CHAPTER LXII

JAMES IV.—FLODDEN FIELD

Dool and wae for the order sent our lads to the border !
The English, for ance, by guile wan the day :
The Flowers of the Forest, that foucht aye the foremost,
The prime of our land, are cauld in the clay.

‘ We ’ll hear nae mair lilting at the ewe milking ;
Women and bairns are heartless and wae :
Sighing and moaning on ilka green loaning—
The Flowers of the Forest are a’ wede away.’

King James had loved Sir Andrew, and when he heard
of his death he was sad, and angry too. He sent to King
Henry, demanding that he should pay for all the damage
and loss, and return the Lion.

‘ The death of a pirate can never be the cause of
quarrel between princes,’ replied Henry haughtily ; so the
quarrel was made worse instead of better. There were
many other causes for anger between the two Kings.
One was that Henry would not give up the jewels and
money which his father had left to Queen Margaret when
he died.

Then the French and the English began to quarrel.

The Scots had always been friends with the French.
Now the Queen of France wrote a pretty letter to James,
calling him her knight, telling him that she was a lady
in distress, and begging him to fight in her cause, and

to advance, if but three steps, into England, for her sake.

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276                    SCOTLAND’S STORY

James, as gallant a knight as ever lived, could not say
‘ no ‘ to such a letter, so in an evil hour he sent his fleet
to France, and determined himself to march over the
Border into England. What became of the fleet is not
known, and little more was heard of Scotland‘s splendid
ships.

The King’s wise men and counsellors tried hard to
persuade him not to go to war with England. But James
would not listen. He was very angry with Henry, and
the Queen of France had roused all his knightly feelings.
He was determined to fight. So all over Scotland a
proclamation was made that every man between sixteen
and sixty should be ready, within twenty days, to pass with
the King into England. And for love of their King a
great army gathered to him. Yet still they tried to
prevent him going to war.

One evening James knelt in the church at Linlithgow,
praying, when a man suddenly appeared before him. This
man was dressed in a long blue robe, with a linen belt
about his waist, and sandals upon his feet. His hair was
long and fair, his face grave and commanding. Stand­
ing before the King, this man bent over him and spoke ;
‘ Sir King,’ he said, ‘ my mother hath sent me to you,
desiring you not to pass at this time where you purpose
to go. For if you do, you will not fare well in your
journey, neither you nor any that are with you.’

When the man had ceased speaking, the King paused
a moment in wonder. But even as he did so the figure
vanished away, as if he had been a blink of the sun, or a
puff of wind. Search how they might, no man could find
him or any trace of him. It was thought by some, that
King James had really seen a vision of St. John, who had
been sent to warn him. But many people think that it was
merely some one who had dressed himself in this strange

FLODDEN FIELD                      277

fashion in order to make the King believe that he had seen
a vision, and so turn from his purpose.

But nothing any one could do or say was of the least
use, and James with his great army passed into England.
Queen Margaret from her high turret chamber in Lin-
lithgow castle, sadly watched him go to fight against her
brother.

King Henry was away fighting in France, so the
English army was led by the Earl of Surrey. Upon the
field of Flodden in Northumberland the armies met, and
a great battle was fought on September 9, 1513 a.d.

Even at the last minute, the lords tried to persuade
the King to go away to a safe place, and let them fight
the English. But at this James was furiously angry.
‘ My lords,’ he cried, ‘ I shall fight this day against
England although you have sworn the contrary. Though
you should all flee from me and shame yourselves, you
shall not shame me.’

So the battle began and raged, and when night fell,
King James lay dead upon the field with all his best
knights around him. Bishops and abbots, earls, lords
and knights, lay there, having given, in vain, their lives to
save their King.

‘ I’ll not at length it put in memory,
I never read in tragedy nor story
At one tourney, so many nobles slain
For the defence and love of their sovereign.’

In Scotland, the women and the children and the old
men waited for news of their King and army. The
Queen sat lonely in Linlithgow, and wept and watched
through the long weary days. But at last one bright
September morning news came—news of disaster and
death. Scotland was turned into a land of tears. From

278                  SCOTLAND’S STORY

castle to cottage, there was scarce a home but where there
was wailing for the loss of some dear one.

‘ “ O the blackest day for Scotland—
That she ever saw before !
O our King—the good, the noble,
Shall we see him never more ?
Woe to us and woe to Scotland !
O our sons, our sons and men !
Surely some have ‘scaped the Southron,
Surely some will come again ! ”

  * * * * *

And the bells are tolling fiercely,
And the cry comes louder in ;
Mothers wailing for their children,
Sisters for their slaughtered kin.’

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