THE HEART OF THE BRUCE


Hector Boece, in his very delightful, though somewhat apocryphal
Chronicles of Scotland, tells us, that "quhen Schir James Dowglas was
chosin as maist worthy of all Scotland to pass with King Robertis hart
to the Holy Land, he put it in ane cais of gold, with arromitike and
precious unyementis; and tuke with him Schir William Sinclare and Schir
Robert Logan, with mony othir nobilmen, to the haly graif; quhare he
buryit the said hart, with maist reverence and solempnitie that could be
devisit."

But no contemporary historian bears out the statement of the old canon
of Aberdeen. Froissart, Fordun, and Barbour all agree that the
devotional pilgrimage of the Good Sir James was not destined to be
accomplished, and that the heart of Scotland's greatest king and hero
was brought back to the land of his nativity. Mr. Tytler, in few words,
has so graphically recounted the leading events of this expedition, that
I do not hesitate to adopt his narrative:--

"As soon as the season of the year permitted, Douglas, having the heart
of his beloved master under his charge, set sail from Scotland,
accompanied by a splendid retinue, and anchored off Sluys in Flanders,
at this time the great seaport of the Netherlands. His object was to
find out companions with whom he might travel to Jerusalem; but he
declined landing, and for twelve days received all visitors on board his
ship with a state almost kingly.