emselves for the worst. "This young lord haisted
him to his armour, and caused his friends and servants to do the same,
and went right peartlie to the gate, and stood above the Nether Bow in
arrayed battle." The other party, when they were made aware that the
Douglases were standing on their defence, came rushing together from
kirk and market, hastily assembling without discipline or order, to find
the little mail-clad line arranged in the strongest way against the
background of the houses, where, no doubt, every shopkeeper had rushed
to his bolts and bars, and every door clanged to in view of the sudden
tumult. Sir Walter has given us in _The Abbot_ a glimpse more
picturesque and graphic than any we can attempt, of the sudden scuffle
in the street between two passing groups, the armed attendants more
dangerous and less prudent than their masters, whose strife as to which
was to hold the centre of the street was enough to produce at once an
encounter of arms ending in blood, and death for some of the band. The
struggle known by the name of "Clear the Causeway" was more important,
yet of a similar kind. Angus and his five hundred spears--in reality a
much greater number since each spear was accompanied by certain
men-at-arms--had much the advantage of the other party, hurriedly roused
from their occupations, who had expected to make an easy end of the
Douglases, thus betrayed into a sort of ambush in a hostile city, where
no man would lift a hand to help them. But the tables were completely
turned upon the Hamiltons and their supporters, when rushing "out of
their lodging rudlie to the gait in ane furious rage," the peaceable
driven forward by the taunts of the others, they found Angus and his
spears in full array of battle. "When the Earl of Angus saw them coming,
and perceaved Sir Patrick Hamilton foremost, and with him the Maister of
Montgomerie, and saw them in sic ane furie, he knew well there was
nothing but fighting, and cryed to his men to save Sir Patrick Hamilton
if they might; but he came so far before the rest that he was slain
hastilie, and with him the Maister of Montgomerie, with sundry other
gentlemen, to the number of twelve score and twelve persons." The end of
the fray, which was "foughten very hardilie on both sides ane long
space," was that Arran's men were driven down the side of the hill
through the narrow wynds that led from the High Street towards the wall,
and thence made their way out through som