ENGLAND. 
0>2 
as were mod likely to inflame their ambition, in cafe they 
fell upon Louis on their refpedfive quarters; while he 
undertook himfelf to make war againlt him in Italy. 
Henry, who had no other motives than military renown, 
and tire vanity of receiving the title of the Mod Chridian 
King, which the pope allured him would foon be wreded 
from Louis, to be conferred upon him, readily undertook 
to defend his cattfe ; and his parliament as readily granted 
iupplies for a purpofe fo congenial to the minds of the 
people. The fpirit of chivalry and foreign conqued was 
not yet extinguiflied in England; the kingdom of France 
was dill an objeft they defired to poflefs, and Henry, in 
compliance with their vvifhes, gave out that he intended 
flriking for the crown. It was in vain that the old pru¬ 
dent counfeilors of his deceafed father objected, or con¬ 
tended that conqueds on the continent would only drain 
the kingdom, without enriching it: the young king, 
deaf to all remondrances, refolved to undertake the war. 
The marquis of Dorfet was fil'd fent over, with a large 
body of forces, to Fontarabia, to aflid the operations of 
Ferdinand ; but that faithlefs and crafty monarch had no 
intentions of effectually feconding.their attempts, where¬ 
fore they were obliged to return in difgrace. 
A confiderable fleet was next equipped, to annoy the 
enemy by fea, and the command given to fir Edward 
Howard ; who, after fcouring the Channel, prefenied 
himfelf before Bred, where the French navy lay, and 
challenged them to battle. But they determined to wait 
for a reinforcement, which they expedited, under the com¬ 
mand of Prejeant de BidouX, from the Mediterranean. 
But in this the gallant Howard was refolved to difappoint 
them ; and, upon the appearance of Prejeant with fix gal- 
lies, who had time to take refuge behind fome batteries 
ereCted on the rocks, he boldly rowed up with two gallies, 
followed by barges filled with officers of diftindtion. Upon 
coming up to Prejeant’s (hip, he immediately fadened 
upon it, and leaped on board, followed by Carroz, a 
Spanifli cavalier, and feventeen Englifiimen. The cable, 
mean while, which fadened both (hips together, was cut 
by the enemy, and the admiral was thus left in the hands 
of the French ; but as he dill continued to fight with 
great gallantry, he was pufhed overboard by their pikes, 
and perifhed in the fea. Upon this misfortune the fleet 
retired from before Bred. This repulfe, however, only 
ferved to inflame the king’s ardour for war; and he fent 
a body of eight thoufand men to Calais, under the com¬ 
mand of the earl of Shrewlbury ; and another body of fix 
thoufand, under the conduCt of lord Herbert. He alio 
embarked himfelf with the main body and rear, and ar¬ 
rived at Cal'ais, attended by numbers of the Englifli 
nobility. But he foon had an attendant, who did him 
dill greater honour. This was no lefs a perfonage than 
Maximilian, emperor of Germany, who had Aipulated to 
aflid him with eight thoufand men, but, being unable to 
perform his engagements, he joined the Englifli army 
with fome German and Flemifh foldiers, who were ufeful 
> in giving an example of difcipline to Henry’s new-levied 
foldiers. He even enlided himfelf in the Englifli lervice, 
wore the cfiofs of St. George, and received pay, ioo 
crowns per day, as one of Henry’s fubjedts and captains. 
Henry being now at the head of fifty thoufand men, 
France began to tremble for her fafety. But that king¬ 
dom was not threatened by the Englifli alone; the Swifs, 
on another quarter, with twenty-five thoufand men, were 
preparing to invade it ; while Ferdinand of Arragon, 
whom no treaties could bind, was only waiting a conve¬ 
nient opportunity for an attack on his fide. Never was 
the French monarchy in a more diftrefled fituation ; but 
the errors of its aflailants provided for its fafety. The 
Swifs entered into a truce with Trimouille, the French 
general, who gave them their own terms, fatisfied that 
his milder would refcind them all, as not having given 
him any powers to treat; Ferdinand continued to re¬ 
main a quiet fpeitator, vainly waiting for fome effectual 
blow to be (truck by his allies; and Henry (pent His 
time in befieging towns, which could neither fecure his 
conqueds, nor advance his reputation. The firfl of tliefe 
was Terouenne, on the frontiers of Picardy. The be- 
fieged, falling fliort of provifions, a bold and defperate 
attempt was made to fupply them, which fucceeded. 
