Discussion. NOTES AND QUESTIONS 1. Describe the two armies, the English and the Scotch. 2. What stratagem did the Scotch King use? 3. What did King Robert mean when he said to Randolph, "There is a rose fallen from your chaplet"? 4. Find passages that show two fine sides of Douglas's nature. 5. Describe the Scotch King as he rode up and down the ranks of his army. 6. Describe the battle. 7. What decided the victory? 8. Compare the incident that decided this victory with that of King Arthur's "Battle in the West," page 177. 9. Find the passages that seem to you the most thrilling. 10. Why was this such an important battle? 11. Note that it was the English King who was trying to conquer the Scotch, not the great mass of the English people, who had nothing to say in the matter. Scotland is now a contented part of the British Empire. Compare Bruce's accomplishment for freedom with that of Leonidas and that of Arnold Winkelried. 12. Find in the Glossary the meaning of: terminated; diligence; succor; encompass; sustain; valiant; gentry; dispersed. 13. Pronounce: boggy; exhorted; frontiers. Phrases for Study fair conquest, 245, 6 disadvantage of situation, 246, 2 supply, by address, 246, 3 obstinately maintained, 249, 15 disorderly rabble, 249, 23 fugitive sovereign, 249, 34 Class Reading. Bring to class and read "How Sleep the Brave," Collins; "Bruce and the Spider," Barton. Outline for Testing Silent Reading. Make an outline to guide you in telling the story. BANNOCKBURN ROBERT BURNS Scots, wha hae wi" Wallace bled, 1 wha hae wi, who have with 2 ham, whom Historical Note. Burns wrote this ode to fit an old air, said in Scotch tradition to have been Robert Bruce's march at the battle of Bannockburn. "This thought," Burns said, "in my solitary wanderings, has warmed me to a pitch of enthusiasm on the theme of liberty and independence." The story is told that Burns wrote this poem while riding on horseback over a wild moor in Scotland in company with a Mr. Syme, who, observing the expression on the poet's face, refrained from speaking to him. Doubtless this vigorous hymn was singing itself through the soul of Burns as he wrote it. The poem is considered the most stirring war ode ever written. Discussion. 1. Who is supposed to speak the words? 2. To whom are they supposed to be addressed? 3. For what did Bruce contend? 4. What patriot before him had fought against great odds in the same cause? 5. In these lines what choice does Bruce offer his army? 6. To what deep feeling does he appeal? 7. Does this poem represent truly Bruce's own feeling for his country? 8. Which are the most stirring lines? 9. What was Burns's purpose in writing it? 10. What influence does such a poem have? 11. What did you read on page 220 about the service of poets in building our "inheritance of freedom"? 12. Find in the Glossary the meaning of: gory; lour; servile. Lord Thomas Howard, with six of her Majesty's ships, six victualers of London, the bark Raleigh, and two or three pinnaces riding at anchor near unto Flores, one of the islands of the Azores, the last of August, had intelligence by one Captain 5 Middleton of the approach of the Spanish fleet. He had no sooner delivered the news than the fleet was in sight. Many of our ships' companies were on shore in the island, one half of the men of every ship sick and utterly unserviceable. For in the Revenge there were ninety diseased; in the Bonaven10 ture not so many in health as could handle her mainsail; the rest, for the most part, were in little better state. The Spanish fleet were now so soon at hand that our ships had scarce time to weigh their anchors, but some of them were driven to let slip their cables and set sail. Sir Richard Grenvill 15 was the last to recover the men upon the island, which otherwise had been lost. But Sir Richard utterly refused to turn from the enemy, alleging that he would rather die than dishonor himself and his country, persuading his company that he would enforce those of Seville to give him way. 5 The Spanish ships were filled with companies of soldiers, in some two hundred besides the mariners, in some five, in others eight hundred. In ours there were none at all besides the mariners but the servants of the commanders and some few voluntary gentlemen only. 10 After many volleys of great ordnance and small shot, the Spaniards deliberated to enter the Revenge, and made divers attempts, hoping to force her by the multitudes of their armed soldiers and musketeers, but were repulsed again and again, and at all times beaten back into their own ships. 15 After the fight had thus without intermission continued while the day lasted and some hours of the night, many of our men were slain and hurt, one of the great galleons of the armada was sunk, and in many others of the Spanish ships great slaughter was made. Some write that Sir Richard was very dangerously 20 hurt almost in the beginning of the fight, but two of the Revenge's own company affirmed that he was never so wounded as that he forsook the upper deck till an hour before midnight. The Spanish ships attempted to board the Revenge, but as they were wounded and beaten off, so always others came in their 25 places, she having never less than two mighty galleons by her sides and aboard her. So that ere the morning, there had fifteen several vessels assailed her. All the powder of the Revenge to the last barrel was now spent, all her pikes broken, forty of her best men slain, and the 80 most part of the rest hurt. In the beginning of the fight she had but one hundred free from sickness. A small troop to man such a ship, and a weak garrison to resist so mighty an army! By those hundred all was sustained, the volleys, boardings, and enterings of fifteen ships of war. On the contrary the Spanish 85 were always supplied with soldiers brought from every squadron, and all manner of arms and powder at will. Unto ours there remained no comfort at all, no hope, no supply either of ships, men, or weapons; the masts all beaten overboard, all her tackle cut asunder, her upper work altogether razed. 5 Sir Richard finding himself in this distress, and unable any longer to make resistance-having endured in this fifteen hours' fight the assault of fifteen several vessels, and finding that himself and the ship must needs be possessed by the enemy, who were now cast in a ring around about him, the Revenge not able 10 to move one way or other-commanded the master gunner, whom he knew to be a most resolute man, to sink the ship. For he wished that no glory might remain to the Spaniards, seeing in so many hours' fight and with so great a navy they were not able to take her, having had fifteen hours' time, fifteen thousand men, 15 and fifty and three sail of men-of-war to perform it withal. He persuaded the company, or as many as he could induce, to yield themselves unto God, and to the mercy of none else, but, as they had, like valiant resolute men, repulsed so many enemies, they should not now shorten the honor of their nation by pro20 longing their own lives for a few hours or a few days. The master gunner readily condescended, and divers others. But the Captain and the Master were of another opinion and besought Sir Richard to have care of them, alleging that the Spaniard would be as ready to entertain a composition as they 25 were willing to offer the same, and that there being divers valiant men yet living, whose wounds were not mortal, they might do their country service hereafter. As the matter was thus in dispute, and Sir Richard refusing to hearken to any of those reasons, the Master of the Revenge 30 was convoyed aboard the General, commanded by Don Alfonso Bassan; who, finding none of his men over-hasty to attempt again to enter the Revenge, fearing lest Sir Richard would blow them up and himself, and perceiving by the report of the Master his dangerous disposition, yielded that the lives of all on board 85 the Revenge should be saved. To this he so much the rather |