The Mirror of Literature, Amusement, and Instruction. Volume 20, No. 578, December 1, 1832Various
History
The Mirror of Literature, Amusement, and Instruction. Volume 20, No. 578, December 1, 1832
Various
Popular literature -- Great Britain -- Periodicals
"Amid repeated charges, and the most dispiriting slaughter by the
continuous discharge of the English arrows, David showed that he had the
courage, though not the talents, of his father (Robert Bruce). He was
twice severely wounded with arrows, but continued to encourage to the
last the few of his peers and officers who were still fighting around
him."[8] He scorned to ask quarter, and was taken alive with difficulty.
Rymer says, "The Scotch king, though he had two spears hanging in his
body, his leg desperately wounded, and being disarmed, his sword having
been beaten out of his hand, disdained captivity, and provoked the
English by opprobrious language to kill him. When John Copeland, who was
governor of Roxborough Castle, advised him to yield, he struck him on
the face with his gauntlet so fiercely, that he knocked out two of his
teeth. Copeland conveyed him out of the field as his prisoner. Upon
Copeland's refusing to deliver up his royal captive to the queen
(Philippa), who stayed at Newcastle during the battle, the king sent for
him to Calais, where he excused his refusal so handsomely, that the king
sent him back with a reward of 500_l._ a year in lands, where he
himself should choose it, near his own dwelling, and made him a knight
banneret."[9]
Hume states Philippa to have assembled a body of little more than 12,000
men, and to have rode through the ranks of her army, exhorting every man
to do his duty, and to take revenge on these barbarous ravagers. "Nor
could she be persuaded to leave the field till the armies were on the
point of engaging. The Scots have often been unfortunate in the great
pitched battles which they have fought with the English: even though
they commonly declined such engagements where the superiority of numbers
was not on their side; but never did they receive a more fatal blow than
the present. They were broken and chased off the field: fifteen thousand
of them, some historians say twenty thousand, were slain; among whom
were Edward Keith, Earl Mareschal, and Sir Thomas Charteris, Chancellor:
and the king himself was taken prisoner, with the Earls of Sutherland,
Fife, Monteith, Carrick, Lord Douglas, and many other noblemen." The
captive king was conveyed to London, and afterwards in solemn procession
to the Tower, attended by a guard of 20,000 men, and all the city
companies in complete pageantry; while "Philippa crossed the sea at
Dover, and was received in the English camp before Calais, with all the
triumph due to her rank, her merit, and her success." These indeed were
bright days of chivalry and gallantry.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account