S COT LAND. 
841 
nephew’s government, he found it necessary to seek safety 
for a short time in Scotland, where he was hospitably re¬ 
ceived. On his return, the Scots having assaulted the castle 
ofWerk, he was again dispatched to demand reparation, 
and to treat for a general peace. Conferences were accord¬ 
ingly held with the earl of Carrick, but nothing definite 
was agreed to. Indeed the continuance of peace appears 
not to have been the wish of the Scottish monarch, for he 
soon after renewed the ancient league with France, and com¬ 
menced hostilities by taking the castle of Lochmaben. On 
this the duke advanced as far as Edinburgh, whence he was 
obliged to return to Berwick, without having gained any ad- 
vantage. The Scots again became the aggressors, and had 
laid waste the country as far as Newcastle, when the con¬ 
clusion of a new truce put an end, for a time, to regular hos¬ 
tilities. The border wars, however, still raged, and the town 
of Berwick was taken by the Scots, but was given up again 
tin payment of 2000 marks. 
On the expiration of the truce, Robert, who had received 
considerable supplies from France, prepared to invade Eng¬ 
land, and create a diversion in the north, while a French 
army should land in the south. But in the interim the French 
king was obliged to abandon the intended descent upon Eng¬ 
land, and hence Robert was left to contend, single-handed, 
against the undivided force of that powerful monarchy. 
Richard marched into Scotland at the head of 60,000 men. 
The Scottish king wisely refused to risk a general action, 
(though strongly urged to do so by the officer commanding 
the French auxiliaries), contenting himself by harassing the 
enemy by frequent attacks, till they were forced to retreat 
within their own territories. After this, the earl of Douglas 
invaded Ireland and the Isle of Man, whence he returned 
with immense booty. Robert, elated by these succeses, re¬ 
solved to attempt an invasion of England on a grand scale. 
Accordingly a powerful army entered Northumberland, and 
laid siege to Newcastle, which was defended by Henry 
Percy, surnamed Hotspur. This nobleman challenged 
Douglas, the Scottish general, to meet him in single combat, 
and the challenge having been accepted, a contest took place 
in sight of both armies, and terminated in the overthrow of 
Hotspur. Next day Douglas ordered a general assault, but 
was unsuccessful; and as the English had received reinforce¬ 
ments during the night, he deemed it prudent to retire 
towards Scotland. Percy, eager to wipe off the disgrace of 
his personal defeat, pursued, and came up with the Scots at 
Otterburn, where a battle was fought by the light of the 
moon, and is represented by historians as the most obstinately 
contested of any that occurred in that age. Earl Percy, and 
above a hundred persons of distinction, were made prisoners, 
and contributed, by their ransoms, to enrich their conquerors. 
Scarcely was this battle finished, when another English army 
appeared in view, underthe orders of the bishop of Durham. 
The Scots, notwithstanding their fatigued state, resolved to 
venture a second contest, and nobly disdaining the customary 
barbarity of putting their prisoners to death, (though nearly 
as numerous as their whole army,) drew up in martial array, 
having simply required them to give their word of honour 
that they would not interfere in the action. The bishop, 
who imagined the Scots would fly at his approach, perceiving 
their bold attitude, thought it more advisable to retreat than 
to hazard the destruction of his army. The Scots hence¬ 
forth continued their march unmolested; and in testimony 
of the honourable conduct of their prisoners, they dismissed 
all those of inferior rank without ransom, and accepted 
obligations from their superiors, all of which were punctually 
fulfilled; examples of honour and generosity worthy of the 
most enlightened period of society. 
