James IV entreated his brother-in-law Henry VIII not to attack the Scots’ ally, France, but when he refused to listen, scoffing that ‘I am the very owner of Scotland’, James felt obliged to fight. His army met the English at Flodden, near the Scottish border. Despite their sophisticated weaponry and the weary state of the English, the Scots were annihilated, James among them. For this some blame the Scots’ long spears which were useless when pitted against the shorter English bill, which could simply chop them to pieces, thus reducing them to hand-to-hand conflict in which, since they were kept at a distance by the English weapons, the Scottish soldiers had no chance. Thomas Ruthall, Bishop of Durham, who was present, wrote shortly afterwards to Thomas Wolsey with this account of the conflict.
On the 9th day of this present month, after a terrible battle the King of Scots, with most of the lords and nobles of his realm, were vanquished and overthrown and slain. During this battle my Lord Treasurer like a noble, brave and powerful captain, by his great wisdom, boldness and experience, and with the assistance, good conduct and vigour of his son the Lord Howard, Admiral of England, acquitted himself so well that for this most famous act his realm and subjects deserved as much praise, renown and gratitude as ever any nobleman did. All the more so considering that the number of their enemy was far greater than the King’s army, and also considering the great number of awesome large weapons, 17 in all, besides many other small pieces. And not forgetting the strength of the Scots, being as well furnished with armour, weapons and other equipment of war as ever men were, with their abundance of food, wines of all sorts, bread, beer and ale, tents and pavilions far beyond ours, which had to be seen and tasted to be believed, as they were by our people, which greatly refreshed them.
And compare the courage and swift attack of the Scots with the discomfort and feebleness of our people who were low on food and had had nothing to drink except water for three days and not much of that, and with the great pain and hard work that they endured in going 8 miles that day on foot by dangerous and painful ways over hills and dales and yet, most dangerous of all, in ascending and climbing high and steep hills to meet and give battle to the King of Scots, who was camped there with his weapons set to his best advantage and to the annoyance of our army.
And since the Scots had possession of the hill, the wind and the sun were with them against our people; considering these impediments, dangers and perils, it is to be thought that this victory came more from the hand of God, with the help of the glorious Confessor Saint Cuthbert, than by any strength or power of men, although after such pain and labour they did not lack courage, strength and heart, as was plain from their actions.
For as well as the King of Scots, all the lords of Scotland, except for five, and the most part of the noblemen of Scotland which that day died, there were 10 thousand Scots killed, and as some of them affirm they do not have 15 thousand in the whole country.
The said Scots were so heavily defended, with complete armour, coats of mail, shields, and other equipment that arrows could not harm them, and when it came to hand-to-hand blows of bills and halberds they were so mighty, large, strong and great men that they would not fall when 4 or 5 bills struck on one of them at once; yet even so our bills quietened them very well and did more good that day than bows for they soon deprived the Scots of their long spears in which they put their greatest trust, and when they came to hand-to-hand combat, though the Scots fought hard and bravely with their swords, they could not fend off the bills that rained so thick and fast upon them.
That day there were many good and dutiful captains who played their parts well, yet the Lord Howard was the first attacker and energetically led the vanguard of our army to whom Saint Cuthbert’s banner was joined with the whole retinue of the bishopric; and even though the Scots had the greatest disrespect for the banner and set fearlessly upon it, yet by the grace of God, the assistance of Saint Cuthbert and the courage of the captains and others under the banner, they gained no advantage but instead suffered great loss and damage of their people, and yet few or none who had been under the banner were killed, although many were hurt. So it is that with great honour Saint Cuthbert’s banner is returned again to his church, bringing with it the King of Scots’ banner for which a memorial now stands beside the shrine there. And the said King was not far from his banner when he was killed.
And as well as this, all the great weaponry of Scotland were taken and are at Berwick, with several prisoners, but not many, for our people, intending to make all things certain, took little notice of taking prisoners, but disposed of all that came to hand, both King, bishops, lords, knights, nobles, or whoever else, who were no sooner killed than immediately stripped of their armour and clothes and left lying naked in the field where men might have seen a remarkable number of well-off, well fed and fat men, among whom the King of Scots’ body was found, with many wounds and naked, and was brought to my Lord Treasurer, who was in Berwick, in whose keeping the same body still is.
And yet when our captains and people had thus acquitted themselves so well, they were hugely annoyed, for while away from their tents and occupied with the Scots, all their goods, horses and belongings were stolen. But whether this was done by Scots or by Borderers, I cannot say, but the rumour is that the borderers did their worst. I pray God makes amends for as a result of this treatment our people were more discouraged on leaving than by all the harm done to them by the Scots, and such treatment has, and shall, make them less willing to return there again if required.
[modified version, see Appendix I, p. 435]