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



and from tlie clash of arms, that the battle was raging 

 in all its fury to the west below him.. He hesitated not a 

 moment ; orders were given to his men, flushed and elated 

 with success, to march in the direction of the combatants ; 

 and passing over the ground where the royal standard had 

 fluttered before the battle had commenced, he rushed down 

 with his forces in the rear of the king, where all now were 

 contending and struggling for life and for victory. 



Crawford and Montrose had been early engaged with the 

 numerous forces under the Lord Admiral. The Scotch troops 

 under these two commanders — chiefly composed of men from 

 the interior counties of Scotland, together with several lords 

 and knights, were fiercely attacked by the English forces. 

 The contest raged with dire effect on both sides, but at last 

 the valour and discipline of the men under the admiral pre- 

 vailed, and Crawford and Montrose were counted amongst 

 the slain. 



The battle had noAv continued with unabated fury for more 

 than three hours ; the left wings belonging to both armies 

 had been victorious ; thousands lay dead and dying on the 

 field ; but the fate of the day was far from being decided. The 

 king with his nobles spiritual and temporal had at the very 

 first dismounted from their horses, and marched on foot with 

 their divisions down the hill into the thickest of the fight. 

 By this noble act of devotion he had shown to the men 

 around him, that he was determined to conquer or to die. 

 All were animated with the like enthusiasm, and all were 

 resolved to fall in defence of their king and country. 



Never were more noble devotedness and heroism displayed 

 either in ancient or modern times, than was that day exhib- 

 ited on the battle field by the king, his nobles, and his men. 

 At last the Scotch were completely surrounded. The Earl of 

 Surrey was in front, and on their right flank ; Lord Thomas 

 Howard on their left ; and Sir Edward Stanley on their rear. 

 Thus hemmed in on all sides, but not in despair, or in the 

 least daunted or discouraged at their perilous and desperate 

 position, they fought and fell, and victory oft-times trembled 

 in the scale. The bill-men plyed their ghastly strokes, cut- 

 ting through the helmet and plated armour, and the long 

 spear did its fatal work. Men were falling fast on both sides ; 

 the shout and slogan cry that urge to the fight, that animate 

 and strengthen the heart and hand on the day of battle, were 

 heroically and defiantly uttered anon and anon by both com- 

 batants ; there was no shrinking back, no standing still ; 



