Chapter LXII: The Battle of Neville’s Cross

The Queen of England, who was very anxious to defend her kingdom and guard it from all disturbers, in order to show that she was in earnest about it came herself to Newcastle-upon-Tyne. She took up her residence there, to wait for the forces she expected from different parts of the kingdom. The Scots, who were informed that Newcastle was the place of rendezvous of the English army, advanced thither, and sent their vanguard to skirmish near the town; who, on their return, burnt some hamlets adjoining to it. The smoke and flames came into the town, which made the English impatient to sally out upon those who had done this mischief; but their leaders would not permit them. On the morrow the King of Scotland, with full forty thousand men, including all sorts, advanced within three short English miles of Newcastle, and took up his quarters on the land of the Lord Neville. He sent to inform the army in the town, that, if they were willing to come forth, he would wait for them, and give them battle. The barons and prelates of England sent for answer, that they accepted his offer, and would risk their lives with the realm of their lord and king. They sallied out, in number about twelve hundred men at arms, three thousand archers, and seven thousand other men, including the Welsh. The Scots posted themselves opposite to the English, and each army was drawn out in battle-array.

The Queen of England came to the place where her army was, and remained until it was drawn out in four battalions. The first was under the command of the Bishop of Durham and the Lord Percy; the second, under the Archbishop of York and the Lord Neville; the third, under the Bishop of Lincoln and Lord Mowbray; the fourth was commanded by Lord Baliol, governor of Berwick, the Archbishop of Canterbury, and the Lord Roos. Each battalion had its just proportion of men at arms and archers, as was expedient. The queen now advanced among them, and entreated them to do their duty well in defending the honor of their lord and king, and urged them, for the love of God, to fight manfully. They promised her that they would acquit themselves loyally, to the utmost of their power, and perhaps better than if the king had been there in person. The queen then took her leave, and recommended them to the protection of God and St. George. The two armies were soon after in motion, and the archers on each side began to shoot; but those of the Scots did not long continue it, while the English shot incessantly. When the battalions were got into close combat, the engagement was sharp and well fought.

The battle began about nine o’clock, and lasted until noon. The Scots had very hard and sharp axes, with which they dealt deadly blows; but at last the English gained the field, though it cost them dear by the loss of their men. On the part of the Scots, there fell in the field the Earl of Sys, the Earl Dostre, the Earl Patris, the Earl of Furlant, the Earl Dastredure, the Earl of Mar, the Earl John Douglas, Sir Alexander Ramsay who bore the king’s banners, and many other barons, knights, and squires. The King of Scotland was taken prisoner, fighting most gallantly, and badly wounded before he was captured by a squire of Northumberland named John Copeland; who, as soon as he got him, pushed through the crowd, and with eight other companions rode off, and never stopped until he was distant from the field of battle about fifteen miles. He came about vespers to Ogle Castle, on the river Blythe, and there declared that he would not surrender his prisoner, the King of Scotland, to man or woman, except to his lord the King of England. That same day were taken prisoners the Earls of Murray and March, Lord William Douglas, Lord Robert de Wersy, the Bishops of Aberdeen and St. Andrews, and many other barons and knights. There were about fifteen thousand slain, and the remainder saved themselves as well as they could. This battle was fought near Newcastle, in the year 1346, on a Saturday preceding Michaelmas Day.

[The old ballad of “Durham Feilde” sings the battle of Neville’s
Cross described in the foregoing chapter, calling it “Durham Field”
after the Bishop of Durham, who led the English. The poem is
divided into two parts, of which only the second is here given on
account of its length. The First Part relates, in true old-servant
style, how the King of Scotland was informed that the King of
England was gone into France with all his soldiers, leaving none
behind but “Shepherds and millers, And priests with shaven
crowns;” whereupon “the King of Scots in a study stood,” and
resolved to seize such a favorable moment to overrun England in the
absence of its king. He calls together his lords, and in a boastful
mood proceeds to divide out the whole of England among them, as if
he had nothing to do but march forward and take possession.
Presently, however, his army is confronted with “the comminaltye of
litle England;” the King of Scots brags that

“They be but English knaves,
But shepherds and millers both,
And mass priests with their staves;”

and sends his herald to view them. When the herald returns,

“Who leads those lads?” said the King of Scots,
“Thou herald, tell thou me.”
The herald said, “The Bishop of Durham
Is captain of that companye;
For the Bishop hath spread the King’s banner,
And to battell he buskes him boune.”[14]
“I sweare by St. Andrewe’s bones,” saies the King,
“I’ll rapp that priest on the crowne!”

But presently a very different tale is told in