"Thousand pavilions, white as snow, Spread all the Borough-moor below, Upland, and dale, and down:— A thousand, did I say? I ween, Thousands and thousands, there were seen, That chequer’d all the heath between The streamlet and the town; In crossing ranks extending far, Forming a camp irregular; Oft giving way, where still there stood Some relics of the old oak wood, That darkly huge did intervene, And tamed the glaring white with green, In these extended lines there lay, A martial kingdom’s vast array. For from Hebudes, dark with rain, To eastern Lodon’s fertile plain, And from the southern Redswire edge, To farthest Rosse’s rocky ledge, From west to east, from south to north, Scotland sent all her warriors forth, Marmion might hear the mingled hum, Of myriads up the mountain come; The horses’ tramp, and tingling clank, Where chiefs reviewed their vassal rank, And charger’s shrilling neigh; And see the shifting lines advance Whilst frequent flash’d, from shield and lance, The sun’s reflected ray. * * * * * They saw, slow rolling on the plain, Full many a baggage-cart and wain, And dire artillery’s clumsy car. By sluggish oxen tugg’d to war; * * * * * Nor mark’d they less, where in the air A thousand streamers flaunted fair, Various in shape, device, and hue, Green, sanguine, purple, red, and blue, Broad, narrow, swallow-tailed, and square, Scroll, pennon, pensil, bandrol,[#] there O’er the pavilions flew. Highest and midmost, was descried The royal banner floating wide; The staff, a pine-tree, strong and straight, Pitch’d deeply in a massive stone, Which still in memory is shown, Yet bent beneath the standard’s weight. Whene’er the western breeze unroll’d, With toil, the huge and cumbrous fold, And gave to view the dazzling field, Where, in proud Scotland’s royal shield, The ruddy lion ramp’d in gold." [#] Each feudal ensign intimated the rank of those who displayed them. Marmion wondered that with such a glorious army at his back anyone should try to dissuade James from battle, yet Sir David Lindesay of the Mount answered him, "’twere good That Kings would think withal, When peace and wealth their land has bless’d, ’Tis better to sit still at rest, Than rise, perchance to fall." Men-at-arms were there, sheathed in plate armour, with battle-axe and spear, and mounted on Flemish steeds. Young knights and squires practised their chargers on the plain. Hardy burghers marched on foot, armed with long pikes and two-handed swords and bright bucklers.