500 The Pike as a Scottish Weapon. By James Hardy, 



horss peces, pistolles, pulder, leid and nratche. The armes war brocht on 

 shoir and delieuerit to the Marques upone the 17th of Marche. . . . 

 Diuerss cam and bocht of thir amies, and gave thair ticket for payment of 

 ilk muscat, bandolier, pulder, ball, muscat staf, and niatche 15 lib., and for 

 ilk pik of xoviij. s. And so the rest of tin: amies wes all pryest and given 

 out upone not of payment." (Spalding, i., p. 145). 



On the 30th. of March 1639, the Covenanters' army bereft them 

 of all their newly acquired arms, "disarmed us all of pykes, 

 muiskatis, suoordis, corslettis, and particularly of fyw thousand 

 markes vorth of pykes, muskatis, coft from the Marques of Huntlie 

 by us, for our defence." (lb. ir. p. 488). There are several other 

 references to " pikes " as well as " pikmen " in Spalding. 



In the letters of Mr Robert Baillie, we have two interesting 

 local references to the pike. The first regards the assemblage 

 of the Covenanters at Dunse Law, in May 1639. "It would have 

 done you good," he writes, "to have cast your eyes athort our 

 brave and rich hills, as oft as I did. with greater contentment 

 and joy, for 1 was there among the rest, being chosen preacher 

 by the gentlemen of our shire, who came late with my Lord 

 Eglington. I furnished to half a dozen of good fellows muskets 

 and pikes, and to my boy a broad s'word." (Baiilie's Letters and 

 Journals, vol. i., p. 174, Edinburgh, 1775). 



When Newcastle was taken by the Scots August 29th, 1640 ; 

 " In the king's magazine was found good store of biscuit and 

 cheese, 5000 amies, musquets, and pikes, and other provisions." 

 (lb. I. p. 204). 



I will not enter upon Cromwell's wars, nor the exploits of 

 Scottish adventurers abroad, when so much was effected by " push 

 of pike." 



In the brief period of reaction in Scotland* when Charles II. 

 was proclaimed king, we have the following notices : — 



Parliament, Monday, 23rd Dec. 1650. "Act of Levie. Musketts to be 

 sold at 9 lib. the pice, with bandeliers. The picke 3 lib. The pair of 

 pistoles, with spames and hulsters to be sold at 14 lib." (Balfour's Annates 

 of Scotland, iv., p. 217). 



1651, 17th Jan. King present. " A list of these things which are to be 

 prowydct by the Commissary of the artillery, read and approvin, viz : — 

 mattocks, speds, and shoffels, caske for balle, caske for matche, 6000 suens 

 fethers be prowydit, 6000 pickes be prowydit, etc." (lb. p. 244). 



A surprising sight was reported as having been witnessed in 

 Berwickshire, in December 1653, after Cromwell had been 

 declared Lord Protector, which happened on 16th December. 

 The credulous Baillie imagined that the two events were connected. 



