ad of his
heavy-armed horse made an attack on the Scottish infantry,'in hopes of
gaining all the honor of the victory. On advancing, he found a slough
and ditch in his way; and behind were ranged the enemy armed with
spears, and the field on which they stood was fallow ground, broken with
ridges which lay across their front, and disordered the movements of
the English cavalry. From all these accidents, the shock of this body
of horse was feeble and irregular; and as they were received on the
points of the Scottish spears, which were longer than the lances of
the English horsemen, they were in a moment pierced, over-thrown, and
discomfited. Grey himself was dangerously wounded: Lord Edward Seymour,
son of the protector, had his horse killed under him: the standard was
near being taken: and had the Scots possessed any good body of cavalry,
who could have pursued the advantage, the whole English army had been
exposed to great danger.[*]

* Patter. Holingshed, p. 986.

The protector, meanwhile, assisted by Sir Ralph Sadler and Sir Ralph
Vane, employed himself with diligence and success in rallying the
cavalry. Warwick showed great presence of mind in maintaining the ranks
of the foot, on which the horse had recoiled: he made Sir Peter Meutas
advance, captain of the foot harquebusiers, and Sir Peter Gamboa,
captain of some Italian and Spanish harquebusiers on horseback; and
ordered them to ply the Scottish infantry with their shot. They marched
to the slough, and discharged their pieces full in the face of the
enemy: the ships galled them from the flank: the artillery, planted on
a height, infested them from the front: the English archers poured in a
shower of arrows upon them: and the vanguard, descending from the hill,
advanced leisurely and in good order towards them. Dismayed with all
these circumstances, the Scottish van began to retreat: the retreat soon
changed into a flight, which was begun by the Irish archers. The panic
of the van communicated itself to the main body, and passing thence to
the rear, rendered the whole field a scene of confusion, terror, flight,
and consternation. The English army perceived from the heights the
condition of the Scots, and began the pursuit with loud shouts and
acclamations, which added still more to the dismay of the vanquished.
The horse in particular, eager to revenge the affront which they had
received in the beginning of the day, did the most bloody execution on
the flyin