His hatred to that country was so inveterate that his thoughts of revenge seemed to occupy his mind on his death-bed.  He made his son promise never to make peace with Scotland until the nation was subdued.  He gave also very singular directions concerning the disposal of his dead body.  He ordered that it should be boiled in a caldron till the flesh parted from the bones, and that then the bones should be wrapped up in a bull’s hide, and carried at the head of the English army, as often as the Scots attempted to recover their freedom.  He thought that he had inflicted such distresses on the Scots, and invaded and defeated them so often, that his very dead bones would terrify them.  His son, Edward the Second, did not choose to execute this strange injunction, but caused his father to be buried in Westminster Abbey, where his tomb is still to be seen, bearing for an inscription, Here Lies the Hammer of the Scottish Nation.

Edward the Second was neither so brave nor so wise as his father; on the contrary, he was a weak prince, fond of idle amusements and worthless favorites.  It was lucky for Scotland that such was his disposition.  He marched a little way into Scotland with the large army which Edward the First had collected, and went back again without fighting, which gave great encouragement to Bruce’s party.

Several of the Scottish nobility now took arms in different parts of the country, declared for King Robert, and fought against the English troops and garrisons.  The most distinguished of these was the good Lord James of Douglas.  Other great lords also were now exerting themselves to destroy the English.  Among them was Sir Thomas Randolph, whose mother was a sister of King Robert.

While Robert Bruce was gradually getting possession of the country, and driving out the English, Edinburgh, the principal town of Scotland, remained, with its strong castle, in possession of the invaders.  Sir Thomas Randolph was extremely desirous to gain this important place; but the castle is situated on a very steep and lofty rock, so that it is difficult or almost impossible even to get up to the foot of the walls, much more to climb over them.

So while Randolph was considering what was to be done, there came to him a Scottish gentleman named Francis, who had joined Bruce’s standard, and asked to speak with him in private.  He then told Randolph that in his youth he had lived in the Castle of Edinburgh, and that his father had then been keeper of the fortress.  It happened at that time that Francis was much in love with a lady who lived in a part of the town beneath the castle, which is called the Grassmarket.  Now, as he could not get out of the castle by day to see his mistress, he had practiced a way of clambering by night down the castle rock on the south side, and returning at his pleasure; when he came to the foot of the wall, he made use of a ladder to get over it, as it was not very high at that point, those who built