CHAP. XV. 1327. 20th Jan. War with Scotland Captivity of the king of THE violent party, which had taken arms XV. 1327. the Spenfers, whofe former attainder had been с HA г. reverfed by parliament, were now again, in this change of fortune, condemned by the votes of their enemies. A council of regency was likewise appointed by parliament, confifting of twelve perfons; five prelates, the archbishops of Canterbury and York, the bishops of Winchester, Worcester, and Hereford; and feven lay peers, the earls of Norfolk, Kent, and Surrey, and the lords Wake, Ingham, Piercy, and Rofs. The earl of Lancaster was appointed guardian and protector of the king's perfon. But though it was reasonable to expect, that, as the weakness of the former king had given reins to the licentioufnefs of the barons, great domeftic tranquillity would not prevail during the prefent minority; the first disturbance arofe from an invafion by foreign enemies. Scotland. THE king of Scots, declining in years and war with health, but retaining ftill that martial spirit, which had raised his nation from the lowest ebb of fortune, deemed the present opportunity favorable for infefting England. He firft made an attempt on the caftle of Norham, in which he was dif appointed; he then collected an army of 25,000 men on the frontiers, and having given the command to the earl of Murray and lord Douglas, threatened an incurfion into the northern counties. The English regency, after trying in vain every expedient to restore peace with Scotland, made vigorous preparations for war; and befides affembling an English army of near fixty thousand 1327: CHAP. men, they invited back John Hainault, and fome XV foreign cavalry, whom they had difmiffed, and whofe difcipline and arms had appeared fuperior to thofe of their own country. Young Edward himfelf, burning with a paffion for military fame, appeared at the head of thefe numerous forces; and marched from Durham, the appointed place of rendezvous, in queft of the enemy, who had already broken into the frontiers, and were laying every thing wafte around them. MURRAY and Douglas were the two moft celebrated warriors, bred in the long hoftilities between the Scots and English; and their forces, trained in the fame fchool, and inured to hardfbips, fatigues, and dangers, were perfectly qualified, by their habits and manner of life, for that defultory and deftructive war, which they carried into England. Except a body of about 4000 cavalry, well armed, and fit to make a fteady impreffion in battle, the rest of the army were light-armed troops, mounted on fmall horfes, which found fubfiftence every where, and carried them with rapid and unexpected marches, whether they meant to commit depredations on the peaceable inhabitants, or to attack an armed enemy, or to retreat into their own country. Their whole equipage confifted of a bag of oat-meal, which, as a fupply in cafe of neceflity, each foldier carried behind him; together with a light plate of iron, on which he inftantly baked the meal into a cake, in the open fields But his chief fubfiftence was the cattle which he feized; and his cookery was as expedi XV. 1327. tious as all his other operations. After fleaing CHA P. the animal, he placed the skin, loose and hanging in the form of a bag, upon fome ftakes; he poured water into it, kindled a fire below, and thus made it ferve as a caldron for the boiling of his victuals". THE chief difficulty which Edward met with, after compofing fome dangerous frays, which broke out between his foreign forces and the Englifh', was to come up with an army so rapid in its marches, and fo little incumbered in its motions. Though the flame and fmoke of burning. villages directed him fufficiently to the place of their encampment, he found, upon hurrying thither, that they had already diflodged; and he foon discovered, by new marks of devastation, that they had removed to fome diftant quarter. After haraffing his army during fome time in this fruitless chase, he advanced northwards, and crof fed the Tyne, with a resolution of awaiting them on their return homewards, and taking vengeance for all their depredations. But that whole country was already so much wasted by their frequent incurfions, that it could not afford fubfiftence to his army; and he was obliged again to return fouthwards, and change his plan of operations.. He had now loft all track of the enemy; and though he promised the reward of a hundred pounds a year to any one who should bring him 2 Froiffard, liv. iv. chap. 18. CHA P. an account of their motions, he remained unac. XV. 1327. tive fome days, before he received any intelligence of them'. He found at last, that they had fixed their camp on the fouthern banks of the Were, as if they intended to await a battle; but their prudent leaders had chosen the ground with fuch judgment, that the English, on their approach, faw it impracticable, without temerity, to cross the river in their front, and attack them in their prefent fituation. Edward, impatient for revenge and glory, here fent them a defiance, and challenged them, if they dared, to meet him in an equal field, and try the fortune of arms. The bold fpirit of Douglas could ill brook this bravado, and he advifed the acceptance of the challenge; but he was over-ruled by Murray, who replied to Edward, that he never took the counfel of an enemy in any of his operations. The king, therefore, kept still his pofition oppofite to the Scots; and daily expected, that neceffity would oblige them to change their quarters, and give him an opportunity of overwhelming them with fuperior forces. After a few days, they fuddenly decamped, and marched farther up the river; but ftill pofted themselves in fuch a manner as to preferve the advantage of the ground, if the enemy fhould venture to attack them. Edward infifted, that all hazards should be run, rather than allow these ravagers to escape Rymer, vol. iv. p. 312. Froiffard. liv. iv. chap. 19. 6 Ibid. |