The army was therefore drawn up, with its left resting
on the sharp angle of the burn above the Park Mill, and extended
where the villages of Easterton, Borestine, and Braehead now stand
to the spot where the road crosses the river at the village of
Bannockburn. In its front, between it and the river, were two bogs,
known as Halberts Bog and Milton Bog, while, where unprotected by
these bogs, the whole ground was studded with deep pits; in these
stakes were inserted, and they were then covered with branches and
grass. Randolph's centre was at Borestine, Bruce's reserve a little
behind, and the rock in which his flagstaff was placed during the
battle is still to be seen. To Randolph, in addition to his command
of the centre division, was committed the trust of preventing any
body of English from passing along at the edge of the carse, and
so making round to the relief of Stirling.

On the morning of Sunday, the 23d of June, immediately after
sunrise, the Scotch attended mass, and confessed as men who had
devoted themselves to death. The king, having surveyed the field,
caused a proclamation to be made that whosoever felt himself unequal
to take part in the battle was at liberty to withdraw. Then, knowing
from his scouts that the enemy had passed the night at Falkirk, six
or seven miles off, he sent out Sir James Douglas and Sir Robert
Keith with a party of horsemen to reconnoitre the advance.

The knights had not gone far when they saw the great army advancing,
with the sun shining bright on innumerable standards and pennons,
and glistening from lance head, spear, and armour. So grand and
terrible was the appearance of the army that upon receiving the
report of Douglas and Keith the king thought it prudent to conceal
its full extent, and caused it to be bruited abroad that the enemy,
although numerous, was approaching in a disorderly manner.

The experienced generals of King Edward now determined upon making
an attempt to relieve Stirling Castle without fighting a pitched
battle upon ground chosen by the enemy. Had this attempt been
successful, the great army, instead of being obliged to cross
a rapid stream and attack an enemy posted behind morasses, would
have been free to operate as it chose, to have advanced against
the strongholds which had been captured by the Scots, and to force
Bruce to give battle upon ground of their choosing. Lord Clifford
was therefore despatched with 800 picked men-at-arms to cross the