In these Mottoes of _Leith_, it must be confessed there is more appearance of a religious application than in that of the Duke of _Gordon_, as the Armorial Bearings are partly compounded of Cross-Croslets, and the Crest of the first is likewise a Turtle-dove. * * * * * ELPHINSTON, Lord ELPHINSTON; has for his Motto "_Caus Causit_[321]," or, as written by Mr. Nisbet, "_Cause caused it_."[322] [321] Crawfurd's Peerage. [322] System of Heraldry, p. 154. In Almon's Short Peerage of Scotland _Caus_ or _Cause_ is interpreted _Chance_, which leads us to search for some casual circumstance in the history of the Family, whereby it was elevated. Alexander Elphinston was ennobled by King James IV. in the time of our Henry VIII.; to whom a fatal incident happened, to which his Descendants might have a retrospect when the Motto was assumed. Some branches of the story are controverted; but enough is left by tradition to found our conjecture, and for the Family to rest the choice of their Motto upon. This Alexander, the first Peer, was slain at the Battle of Flodden Field (1513), together with King James IV.; and being, in his person and face, very like the King, his body was carried by the English to Berwick, instead of that of the King, and treated with some indignity. The controvertible part of the circumstance is, that the King escaped by this means, and lived to reward the Family who had thus lost their valiant Chief; but strong proofs are to be found, that the King was actually slain, though by some accounts not in the Battle, as his body was identified by more than one of his confidential Servants, who recognized it by certain private indelible marks[323]. [323] Drake's Hist. Ang. Scot. Buchanan allows that the King escaped from the Battle; but adds, that he was killed the same day by a party of his own Subjects, whose interest it was to take him off, to avoid a punishment due to themselves for cowardice in the preceding Battle[324]. [324] Buchanan's History, Book xiii. p. 26. Holinshed tells us, that in order to deceive the Enemy, and encourage his own Troops, the King caused several of his Nobles to be armed and apparelled like himself[325]; and this practice, at that time of day, seems not to have been uncommon; for Shakspeare makes Richard say, during the Battle of Bosworth Field, "I think, there be _Six_ Richmonds in the Field: _Five_ have I slain to-day instead of him[326]." [325] Holinshed's Chronicle. [326] Act v. Sc. iv.