CHAPTER XVI STIRLING CASTLE

Through the whole period of Scottish history, Stirling Castle held a position of vast importance. In early days it stood as a stronghold against the barbarous Highlanders of the North, acting¹ as the frontier post of civilization. For fifty years during the War of Independence, the castle was alternately held by the English or the Scotch², whichever party was at the time dominant³ in the country. Crowning the summit of a sudden outburst of volcanic⁴ [pg 79] rock, the castle was practically impregnable to all save treachery, and was therefore constantly used as the residence for the Stuart Kings during their minority.

Stirling Castle.

But being one of the Three Keys of the kingdom, its possession was eagerly sought during any foreign or civil war, great efforts being made both to attain⁵ and retain it. In 1296, Edward I. took Stirling for the second time, and held it for three years. Wallace had won a great victory within sight of the walls, a victory which had dispersed⁶ the English army, but had not been sufficient to take the castle. When the Scots obtained possession in the winter of 1299 after starving the garrison⁷ into surrendering, Sir William Oliphant became governor of the castle, to himself sustain a siege of many months in 1304. Edward I. was so angry at being hindered from his purpose for so long, that when he at last gained the castle he broke faith with Oliphant, sending him to the Tower of London. Ten years later, when Robert Bruce was winning back Scotland from the feeble grasp of Edward II., Stirling still held out. With superlative chivalry⁸, Edward Bruce, who was conducting the siege, promised a year's respite⁹, after which the castle must surrender unless relieved. Urged by dire¹⁰ necessity, Edward II. was persuaded to leave his frivolous¹¹ Court, and gathering¹² a magnificent army to march to Scotland. But all their splendid equipment did not avail against the courage and [pg 80] ingenuity¹⁴ of the Bruce, who, on the field of Bannockburn won for Scotland her greatest victory. Thousands of the English lay dead upon the field, while Edward fled for his life. Stirling Castle surrendered, and its fortifications were levelled.

Once again Stirling was to be held by the English, when Bruce's son was on the throne; but in 1342 it was regained¹⁵, never to fall again into the hands of a foreign foe¹⁶.

In a room in the castle, still pointed¹⁷ out by the guide, William, Earl of Douglas, was murdered by his royal master, James II. By special invitation, backed by a safe-conduct signed by the King, Douglas had come to Stirling in 1452. When supper was over, the King took Douglas into an inner room, where he accused him of being in league with Ross and Crawford against his monarch¹⁸, and ordered him to break his bond. The haughty¹⁹ Douglas refused to do so, whereat James, forgetful of his safe-conduct, struck at him with his dagger²⁰, and the courtiers in attendance, dashing to the assistance of their King, Douglas fell covered with wounds, as the Duc de Guise²¹ was to do over a century later in the cabinet of Henri III.

Douglas was undoubtedly²² a danger to his country, at the head of so powerful and unruly a house, but James should have taken more legal measures to subdue²³ him. However, the Parliament of his day acquitted²⁴ him of all blame.

STIRLING CASTLE.

One of the three Keys of Scotland, acting as a stronghold against the Highlanders of the North.

His son, James III., lived constantly at Stirling, which was his favourite residence, building the Parliament House which still remains²⁵. His interest in the Chapel²⁶ Royal, to whose endowments he wished to add the rich priory of Coldingham, aroused the enmity of [pg 81] the Homes and Hepburns, who regarding Coldingham as a family property, rose against the King. To his lasting²⁷ remorse²⁸ the King's son, James IV., fought against his father, who was killed after the battle of Sauchieburn. The young King really grieved, and in order that he should never forget, it is said he wore a belt of iron round his waist, adding an extra link every year.

From all the records of legal expenditure²⁹, it is evident that James IV. was a great palace builder. He is responsible for much building at Holyrood, Linlithgow, and Falkland, and at Stirling too he did most of the building of the palace, which was carried on by his son.

Both Mary Queen of Scots and James VI. were crowned at Stirling as mere³⁰ infants, the ceremony taking place in the parish church, just below the castle. Queen Mary revisited the scene of her coronation when she returned to Scotland, after her long sojourn³¹ in France. She came there with young Lord Darnley as her husband in 1565, and in December, the following year, her infant son, James, was baptized with great ceremony at Stirling. Many lords and nobles assembled, wearing only their swords in order that there might be less danger of disturbance³², while the royal child was carried to the chapel by Lady Argyll, acting for Queen Elizabeth, between an avenue of gentlemen bearing wax torches. The only ominous³³ sign amidst the festivities was the absence of the father, Lord Darnley, who remained sulking in the palace.

