The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1870-12-23
head of their men.

head of their men.
During this savage grapple the king
mad borne down bravely on Surrey, follow
ed by Boutwell,, and had nearly cut way
TO the sacred standard. Victory seemed
TO be his, but Crawford and Montrose were
both slain, and Stanley was already driv
ing over the hill brow the routed Highlan.
ders, who could not rally.
The end was, indeed, coming, Home
after his transient victory, encountered
with plumber, being kept in check by
Dacre's horse, held his footing in state
OF checkmate on the hill, unable to strike
down on the admiral. The fiery rashness
OF the Highlanders of Crawford and Mont
rose had led to the same fate that had be.
fallen the clans of Lennox and Argyle
The Lancashire and Cheshire men should
ering back the Highlanders, and fighting
yiciously with hewing halberds, blood
dripping bills and clashing partisans, drove
them over the hill. In vain swung the
broad-swordsaon shield and burganet, the
English maces and axes beat down MANY
OF the rough clansman, and at last the
killed men reeled, loosened, scattered,
and fled. The English left wing was vic
torious
But in the centre the battle was still
doubtful. Home might yet break through
Dacre's horse, and envelope and DESTROY
the old Earl. The Scottish King was still
rather gaining than losing ground. There
had been nearly three hours fighting, the
sun had set, it was fast getting dark. The
wind blew high on the hill side, and q
thick rain drove against the stern faces of
the Scottish knights who surrounded their
King.
SANKEY'S success decided the battle.
The men of Lennox and Argyle not rally
ing, he was able to mount the hill and
look below on the struggle in the twilight
the centre whirlpool of men and horses,
the gathering place OF the harvest of Ian
GERS. The chief target of the English ar
rows was round the southern base of Piper's
Hill below him to the west There the
halberds, and bills, and maces, and axes
fell fastest and loudest there the dark,
ghostly masses of graphing men butted
and swayed, and .jostled thickest and fierc.
est. The Scotch, finding the ground slip
perry with blood, had taken off their boots
and shoes. There was sore need of some
desperate effort, for now through the great
wind and rain Stanley's ten thousand men
alarms bore down to where the clamor of
battle-cries rose loudest; the circle of death
closed slowly in on the king, as the hun
tiers close sound royal stag at bay, the
Earl of Surrey pressing on in front and
right, Stanley on the rear, Lord Thomas
Howard on the left flank AS the English
axes hewed nearer and nearer to King
James, noble after noble fell by his side.
The Earl of Caithness 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 Boutwell,
was killed. Lord Rose was gone. 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
champions. Some Scottish prisoners, says
and old chronicler, might have been taken,
but they were so vengeable and cruel in
their fighting, that when Englishmen had
the better of them, they would not save
them, though divers Scots offered great
sums ofmoney for their lives" Still blow
by blow the English axes and bills hewed,
struck, and hammered, to cleave way to
the dark, blood-stained, central figure,
who still fought with immovable courage
When the Scottish spears broke, James's
barons drew their "great sharp swords"
and without cry fought on. This last des-
with almost Homeric force:
The English shafts in voeys hailed,
In headlong charge their horse assailed,
Front flank. and rear the squadrons sweep,
To break the Scottish circle deep,
That fought around their king.
But yet though thick the shafts as snow,
Though charging knights like whrlwinds go,
Though billmen ply the CHASTITY blow,
Unbroken was the ring
The stubborn spearmen still made good,
Their dark impenetrable wood
Each stepping where his comrade stood
The instant that he fell
No thought there of bastard fight,
Linked in the serried phaanx tight,
Groom fought like noble, squire like king,
As fearlessly and well.
The arrows fell faster, the lances pre- S.
ed closer, the bills fell heavier and more
furiously. Hestor Maclean of Dowart, see
ing his royal master in danger from the
English archers, threw himself before
James, and instantly persisted. At last,
seeing Sir Adam Foreman, his standard
bearer, fall, the King rushed sword in
hand among English, and was struck
down. His body was found the next day
under heaps of slain he had been pierced
by two arrows; the blow ola bill had
cleft his neck, and his left hand was al
most cut off. Of his own band none es-
capped; even his chancellor. Sir William
Scott, and his sergeant-porter, Sir John
Foreman, were with great difficulty saved.
There lay dead around him, two bishops,
two mitered abbots, twelve earls, thirteen
lords, and five eldest sons of peers
"The number of gentlemen slain," says
Scott, twas beyond calculation; there is
scarcely family of name of Scottish his
tory who did not lose a relative there
Al tie Year RQuad
mEA AMT HArCCC