That the Scots were formidable opponents during the Middle Ages is borne out by the very discerning opinion of the archer in Conan Doyle's book, "The White Company": "I have heard that the Scots are good men of war," said Hordle John. "For axemen and for spearmen I have not seen their match," the archer answered. "On the other hand, they are the sorriest archers that I have ever seen, and cannot so much as aim with the arbalest, to say nought of the longbow. Again, they are mostly poor foot, even the nobles among them, so that there are few who can buy as good a brigadine of chain mail as that which I am wearing, and it is ill for them to stand up against our own knights, who carry the price of five Scotch farms upon their chests and shoulders. Man for man, with equal weapons, they are as worthy and valiant men as could be found in the whole of Christendom." Back to Table of Contents -- Wargamer's Newsletter # 122 To Wargamer's Newsletter List of Issues To MagWeb Master Magazine List © Copyright 1972 by Donald Featherstone. This article appears in MagWeb.com (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web. Other articles from military history and related magazines are available at http://www.magweb.com