brought up his bowmen close to the Scotch masses, who were unable to reply (as their own light troops had been driven away) or to charge, on account of the nearness of the English men-at-arms. Concentrating the rain of arrows on particular points in the columns, the king fairly riddled the Scotch ranks, and then sent in his cavalry with a sudden impetus. The plan succeeded, the shaken parts of the masses were pierced, and the knights, having once got within the pikes, made a fearful slaughter of the enemy. The moral of the fight was evident: cavalry could not beat the Scotch tactics, but archers supplemented by horsemen could easily accomplish the required task. Accordingly, for the next two centuries, the characteristics of the fight of Falkirk were continually repeated whenever the English and Scotch met. Halidon Hill, Neville’s Cross, Homildon, Flodden, were all variations on the same theme. The steady but slowly-moving masses of the Lowland infantry fell a sacrifice to their own persistent bravery, when they staggered on in a vain endeavour to reach the line of archers, flanked by men-at-arms, whom the English commander opposed to them. The bowman might boast with truth that he ‘carried twelve Scots’ lives at his girdle;’ he had but to launch his shaft into the easy target of the great surging mass of pikemen, and it was sure to do execution. [Illustration: BATTLE OF BANNOCKBURN, 1314. A. _English Archers considerably in advance of main body._ B. _English Main Body in ten divisions._ _a. Scotch Infantry in four columns._ _b.b. Scotch Cavalry turning the marsh._] [Illustration: BATTLE OF CRESSY, 1346. A. _Dismounted men-at-arms._ B.B. _Archers._ C. _Welsh and Irish light Infantry._ D.D. _Cavalry in reserve._ _a.a. Genoese Crossbowmen._ _b.b. Counts of Alençon and Flanders._ _c. King Philip._]