A French captain, wliofe name was Fontrailles, led up 
a body of eighteen hundred cavalry, each of whom carried 
a bag of gunpowder and two quarters of bacon behind 
him. With this fmall force he made a fierce and unex¬ 
pected irruption through the Englilh camp ; and, fur¬ 
mounting all refiflance, advanced to the gates of the 
town, where each horfeman delivered his burthen. 
Then returning upon the gallop, they were again fo for¬ 
tunate as to break through the Englifli without much 
lofs in the' undertaking. But the party of cavalry fent 
to cover their retreat, was not fo fortunate : though this 
body of troops was commanded by the bolded and braved 
officers of the French army, yet on fight of the Englilh 
they were fiezed with an unaccountable panic, and im¬ 
mediately fled ; but, fome of their bed officers were 
taken. This aCtion was called by the French, the battle 
of Guinegate, from the place where it was fought ; but, 
by the Englifli, the battle of the Spurs ; as the French, 
on that day, made more ufe of their Spurs, than of their 
fwords. 
After this victory, which might have been followed 
with very important advantages, had the Englifli army 
marched forward to Paris ; Henry was perfuaded to lay 
fiege to Tournay, a city of Flanders, at that time in the 
hands-of the French. This fiege, though fliort, yet when 
addeci to the red, contributed (till to retard the great ob- 
jeCt, which was the conqued of France; and Henry hear¬ 
ing that the Swifs had returned home, and being eluted 
with thefe petty fuccefles, refolved to tranfpoi’t his army 
back to England, where flattery was put to the torture 
to make him happy in the glory of his befieging expedi¬ 
tion. A truce was concluded foon after between the 
belligerent powers; and Henry continued to diflipate, in 
more peaceful follies, thofe immenfe funis which had 
been amafled by his predecefl’or for very different pur- 
pofes. 
The fuccefs which, during his foreign expedition, at¬ 
tended his arms in the North of England, was much more 
important and decifive. A war having been declared 
between the Englifli and Scots, the king of that country 
fummoned out the whole force of his kingdom; and, 
having pafled the Tweed with a body of fifty thoufand 
men, ravaged thofe parts of Northumberland which lay 
along the banks of that river. But as his forces were 
numerous, and the country barren of provifions, his men 
deferted, and many returned to their native country. In 
the mean time the earl of Surrey, at the head of twenty- 
fix thoufand men, came up with the Scots, who were en¬ 
camped at the foot of the Cheviot hills. The river Till 
ran between the two armies, and prevented an engage¬ 
ment ; wherefore the earl of Surrey fent a herald to ti e 
Scots’ camp, challenging the enemy to defeend into the 
plain, which lay to the iouth, and there to try their va¬ 
lour on equal ground. This offer not being accepted, he 
made a feint, as if he intended to march for Berwick; 
which putting the Scots in motion to annoy his rear, he 
took advantage of a great fmoke caufed by the firing their 
huts, and forded the river which had hitherto prevented 
the engagement. Both armies now approaching each 
other, they prepared for battle with great compofure and 
magnanimity. The Englifli divided their army into two 
lines; lord Howard led the main body of the firff line; 
fir Edmund Howard the right wing, and fir Martnaduke 
Conflable the left ; the earl of Surrey himfelf commanded 
the centre of the fecond line, affided by lord Dacres and 
fir Edward Stanley on the right and left. The Scots 
drew’ up in three divifions; the middle commanded by 
the king in perfon ; the right by the earl of Huntley, and 
the left by the earls of Lenox and Argyle ; a battalion 
under the earl of Bothwell, formed a body of referve. 
Lord 
