: canons' seats, a fine venerable man, about fiftytwo years of age, entered, dressed in a long garment of an azure colour, and girded round with a roll of linen; the fore-part of his head was bald, and his yellow locks hung down upon his shoulders in short, he was dressed, and formed, to appear like St. Andrew, the champion of Scotland, as he is always represented in painting. The church being very full, this personage, with some difficulty, made his way to the king's seat, and leaning over it, spoke to him in the following manner: "Sir, I am sent hither to intreat you to delay your expedition, and to proceed no farther in your intended march; for, if you do, you shall not prosper in your enterprise, nor any of your followers. I am farther charged to warn you, if ye be so refractory as to go forward, not to use the acquaintance, company, or counsel of women, as ye tender your honour, life, and estate." After saying these words, the man retired through the crowd, and was seen no more, though James inquired earnestly for him when the service was over. This scene had been contrived by the queen, who was very uneasy at James's going to war with her brother, the king of England, and who was also very jealous of a young beautiful Englishwoman, named Ford, who had great influence over king James, and whose mother was a deceitful wicked woman, and betrayed all his secret plans to the English; yet James placed confidence in them, which made the queen very unhappy. The king, notwithstanding all his wife's entreaties, passed the river Tweed, and marched into England, accompanied by the two English women, who secretly informed the earl of Surrey (the English general) of all James's intended movements; so that he every where found the enemy prepared for him. His own army, suspecting that the lady Ford was corresponding with Surrey, and disgusted at James for being so weak as not to discover her treachery, deserted in great numbers; and many of his best friends, and highest nobles, returned to their own' country. Even this made no impression on James; he remained obstinately determined to follow his own way, in spite of the advice of his wise and experienced counsellors. He had chosen a strong camp in the neighbourhood of Ford Castle, on the side of a mountain called Flodden-hill, and was separated from the English army by the river Till. This advantageous situation occasioned great difficulties to the earl of Surrey, for it made the Scottish army hard to be got at, as it was fortified by artillery, and well supplied with provisions. Surrey now sent a herald to king James, attended by a trumpeter, challenging him to a general battle, and acquainting him that he had issued orders to give no quarters to any of the Scottish army, except the king himself. A council of war was immediately called, and the earl of Huntley, with other great nobles, advised strongly against a general engagement; but at the same time said, they were ready to share in the king's danger, as well as his glory. The French ambassador, who was in the camp, and whose king and nation were the most faithful allies of Scotland, was decidedly in favour of a battle; and this counsel agreeing with James's wishes, the herald was called in, and, after treating him with great politeness, James sent one of his own heralds back with him, to tell lord Surrey that he would give the English battle on the following Friday; and that, had he received such a message from him, even in his own castle of Edinburgh, he would have left that, and all business, to fight him. The earl of Surrey, who was then so infirm that he was carried about in a sedan, or chariot, had foreseen that James would return an answer by one of his own heralds; and, being unwilling that he should gain any knowledge of the situation of the English camp, he ordered proper persons to receive him at two miles distance, whither he soon after repaired himself. The English herald gave Surrey an account of the strong situation of the Scottish camp, and the earl found his difficulties increasing every day; for the roads were broken up, and the rivers so swollen from heavy rains, that he could not get supplies for his army; so that nothing but a battle could save him from being ruined. James so far followed the advice of his best friends, as not to leave his strong situation; and as the distresses of the English were known to the Scots, the latter told the king he wanted nothing but patience to be victorious. Notwithstanding, James acted very imprudently; for he neglected the necessary precautions for guarding the passages of the river Till, which the English crossed, partly at a place where it was fordable, and partly over a bridge. Whilst they were passing this bridge, Borthwick, the master of the Scottish artillery, fell upon his knees, and begged James's permission to point his cannon against the bridge, and prevent them getting over; but James, in a passion, said that it must be at the peril of Borthwick's head to do so; for he was resolved to see, and fight all his enemies that day, on the plain before him. The earl of Surrey, after passing the Till, took possession of Braxton, which lay to the right of the Scottish camp; and thus cut off the communication of his enemies with the river Tweed. The Scottish generals now saw that they were in danger of being in difficulties similar to those in which the English had been two days before; and James, fancying that the latter in tended to take possession of a strong camp upon a hill between him and the Tweed, which would give them a greater command of the country, resolved to be beforehand with them, and gave orders for large fires to be made of green wood, that the smoke might hide his march along the height, to take advantage of that eminence. But, while this stratagem concealed his march from the English, it also concealed their movements from him; and when he came to the brow of the hill, he found them drawn up in order of battle, on the plain; but so close to the height where he was, that his artillery, on which he mostly depended, must overshoot them, and be useless. A battle was now the only means of saving the Scottish army, and it was what James most ardently wished for. He was so beloved by his troops, that many of them dressed themselves, as nearly as they could, in similar arand with the same distinctions as he wore on that day, that he might not be known and pointed at by the enemy. His generals earnestly desired him to retire to a place of safety, where his person would be secure at all events; but he positively refused to follow their advice; and, on the 9th of September, early in the morning, preparations were made for the battle. mour, The command of the van was given to the earl of Huntley; the earls of Lenox and Argyle commanded the Highlanders |