Fourteen months later the poor infant was crowned, his mother being forced to abdicate³⁴. Another hurried ceremony took place, the crown being held over the King's head, and the baby hand guided to the sword and sceptre. The Earl of Morton took the oath [pg 82] as substitute, and then the infant was carried back to the castle in the arms of the hereditary³⁵ governor of the castle, the Earl of Mar¹³. For many years James VI. remained carefully guarded within the castle walls, never allowed to roam without first getting permission, until he had grown to man's estate. Yet he bore no ill-will to Stirling, to which he brought his wife, Anne of Denmark, and where his eldest³⁶ son, Prince Henry, was born. After the desire of his life had been achieved, and he had become King of Great Britain, he paid one visit to Stirling in 1617, after which the castle was only used on one other occasion as a palace, when Charles I. came there in 1633.

The castle remained in the charge of the Earls of Mar until the Rebellion of 1715, when their connection with the rising caused the attainder of the Earl, and the loss of all his offices.

1 acting   

n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的

参考例句：

• Ignore her,she's just acting.别理她，她只是假装的。
• During the seventies,her acting career was in eclipse.在七十年代，她的表演生涯黯然失色。

2 scotch   

n.伤口，刻痕；苏格兰威士忌酒；v.粉碎，消灭，阻止；adj.苏格兰(人)的

参考例句：

• Facts will eventually scotch these rumours.这种谣言在事实面前将不攻自破。
• Italy was full of fine views and virtually empty of Scotch whiskey.意大利多的是美景，真正缺的是苏格兰威士忌。

3 dominant   

adj.支配的，统治的；占优势的；显性的；n.主因，要素，主要的人(或物)；显性基因

参考例句：

• The British were formerly dominant in India.英国人从前统治印度。
• She was a dominant figure in the French film industry.她在法国电影界是个举足轻重的人物。

4 volcanic   

adj.火山的；象火山的；由火山引起的

参考例句：

• There have been several volcanic eruptions this year.今年火山爆发了好几次。
• Volcanic activity has created thermal springs and boiling mud pools.火山活动产生了温泉和沸腾的泥浆池。

5 attain   

vt.达到，获得，完成

参考例句：

• I used the scientific method to attain this end. 我用科学的方法来达到这一目的。
• His painstaking to attain his goal in life is praiseworthy. 他为实现人生目标所下的苦功是值得称赞的。

6 dispersed   

adj. 被驱散的, 被分散的, 散布的

参考例句：

• The clouds dispersed themselves. 云散了。
• After school the children dispersed to their homes. 放学后，孩子们四散回家了。

7 garrison   

n.卫戍部队；驻地，卫戍区；vt.派(兵)驻防

参考例句：

• The troops came to the relief of the besieged garrison.军队来援救被围的守备军。
• The German was moving to stiffen up the garrison in Sicily.德军正在加强西西里守军之力量。

8 chivalry   

n.骑士气概，侠义；（男人）对女人彬彬有礼，献殷勤

参考例句：

• The Middle Ages were also the great age of chivalry.中世纪也是骑士制度盛行的时代。
• He looked up at them with great chivalry.他非常有礼貌地抬头瞧她们。

9 respite   

n.休息，中止，暂缓

参考例句：

• She was interrogated without respite for twenty-four hours.她被不间断地审问了二十四小时。
• Devaluation would only give the economy a brief respite.贬值只能让经济得到暂时的缓解。

10 dire   

adj.可怕的，悲惨的，阴惨的，极端的

参考例句：

• There were dire warnings about the dangers of watching too much TV.曾经有人就看电视太多的危害性提出严重警告。
• We were indeed in dire straits.But we pulled through.那时我们的困难真是大极了，但是我们渡过了困难。

11 frivolous   

adj.轻薄的；轻率的

参考例句：

• This is a frivolous way of attacking the problem.这是一种轻率敷衍的处理问题的方式。
• He spent a lot of his money on frivolous things.他在一些无聊的事上花了好多钱。

12 gathering   

n.集会，聚会，聚集

参考例句：

• He called on Mr. White to speak at the gathering.他请怀特先生在集会上讲话。
• He is on the wing gathering material for his novels.他正忙于为他的小说收集资料。

13 mar   

vt.破坏，毁坏，弄糟

参考例句：

• It was not the custom for elderly people to mar the picnics with their presence.大人们照例不参加这样的野餐以免扫兴。
• Such a marriage might mar your career.这样的婚姻说不定会毁了你的一生。

14 ingenuity   

n.别出心裁；善于发明创造

参考例句：

• The boy showed ingenuity in making toys.那个小男孩做玩具很有创造力。
• I admire your ingenuity and perseverance.我钦佩你的别出心裁和毅力。

15 regained   

复得( regain的过去式和过去分词 )； 赢回； 重回； 复至某地

参考例句：

• The majority of the people in the world have regained their liberty. 世界上大多数人已重获自由。
• She hesitated briefly but quickly regained her poise. 她犹豫片刻，但很快恢复了镇静。

