ouglas and Randolph were thus distinguishing themselves
Edward Bruce captured the castle of Rutherglen, and afterwards the
town of Dundee; and now, save Stirling Castle, scarcely a hold in
all Scotland remained in English hands. Thus was Scotland almost
cleared of the invader, not by the efforts of the people at large,
but by a series of the most daring and hazardous adventures by the
king himself and three or four of his knights, aided only by their
personal retainers. For nine years they had continued their career
unchecked, capturing castle by castle and town by town, defeating
such small bodies of troops as took the field against them, England,
under a supine and inactive king, giving itself up to private
broils and quarrels, while Scotland was being torn piecemeal from
her grasp.

After Edward Bruce had captured Dundee he laid siege to Stirling.
As this castle had for many months resisted Edward I backed by the
whole power of England, Bruce could make little impression upon
it with the limited appliances at his disposal. From February till
the 24th of June the investment continued, when the governor, Sir
Philip Mowbray, becoming apprehensive that his provisions would
not much longer hold out, induced Edward Bruce to agree to raise
the siege on condition that if by the 24th of June next, 1314, the
castle was not effectually relieved by an English force, it should
then be surrendered.

No satisfactory explanation has ever been given of the reasons which
induced Edward Bruce to agree to so one sided a bargain. He had
already invested the place for four months, there was no possibility of
an army being collected in England for its relief for many months
to come, and long ere this could arrive the garrison would have
been starved into surrender. By giving England a year to relieve
the place he virtually challenged that country to put forth all
its strength and held out an inducement to it to make that effort,
which internal dissension had hitherto prevented. The only feasible
explanation is that Edward Bruce was weary of being kept inactive
so long a time before the walls of the fortress which he was unable
to capture, and that he made the arrangement from sheer impatience
and thoughtlessness and without consideration of the storm which he
was bringing upon Scotland. Had it been otherwise he would surely
have consulted the king before entering upon an agreement of such
extreme importance.

Bruce, when he heard of