The Scots were diuided in foure schiltrons, as they termed them, or as we may saie, round battels, in forme of a circle, in the which stood their people that carried long staues or speares, which they crossed iointlie togither one within another, betwixt which schiltrons or round battels were certeine spaces left, the which were filled with their archers and bowmen, and behind all these were their horssemen placed. They had chosen a strong ground, somewhat sideling on the side of a hill. The earles Marshall, Hereford, & Lincolne, which led the fore ward of the Englishmen, at the first made directlie towards the Scots, but they were staied, by reason they found a marish, or an euill fauoured mosse betwixt their enimies and them, so that they were constreined to fetch a compasse towards the west side of the field. The bishop of Durham ruling in the second battell of the Englishmen, consisting of six and thirtie standards or banners, knowing the let of that mosse or marish toward the east side, hasted foorth to be the first that should giue the onset: but yet when they approched néere to the enimies, the bishop commanded his people to staie till the third battell, which the king led, might approach. But that valiant knight the lord Rafe Basset of Draiton said to him: "My lord bishop, you may go and say masse, which better becommeth you, than to teach vs what we haue to doo, for we will doo that which belongeth to the order and custome of warre." [Sidenote: The Scotish horssemen flée.] [Sidenote: Their archers slaine.] [Sidenote: These Scotish spearemen were of Gallowaie as _Euersden_ saith.] Herewith they hasted foorth on that side to charge the first schiltron of the Scots, and the earles with their battell on the otherside, and euen vpon the first brunt the Scotish horssemen fled, a few onelie excepted, which staied to kéepe the footmen in order. And amongst other was the brother of the lord steward of Scotland, who as he was about to set in order the bowmen of Selkirke, by chance was vnhorssed, and slaine there amongst the same bowmen, and manie a tall mans bodie with him. The Scotish archers thus being slaine, the Englishmen assailed the spearemen; but kéeping themselues close togither, and standing at defense with their speares like a thicke wood, they kept out the English horssemen for a while, & fought manfullie, though they were sore beaten with shot of arrowes by the English archers on foot: & so at length galled with shot; and assailed by the horssemen on ech side, they begun to disorder and shrinke from one side to another, and herewith the horssemen brake in amongst them, and so they were slaine and beaten downe in maner all the whole number of them. [Sidenote: _Nic. Triuet._] [Sidenote: _Matth. West._ saith fourtie thousand.] [Sidenote: _Polydor._] [Sidenote: _N. Triuet._] [Sidenote: The towne of S. Andrews.] [Sidenote: The castell of Aire.]