Rev. R. Jones on the Battle of Flodden Field. 379 



around the village, extending a little to the west of the church, 

 and near the centre of the whole English line, in readiness 

 to give assistance wherever he and his men might be required. 

 With Dacre was the bastard Heron, who commanded a large 

 troop of horse, than whom none was more formidable on the 

 field, and none more willing for the battle encounter. On 

 his left eastward, he was ably supported by a numerous divi- 

 sion of horse and foot soldiers under the able command of Sir 

 Edward Stanley, assisted by Sir William Molyneux and Sir 

 Henry Kirkley from the county of Cheshire, placed on the 

 fields south-east of the village leading to Mardon, 



The English forces now drawn up in six divisions extend- 

 ing from the east to the west of the village, would cover 

 considerably more than a mile and a half in length ; but from 

 the narrow position of the ground, nearly all in a line. The 

 westward division under Lord Thomas Howard would be hid 

 from the rest of the English forces on account of an elevation 

 of ground a few hundred yards from the church, supposed 

 to be " the Piper's Hill" alluded to in history, around which 

 the most deadly conflict took place, and where it is supposed 

 the king fell. 



Opposite this formidable force stood the Scottish army on 

 the ridge of Branxton Hill, waiting anxiously the order for 

 commencing the dreadful onslaught. To the extreme left, 

 on the sloping part of the hill, looking towards Wark Castle, 

 Home Castle, and Coldstream, were drawn up the wild and 

 undisciplined Highlanders, and stout Borderers under Hunt- 

 ley and Lord Home ; to the right of these forces looking 

 north, those troops under Crawford and Montrose ; a little 

 further east the chivalric king with many of his nobles both 

 in church and state, who comprised the best and bravest 

 blood of Scotland ; on his right, on the gentle slope of the 

 eastern end of Branxton ridge, was the right wing under 

 Lennox and Argyle, and the reserve under Bothwell a little 

 to the south-east of the king's troops. 



In this position stood the contending armies opposite each 

 other, before the battle began. One elevated considerably 

 above his opponent and commanding one of the most splendid 

 views in the country, looking over the greater part of Ber- 

 wickshire and Roxburghshire, and even extending beyond 

 the hilly county of Selkirkshire — 



" Where not a mountain rears its head unsung." 



With this beautiful landscape before them to the far west and 



