ENGLAND. 
fide of Wales, they gained on that of Scotland ; the 
Wcl(l) maintained their ground, although their chieftain, 
Glendoar, was taken prifoner, while the Scots uniformly 
retreated before the Englilh, and would neither fubmit, 
nor give them battle. 
It was in a (kirmifti between the Scots and the Englifh, 
A. D. 1402, that Archibald earl of Douglas, with many 
of the Scottifli nobility, were taken prifoners by the earl 
of Northumberland, and carried to Alnwick cattle. This 
fuccefs was confidered as of (ignal advantage; but it was 
foon attended with confequences fatal to the vidtors. 
When Renrv received intelligence of this victory, he lent 
the earl orders not to ranfom his prifoners, as he intended 
to detain them, in order to increafe his demands in making 
peace with Scotland. This nietfage was highly refented 
by the earl of Northumberland, who, by the laws of war 
in that age, had a right to the ranfom of whomfoever he 
had taken in battle. The command was dill more irk- 
fome, as lie confidered the king as his debtor, both for 
his fecurity and his crown. Accordingly, thing with this 
fuppofed injury, herefolved to overturn a throne, which 
he had had the chief hand in eftablifhing. A fcheme was 
laid, in which the Scots and Welfli were to unite their 
forces, and to aflift the earl of Northumberland in ele¬ 
vating Mortimer as the true heir to the crown of Eng¬ 
land. When all the tilings were prepared, the earl had 
the mortification to find himfelf unable to head the troops, 
being feized with a fudden illnefs at Berwick. But the 
want of his prefence was well fupplied by his foil Henry 
Percy, furnamed Hotfpur, who took the command of the 
troops, and marched them towards Shrewfbury, in order 
to join his forces with thofe of Glendour, who, fonte time 
before, had been exchanged from prifon, and had now 
advanced with his forces into Shropfliire. Upon the 
jundtionof thefe two armies, they publifhed a manifefto, 
which aggravated their real grievances, and invented 
more. In the mean time, Henry, who had no intelligence 
of their defigns, was greatly furprifed at the news of this 
rebellion. But fortune feemed (till to befriend him : he 
liad a fmall army in readinefs, which he had intended 
againft Scotland ; and, knowing the importance of dif- 
patch, he inftantly marched to Shrewfbury to give the 
rebels battle. 
Upon the approach of the two armies, both tides feemed 
willing to give a colour to their caufe, by (hewing a de- 
fire of reconciliation ; but, when they came to open their 
mutual demands, the treaty was turned into abufe and 
recrimination : on one fide was objedted rebellion and in¬ 
gratitude ; on the other, tyranny and ufurpation. The 
two armies were nearly equal, each confifting of about 
fourteen thoufand men; the animofity was‘inflamed to 
the higheft pitch; and a very bloody engagement enfued, 
in which the generals on both (ides exerted the greateft 
bravery. Henry was feen every where in the thickeft of 
the fight; while his valiant fon, afterwards deftined to be 
the renowned conqueror of France, fought by his father’s 
fide, and, though wounded in the face by an arrow, dill 
kept the field, and performed prodigies of valour. On 
the other fide, the impetuous Hotfpur fupported that re¬ 
nown which he had acquired in fo many arduous engage¬ 
ments, and every where fought out the king as the no- 
bled objedt of his indignation. At lad, however, his 
death, from an unknown hand, decided the vidtory ; 
and the fortune of Henry prevailed. On that bloody 
day, it is faid that no lefs than 2300 gentlemen were (lain, 
and about 6000 private men, of whom two-thirds were 
of Hotfpur’s army. Such was the battle of Shrew'(bury, 
fought July 21, 1403. The earl of Northumberland, 
who had recovered from his indifpofition, was at this cri¬ 
tical junfture advancing with an army to reinforce the 
malcontents, and take upon himfelf the command ; but 
hearing by the way of his fon’s and his brother’s defeat, 
he ditmitfed his troops, and threw himfelf upon the mercy 
of the king. Appearing before Henry, at York, he pre¬ 
607 
tended that his foie intention in arming, was to become 
a mediator between the two parties; and this, though a 
weak apology, feemed to famfy the king. Northumber¬ 
land therefore received a pardon ; Henry probably think¬ 
ing that he was fufficiently punifhed by the lofs of his 
army, and the death of his favourite fon. 
