"The judge and the avenger is in heaven, holy father," he said; "to His
hands I commit my cause, conscious of deserving, as humbly awaiting,
chastisement for that sin which none can reprobate and abhor more
strongly than myself; if blood must flow for blood, His will be done. I
ask but to free my country, to leave her in powerful yet righteous
hands, and willingly I will depart, confident of mercy for my soul."

Fearful, however, that this sentence might dispirit his subjects, King
Robert watched his opportunity of assembling and addressing them. In a
brief, yet eloquent speech, he narrated the base, cold-blooded system of
treachery of Comyn; how, when travelling to Scotland, firmly trusting
in, and depending on, the good faith the traitor had so solemnly
pledged, a brawl had arisen between his (Bruce's) followers and some men
in the garb of Borderers, who were discovered to be emissaries of the
Red Comyn, and how papers had been found on them, in which all that
could expose the Bruce to the deadly wrath of Edward was revealed, and
his very death advised as the only effectual means of quelling his
efforts for the freedom of Scotland, and crushing the last hopes of her
still remaining patriots. He told them how, on the natural indignation
excited by this black treachery subsiding, he had met Sir John Comyn at
Dumfries--how, knowing the fierce irascibility of his natural temper, he
had willingly agreed that the interview Comyn demanded should take place
in the church of the Minorite Friars, trusting that the sanctity of the
place would be sufficient to restrain him.

"But who may answer for himself, my friends?" he continued, mournfully;
"it needs not to dilate on that dark and stormy interview, suffice it
that the traitor sought still to deceive, still to win me by his
specious sophistry to reveal my plans, again to be betrayed, and that
when I taunted him with his base, cowardly treachery, his black
dishonor, words of wrath and hate, and blind deluded passion arose
between us, and the spirit of evil at work within me urged my rash sword
to strike. Subjects and friends, I plead no temptation as excuse, I make
no defence; I deplore, I contemn the deed. If ye deem me worthy of
death, if ye believe the sentence of our holy father in God, his
holiness the Pope, be just, that it is wholly free from the machinations
of England, who, deeming force of arms not sufficient, would hurl the
wrath of heaven's viceregent on my devote