The second part of the booke of battailes, fought in our age taken out of the best authors and writers in sundrie languages. Published for the profit of those that practise armes, and for the pleasure of such as loue to be harmlesse hearers of bloudie broiles.

The Battaile of Langside in Scotland, fought betwen Iames Stuard Erle of Murray General of the for∣ces of Iames the sixt, and Gilespick Cambell Erle of Argile, Generall of the armie of Marie the late deposed Queene, the 13. of May. An. 1563.

MArie, who being imprisoned in the castell of Lochleuin, had resigned the kingdome of Scotland vnto her sonne Iames the sixt, being not a yéere old, vnder the gouer∣ment of Iames Erle of Murraye, her base brother, made an escape out of the castel of Lochleuin, the fourth of May, and came the next day accom∣panied with a great traine vnto Hamilton, the which is a village eight miles from Glasquo, where then the Regent kept his Court. The brute of the Quéenes ariuall at Ha∣milton being spread abroade, many either that distrusted the kings partie as not strong enough, or had conceaued hope of getting grace with the Quéene, or else reposed con∣fidence in the memorie of their olde seruices, did part open∣ly shew themselues of her ••••ction, and part secretly procu∣ring pardon for that they had done against her, remained with the Regent, expecting the euent of this new accident. But whereas the reuolt of other bred no great admiration, yet the departure of Robert Lord Boid, who vntil that day had gotten singular good opinion of constancie, gaue great occasion of diuers speeches: insomuch that it was sharply debated at the Counsell table before the Regent, whether they should continue still at Glasquo, or remoue to Ster∣ling, where the King was kept. Manie dyd vehemently counsaile them to depart thence, declaring that Hamilton, a great towne was néere, and the tenaunts of that whole mightie house of the Hamiltons, spre•••••• round about them, that there came aboute fiue hundreth Horsemen with the

Quéene, and many were said to be comming out of farther places and parts, but with the Regent were almost none but his owne householde, the rest being part fledde to the Quéene, and part by little & little slipped away, (all things being verie quiet) euerie man to his priuate businesse: and although the Citizens of Glasquo séemed faithfull enough, as they that had suffered many great wrongs at the hands of the Hamiltons when they ruled, yet the citie it selfe was a wast thing, nor populous for the greatnesse, easie to enter in all parts. Other reasoned on the contrarie part, that all things doe depend on their first beginnings, that their de∣parture would be infamous, and next coosen to flat running awaye, that suspition of feare was then vtterly to be shun∣ned, least they did encrease the courage of the enimies, and bring their friends out of hart: that they were néere neigh∣bours vnto the mightie families of the Cunigames, and the Semples: and on the other side to Lenneux, the kings pri∣uate patrimonie: that from thence those that were next would come within few houres, and the rest the next daye or at the farthest, within thrée dayes, that they would be a sufficient guard, namely, with the helpe of the citizens, vn∣till the succours farther off were come. This opinion pre∣uailed at the Councell table. The French Ambassadour went to and fro betwéene both parties, rather like a spye, then a peacemaker, as he pretended. For when he sawe at the first the forces at Glasquo small, and the power about Hamilton shewed greate, he vehemently encouraged the Quéene to giue battaile. Now had the Regent gathered together his friends out of the néerer parts, and looked for other out of Marchland and Lowthian. And when they wer come, being about 600. very choice men, he graunting them but one day to rest themselues, minded so march to Hamil∣ton, and out of hand to giue them battaile, if he could: for he thought delaye would be hurtfull to him and his, but profitable for the enimie, as whome the farthest parts of the kingdome did fauour.

In the meane time he was aduertised y^e next morning

betimes before daie, that the enimies were gathered toge∣ther from many places where they lodged, for they trusting in their number (for they had in armes aboue 6500. and they knew that the Regent had not full 4000) were determined for to march by Glasquo, and leauing the Quéene in the Castle of Dunbritton, at the pleasure either to sight or draw forth the warres: or if the Regent (which they hoped not) would méete them in the waie, to giue him battaile, neither did they doubt of the euent of the fight. But he that had re∣solued of himselfe to prouoke them to battaile, as soone as he could bring forth his men, stoode certaine houres in araie of battaile before the Citie, in the open field, in the waie that he thought they would march. But when he sawe that their army marched a long the farther side of the riuer, he straight waie vnderstanding their purpose, passed his footmen ouer the riuer by a bridge, and his horsemen by the foords, which were then frée of the tide of the Sea, and commanded them to march to Langside. That is a stréete vppon the riuer of Carth, through which their enimies their waie laie, seated at the foote of an hil, on the Northwest the East, & the North with a descent, but on other partes decreasing gentlie into a plaine. They hasted thether with so great spéed, that they had almost gotten the hill, before that their intent coulde be perceiued by the enimie, who also coucted that place, yea, and had the shorter waie. But two things happened ill for them, and well for vs: the first, that Gilespicke Cambel the Earle of Argile, who was Generall of the Quéenes armie, being taken with a sodaine paine had fallen downe into a sound, and by his fall staied the whole armie a while: the other was, that their armie being euer and anone downe in a bottome, could neuer sée at one time all the kings armie: and therefore they taking it to be small (as in truth it was) did both contemne it, and also the disaduantage of the place. At length when the Quéenes armie drew néere, and sawe that their enimie had gotten the place where they thought to haue lodged, they tooke another little hill ouer against it, and diuided their armie into two battailes. All the strength they

