CHAPTER XII. SEA-FIGHT, 1378-OTTERBURNE, OR CHEVY CHASE, 1388. SEA-FIGHT IN THE CHANNEL. AFTER the accession of the Black Prince's son to the throne, as Richard II., the naval affairs of England were so much neglected that most of the towns along the coast of the Channel were pillaged ships of war plundered the merchants of England, and made repeated descents upon her coast; and not unfrequently her ships, when at anchor or in harbour, were cut out in sight of the people. The commerce of England suffered severely from these and burned by the French. At length a little fleet was fitted out, under Richard Fitzalan, Earl of Arundel, and William de Montacute, Earl of Salisbury, with orders to take possession of Cherbourg, which the King of Navarre had promised to deliver to the English. On the sea they were attacked by the Spaniards, who still resented the battle of Najera, but were beaten off; and the two earls put a garrison into Cherbourg, thus giving England an opening into Normandy, as Calais did into Picardy. The late King Edward III. had bitterly repented in his latter years the neglect of naval affairs. During the long-continued hostility with Scotland that marked the reign of David II., the Scottish attacks; and Tytler quotes from "Rotuli Scotia" a remarkable order addressed by Edward III. to his admirals and naval captains, complaining in bitter terms "of their pusillanimous conduct in permitting the united fleets of the Scots, French, and Flemings to capture and destroy the ships of England in the very sight of his own navy." While the two earls were with the fleet at Cherbourg, an opulent Scottish merchant, named John Mercer, who resided in France, and was greatly esteemed by Charles the Wise, had been captured on the sea by some Northumbrians, and carried prisoner into Scarborough. In revenge for this, his son, a bold and enterprising mariner, fitted out a fleet of Scottish, French, and Castilian ships, with and situated at the base of the Cheviot Mountains, which he attacked and burned Scarborough, and was the next trysting-place; and there on a day carried off the ships that lay there. Thence he in the middle of August, 1388, came the Earls sailed to the Channel, the coast of which he con- of Douglas, Moray, and Fife, Sir James Lindesay, tinued to scour with impunity, and captured many of Crawford, and other barons, with a following of richly-laden prizes bound for London, thereby 1,200 men-at-arms and 40,000 infantry. On the inflicting great damage upon English commerce. other side of the border, the English lords, who by The losses he occasioned the merchants, caused minstrels and heralds-alike privileged spies-had loud complaints against the Duke of Lancaster, been duly informed of this unexpected muster (the who had undertaken to protect England by sea, largest Scotland had seen for some years), were far but as yet had failed to do so. from being idle, and began to prepare for resistance, and actually dispatched a gentleman to Yetholm to discover the objects and strength of the Scots. This gentleman, or squire, as Froissard calls him, disguised as a groom, had the hardihood to enter the church where the Scottish chiefs were holding council, and learned the whole of their plans; but when he returned to the place where he had left his horse tied to a tree, he found that it had been stolen, and, afraid to make any inquiries concerning it, he set off towards England on foot (Buchanan says, "in his boots, spurs, and riding-suit"), but this very caution led to his detection. At length John Philpot, a wealthy and publicspirited merchant of London, on his own responsibility, fitted out a squadron of vessels, put 1,000 soldiers on board, and sailed in quest of Mercer. After a little time he came up with him in the Channel, and a severe battle ensued, of which Walsingham gives us no other details than that Philpot proved victorious, and took all Mercer's fleet, together with many of the prizes he had captured. The Scottish mariner was brought in triumph to London, where the victor obtained the applause of the people; but the Regents resented that a private individual should have undertaken such an expedition without their consent. The patriotic Philpot, however, made so able a defence of himself "that he was dismissed without further trouble." The naval power of England remained at the same low ebb during the reigns of Richard II. and Henry IV.; and hence it is that in the annals of those times we read of repeated projects of invasion by the French, and of constant depredations on the coast of England by their squadrons. OTTERBURNE, OR CHEVY CHASE. A projected attack on England by land and sea from France and Scotland ended only in drawing an English army into the latter country, with fire and sword, as far as Perth and Dundee; and after some ten years of war and ravage, with alternate truces and negotiations, was fought the battle of Otterburne, perhaps one of the most splendid encounters in the annals of chivalry. England was now rent, as Scotland had so often been, by internal dissensions, the result of weakness in the unfortunate Richard II., and the ambition of his nobles; hence the Scottish barons of King Robert II. deemed the opportunity most favourable to retaliate upon her for past injuries. A preliminary meeting was held by them at Jedburgh; and having there made all their arrangements, they appointed a muster-place, and keeping all their plans secret from the king and his councillors, they separated, each to prepare his vassals and followers. The village of Yetholm, not far from Jedburgh, "I have witnessed many wonderful things," said a Scottish knight to a friend, as they stood at the church door, "but what I now see surpasses any. Yonder man has lost his horse, and yet makes no inquiry about it. On my troth, I doubt much if he