March was to persuade Wallace to
send him to Dunbar as governor of the Lothiaus, to hold the refractory
Soulis in check; and to divide the public cares of Lord Dundaff; who,
indeed, found Berwick a sufficient charge for his age and comparative
inactivity. "Then," cried the false Cospatrick,** "when I am fixed at
Dunbar, Edward may come round from Newcastle to that port; and, by your
management, he must march unmolested to Stirling, and seize the usurper
on his throne."
**The name by which Patrick Dunbar, Earl of March, was familiarly
called.
Such suggestions met with full approval from these dark incendiaries;
and as their meetings were usually held at night, they walked forth in
the day with cheerful countenances, and joined the general rejoicing.
They feared to hint even a word of their intentions to Lord Badenoch;
for, on Buchan having expressed some discontent to him, at the homage
that was paid to a man so much their inferior, his answer was, "Had we
acted worthy of our birth, Sir William Wallace never could have had the
opportunity to rise upon our disgrace. But as it is, we must submit,
or bow to treachery instead of virtue.
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