"
"In the course of a few hours," returned Cressingham, "you will have no
Stirling Castle to defend. The enemy will seize it at sunset, in
pursuance of the very agreement by which I warded him off, to give us
time to annihilate him before that hour. Therefore no hesitation, if
we would not see him lock the gates of the north of Scotland upon us,
even when we have the power to hurl him to perdition."
By arguments such as these the young earl was induced to give up his
judgment; and, accompanied by Cressingham, whose courage revived amid
such a host, he proceeded to the southern bank of the Forth.
The bands of Wallace were drawn up on the opposite shore, hardly five
thousand strong, but so disposed the enemy could not calculate their
numbers, though the narrowness of their front suggested to Cressingham
that they could not be numerous; and he recollected that many must have
been left to occupy the outworks of the town and the citadel. "It will
be easy to surround the rebel," cried he; "and that we may effect our
enterprise before the arrival of the warden robs us of the honor, let
us about it directly, and cross the bridge."
Montgomery proposed a herald being sent to inform Wallace that, besides
the long line of troops he saw, De Warenne was advancing with double
hosts, and if he would now surrender, a pardon should be granted to him
and his, in the king's name, for all their late rebellions.
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