"Afar, the royal standard flies, And round it toils and bleeds and dies. Our Caledonian pride!" * * * * * But yet, though thick the shafts as now, Though charging knights like whirlwinds go, Though billmen ply the ghastly bow, Unbroken was the ring. The stubborn spearmen still made good Their dark impenetrable wood, Each stepping where his comrade stood The instant that he fell. No thought was there of dastard flight: Link’d in the serried phalanx tight, Groom fought like noble, squire like knight, As fearlessly and well; Till utter darkness closed her wing O’er their thin host and wounded King. Then skilful Surrey’s sage commands Led back from strife his shattered bands; And from the charge they drew, As mountain-waves, from wasted lands, Sweep back to ocean blue. Then did their loss his foemen know; Their King, their lords, their mightiest low, They melted from the field as snow, When streams are swoln and south winds blow Dissolves in silent dew. * * * * * Still from the sire the son shall hear Of the stern fight and carnage drear Of Flodden’s fatal field, Where shiver’d was fair Scotland’s spear, And broken was her shield! * * * * * And well in death his trusty brand, Firm clench’d within his manly hand Beseem’d the Monarch slain." *Chapter XX* *After Flodden* So deeply did the tragic result of Flodden touch the hearts of the Scottish people that no Scot could for many a long day hear it mentioned without a heart-thrill. Many are the songs written about it, the most famous perhaps, being the "Flowers of the Forest," written two centuries later, though partly founded upon an older and almost forgotten song. *THE FLOWERS OF THE FOREST* I’ve heard them lilting, at our ewe-milking, Lasses a’ lilting, before dawn o’ day; But now they are moaning on ilka green loaning[#] The Flowers of the Forest are a’ wede away. [#] a broad grassy lane used as milking-ground. At bughts, in the morning, nae blythe lads are scorning;[#] The lasses are lonely, and dowie, and wae; Wae daffing,[#] nae gabbing,[#] but sighing and sabbing; Ilk ane lifts her leglin,[#] and hies her away. [#] rallying. [#] joking. [#] chatting. [#] milking-pail. In hair’st, at the shearing, nae youths now are jeering, The bandsters[#] are runkled,[#] and lyart[#] or gray; At fair, or at preaching, nae wooing, nae fleeching;[#] The Flowers of the Forest are a’ wede away. [#] sheaf-binders. [#] wrinkled. [#] inclining to grey. [#] coaxing.