590 



SCOTLAND. 



Ilwtrtry. deer). In return, the Scots entered England by the 

 v y*' Western Marches, ravaged Cumberland, and besieged 

 Carlisle; and the English, beginning to feel the pres- 

 sure of scarcity, were reduced to retrace their steps, 

 and were allowed to retire unmolested. 



A. D. 1388. An assembly of the Scottish nobles met at Aber- 

 deen, and agreed on an expedition into England, un- 

 der the command of the king's second son Robert, 

 earl of Fife, and the earl of Douglas. The Northum- 

 brian chiefs prepared to make reprisals, and a spy suc- 

 ceeded in gaining admission into the chapel where the 

 Scottish nobles were deliberating upon their intended 

 operations ; but in retiring, was suspected and appre- 

 hended. Douglas on this penetrated into Durham, 

 and pillaged the country to the gates of York. The 

 earl of Northumberland despatched his two sons, Hen- 

 ry, surnamed Hotspur, and Ralph, in quest of the 

 Battle of Scots. They had retreated northward as far as Otter- 

 ouerburn. burn, when they were overtaken by Percy, attended 

 by six hundred lancers and eight thousand infantry, 

 armed with long-bows ; and after an obstinate contest, 

 the English were routed. The defeat was complete : 

 the elder Percy was taken prisoner, and the English 

 were almost all slain or taken. Douglas lived but to 

 hear of his countrymen's success. 



The convention of estates appointed the earl of Fife, 

 the king's second son, to the office of Regent. By 

 consenting to this act, Robert virtually abdicated his 

 throne. A truce for a short time was negotiated be- 

 tween England and France, in which Scotland was 

 included. 



A.D. 1390. Robert died at his castle of Dundonald, in the se- 

 Deh of venty-fifth year of his age, and the nineteenth of his 

 Robert the reign. 



Second, and R (, er t the Third. John, the eldest son of the late 

 Rrbi^ n h f monarc h> assumed the government, but his name being 

 Third. 8 deemed inauspicious, it waschangedto Robert. After his 

 A.i). 1390. coronation at Scone, he intrusted the government to his 

 brother, the earl of Fife ; who, for the first eight years 

 of his reign, succeeded in maintaining peace with Eng- 

 land and France. But to maintain domestic tranquil- 

 lity was a more arduous task. Duncan Stewart, the 

 A.D. 1392. king's nephew, made a descent upon Strathmore, and 

 plundered the country. They were attacked by the 

 sheriff of Angus, assisted by Sir David Lindsay, who 

 were defeated, with the loss of sixty men. 



A.D. 1398. Richard of England was dethroned by the earl of 

 Lancaster, who successfully usurped the English 

 throne. The Scottish borderers availed themselves of 

 the opportunity offered by these domestic troubles, to 

 make an inroad into England ; set fire to the castle of 

 Wark, and wasted the adjacent country. A repeti- 

 tion of similar insults compelled the English monarch 

 A.D. 1100. to deliberate on retaliation; and Henry the Fourth re- 

 solved to send an army intc Scotland, being the last 

 invasion conducted by an English monarch in person. 

 The earl of March, enraged by an insult received from 

 the Scottish government, swore fealty to Henry ; and 

 upon his arriving at the borders, Kenry despatched 

 an order to the Scottish king, the prelates, and the 

 nobles, to meet him at Edinburgh, and pay him ho- 

 mage as lord paramount. In answer to this mandate, 

 the Scots composed a ballad ; and the invaders advan- 

 ced to Edinburgh, and assailed the castle without suc- 

 cess. Albany collected a numerous force, with which 

 he boasted he should drive the invader from the king, 

 com ; but this was followed by no active operations. 

 The moderation and clemency of Henry during this 

 invasion, merit eulogium. The towns that submitted 



A.D. 1402. 



Battle of 

 Homeldon. 



were saved from, plunder ; and no instance of wanton History, 

 cruelty was committed. A threatened insurrection in '^-y-^ 

 England induced the invaders to retire. 



An unhappy difference occurred between the dukes 

 of Albany and Rothsay. Albany, by his intrigues, 

 had alienated the affections of the king from his son ; 

 the queen, however, had the prudence to interpose ; 

 and, to counteract the ambition of Albany, she proposed 

 that the prince should marry. Alarmed at this mea 

 sure, the regent involved the king and the prince in a 

 quarrel with the earl of March. His castle at Dunbar 

 was reduced by Douglas. Being joined by Percy, he 

 made an irruption into Scotland, but was chased by 

 Douglas into England. 



A variety of petty incursions were made into Eng- 

 land with various success. Engaged in crushing a 

 rebellion in Wales, Henry left the protection of the 

 northern counties to the wardens. Of these irrup- 

 tions, that which led to the battle of Homeldon was 

 the most remarkable. The earl of Douglas, assisted 

 by Murdoc, Albany's son, entered England with an 

 army of ten thousand men, and carried devastation to 

 the walls of Newcastle. The earl of Northumberland, 

 his son Hotspur, and the earl of March, collected their 

 vassals, and overtook the Scots at Homeldon hill. The 

 English bow decided the fate of the day. Douglas 

 was taken prisoner, after being severely wounded. 

 Murdoc was also made prisoner, but liberated soon 

 after. 



The remainder of this reign is marked by few 

 important events. During the rebellion in Eng- 

 land, raised by Hotspur, the regent Albany col- 

 lected a numerous army, with the intention of making 

 an irruption into Northumberland. Upon the news of 

 Hotspur's defeat and death, he abandoned the design 

 and dismissed his troops. 



It is probable that a disclosure of Albany's conduct 

 induced the secluded monarch to provide for the safety 

 of his only son, James earl of Carrick. By the ad- 

 vice of Wardlaw, bishop of St. Andrews, the prince 

 was put on board a vessel to be conveyed to France. 

 He had proceeded on his voyage as far as Flambo- 

 rough Head, when he was captured by an English 

 ship, and conveyed to London. He was then only 

 eleven years of age. His father sunk under his mis- 

 fortunes in the seventeenth year of his reign. 



After the king's death, a parliament assembled at 

 Perth ; the title of the captive prince to the sovereign, 

 ty was recognised, and Albany's authority as regent 

 was confirmed. The first acts of his government were 

 a renewal of the treaty with France, and an insincere 

 negotiation for the release of the prince. 



About this time the flames were first kindled in 

 Scotland for burning heretics. James Resby, an Eng- 

 lish priest of the school of Wickliffe, was condemned 

 at Perth by a clerical council, who delivered him over 

 to the secular power. Edward was now more intent 

 upon extending his influence on the continent, than 

 subjugating the Scots. Donald, lord of the Isles, re- 

 ceived a signal defeat at Harlaw ; being compelled to 

 make submissions and deliver hostages for his future 

 observance of peace. A. D. 1 411 



A papal bull which had been drawn up against 

 England by Urban the Fifth, was now promulgated ; 

 threatening with infamy and spiritual punishment, all 

 persons who durst invade Scotland. 



A series of border hostilities marked the weakness 

 of the government, and the turbulent character of the 

 people. Negotiations were again opened for the re. A.D. 1412. 



Capture of 

 James the 

 First, and 

 Death ef 

 Robert. 



A.D. 1406. 



Ecclesiasti- 

 cal troubles. 

 A.D. 1408. 



