The Pike as a Scottish Weapon. By James Hardy. 497 



Again in 1548, we find pikes in Scottish, hands. In spring of 

 that } r ear, the English under Lord Grey, governor of Berwick, 

 took the castle of Dalkeith, the stronghold of the crafty and able 

 leader George Douglas. Capt. Wilford crossed the Esk with 600 

 foot and 100 horses, and summoned the castle. Even then, 

 Douglas boldly encountered him at the head of his pike men. 

 By superiority of numbers, however, he was driven back through 

 the postern ; the garrison yielded but Douglas escaped, [Tytler, 

 in., p. 671]. 



At the battle of Langside, fought 16th Ma}' 1568, the confusion 

 between pikes and spears is very obvious. The following is 

 Tytler's summary of the incident introducing these weapons. 



The queen's attack led by Lord Claud Hamilton," were already exhausted 

 when they suddenly found themselves encountered by Moray's advance, 

 which was well breathed, and in firm order. It was composed of the flower 

 of the Border pikemen. Morton, who led it, with Hume, Ker of Cessford, 

 and the barons of the Merse, all fought on foot; and when the first charge 

 took place, Grange's clear voice was heard above the din of battle, calling 

 them to keep their pikes shouldered till the enemy had levelled theirs, and 

 then to push on. They obeyed him, and a severe conflict took place. It 

 was here only that there was hard fighting; and Sir James Melvil, who 

 was present, describes the long pikes as so closely crossed and interlaced, 

 that, when tlie soldiers behind discharged their pistols, and threw them or 

 the staves of their shattered weapons in the face of their enemies, they 

 never reached the ground, but lay lying on the spears." (Tytler, ib. p. 287.) 

 The Borderers were 200 with the laird of Grange, and Alexander Hume of 

 Manderston. Melvil represents both parties as armed with spears ; but he 

 also says, " the worthy Lord Hume fought on foot with his pike in his hand 

 very manfully, well assisted by the laird of Cessford." (Memoirs of Sir 

 James Melvil. pp. 175-G, Glasgow, 1751). 



In 1570, we discover pikes sent from Flanders by the Duke of 

 Alva, by direction of the king of Spain to aid Mary's cause. 

 These were brought by sea bj^ " Mr John Hamilton, rector of 

 Dunbar," to the Earl of Huntly, — " 600 musquets, 600 murrions, 

 as many croslets, 3000 pikes, 7 pieces of ordnance, and a consider- 

 able quantity of gunpowder." (Crawfurd's Memoirs, p. 153, 

 Edinburgh, 1767). 



The next time we hear of them, pikes are borne by an English 

 invading force. At the siege of the Castle of Edinburgh, in 

 March 1573, a truce had hardly expired, when an English army, 

 under Sir AVilliara Drury, the Marshal of Berwick, marched into 

 Scotland, consisting of fifteen hundred harquebussiers, one 

 hundred and forty pikemen, and a numerous troop of gentlemen 

 vohmteers. 

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