The Holinshed Project

Holinshed Project Home

The Texts
1577

Previous | Next

Compare 1587 edition: 1 The Lorde Chamberlaine ſtood ſtill.The other part of the Scottiſh hoſt, whereof Alexander Hume Lorde Chamberlaine had the gouernaunce, although he ſawe where the other Scottiſhmen were in daunger and cloſed in on e|uery ſide, yet would he not once remoue one foote forwarde out of the place (where he ſtood) to ayde them. Moreouer the lack of diſcretion in the king which would needes runne vpon his owne death, amazed the mindes of all men, and brought them into ſuch a perplexitie, that they knewe not what to do, but looked one vpon another without ſtyr|ring to or fro, as thoſe that were in dyſpayre now after the death of their king to recouer the victorie, which by ſo ſtrange a chaunce, ſeemed as it were ſlipped out of their handes.

Compare 1587 edition: 1 2 The Lorde Chamberlaine beareth the blame.Howbeit the Lorde Chamberlaine bare the moſt blame, for that he did not cauſe a new onſet to be giuen. But it happened well for the Eng|liſh men: for if king Iames had ordered himſelfe wiſely in this battaile, or that after he was ſlain, a newe furie had moued the Scottes to haue re|nued the fight in reuenge of the kings death, as had beene expedient, the victorie vndoubtedly had beene theirs (as was thought by men of great vn|derſtanding.The Engliſh men thanked God for this noble victorie.) Wherevpon the Engliſh men re|membring howe manifeſtly Gods goodneſſe ap|peared towards thẽ in this battail, cõfeſſed them|ſelues long after bounde to God for their ſafetie and deliuerance out of that preſent danger. The fight began about foure of the clocke in the after noone, and cõtinued three houres, in the which .xv.15000. men ſlaine. M. men were ſlaine on both partes: and of that nũber a third part at the leaſt was of Engliſhmẽ, (as was credibly reported) but (as our Engliſhe writers affyrme) there died of Engliſh men not paſt .xv. hundred, but yet the Scottiſh men holde, that there died more of the Engliſh men than of their nation at this field, and that many thought it was not the bodye of King Iames whiche the Engliſhmen found in the field and toke it for his, but rather an other Scottiſh mans corps, called the Laird of Bonehard, who was alſo ſlain there. And it was affyrmed by ſundry, that the K. was ſeene the ſame night aliue at Kelſo: and ſo it was commonly thought that he was liuing lõg after, and that he paſſed the ſeas into other Countreys, namely to Ieruſalem to viſite the holy ſepulchre, and ſo to driue forth the reſidue of his days, in do|ing penance for his former paſſed offences: but he appeared not in Scotland after as king, no more than Charles Duke of Burgoine did appeare in his coũtreys after the battail of Nancie, although his people had the like vaine opinion that he eſca|ped from that diſcomfiture aliue.

Compare 1587 edition: 1 But now to returne to the truth of the matter where we left. In the night following after this terrible battaile,The Scottiſh men returne home againe. the reſidue of the Scottiſh armie returned homewardes the ſame way they came, waſting & ſpoyling the Engliſh borders as they paſſed. At their comming home,They were re|uiled of theyr owne people. euery man ſpake euil of thẽ, for that as cowards & naughtie perſõs, they neyther ſought to reuenge the death of their noble king, nor yet to ſuccor their felowes yt were beaten downe and ſlaine before their faces. But namely Alexander Hume Lorde Chamberlaine was reproued, as cauſe of all that miſchiefe, which behaued himſelfe not as a captaine, but as a tray|tor or enimie to his countrey.

Previous | Next