Douglas book > Angus memoirs

278 ARCHIBALD DOUGLAS, SIXTH EARL OF ANGUS.
been an easy victory, had Angus been supported by the regent, 1 for the Scots
were vastly more numerous than the English, was, by the weakness and
suspicions of Arran, turned into the most disastrous defeat the country had
sustained since Flodden. Fourteen thousand dead bodies covered the field,
and at nightfall the English were in possession of the Scottish camp.
Happily for Scotland this victory was not immediately followed up by
Somerset, but when retiring, on account of grave rumours from London, he
left garrisons at several important places. One of these was the castle of
Broughty, erected by George, fourth Earl of Angus, on the Crag of Broughty,
at the mouth of the Firth of Tay. That castle was not now in the hands of
the Douglases. It had been resigned by Archibald, fifth Earl of Angus,
probably under the exigencies of his return from England after making the
treaty with Henry the Seventh of England, and was given by King James
the Fourth to Andrew, Lord Gray. 2 Patrick, Lord Gray, surrendered it to
the English. An attempt was made by Argyll and Arran to retake Broughty,
and Angus is said to have been present at the siege ; but their efforts failed. 3
It was afterwards reduced by the aid of Frenchmen. Angus wrote to the
Earl of Dudley, who was in command of the English forces at Broughty and
Dundee, to be friendly to his servants and friends in Arbroath. 4
The principal lords of the English faction put themselves in communica-
tion with the English authorities immediately after Pinkie, and suc-
ceeded in obtaining provisional assurances for themselves and lands in
the subsequent hostilities. But they avoided taking any overt action with
1 Godscroft says that when Angus was re- the poor wife's kail (vegetables). [MS.
ceiving the English charge, Arran and Huntly History, part ii. p. 126.]
were a good way in rear, standing in a garden - Registrum Magni Sigilli, vol. ii. Nos.
of herbs, and in no way coming to his sup- 1959, 3419.
port. He sent to them for their promised 3 Teulet's Papiers d'Etat, etc., vol. L p. 202.
assistance, and seeing no movement, derisively 4 ISth December 1547 ; Thorpe's Calendar,
cried aloud to them not to trample down vol. i. p. 72.