•76 SCOTLAND ILLUSTRATED. 



cutting it off from all communication with foreign states ; that the language 

 and customs of the people concurred with nature in this intention ; that, under 

 one royal head, hostilities would give place to amity; and that both nations, 

 when once released from the necessity of maintaining a warlike posture towards 

 each other, would vie only in the arts of peace, and in the ambition of forming 

 one great, united empire. These plausible reasons for merging the crown and 

 independence of Scotland with those of a powerful rival, were Ustened to with 

 distrust; and the reluctance of the people, supported by the prejudices of the 

 queen dowager, Mary of Guise, put an end to the negotiations, and left the 

 question as before, to be answered by the sword. Well remembering their 

 sufferings and defeat during the late disastrous invasion in the same cause, 

 the Scotch were doubly anxious to retrieve their warlike reputation, and to 

 retaliate upon the aggressors. With this view, they took up so strong a position 

 on the field of Pinkie, that the EngUsh general was induced to offer conditions 

 which would have spared much effusion of blood and mortification of feeling 

 to the Scotch leaders, had their prudence equalled their valour. But miscon- 

 struing the terms upon which Somerset offered to wthdraw into a sense which 

 flattered their own military prepossessions, and lessened their opinion of him 

 as a general, the Scotch resolved to give battle, and resolutely pressed forward 

 to the attack. The troops, however, were no sooner in motion, than the 

 Eno-lish gun-boats, anchored in the bay, opened a destructive fire upon them 

 as they crossed the bridge of Musselburgh. This, though attended with serious 

 loss and some disorder, produced exasperation rather than dismay; and the 

 Scottish columns, headed by their nobles, were speedily in front of the enemy. 

 Here they were opposed by the heavy cavalry, under the command of Lord 

 Grey, who, having charged without orders, were speedily rendered useless by 

 meeting ^with swampy ground, and the formidable hedge of spears bristling 

 in front, upon which no cavalry could make any impression. Grey himself 

 was dangerously wounded, and the cavalry being broken and discomfited, the 

 day appeared to favour the Scotch arms. But Somerset, rallying the squadron 

 as they fell back, and supporting the renewed attack by a powerful artillery, 

 the companies of arquebusiers, and a galling and continued shower of arrows, 

 the Scotch, who had no cavalry, began to lose ground, faltered, and at length 

 fled in total confusion towards the capital. The retreat was one of the most 

 disastrous on record : the dragoons, who had been the first to fly, were now 

 the swiftest to pm-sue, and put to the sword all who fell in their way. The 

 priests, who were accused of being the principal instigators of the resistance 

 made to all overtures on the part of the English government, were indiscrimi- 



