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Percy at Richard's violent proceedings, and both he and his son Henry spoke strongly of the king's misgovernment. Their words were reported to Richard when he was about to set sail for Ireland. The king was wroth, and sent a special summons to the earl to come to him, besides the summons that he had already received to attend him to Ireland. The earl did not obey, and the king sentenced him and his son to banishment. He made arrangements to take refuge in Scotland, but the king's departure caused him to delay (, iv. c. 70; Traïson, p. 34), and on the landing of Henry of Lancaster [see ] in July 1399 he joined him in Yorkshire with a large force. Richard sent the Duke of Exeter from Conway to Henry, who was then at Chester, requesting him to send the earl to him with a message (Annales Ricardi, p. 249). On his way the earl, it is said, left his armed retinue in ambush, and proceeded to Conway with only a few attendants. There he had a conference with Richard, persuaded him to ride with him to meet Henry, and it was asserted received from him a declaration that he was ready to renounce the crown (ib.; Traïson, pp. 50–2). He brought Richard as a captive to Henry at Flint on 19 Aug., and rode with Henry and the fallen king to London. On 29 Sept. he recited before Henry and a great council of the magnates of the kingdom the promise of abdication which he asserted that he had received from Richard, and Henry was the next day accepted as king by parliament. On the same day the new king made the earl constable of England, and shortly afterwards gave him the Isle of Man to hold by carrying at the coronation the sword that Henry wore on landing. Northumberland also received certain lands and constableships in Wales and the border, before held by Roger, earl of March, the captaincy of Carlisle, and the wardenship of the west march, with an income of 1,500l. to maintain it in time of peace (, Henry IV, i. 25–6; ;, Baronage, i. 278; Annales Henrici IV, p. 311).

To Northumberland Henry largely owed the success of his attempt on the crown. For a time the earl was one of the new king's chief supporters, and seems to have been regarded with affection by him. Northumberland was continued in his membership of his privy council, and was, in common with the king, blamed for the leniency shown to the evil counsellors of Richard. He was soon busy with the affairs of the Scottish march, for in August 1400 the king invaded Scotland. On Henry's return the Scots attempted to retaliate, and in December the earl urged the necessity of strengthening Berwick and Carlisle. In February 1401 he was appointed a joint commissioner to treat with the envoys of the king of the Romans, then in London, concerning a proposed marriage between Henry's daughter Blanche and their master's eldest son (Fœdera, viii. 176). In March, April, and May he was engaged in negotiations for peace with Scotland (, i. 191–2), and in October met the Earl of Douglas [see, fourth ] at a conference at Yetham, in Roxburghshire (Royal Letters, Hen. IV, i. 53). Nothing was effected, and war began again on the border. Douglas in 1402 sent to Henry declaring that the renewal of the war was due to Northumberland; but this Henry, after consulting with the earl, refused to admit; and he gave the earl authority, together with his son and the Earl of Westmorland, to treat with Scotland at a fitting time, and meanwhile to endeavour to win over to the English side any of the Scottish nobles that were inclined to it (ib. p. 64; Fœdera, viii. 251;, i. 237). In August a large army of Scots, under Douglas and Murdoch Stewart, ravaged Northumberland and Durham, and on their way home were intercepted by an English army under the earl, his son Henry, and the Earl of March on 14 Sept. The Scots took their station on Homildoun, or Humbledon, Hill, near Wooler, the English being drawn up at Millfield-on-the-Till. The English won a complete victory, utterly routing the enemy, and taking a large number of prisoners of high rank, among whom were Douglas and Murdoch Stewart, the Earls of Angus, Moray, and Orkney, and many barons (Annales Henr. p. 344; Scotichronicon, ii. 433;, ii. 401; , i. 292; Lancaster and York, i. 47–8). On the 22nd Henry issued an order that the prisoners were not to be ransomed or set free, promising, however, to respect the rights of the captors (Fœdera, viii. 278). The earl attended the parliament opened on the 30th; the commons, on 16 Oct., requested the king to show him special favour in consideration of his late victory, and on the 20th he presented some of his principal prisoners to the king in parliament (Rolls of Parliament, iii. 485 sq.) When, however, the commons, discontented at the demand for grants, asked what had become of the last king's treasure, Henry replied that the earl and others had had it. The commons asked that an official inquiry should be made into the matter, but the king refused (Eulogium, iii. 395). On 2 March 1403 the earl received from the king a grant of all the lands of the Earl of Douglas, which may roughly be described as the