EDINBURGH AFTER FLODDEN.1

I.

NEWS of battle! - news of battle!
Hark! 'tis ringing down the street:
And the archways and the pavement
Bear the clang of hurrying feet.
News of battle! who hath brought it?
News of triumph? Who should bring
Tidings from our noble army,

Greetings from our gallant King?

All last night we watched the beacons

1 Flodden a hill in Northumberland in the northeast of England. It is but a few miles south of the Scottish border or boundary. Here in 1513 a desperate battle was fought between the Scotch and the English forces.

James IV. of Scotland thought to take advantage of the absence of Henry VIII. of England, who was then on the continent, to renew an alliance with France, England's old enemy.

The Scottish king easily found causes of complaint against Henry, and demanded satisfaction. That monarch returned a contemptuous answer, and James declared war, and invaded England.

The Earl of Surrey led the English. James commanded his own troops. The result of the battle was the defeat of the Scotch, though so valiantly did they fight that the English just barely gained an indecisive victory. The Scottish army, however, lost an enormous number, among whom was King James with all his chief men-i -in fact so terrible was the slaughter that it is said that " every noble house in Scotland left some of its name on the fatal field."

The news of the defeat at Flodden caused the wildest grief, especially in Edinburgh. Later the citizens of that place rallied and built a new wall round their city, but the English did not advance; there was no second battle, and peace was made between the combatants.

Blazing on the hills afar,
Each one bearing, as it kindled,
Message of the opened war.

All night long the northern streamers 1
Shot across the trembling sky:
Fearful lights that never beckon
Save when kings or heroes die.

II.

News of battle! Who hath brought it?
All are thronging to the gate;
"Warder 2-warder! open quickly;
Manis this a time to wait?"
And the heavy gates are opened:
Then a murmur long and loud,
And a cry of fear and wonder

Bursts from out the bending crowd.
For they see in battered harness 3
Only one hard-stricken man ;
And his weary steed is wounded,
And his cheek is pale and wan:
Spearless hangs a bloody banner

In his weak and drooping hand
God! can that be Randolph Murray,
Captain of the city band? 4

III.

Round him crush the people, crying,
"Tell us all; oh, tell us true!

1 Northern streamers: the Aurora Borealis or Northern Lights.

2 Warder: a guard or sentinel; one who kept the gate of the city, which was walled and fortified.

8 Harness: armor.

4 City band: the guard or militia of Edinburgh.

Where are they who went to battle,
Randolph Murray, sworn to you?
Where are they, our brothers-children?
Have they met the English foe?
Why art thou alone, unfollowed?
Is it weal1 or is it woe?"
Like a corpse the grisly warrior

Looks from out his helm 2 of steel;
But no word he speaks in answer
Only with his armèd3 heel

Chides his weary steed, and onward
Up the city streets they ride-
Fathers, sisters, mothers, children,
Shrieking, praying by his side.

"By the God that made thee, Randolph!
Tell us what mischance hath come."

Then he lifts his riven 4 banner,

And the asker's voice is dumb.

IV.

The elders of the city

Have met within their hall

The men whom good King James 5 had charged
To watch the tower and wall.

"Your hands are weak with age," he said,
"Your hearts are stout and true;

So bide ye in the Maiden Town,6

1 Weal: welfare, prosperity, joy.

3 Armed: pronounce in two syllables, arm'ed. 4 Riven rent, torn.

2 Helm helmet.

5 King James: James IV. of Scotland.

6 Maiden Town: in the seventh century Edinburgh Castle was called "Castrum Puellarum " or the Maidens' Castle, as the daughters of the ancient kings were kept and educated there until they were married. This

While others fight for you.
My trumpet from the Border-side 1
Shall send a blast so clear

That all who wait within the gate
That stirring sound may hear.
Or, if it be the will of Heaven
That back I never come,
And if, instead of Scottish shouts,

Ye hear the English drum,
Then let the warning bells ring out,
Then gird you to the fray,

Then man the walls like burghers stout,
And fight while fight you may.
"Twere better that in fiery flame
The roofs should thunder down,
Than that the foot of foreign foe
Should trample in the town!"

V.

Then in came Randolph Murray, —
His step was slow and weak,
And, as he doffed2 his dinted helm,

The tears ran down his cheek:

They fell upon his corslet 3

And on his mailed 4 hand,

As he gazed around him wistfully,

may be the reason of the name "Maiden Town" or it may be an allusion to the well-known resemblance of Edinburgh to Athens, the sacred city of Athena or Minerva, goddess of wisdom.

1 Border-side: the boundary between Scotland and England near which the battle of Flodden was fought.

2 Doffed: took off.

3 Corslet: armor for the trunk of the body.

4 Mailed: pronounce in two syllables, mail'ed.

1

Leaning sorely 1 on his brand.
And none who then beheld him
But straight were smote with fear,
For a bolder and a sterner man
Had never couched a spear.2
They knew so sad a messenger
Some ghastly news must bring;
And all of them were fathers,

And their sons were with the King.

And

VI.

up then rose the Provost 3

A brave old man was he,

Of ancient name, and knightly fame,
And chivalrous degree.1

He ruled our city like a Lord
Who brooked no equal here,
And ever for the townsman's rights
Stood up 'gainst prince and peer.
And he had seen the Scottish host
March from the Borough-muir,6
With music-storm and clamorous shout,
And all the din that thunders out
When youth's of victory sure.
But yet a dearer thought had he, -

1 Sorely: grievously, heavily.

2 Couched a spear: held a spear in attitude of attack; the butt-end of

the spear rested in a socket of the armor so as to hold it firm.

3 Provost: the mayor or governor of the city.

4 Degree: descent, family.

5 Brooked: endured.

6 Borough-muir: a vacant tract of land or common just outside of Edinburgh on the south. Here James IV. reviewed his army before marching for the fatal field of Flodden.