Ordnance gazetteer of Scotland > Volume 1

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proaching in three great bodies, led on by tbe English
monarch in person, and by the Earls of Hereford and
Gloucester, who were ranked among the best generals
that England could then produce. Their centre was
formed of infantry, and the wings of cavalry, many of
whom were armed cap-a-pie. Squadrons of archers were
also planted upon the wings, and at certain distances
along the front. Edward was attended by two knights,
Sir Giles de Argentine and Sir Aymer de Valence, who
rode, according to the phrase of those days, at his bridle.
That monarch, who had imagined that the Scots would
never face his formidable host, was much astonished
when he beheld their order and determined resolution to
give him battle. As he expressed his surprise, Sir
Ingram Umfraville took the opportunity of suggesting a
plan likely to insure a cheap and bloodless victory. He
counselled him to make a feint of retreating with the
whole army, till they had got behind their tents ; and,
as this would tempt the Scots from their ranks for the
sake of plunder, to turn about suddenly, and fall upon
them. The counsel was rejected. Edward thought
there was no need of stratagem to defeat so small a
handful. Among the occurrences of this great day,
historians mention one memorable episode. As the two
armies were on the point of engaging, the abbot of
Inchaffray, barefoot and crucifix in his hand, walked
slowly along the Scottish line, when they all fell down
on their knees in act of devotion. The enemy observing
their posture, concluded that they were frightened into
submission. "See!" cried Edward, "they are kneel-
ing ; they crave mercy I" " They do, my liege," replied
Umfraville ; " but it is from God, not us." "To the
charge, then ! " Edward cried ; and Gloucester and
Hereford threw themselves impetuously upon the right
wing of the Scots, which received them firmly ; while
Randolph pressed forward with the centre of the Scottish
army upon the main body of the English. They rushed
furiously upon the enemy, and met with a warm recep-
tion. The ardour of one of the Scottish divisions had
carried them too far, and occasioned their being sorely
galled by a body of 10,000 English archers who attacked
them in flank. These, however, were soon dispersed by
Sir Robert Keith, whom the King had despatched with
the reserve of 500 horse, and who, fetching a circuit
round Milton Bog, suddenly charged the left flank and
rear of the Englisb bowmen, who having no weapons fit
to defend themselves against horse, were instantly thrown
into disorder, and chased from the field : —
"'The Inglis archeris schot sa fast,
That mycht thair schot haff ony last,
It had baen hard to Scottis men.
Bot King Robert, that wele gan ken
That thair archeris war peralouss,
And thair schot rycht hard and grewous,
Ordanyt, forouth the assemble,
Hys marschell with a gret menye,
Fyve hundre armyt in to stele.
That on lycht horss war horsyt welle,
For to pryk amang the archeris ;
And swa assaile thaim with thair speriB,
That thai na layser haiff to schute.
This marschell that Ik of mute,
That Schyr Robert of Keyth was cauld,
As Ik befor her has yow tauld,
Quhen he saw the battaillis sua
Assembill, and to gidder ga,
And saw the archeris schoyt stoutly ;
With all thaim of his cumpany,
In hy apon thaim gan he rid ;
And our tuk thaim at a sid ;
And ruschyt amang thaim sa rudly,
Stekand thaim sa dispitously,
And in sic fusoun berand doun,
And slayand thaim, for owtyn ransoun,
That thai thaim scalyt euirilkane.
And fra that tyme furth thar wes nane
That assemblyt schot to ma.
Quhen Scottis archeris saw that thai sua
War rebutyt, thai woux hardy,
And with all thair mycht schot egrely
Amang the horss men, that thar raid ;
And woundis wid to thaim thai maid ;
And slew of thaim a full gret dele."
— Barbour's Brus, Book ix., v. 22S.
Astrong body of the enemy's cavalry charged the right
wing, which Edward Bruce commanded, with such irre-
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sistible fury, that he had been quite overpowered, had
not Randolph, who appears to have then been unem-
ployed, hastened to his assistance. The battle was now
at the hottest ; and it was yet uncertain how the day
womd go. Bruce had brought up his whole reserve ;
but the English continued to charge with unabated
vigour, while the Scots received them with an inflexible
intrepidity, each individual fighting as if victory de-
pended on his single arm. An occurrence — which some
represent as an accidental sally of patriotic enthusiasm,
others as a premeditated stratagem of Robert's — sud-
denly altered the face of affairs, and contributed greatly
to victory. Above 15,000 servants and attendants of the
Scottish army had been ordered, before the battle, to
retire, with the baggage, behind the adjoining hill ; but
having, during the engagement, arranged themselves in a
martial form, some on foot and others mounted on the
baggage-horses, they marched to the top, and displaying,
on long poles, white sheets instead of banners, descended
towards the field with hideous shouts. The English,
taking them for a fresh reinforcement of the foe, were
seized with so great a panic that they gave way in much
confusion. Buchanan says, that the English King was
the first that fled ; but in this contradicts all other
historians, who affirm that Edward was among the last
in the field. Nay, according to some accounts, he would
not be persuaded to retire, till Aymer de Valence, seeing
the day lost, took hold of his bridle, and led him off.
Sir Giles de Argentine, the other knight who waited on
Edward, accompanied him a short way off the field, till
he saw him placed in safety ; he then wheeled round,
and putting himself at the head of a battalion made a
vigorous effort to retrieve the disastrous state of affairs,
but was soon overwhelmed and slain. He was a cham-
pion of high renown ; and, having signalised himself in
several battles with the Saracens, was reckoned the
third knight of his day. The Scots pursued, and made
great havoc among the enemy, especially in passing the
river, where, from the irregularity of the ground, they
could not preserve the smallest order. A mile from the
field of battle, a small bit of ground goes by the name
of Bloody Fold, where, according to tradition, a party of
the English faced about and made a stand, but, after sus-
taining dreadful slaughter, were forced to continue their
flight. This account corresponds to several histories of
the Earl of Gloucester. Seeing the rout of his country-
men, he made an effort to renew the battle, at the head
of his military tenants, and, after having personally
done much execution, was, with most of his party, cut
to pieces. The Scottish writers make the enemy's loss,
in the battle and pursuit, 50,000, and their own 4,000.
Among the latter, Sir William Vipont and Sir Walter
Ross were the only persons of distinction. A propor-
tion almost incredible ! The slain on the English side
were all decently interred by Bruce's order, who, even
in the heat of victory, could not refrain from shedding
tears over several who had been his intimate friends.
The corpse of the Earl of Gloucester was carried that
night to the church of St Ninians, where it lay, till
with that of Sir Robert Clifford, it was sent to the
English monarch. Twenty-seven English barons, 200
knights, and 700 esquires, fell in the field ; the number
of prisoners also was very great ; and amongst them
were many of high rank, who were treated with the
utmost civility. The remnant of the vanquished was
scattered all over the country. Many ran to the castle ;
and not a few, attempting the Forth, were drowned.
The Earl of Hereford, the surviving general, retreated
with a large body towards Both well, and threw himself,
with a few of the chief officers, into that castle, which
was then garrisoned by the English. Being hard pressed,
he surrendered ; and was soon exchanged against Bruce's
queen and daughter, and some j others of his friends,
who had been captive eight years in England. King
Edward escaped with much difficulty. Retreating from
the field of battle, he rode to the castle, but was told by
the governor that he could not long enjoy safety there,
as it could not be defended against the victors. Taking
a compass, to shun the vigilance of the Scots, he made
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