The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1870-09-08

dark, ghostly masses Of graphing men but
tied, and swayed, and josted, thickest and
fercest. The Scotch, finding the ground
slippery with Blood had taken Off their boots
and shoes There was sore need or some
desperate effort, for now, through the great
wind and rain, Stanley's ten thousand men
at-arms bore down to where the clamor OF
lbotle-crcs rose lolldest; the circle Of death
closed slowly III on the king, as the hunters
! close round royal stag at bay, the Earl of
! Surrv pressing on in front and right, Stanley
| on the rear, Lord Thomas Howard on the
| left flank As the English axes hewed near
CT and nearer to King James, noble after
| mobile fell 10y his side. The Earl of Caithncss
was down, then fell the Earl Of Cassils, the
Earl OF Morton, the Earl Of Mari. The Earl
of Enrol was dead long since under the
trampling feet Of the fighters. The Earl of
The Earl of Marshall had lost his two sons,
but there was no time to weep for them then
Desperately fought the king and his cham
pions Some Scottish prisoners, says an old
Ichroncler, might have been taken, but ''they
were so vengeable and cruel in their fight
| ing, that when Englishmen had the better of
| them, they would not save them, though
divers Scots offered great sums OF money for
their lives" Still blow by blow the English
axes and bills hcwed, struck. and hammered,
to cleave u way to the dark, blood-stained,
central figure who still fought with immov-
able courage When the Scottish spears
broke, James's barons drew their great
sharp swords" and without cry or Shout
fought on This last desperate struggle for
lite Scott has painted with almost IIomeric
force:
The English shafts in volley> hailed,
In headlong charge their horse asSailcl.
Front. flank. and rear, the sqlarons sweep.
To break the Scottish circle deep.
That fought around their king.
But vet though thick the shafts as snow.
Though charging knights like whrlwind, so,
Though bi|lmen ply the CHASTITY blow,
Unbroken was the ring.
The stubborn spearmcn still made good
Their dark mpenetrable wood.
Eae stepping where his comradc stood
The instant that he fell
No thought was there of bastard flight.
| Linked in the serried phalanN tight.
Groom fought like noble, squire like king.
As feirlessly and we'll
| The arrows fell faster, the lances pressed
closer. the bills fell heavier and more furious
lily. IIcstor Maclean of Dowart. seeing his
royal master in danger from. the English arch
ers, threw himself before James, and instant
| ly persisted. AT last, seeing Sir Adam Fore
man. his standard-bearer, fall, the King
rushed sword in hand among the English
and was struck down. His body was tounG
the next day under heaps of slain; he had
been pierced by two arrows; the blow Of !;
bill had cleft his neck and his left hand was
almost cut off. OF his own band none eS
caped; even his chancellor. Sir William
Scott, and his sergeant-porter, Sir John Fore
man, were with great difficulty saved. There
lay dead around him, two bishops, two inter
ed abbots, twelve carls, thirteen lords, anG
five eldest sons of peers.
The number of gentlemen Slain" says
Scott, ''was beyond calculation; there il
scarcely a family of name of Scottish history
who did not lose relative there" All tn,
Year Round.