Historic%20Yorkshire

THE BATTLE OF THE STANDARD. 101
Forth whistling came the grey goose wing,
As the wildhailstones pelt and ring
AdownDecember's blast;
Nor mountain targe oftough hill-hide,
Nor lowland mail that storm may bide;
Woe, woe to Scotland's banneredpride,
Ifthe fell shower may last!
Last it did, with the most direful effects. Scotland's
pride was trampled under foot, her warriors beaten and
routed, leaving,it is said, 12,000 dead on the battle-field.
During the fight the success of the English was greatly
assisted by a trick which they played upon the Scots.
The head of a fallen English soldier, who bore some
resemblance to the Scottish king, was fixed on a spearpoint,
and wavedin triumph by the English,whodeclared
it to be the veritablehead of Davidhimself. The credulous
Scots believed their king had been slain, and fled in
the utmost confusion and dismay, though Davidran from
rank to rank to disprove the report. They were chased
with immense slaughter, and if the English armyhad
been able to have continued the pursuit, scarcely a Scot
would have survived to tell the tale. As it was, the
pursuit was obliged to berelinquished, and the retreating
forces committed, on their return, similar ravages to
those described as theirfirst proceedings on entering the
country.
Thus the famous Battle of the Standard was ended — a
complete victory for the English,and one which, though
the Scots met the English on many a subsequent obstinate
field, kept them long in awe of the might of their
southern foes.