The fuppreffion of one rebellion, however, only feemed 
to give rife to another. The archbilhop of York, who 
had been promoted during the late reign, entered into a 
confederacy with the earl of Nottingham ; and the earl of 
Northumberland, who had been fo lately pardoned, united 
with them to dethrone the king, and fet up Mortimer. 
The infurgents took the field, and publitlied a manifefto, 
in which they reproached Henry with ufurpation, tyran¬ 
ny, and murder ; they required that the rightful heir 
fhould be reftored to the crown, and all grievances re- 
drelFed. The earl of Wefimoreland, who had been fent 
againft them with a very inferior force, demanded a con¬ 
ference, to which they readily confented. The chiefs on 
each fide met at Skip-ton, near York, and, in the prefence 
of both armies, entered upon the fubjedt of their griev¬ 
ances. The archbilhop deplored the nation’s injuries and 
his own ; the earl of Wefimoreland not only allowed the 
juftnefs of his remonftrances, but begged of him to pro- 
pote the remedies. The archbilhop entered upon many 
ftipulations, and the earl granted them all. He now 
therefore entreated, that fince they had nothing more to 
afk or to fear, they would difmifs their forces, and trufi 
to his honour for the performance. His fpecious pro- 
mifes, and pluulible manners, led them to their ruin. 
The infurgents, A.D. 1405, difbanded their troops, while 
he gave private orders that his own army fhould not dif- 
perte till farther notice ; and thus having difqualified 
them for defence, he inftantly feized the archbilhop and 
the earl of Northampton, and carried them to the king. 
The ceremony of a trial was quite unnecelFary to men 
whofe fate was pre-determined ; Scrope archbilhop of 
York was the firft prelate who was capitally punilhed in 
England ; the earl of Nottingham (hared the fame fate ; 
and the earl of Northumberland for fafety retired into 
Scotland ; but he was afterwards (lain by fir Thomas 
Rokefby, flierilT of Yorklhire. 
Thefe advantage's feemed to promife the country fome 
repole from civil war and difeord ; but a new calamity 
now began to appear, which, though fmall at firft, be¬ 
came, in the courfe of ages, of the mod deftrudtive con¬ 
fequences. Since Wicklitfe had pnblilhed his opinions 
in the former reign, his dodtrines met with fo many par- 
tifans, that the clergy began to tremble for their influ¬ 
ence over the minds of the people. They therefore ufed 
all their intereft to bring the king over to their party ; 
who had more than once, in former times, declared him¬ 
felf in favour of the new dodlrine. But at prefent, as he 
was confcious of the weaknefs of his title to the crown, 
he was refolved to make ufe of every expedient to prop 
his pretenfions ; and, among others, that offered him by 
the clergy was by no means to be negledted. He Feemed 
to liften with earneftnefs to their complaints ; and directed 
his parliament to attend to the confervation of the church, 
which he alFerted was then in danger. Flow reluftant fo- 
ever the houfe of commons might have been to profecute 
a fedt, whofe crime at word: was but error of opinion, the 
credit of the court, and the cabals of the clergy, obtained 
an adt for burning obftinate heretics. This ftatute was 
no fooner pafled, than the clergy refolved to (hew that 
it was not hung out as an empty terror. William Saw- 
tre, a follower of Wickliffe, and redtor of St. Olithe’s, 
London, had been condemned by the convocation of Can¬ 
terbury, and was foon after burnt alive, by virtue of the 
king’s writ, delivered to the lord-mayor of London. This 
was the firft martyr that fulfered death in England for 
the fake of religion ; but the fires once kindled were not 
likely to be extinguifhed, while the clergy had the power 
of kindling the flame. They cunningly perceived that a 
' power 
