to the
support of those in the front, who were engaged at disadvantage.

"Bruce, seeing the confusion thicken, now placed himself at the head of
the reserve, and addressing Angus of the Isles in the words, "My hope is
constant in thee," rushed into the engagement followed by all the troops
he had hitherto kept in reserve. The effect of such an effort, reserved
for a favourable moment, failed not to be decisive. Those of the English
who had been staggered were now constrained to retreat; those who were
already in retreat took to actual flight. At this critical moment, the
camp-followers of the Scottish army, seized with curiosity to see how
the day went, or perhaps desirous to have a share of the plunder,
suddenly showed themselves on the ridge of the Gillies'-hill, in the
rear of the Scottish line of battle; and as they displayed cloths and
horse-coverings upon poles for ensigns, they bore in the eyes of the
English the terrors of an army with banners. The belief that they beheld
the rise of an ambuscade, or the arrival of a new army of Scots, gave
the last impulse of terror, and all fled now, even those who had before
resisted. The slaughter was immense; the deep ravine of Bannockburn, to
the south of the field of battle, lying in the direction taken by most
of the fugitives, was almost choked and bridged over with the slain,
the difficulty of the ground retarding the fugitive horsemen till the
lancers were upon them. Others, and in great numbers, rushed into the
river Forth, in the blindness of terror, and perished there. No less
than twenty-seven Barons fell in the field; the Earl of Gloucester was
at the head of the fatal list: young, brave, and high-born, when he saw
the day was lost, he rode headlong on the Scottish spears, and was
slain. Sir Robert Clifford, renowned in the Scottish wars, was also
killed. Two hundred Knights and seven hundred Esquires, of high birth
and blood, graced the list of slaughter with the noblest names of
England; and thirty thousand of the common file filled up the fatal
roll.

"Edward, among whose weaknesses we cannot number cowardice, was
reluctantly forced from the bloody field by the Earl of Pembroke. The
noble Sir Giles de Argentine considered it as his duty to attend the
King until he saw him in personal safety, then observing that "it was
not his own wont to fly," turned back, rushed again into the battle,
cried his war-cry, galloped boldly against the victorious Scots, and was