In the year 1389 a treaty was concluded between the kings 
of England and France, to which the Scots were invited to 
accede; but as the earl of March and the lord of the Isles 
were admitted as parties, great opposition was manifested to 
it by the nobles, who considered both these noblemen as 
subjects of the Scottish monarchy, and therefore not en¬ 
titled to treat as independent persons. The king, however, 
inclined to peace, and after some explanations on the part of 
Vol. XXII. No. 1544. 
the French and English ambassadors, the nobles were induced 
to give a reluctant consent to the termination of hostilities for 
three years. Robert died soon afterwards, oppressed with 
grief and age, April 11th, 1390, and was succeeded by his 
eldest son, John, earl of Carrick, who assumed the title of 
Robert III. In earlier life he had commanded armies, and 
negociated treaties, with ability and success, but he had 
lived for some time in retirement. Now that he was called 
to the throne, he committed the direction of public affairs to 
his brother, the earl of Fife, by whose advice he confirmed 
the late truce, and renewed the ancient league with France. 
In this reign a violent feud broke out between the clans 
Chattan and Kay, which raged for nearly three years with 
the most ruthless fury. The earl of Crawford was sent to 
restore peace ; but fearing that the employment of force 
might cause an union against the government, he had re¬ 
course to the following expedient, which serves to illustrate 
the character of the Highlanders, and the general state of 
society in that age. He proposed that their quarrel should 
be decided by thirty champions from each clan, who should 
fight with the sword only, in presence of the king and his 
court. The proposal, being perfectly agreeable to the spirit 
of the feudal laws, was sanctioned by both parties. A level 
spot near Perth was fixed upon for the scene of action, but 
when the combatants were mustered, it was found that one 
of them, belonging to clan Chattan, had failed to appear. 
In this difficulty it was suggested that one of elan Kay 
should be withdrawn, but all of them refused to relinquish 
the honour and danger of the combat. Various other ex¬ 
pedients were started with no better success. At length 
Henry Wynd, a smith, no ways connected with either clan, 
offered to supply the place of the absentee, and his offer 
was accepted. The champions on both sides now joined 
battle, and after a contest probably unparalleled for its fury, 
victory declared for clan Chattan, principally owing to the 
superior heroism of Wynd, who with ten of his comrades, 
all desperately wounded, alone survived the contest. Of 
clan Kay, one only was left alive, who, being unhurt, threw 
himself into the Tay and escaped. This singular combat 
happened in the year 1396 : and in 1398, as the truce with 
England had nearly expired, it was prolonged, and several 
regulations were made tending to preserve the peace of the 
borders. In the same year the title of duke was first intro¬ 
duced into Scotland, by the elevation of the king’s eldest 
son David to the dukedom of Rothsay ; and of his own 
brother, the earl of Fife, to the dukedom of Albany. A 
custom also began to prevail in the border treaties, of naming 
cautioners, who acted as conservators of the peace, and were 
a kind of attorneys for their fellow subjects, in all matters 
cognizable in the border courts, which had been lately esta¬ 
blished on both sides. These regulations are justly consi¬ 
dered as important steps in the progressive civilization of the 
two kingdoms. 
The events of the year 1401 were the most disastrous in 
themselves, and in their consequences, which ever occurred 
to Scotland. The death of earl Douglas was followed by 
those of William Trail, archbishop of St. Andrews, a pre¬ 
late of great weight; and queen Annabella, a woman of ex¬ 
emplary virtue and prudence. This princess, by her influence, 
had conciliated the jealousies of several branches of the royal 
family, and in particular had restrained the impetuous temper 
of the duke of Rothsay, the heir apparent to the throne, 
who was barbarously murdered soon after by the duke of 
Albany. The truce with England being now expired, war 
was renewed on the borders, and a severe action was fought 
at Western-Nisbet, in which the Scots were defeated. So 
strongly contested was this battle, that it is affirmed that few 
of either army escaped unhurt. It was succeeded in the 
year following by another combat, fought between the 
troops of Henry Hotspur and Douglas, at Homeldon, where 
the English were again victorious, and numbered among 
their prisoners the earls of Douglas, Fife, Angus, Murray, 
lords Montgomery, Erskine, Graham and Orkney, eighty 
knights, and about 10,000 gentlemen and private soldiers. 
This battle, so immediately disastrous to Scotland, proved in 
10 E its 
