Flodden and the death of the King

 The Battle of Flodden



King James was determined to invade England.

 Though the cause was not popular, the King was, and a large army was soon mustered. The King himself led the host across the Border, and encamped on the Till, but, as he would not take the advice of Angus and others who knew more of border fighting than he did, he mismanaged the whole affair.

 He idled away the time till his own army began to disperse and the English had time to gather; then he let them cross the river unopposed, and finally left his strong position on the hill to meet them hand to hand in the plain.

 The result was an utter defeat, and the King, who was more eager to display his own valour than to act the part of the general in command, was slain in the thickest of the fight. 

Twelve earls and thirteen barons fell round him, and every noble house in Scotland left some of its name on the fatal field of Flodden Sept. 9, 1513.

 The death of James the Fourth was deeply mourned, for his reign had been peaceable and prosperous. He was popular with the nobles, because he kept them round him, and freely spent his father's savings, and with the commons, because of his rigorous maintenance of justice, his encouragement of commerce and agriculture, and his easy, kindly manners. James is described as middle-sized, handsome, and well-made.

 Besides Latin and several other foreign languages, he could speak the Irish or Gaelic, which was the native tongue of his western subjects.

 During his reign Scotland was more prosperous than it had been since the days of the last Alexander. Trade was flourishing and, on the increase, and large quantities of wool, hides, and fish were exported to other countries.




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