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



battle;, that the van-guard under Lord Thomas Howard was 

 first engaged. His brother Sir Edmond Howard being in 

 the extreme west of that division, was suddenly confronted 

 by the Borderers under Lord Home, and the Highlanders 

 under Gordon Earl of Huntley. They had descended from the 

 hill with a shout and slogan cry to meet the men under Bryen 

 Tunstall, who were ascending the lower acclivity, and they 

 were immediately engaged in close combat with their enemy. 

 Nothing could withstand the bold impetuosity of this attack. 

 The English were driven from their ground several times, but 

 cheered on by their commanders, returned again and again 

 to the charge. The ground in a very short time was literally 

 strewed with the dead and dying. Men fought with stub- 

 bornness and resolution, the Highlanders with their swords 

 and axes, and the Borderers with their long spears. Three 

 times was Sir Edmond Howard felled to the ground. Tun- 

 stall lay dead among the slain, the men began to waver, and 

 at last they fled, leaving Home and Huntley masters of this 

 part of the field after long and continued fighting. Just at 

 this critical and important period Lord Dacre and the bastard 

 Heron, who was slightly wounded, came to the rescue, with 

 a large body of horse, which had already been engaged in 

 other parts of the field, and effectually stopped the victorious 

 career of the left wing of the Scottish army. The sword and 

 the spear came again in close contact, and men fell fast under 

 the point and thrust of both. Several of Lord Home's 

 friends were killed at this charge ; but he managed to main- 

 tain his ground, and kept possession of it throughout the day 

 and night, guarding the numerous prisoners taken on the 

 field, amongst whom was Sir Philip Dacre, brother of the 

 commander of the horse. 



No sooner had Lord Home and Huntley commenced the 

 battle, than the troops under CraAvford and Montrose moved 

 down the slope of the hill. The admiral now saw the critical 

 position in which he stood, and knowing full well the advan- 

 tage the Scotch had in seeing the length and breadth of the 

 field, sent hastily to his father, the Earl of Surrey, imploring 

 him to engage the troops before him. The rising ground 

 spoken of as " Piper's Hill " lay between the van and the 

 rear-guard, so that nothing, as I have previously mentioned, 

 that was going on with the one division, could possibly be 

 seen by the other. Whereupon Lord Thomas Howard, to 

 show his anxiety for the fate of the day, took from his breast 

 his " Agjius Dei,'' and sent it with a messenger to his father. 



