir Simon led forth to execution, his own fate was decreed ; and I^m.' Westminster,
the same hour beheld the sufferings of Norham and Thomas de Boys, '^^'
Sir Simon's armour-bearer. In the British Museum is the fragment of
an old chronicle, written about the time of Henry VI. which gives a
very curious detail of the capture and execution of Sir Simon Fraser.
Ritson has published it as a note to a ballad in MS. of Edward II.'s
time, in the Harleian library. No. 9.9.5^. Of the importance attached
to Sir Simon's captm-e we may form an estunate, from the language of a
cotemporary. " Captus est Simon Frisel in quo pendebat tota Scoto-
D