belongs to us. Let us after him, and see whether I am right or not." : His confused and contradictory answers confirmed their suspicions; he was made a prisoner, interrogated, and threatened with instant death if he failed to reveal the intentions and force of his countrymen and from his confession the Scottish leaders learned that the English did not yet deem their troops numerous enough for battle; but had resolved to await the inroad of the Scots, and then to make a counter-invasion of Scotland. "Should you march through Cumberland," added the unlucky spy, "they will take the road through Berwick to Dunbar and Edinburgh; should you take the other way, then they will march by Carlisle, and enter your country by these mountains." The Scottish nobles were in the highest spirits at this intelligence, says Froissard, "and considered their success as certain now that they knew the disposition of the enemy. They held council as to their mode of procedure, and the wisest and most accustomed to arms, such as Sir Archibald Douglas, the Earl of Fife, Sir Alexander Ramsay, Sir John Sinclair, and Sir James Lindesay, were the speakers ;" and, to frustrate the object of the English, it was resolved to cross the border in two divisions, by the Eastern and Western Marches. Accordingly one division, the largest, led by the Earl of Fife, the king's second son, and others, began to march through Liddesdale towards Carlisle, while the other, and smallest, consisting of 300 men-at-arms and 2,000 infantry, led by the young and fiery Earl of Douglas-the rival of Piercy-by a swift and rapid march, pushed on through Northumberland without molesting the inhabitants; but as soon as the bishopric of Durham was reached the plundering began, and the smoke of the blazing villages acquainted the English leaders that the Scots had crossed the border. Douglas was permitted to ravage the whole of that beautiful and populous district without opposition, as the English supposed that he was but the vanguard of the entire army. After destroying the country to the gates of Durham, Douglas returned by the way of Newcastle, which was garrisoned by the brave Sir Henry Piercy, surnamed Hotspur. His force was too slender to attack Douglas in the field; but the English knights frequently dashed out from their defences to break a lance with the Scottish, and many noble deeds of chivalry were there done. In one of these hostile meetings, Douglas and Hotspur encountered hand to hand. After a long combat-for in arms, strength, and almost in years, they were equal-the latter was discomfited, and his lance with its silken pennon was wrested from him. Raising himself in his stirrups, Douglas shook it triumphantly aloft, exclaiming 69 often encircled by a band or fillet of ermine, or border of beautiful workmanship. Milan was now the grand emporium for equipping the chivalry of Europe. Heraldic crests on the helmet are said to have not been generally used in Scotland for a hundred years after they were worn in England by all men of rank; and they excited surprise in the Scots in the very year of Otterburne. In 1385 the Scottish Parliament ordained that every Scottish and French soldier in their service should wear a white St. Andrew's cross on his breast and back, which, if his surcoat was white, was to be embroidered on a division of black cloth. According to a book called the "Lamp of Lothian," the armour of Douglas and his squire took a year to temper and make. Henry Piercy was born in 1366, and was now in his twenty-second year. Douglas was older, as Froissard, who, about the year named, spent fifteen days at the castle of Dalkeith, speaks of him as "a promising youth.” Piercy's evident desire to attack Douglas that night, and regain his lance with its pennon, was overruled by the English leaders, who were still under the impression that the whole army of the Scottish barons was close at hand, and that the earl sought to draw them into an ambush. Douglas waited some time, expecting an attack; and then resuming his homeward march, after destroying the tower of Ponteland, he arrived on the second day at the hamlet of Otterburne, in Redesdale, about thirty miles from Newcastle. There he halted, for the double purpose of reducing a strong castle which stood there, and of giving Hotspur an "By heaven, Earl of Douglas," cried Piercy, opportunity for regaining his lance, especially as "thou shalt not even bear it out of Northumber- the latter had now mustered a far superior force. land! Thou shalt never have my pennon in Scot- Douglas pitched his camp on the banks of the Reed land to brag of." Water. A marsh flanked him on one side, on the "Well,” replied Douglas, "your pennon shall other was a small hill covered by leafy timber; in this night be placed before the door of my tent-his front he placed all his wagons and carts, sumpter come and take it if you can." "I shall carry this to Scotland, and place it on the highest tower of my castle of Dalkeith, so that it may be seen from afar." Such was the defiance that led to the battle of Otterburne, better known in song and story as "the battle of Chevy Chase;" for Douglas continued his march up the Tyne, and when he encamped at night he stuck the lance of Hotspur in the ground before his tent, never doubting that its gallant owner would come to redeem his pledge. The armour of this period partook of the extravagant modes of the age. Plate was soon so completely worn that the gussets of chain at the joints and the chain apron were all that remained of the old mail of the tenth century. The jupon and military girdle were still worn, and visored bascinets were sometimes used, with the ventaille fashioned like the beak of a bird; while the bascinet itself was horses, and so forth, in charge of the sutlers and drivers, to guard against surprise. Having spent the