Rev. R. Jones on the Battle of Flodden Field. 369 



piowess tliroughout Scotland. The flame of war had heroic- 

 ally kindled even in the bosom of the gentler sex; their 

 fingers, like the Carthagenian ladies in the days of Hannibal, 

 were occupied day and night in warlike preparations, and in 

 embroidering pennons and flags, which their husbands, sons, 

 and brothers swore to defend with their lives when in battle ; 

 and verily most truly and manfully did they fulfil their vows 

 on the fatal field of Flodden. All was animation and excite- 

 ment — from the Palace of Holyrood to the castle there was 

 the constant tramp of warriors cased in armour. The wild 

 music of their own mountain glens and highland homes, 

 sounded in the dead of night, and the rattling of the horses 

 hoofs, together with the shrill ring of the trumpet, kept all 

 in the highest state of inquisitiveness and curiosity. The 

 messengers and heralds were passing to and fro, the streets 

 were full of men and women, and whenever the king made 

 his appearance amongst them, the enthusiastic clash of arms, 

 and the shout of defiance spread from throng to throng, till 

 the echo from the rocky crags reverberated the prolonged 

 martial sound. 



Such Avas Scotland and her romantic city, in the early part 

 of August 1513. The king and the chief nobles of his king- 

 dom held diverse consultations respecting the proclamation 

 of war with England. Many were against invading that 

 kingdom, and the queen used all her influence and entreaties 

 to persuade him not to break peace with her brother. The 

 arts of necromancy were called in to aid their cause, with 

 the hope of diverting him from such a rash and hazardous 

 enterprise. The superstition of the age was fraught with 

 unnatural sights and wonders ; the private chapel of Linlith- 

 gow was made the scene of ghostly apparitions, during the 

 very time the king w^as on his knees at prayer : and un- 

 earthly ominous voices proclaimed in the dead of night, from 

 the ancient cross of Edinburgh, the names of many of the 

 great men of Scotland who should fall on the day of battle. 



Neither persuasion nor supernatural events had the least 

 influence over the mind of James; he was fully bent on his 

 warlike intentions, and no poAver on earth could divert him 

 from them. His army stood noAV before him ; men from all 

 parts of his kingdom had obeyed his summons, and were 

 ready to do his bidding. Never before or since had such an 

 host of Avarriors assembled together in Scotland, and never 

 were men more anxious to march across the borders of the 

 ,TAA''eed. The only certain Avay of standing high in the king's 



