Compare 1577 edition: 1 Standing at defense, they thrust shoulders like|wise so nie togither, the fore-ranks well nie to knée|ling stoope low before, for their fellowes behind, hol|ding their pikes in both hands, and therewith in their left their bucklers, the one end of their pike against their right foot, the other against the enimie breast high, their followers crossing their pike points with them before, and thus each with other, so nie as place and space will suffer, through the whole rankes so thicke, that as easilie shall a bare finger pearse through the skin of an angrie hedgehog, as anie in|counter the front of their pikes. Thus prouided, they (I meane the Scots) addressed themselues to incoun|ter inflamed with a heat of furious hatred, but not aduised whether the cause were iust or vniust, for the which they were vp in armes: which foolish mad|nesse the poet pointeth at, and painteth out, saieng:

Arma Scotus poscit, valida contendere vi vult,

Is nec habet pensi sit it aequum an prorsus iniquum.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 The lord marshall notwithstanding, whome no danger detracted from dooing his enterprise, with the companie and order afore appointed, came full in their faces from the hill side towards them. Here|with waxed it verie hot on both sides,The incoun|ter is verie hot betwéene both sides. with pitifull cries, horrible rore, and terrible thundering of guns, beside the daie darkened aboue head with smoke of the artillerie, the sight and appeerance of the enimie euen at hand before, the danger of death on euerie side else, the bullets, pellets and arrowes flieng each where so thicke, and so vncerteinelie lighting, that no where was there anie suretie of safetie, euerie man striken with a dreadfull feare, not so much per|chance of death, as of hurt, which things though they were but certeine to some, yet doubted of all, assu|red crueltie at the enimies hands, without hope of mercie, death to flie, and danger to fight.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 The whole face of the field on both sides vpon this point of ioining,The face of the field at the point of ioi|ning. both to the eie and to the eare so hea|uie, so deadlie, lamentable, furious, outragious, ter|rible, confuse, and so quite against the quiet nature of man, as if to the nobilitie the regard of their ho|nor and fame, to the knights and capteines the esti|mation of their worship and honestie, and general|lie to them all the naturall motion of bounden du|tie, their owne safetie, hope of victorie, and the fauour of God, that they trusted vpon for the equitie of their quarrell, had not béene a more vehement cause of courage, than the danger of death was cause of feare, the verie horrour of the thing had beene able to haue made anie man to forget both prowesse and policie. But the lord marshall and the others, with present mind and courage warilie and quicklie continued their course towards them. The enimies were in a EEBO page image 986 fallow field, whereof the furrowes laie sidelong to|ward the Englishmen, next to whome by the side of the same furrowes, & a stones cast from the Scots, was there a crosse ditch or slough, which the English|men must needs passe to come to them, wherein ma|nie that could not leape ouer stucke fast, to no small danger of themselues, and some disorder of their fel|lowes.