16 foe   

n.敌人，仇敌

参考例句：

• He knew that Karl could be an implacable foe.他明白卡尔可能会成为他的死敌。
• A friend is a friend;a foe is a foe;one must be clearly distinguished from the other.敌是敌，友是友，必须分清界限。

17 pointed   

adj.尖的，直截了当的

参考例句：

• He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
• She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。

18 monarch   

n.帝王，君主，最高统治者

参考例句：

• The monarch's role is purely ceremonial.君主纯粹是个礼仪职位。
• I think myself happier now than the greatest monarch upon earth.我觉得这个时候比世界上什么帝王都快乐。

19 haughty   

adj.傲慢的，高傲的

参考例句：

• He gave me a haughty look and walked away.他向我摆出傲慢的表情后走开。
• They were displeased with her haughty airs.他们讨厌她高傲的派头。

20 dagger   

n.匕首，短剑，剑号

参考例句：

• The bad news is a dagger to his heart.这条坏消息刺痛了他的心。
• The murderer thrust a dagger into her heart.凶手将匕首刺进她的心脏。

21 guise   

n.外表，伪装的姿态

参考例句：

• They got into the school in the guise of inspectors.他们假装成视察员进了学校。
• The thief came into the house under the guise of a repairman.那小偷扮成个修理匠进了屋子。

22 undoubtedly   

adv.确实地，无疑地

参考例句：

• It is undoubtedly she who has said that.这话明明是她说的。
• He is undoubtedly the pride of China.毫无疑问他是中国的骄傲。

23 subdue   

vt.制服，使顺从，征服；抑制，克制

参考例句：

• She tried to subdue her anger.她尽力压制自己的怒火。
• He forced himself to subdue and overcome his fears.他强迫自己克制并战胜恐惧心理。

24 acquitted   

宣判…无罪( acquit的过去式和过去分词 )； 使（自己）作出某种表现

参考例句：

• The jury acquitted him of murder. 陪审团裁决他谋杀罪不成立。
• Five months ago she was acquitted on a shoplifting charge. 五个月前她被宣判未犯入店行窃罪。

25 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

26 chapel   

n.小教堂，殡仪馆

参考例句：

• The nimble hero,skipped into a chapel that stood near.敏捷的英雄跳进近旁的一座小教堂里。
• She was on the peak that Sunday afternoon when she played in chapel.那个星期天的下午，她在小教堂的演出，可以说是登峰造极。

27 lasting   

adj.永久的，永恒的；vbl.持续，维持

参考例句：

• The lasting war debased the value of the dollar.持久的战争使美元贬值。
• We hope for a lasting settlement of all these troubles.我们希望这些纠纷能获得永久的解决。

28 remorse   

n.痛恨，悔恨，自责

参考例句：

• She had no remorse about what she had said.她对所说的话不后悔。
• He has shown no remorse for his actions.他对自己的行为没有任何悔恨之意。

29 expenditure   

n.(时间、劳力、金钱等)支出；使用，消耗

参考例句：

• The entry of all expenditure is necessary.有必要把一切开支入账。
• The monthly expenditure of our family is four hundred dollars altogether.我们一家的开销每月共计四百元。

30 mere   

adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过

参考例句：

• That is a mere repetition of what you said before.那不过是重复了你以前讲的话。
• It's a mere waste of time waiting any longer.再等下去纯粹是浪费时间。

31 sojourn   

v./n.旅居，寄居；逗留

参考例句：

• It would be cruel to begrudge your sojourn among flowers and fields.如果嫉妒你逗留在鲜花与田野之间，那将是太不近人情的。
• I am already feeling better for my sojourn here.我在此逗留期间，觉得体力日渐恢复。

32 disturbance   

n.动乱，骚动；打扰，干扰；(身心)失调

参考例句：

• He is suffering an emotional disturbance.他的情绪受到了困扰。
• You can work in here without any disturbance.在这儿你可不受任何干扰地工作。

33 ominous   

adj.不祥的，不吉的，预兆的，预示的

参考例句：

• Those black clouds look ominous for our picnic.那些乌云对我们的野餐来说是个不祥之兆。
• There was an ominous silence at the other end of the phone.电话那头出现了不祥的沉默。

34 abdicate   

v.让位，辞职，放弃

参考例句：

• The reason I wnat to abdicate is to try something different.我辞职是因为我想尝试些不一样的东西。
• Yuan Shikai forced emperor to abdicate and hand over power to him.袁世凯逼迫皇帝逊位，把政权交给了他。

35 hereditary   

adj.遗传的，遗传性的，可继承的，世袭的

参考例句：

• The Queen of England is a hereditary ruler.英国女王是世袭的统治者。
• In men,hair loss is hereditary.男性脱发属于遗传。

36 eldest   

adj.最年长的，最年老的

参考例句：

• The King's eldest son is the heir to the throne.国王的长子是王位的继承人。
• The castle and the land are entailed on the eldest son.城堡和土地限定由长子继承。