Bruce lives. And were he extinct, the blood royal flows in
too many noble veins in Scotland for me to usurp its rights."
"The rights of the crown lie with the only man in Scotland who knows
how to defend them! else reason is blind, or the nation abandons its
own prerogative. What we have this moment vowed, is not to be
forsworn. Baliol has abdicated our throne; the Bruce deserted it; all
our nobles slept till you awoke; and shall we bow to men who may
follow, but will not lead? No, bravest Wallace, from the moment you
drew the first sword for Scotland, you made yourself her lawful king."
Wallace turned to the veteran Lord of Loch-awe, who uttered this with a
blunt determination that meant to say, the election which had passed
should not be recalled. "I made myself her champion, to fight for her
freedom, not my own aggrandizement. Were I to accept the honor with
which this too grateful nation would repay my service, I should not
bring it that peace for which I contend. Struggling for liberty, the
toils of my brave countrymen would be redoubled; for they would have to
maintain the tights of an unallied king against a host of enemies.
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