The Scottish Chiefs

The Scottish Chiefs

by Jane Porter
The Scottish Chiefs

The Scottish Chiefs

by Jane Porter

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Overview

Rooted in political controversy, gender warfare, violence, and revolution, Jane Porter’s The Scottish Chiefs is the epic story of William Wallace’s struggle for Scottish independence from English rule. After the cruel death of his wife at the hands of the English, Wallace embarks on a patriotic crusade to free Scotland, gathering around himself loyal followers of both sexes, drawn from across Scottish society. Using the cross-dressing motifs of romance, Porter demonstrates that women have a crucial role to play in the drama of national identity, either as temptresses or national heroines. The Scottish Chiefs is a landmark in the development of the historical novel, and explores vital questions of patriotism, civic duty, heroism, and the role of women.

This Broadview edition offers a critical introduction and important historical contexts for the novel in the form of reviews, excerpts from Porter’s prefaces, and other contemporary accounts of William Wallace.


Product Details

ISBN-13: 9781546718710
Publisher: CreateSpace Publishing
Publication date: 05/16/2017
Pages: 516
Product dimensions: 5.98(w) x 9.02(h) x 1.04(d)

About the Author

About The Author
Fiona Price is Lecturer in English at the University of Chichester.

Read an Excerpt


ence he hoped to make his peace with hue by Jw gnM he would show to set him at liberty. Wallace, meanwhile, who fully comprehended /iit wt his enemy s views, and what ought to r,a his nr,i. r.Ki.i.s..rc? as soon as he saw the unhappy group disappear from the battlements of the Keep, recalled hia men from the inner ballium wall; and stationing several detachments along the ramparts and in the towers of the outer wall, left De Valence in the guard-room of the barbican under the charge of Lord Ruthven, who was.eager himself to hold the means that were to check the threaie1.ied danger of relatives so dear to him as were the prisandduM in the castle. CHAPTER IV, WALLACE, baring disposed part of his men in com manding posts aranddiidthe town, went forward with hischo sen troops toward the place where, from the information of his scouts, he decried it most likely he should intercept De Warrenn to take his position upon an advantageous ground about half a mile from Stirling, near to the abbey of Cambns- kennpth. The Forth lay before him, crossed by a wooden bridge, over which the enemy must pass to reach him, as the river was not in that part fordable, and some late rains had rendered it at present particularly swollen. The beams which supported this bridge, he ordered to be sawed at the bottom; but not moved in the least, that thev might stand perfectly firm for as long as he should deem ft necessary. To each beam were fastened strong ropes; all of which were held by some of his sturdiest Lanerkers who lay concealed among the rushes. These preparations being made he dre up his troops in order of battle.—Kirkpatrick and Murray commanded the flanks. In the centre stood Wallace himself,with Ramsay on one side of him, and Ed- Win with Scry mgeour on the other, awaiting with ste...

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements
Introduction
Jane Porter: A Brief Chronology
A Note on the Text

The Scottish Chiefs,A Romance

Appendix A: Additional Prefatory Material

  1. Preface to a subsequent edition, added in the year 1828
  2. A Retrospective Introduction to the Standard Edition of The Scottish Chiefs (1831)
  3. Recollective Preface (1840)

Appendix B: Contemporary Reviews of the 1810 and 1831 Editions

  1. The Gentleman’s Magazine (1810)
  2. The Scots Magazine (1810)
  3. Monthly Magazine (1811)
  4. The Aberdeen Magazine (1831)
  5. Fraser’s Magazine (1835)

Appendix C: From Thomas Carlyle, “Miss Baillie’s Metrical Legends,” New Edinburgh Review (October 1821)

Appendix D: From William Hamilton, A New Edition of the Life and Heroic Actions of the Renown’d Sir William Wallace (1786)

Appendix E: Representations of Wallace

  1. Robert Burns, “Scots wha hae” (1803)
  2. From Felicia Hemans, “Wallace’s Invocation to Bruce: A Poem” (1819)
  3. From Joanna Baillie, “A Metrical Legend of William Wallace” (1821)
  4. From Thomas Campbell, “The Dirge of Wallace” (1829)

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