had they placed in their forward, wherewith if they coulde ouerthrowe the enimies battaile that stoode against it, they supposed that they should conquere the rest without fight, they being feared with the flight of their fellowes. The kings Chieftains had also diuided their armie into two bat∣tailes: in the battaile on the right hand were, Iames Doug∣lasse, the Earle of Morton, Robert Lord Semple, Alexander Lord Hume, Patricke Lord Lindsey, with euerie one his fol∣lowers, and in the left, Iohn, Alexander, William, Earles of Mar, Gleucarne, and Taich, and the Citizens of Glasquo: the harquebussiers kept the stréete below, and the gardems by the high waie. Whē both armies stood aranged, the Quéenes gunners being beaten frō their ground by the kings, aban∣doned the place: and on the contrarie side, the kings horse∣men being inferiour to the Quéenes by one halfe, were not able to abide the charge, but fled. And when the Quéenes horsmen had thus discomfited their counterpartie, they assai∣ed to mount the hill, that they might also disorder the ranges of the footmen, but being repelled by the kings archers, and a part of his horsemen, that had rallied and returned from their flight, they returned backe. In the meane time the left wing of the enimie dismarching into the high waie, downe a long where the hill descendeth into a valley, did although that they were galled by the harquebusses, yet béeing got∣ten out of that straight, spread forth their battailen. There the two esquadrons hauing before them on both sides a thicke trench of pikes, fought with such vaior on both sides for the space of halfe an houre, the victorie inclining to neither parte, that those that had broken their Pikes, dyd hurle their daggers, stones, and péeces of their Pikes, and finallie, whatsoeuer came to hand, at the heads of their eni∣mies. But when some of the hindermost rankes on the Kinges side fledde, (whether of feare or falsehoode, it is not well knowen) doubtl••sse their flight hadde affrighted them that fought, but that the thicknesse of the rankes woulde not suffer them that were in the fore rankes to perceiue what was done in the hindermoste, and al∣so

those of the second battaile hauing marked the daun∣ger, and séeing no man comming against them, ioyned them selues with the auantgard by deflecting certaine of theyr bands by little and little, towards the right hand, with their ranges whole. When those on the aduerse part were not able to abide their charge, they being driuen back as it wer with a great ruine, ranne away, neither had the vanquished escaped without some notable losse, (séeing the hearts of ma∣ny were priuately incited by anger and hatred) if that the Regent sending out horsemen into all quartiers, had not commaunded that none of them should be slaine that fledde. The second battaile of the kings, that had stoode still vntill they sawe the discomfited enimie to flye in euerye quarter without order, and then at last turning themselues to pur∣sue them, that turned their backes loosed their rankes. The Quéene that had stoode almost a mile of to behold the fight, tooke her way towards England, with the horsemen of her part, that retired out of the battaile whole, but the rest ran euery man that way that would soonest bring him home. There dyed few in y^e fight, moe being worne with weari∣nesse and wounds were found lying euery where along the countrie: the number of all slaine, was about 300. but the prisoners were moe. On the kings side were not many hurt and among them men in the chiefe range Alexander Lord Hume, and Andrew Stuart, one man onely was slaine: the rest of the armie except a few, horsemen that folowed the fliers farrre, went ioyfully to the towne, where after they had giuen thankes to God, who had giuen them almost an vnblouddie victorie, against farre greater forces then their own, they gratulating one an oth••••, went to dinner. This field was fought the xiii. of May, the eleuenth day after the Quéene escaped out of prison. The French Ambassadour who had stayed the euent of the battaile, and had in his con∣ceite promised assured victorie vnto the Quéene, being now defranded of his hope, cast vp his visard, and without once taking his leaue of the Regent, to whome he 〈◊〉〈◊〉 pres••••ded to be sent, and taking such horses and guides as he could for soo∣nest

get, galoped towards England, but being robbed by the way, Iames Dowglasse the Lord of Drumlanrick, procured that he had that againe which he lost, for the honour that he bare to the name of an Ambassadour, although that he knew that he tooke part with his enimies. The Regent spent the rest of the daye of the battaile in taking view of the priso∣ners, some he let goe frée, some vpon suerties, the principall were kept still, and chiefely those of the familie of the Ham∣iltons, and dispersed into diuers prisons. The next daye the Regent went foorth with 500. horse, and tooke the abando∣ned Castells of Hamilton and Defran. The like terror for∣ced the Quéene to goe into England, either because she thought there was no place in that part of Scotland safe enough for her, or because she did little credit the fideli∣tie of Iohn Maxwell Lord Heris.

FINIS.