▁the ▁poem ▁also ▁features ▁actions ▁of ▁Robert ▁II ' s ▁Stewart ▁for eb ears ▁in ▁the ▁conflict . ▁ ▁Bar bour ' s ▁purpose ▁in ▁the ▁poem ▁was ▁partly ▁historical ▁and ▁partly ▁patri otic . ▁He ▁celebr ates ▁The ▁Bruce ▁( Ro bert ▁I ) ▁and ▁Douglas ▁throughout ▁as ▁the ▁flowers ▁of ▁Scottish ▁ch ival ry . ▁The ▁poem ▁opens ▁with ▁a ▁description ▁of ▁the ▁state ▁of ▁Scotland ▁at ▁the ▁death ▁of ▁Alexander ▁III ▁( 1 2 8 6 ) ▁and ▁con cludes ▁( more ▁or ▁less ) ▁with ▁the ▁death ▁of ▁Douglas ▁and ▁the ▁bur ial ▁of ▁the ▁Bruce ' s ▁heart ▁( 1 3 3 2 ). ▁Its ▁central ▁episode ▁is ▁the ▁Battle ▁of ▁B ann ock burn . ▁ ▁Patri otic ▁as ▁the ▁sentiment ▁is , ▁this ▁is ▁expressed ▁in ▁more ▁general ▁terms ▁than ▁is ▁found ▁in ▁later ▁Scottish ▁literature . ▁In ▁the ▁poem , ▁Robert ▁I ' s ▁character ▁is ▁a ▁hero ▁of ▁the ▁ch ival ric ▁type ▁common ▁in ▁contemporary ▁rom ance , ▁Fre edom ▁is ▁a ▁" no ble ▁thing " ▁to ▁be ▁sought ▁and ▁won ▁at ▁all ▁costs , ▁and ▁the ▁oppon ents ▁of ▁such ▁freedom ▁are ▁shown ▁in ▁the ▁dark ▁colours ▁which ▁history ▁and ▁po etic ▁propri ety ▁require , ▁but ▁there ▁is ▁none ▁of ▁the ▁comp lac ency ▁of ▁the ▁merely ▁provincial ▁habit ▁of ▁mind . ▁ ▁Bar bour ' s ▁style ▁in ▁the ▁poem ▁is ▁vig orous , ▁his ▁line ▁generally ▁fluid ▁and ▁quick , ▁and ▁there ▁are ▁pass ages ▁of ▁high ▁mer