day in skirmishing with the people in the castle, the Scots retired to their camp; while Hotspur, having now discovered that the forces of his rival in arms were but a small detached column, was coming on with all speed, at the head of 6,000 men-at-arms (horse and man all sheathed in steel) and 8,000 infantry. Froissard, so picturesquely minute in his descriptions, tells us that it was after sunset when Piercy came in sight of the little Scottish camp. It was a sweet moonlight evening-the last one of Julyclear and bright, with a soft fresh breeze, though the past day had been warm. Most of the Scots, fatigued by the assault of the castle, had taken their evening meal, and then lain down to rest. Earl pushing forward with his spear, raised it aloft, and, Douglas and their other leaders had taken off their with herculean strength, smashed the shafts of the armour, and were at supper in their gowns and foremost rank of the enemy. He did this with doublets, when the gleam of spears and mail was such effect that the panic was fatal." seen amid the grassy glen, and the cry of "A Piercy! a Piercy!" rang upon the still air, while Hotspur came on with great fury. Buchanan says that the moon shone so brightly that her light was equal to that of day, and that "To your arms!" was the shout of the Scots. The English men-atarms fell with sword and axe upon the barricade of wagons, which was defended by the camp-followers, and thus gave those in camp time to arm and get into their ranks; but they had to accoutre in such haste that the armour of Douglas in many places was unclasped, and the Earl of Moray had to fight all night bareheaded, without his helmet. Earl Douglas now gave his banner to his natural son, a mere youth, named Archibald Douglas, ancestor of the family of Cavers, hereditary Sheriffs of Teviotdale, by whom it is still preserved; and, charging him "to defend it to the last drop of his blood," instead of waiting within camp to receive a closer assault of the enemy, drew off his troops, and sweeping in silence round the wooded hill, fell on the flank of the English while they were entangled in the marsh which bordered on the camp. Hotspur, who had now discovered his mistake, drew back his force to firmer ground, and received the attack of the enemy with great gallantry. If the English were somewhat fatigued by a long and hot day's march, they were superior in number to the Scots," and in the temper of their armour and weapons." And now the hand-to-hand conflict raged for some hours with equal fury and ferocity, till the moon suddenly became obscured by a cloud so dark that, as Buchanan states, "friend could not be discerned from foe; whereupon they rested a space to recover breath." When the moon shone forth again, the conflict was resumed over the dead and dying, and the Scots, who fought against treble their number, began slowly to give way; till Douglas, whose standard was nearly lost, wielding a battleaxe with both hands, and followed by a few of his household, and his most faithful friends, Robert Hart and Simon Glendonwyn, hewed a passage amid the thickest of the enemy, till, being completely isolated from his men, he was borne to the earth and mortally wounded in the head and thigh. The first-named wound would seem to corroborate the old ballad, which asserts that, like the Earl of Moray, he had entered the action in haste, without his helmet. "The Scottish spearmen were about giving way," to quote the "Lamp of Lothian," "when John Swinton, a brave knight, instead of The disaster to Douglas was unknown to the Scots for a time, till the tide of battle turned; and on the English being forced to give way, the spot where the great earl lay was cleared by dint of sword and spear, and Sir James Lindesay, Sir John and Sir Walter Sinclair were the first to discover him as he was bleeding to death. Near him lay his banner, the bearer of which had fallen. His chaplain, William Lundie, afterwards archdeacon of North Berwick, who had fought during the whole battle by his side, was still there, armed with a curtal-axe, and bestriding his body to protect him from further harm. "How fares it with you, cousin?" asked Sir John Sinclair. "But so so," replied the earl, in a weak voice; "yet, God be thanked, few of my ancestors have died in chambers or in beds. There has long been a prophecy that 'a dead Douglas should win a field,' and I trust it shall now be fulfilled. My heart sinks-I am dying. Do you, Walter, and you, John Sinclair, raise my banner and warcry; but tell neither friend nor foe that Douglas is lying here." These were his last words. Buchanan says they covered his body with a mantle, erected the banner, and shouted, "A Douglas! a Douglas!" A fresh onslaught was made on the English. Hotspur, who was wounded, was captured by the Earl of Moray, and his troops losing heart, gave way and took to flight; so that, literally, the dead Douglas won the field. Scarcely a man of note among the English escaped either death or captivity; 1,860 of their men-at-arms were slain, and more than 1,000 were wounded. Froissard, who received his account of the battle from both the English and Scottish knights who were engaged in it, says in his chronicle, "Of all the battles that have been described in this history, great and small, this was the best fought and the most severe; for there was not a man, knight or squire, who did not acquit himself gallantly hand to hand with his enemy, without either stay or faint-heartedness." He adds that they all agreed that it was one of the most obstinate battles ever fought. In his "Annales," Sir James Balfour states that the only Scots "of quality" who fell were Sir Robert Heriot, Sir John Touris of Inverleith, and Sir William Lundin, who died of his wounds three days after the battle. On the following day the Bishop of Durham, |