e; the fearful foreboding that thus would
all his faithful friends fall from him--this, only this, would be the
reward of all who served and loved him; and even while still, with
undaunted firmness, cheering the spirits of his adherents, speaking hope
to them, his own inward soul was tortured with doubts as to the wisdom
of his resistance, lingering regrets for the fate of those of his
friends already lost to him, and painful fears for the final doom of
those who yet remained.

It was in such moments of despondency that remorse, too, ever gained
dominion, and heightened his inward struggles. Robert's hand was not
framed for blood; his whole soul revolted from the bitter remembrance of
that fatal act of passion which had stained his first rising. He would
have given worlds, if he had had them, to have recalled that deed. Busy
fancy represented a hundred ways of punishing treachery other than that
which his fury had adopted; and this remembrance ever increased the
anguish with which he regarded the fate of his friends. His lot was
indeed as yet one of unexampled suffering, borne by heroism as great as
unequalled but the lustre of the latter too frequently dazzles the mind,
and prevents the full meed of glory being obtained. His heroism is known
to all, his sufferings to but a few; but perhaps it was the latter yet
more than the former which gave to Scotland the glory and honor she
acquired in his reign. Heroism is scarce separable from ambition, but to
mere ambition, the voice of suffering is seldom heard. Heroism dazzles
the crowd, suffering purifies the man. If Robert the Bruce were
ambitious, the passion in him assumed a nobler and better form; yet we
can scarcely call that ambition which sought but the delivery of
Scotland from chains, but the regaining an ancient heritage, and sought
no more. It was patriotism hallowed by suffering, purified by adversity;
patriotism the noblest, purest which ever entered the heart of man.

King Robert and his handful of followers not only reached their
trysting-place themselves, but were joined by the queen, and many of her
female companions and their attendant warriors, ere Lord James of
Douglas returned; three of his companions had straggled in, one by one,
with various accounts, but none so satisfactory as the king desired, and
he believed with justice, that Douglas lingered to bring, if not
satisfactory (for that, alas! could not be) yet accurate intelligence.
If aught could hav