The hand which grasped the weal of Scotland, the arm that held her shield, lay nerveless as the dead; the brain which thought so well and wisely for his fettered land, lay powerless and still; the thrilling voice was hushed, the flashing eye was closed.  The foes were close around him, and true friends in tears and woe beside his couch, were all alike unknown.  Ah! then was the time for warrior’s tears, for men of iron frame and rugged mood to soften into woman’s woe, and weep.  Men term Lord Edward Bruce so harsh and stern, one whom naught of grief for others or himself can move; they saw him not as I have.  It was mine to watch my sovereign, when others sought their rest; and I have seen that rugged chieftain stand beside his brother’s couch alone, unmarked, and struggle with his spirit till his brow hath knit, his lip become convulsed, and then as if ’twere vain, all vain, sink on his knee, clasp his sovereign’s hand, and bow his head and weep.  ’Tis passed and over now, kind heaven be praised! yet I cannot recall that scene, unbind the folds of memory, unmoved.”

The old man passed his rough hand across his eyes, and for a brief moment paused; his comrades, themselves affected, sought not to disturb him, and quickly he resumed.

“Days passed, and still King Robert gave no sign of amendment, except, indeed, there were intervals when his eyes wandered to the countenances of his leaders, as if he knew them, and would fain have addressed them as his wont.  Then it was our men were annoyed by an incessant discharge from Buchan’s archers, which, though they could do perhaps no great evil, yet wounded many of our men, and roused Lord Edward’s spirit to resent the insult.  His determination to leave the entrenchments and retreat to Strathbogie, appeared at first an act of such unparalleled daring as to startle all his brother leaders, and they hesitated; but there never was any long resisting Sir Edward’s plans; he bears a spell no spirit with a spark of gallantry about him can resist.  The retreat was in consequence determined on, to the great glee of our men, who were tired of inaction, and imagined they should feel their sovereign’s sufferings less if engaged hand to hand with, the foe, in his service, than watching him as they had lately done, and dreading yet greater evils.

“Ye have heard of this daring retreat, my friends; it was in the mouth of every Scotsman, aye, and of Englishman too, for King Robert himself never accomplished a deed of greater skill.  The king’s litter was placed in the centre of a square, which presented on either side such an impenetrable fence of spears and shields, that though Buchan and De Mowbray mustered more than double our number, they never ventured an attack, and a retreat, apparently threatening total destruction, from its varied dangers, was accomplished without the loss of a single man.  At Strathbogie we halted but a short space, for finding no obstruction in our path, we hastened southward, in the direction of Inverury; there we pitched the tent for the king, and, taking advantage of a natural fortification, dispersed our men around it, still in a compact square.  Soon after this had been accomplished, news was received that our foes were concentrating their numerous forces at Old Meldrum, scarcely two miles from us, and consequently we must hold ourselves in constant readiness to receive their attack.