The nation with one voice made him their
regent; and he fulfills the duties of his office--but with a modesty,
Lord Athol, which, I must affirm, I never saw equaled. I dissent from
you in all that you have said--and I confess I did fear the blandishing
arguments of the faithless Cospatrick had persuaded you to embrace his
pernicious treason. You deny it--that is well. Prove your innocence
at this juncture in the field against Scotland's enemies; and John of
Badenoch will then see no impending cloud to darken the honor of the
name of Cummin!"
The brothers immediately separated; and Athol calling his cousin Buchan
arranged a new device to counteract the vigilance of the regent. One
of their means was to baffle his measures by stimulating the less
treasonable but yet discontented chiefs to thwart him in every motion.
At the head of this last class was John Stewart, Earl of Bute. During
the whole of the preceding year he had been in Norway, and the first
object he met on his return to Scotland was the triumphal entry of
Wallace into Stirling. Aware of the consequence Stewart's name would
attach to any cause, Athol had gained his ear before he was introduced
to the regent; and then so poisoned his mind against Wallace that all
that was well in him he deemed ill, and ever spoke of his bravery with
coldness, and of his patriotism with disgust.
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