right and left were Lord Dacre and the
Bastard Heron, in the rear of Surrey, a
little to the west of the church, and in the
centre of the English line. Further eastward
was Sir Edward Stanley's division.
Sir William Molyneux, and Sir Henry
Kickley, with Cheshire archers and horse,
in the fields leading to Mardon. These
six divisions must have extended in a
narrow line about a mile and a half long.

On the high hill of Branxton, with a
noble view of Berwickshire, Roxburghshire,
and part of Selkirkshire, to the far west
and north-west, stood the Scottish army.
James had moved here from Flodden when
he saw the English cross Twizel Bridge,
and by that movement get between him
and Home. To the extreme left, facing
Lord Thomas Howard, were Huntly and
Home, with Crawford and Montrose, and
a host of bare-legged savage Highlanders
and Islesmen. The king was opposite to
Surrey, with Bothwell and the Lothian
men in the rear, while Lennox and Argyle
were facing Stanley.

The battle began about four o'clock with
interchanges of artillery, the Scotch using
leaden balls, the English the more serviceable
iron.  Almost the first discharge of the
English killed the Scottish master-gunner,
and dispirited and drove away his men.
The Scottish tradition is, that dreading a
devastating invasion of Scotland, and urged
by a traitorous English renegade, one Giles
Musgrave, James, who should have attacked
Howard during his flank march, determined
to descend the hill and give battle,
and therefore set fire to his tents and camp
lumber, so that the smoke might conceal his
approach; but this story the Berwickshire
antiquaries, with the scenes in view,
altogether deny.

The hour had come. The English had
taken no food that day, and went out
fasting—which is not the best starting-point
for English fighters—but the earl had said
to his captains, "Now, good fellows, prove
Englishmen this day," and they were ready.
Howard and Home first joined swords.
Lord Home's Borderers and the Earl of
Huntly's Highlanders came down on
Howard with four dense battalions of
spearmen, the Highlanders shouting their
slogans, the Scotch advancing swiftly, but
with an appalling silence. The Borderers'
arrows flew so fast, and the Highlanders'
two-handed swords swung with such cruel
force, that the English were several times
repulsed. The Cheshire men broke. Brian
Tunstall was struck dead, the standard
was beaten down and cut in pieces. Three
times Sir Edmond Howard was struck
from his horse, but being "hardy, young
and lusty," he recovered himself, and bursting
into the mêlée, fought hand to hand
with Sir David Horne, and slew him. Sir
Edmond's friend, John Heron, though
much wounded, came to his succour, and
said:

"There never was nobleman's son so
like to be lost as you this day;  but for all my
hurts I will here live and die with you."

At this juncture came Heron, spurring up
to shield the broken men, and repel the fierce
and stubborn Scotch, whilst Dacre, charging
them at the head of eighteen hundred
horse, drove them back. In the mean time,
Crawford and Montrose had also resolved,
with their seven thousand Scots, to close
with the Lord Admiral, who, fearing to be
overpowered, took from his neck his Agnus
Dei, and sent to his father to beg him to
attack the king. The rising ground called
the Piper's Hill lay between him and his
father. The fiery king, seeing the Scotch
giving way, harangued his men, who,
shaking their weapons, shouted, "Forward,
upon them."  "In sign," says Hollinshed,
"of an earnest desire they had to buckle
with the Englishmen."  Then the king and
all his nobles dismounted and led the vanguard
on foot, to show their determination
to do, or die.

But before this Sir Edward Stanley
and the eastern division had attacked the
Highlanders of Lennox and Argyle. The
storm of arrows from the Lancashire and
Cheshire bowmen pierced the fluttering
plaids of the Macleans and Mackenzies,
and nothing could hold them in, not even
the cries and entreaties of Delamotte, the
French ambassador, who saw their certain
destruction. They broke their ranks, and
with bossed targets and broadswords,
rushed down upon the English. The game
was soon lost;  their fierce charge bore
back the archers, but Stanley charged them
in the rear and on the flank with three
companies of the men-at-arms, and they
were routed with great slaughter, Lennox,
Argyle, and other chieftains dying at the
head of their men.

During this savage grapple the king had
borne down bravely on Surrey, followed by
Bothwell, and had nearly cut a way to the
sacred standard. Victory seemed to be
his;  but Crawford and Montrose were both
slain, and Stanley was already driving over
the hill brow the routed Highlanders, who
could not rally.