Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 44.djvu/416

Percy age and health, and signing it ‘your humble Matathyas.’ On 28 Feb. he made an agreement with Owen Glendower and Sir Edmund Mortimer partitioning England and Wales between them, in the belief that an old prophecy concerning the division of Britain was to be fulfilled; his own share was twelve northern and eastern counties (Chronicon, ed. Giles, pp. 39–42). In March he attended the privy council at Westminster. Before the end of April his treaty with Owen Glendower seems to have been known, and the king declared him a traitor. A message from the king was sent to him early in May, and he put the messenger into prison (, ii. 178). About the same time, finding that his rival Westmorland, whom he was in the habit of accusing of spite and ingratitude, was staying at a castle which Mr. Wylie identifies with that of Witton-le-Wear, belonging to Sir Ralph Eure [see, sixth and first ] (ib.), he marched by night with four hundred armed men in the hope of surprising him; but Westmorland was forewarned, and left before he arrived. Northumberland was busy fortifying and victualling his castles when he received a visit from Lord Bardolf, with whom he was already in treasonable communication, joined himself with him and Sir William Clifford, and before the end of the month was in open revolt. The insurrection was crushed while he was bringing his forces to aid the rebels, and he, with Bardolf and a small following, fled to Berwick, where the castle was held by his men. The mayor at first refused to admit him into the town, but did so on the earl's assurance that he was loyal to the king, and was merely at feud with his neighbours. The king advanced northwards, taking some of his castles. At his coming, the earl and Bardolf fled to Scotland, where they were received by Sir David Fleming, and were lodged first at St. Andrews and then at Perth. The earl's possessions were confiscated and his castles taken or surrendered. Early in 1406 the Scots offered to deliver him up to the king; but Fleming informed him of their intention, and he and Bardolf escaped to Wales, where they were received by Owen Glendower (to this date has been referred the partition treaty between the earl, Owen, and Mortimer, ib. pp. 375–81; but the only authority that records it dates it, as above, 28 Feb. 1405, and expressly states that it was divulged before the earl's flight to Scotland). Later in the year they went to France, the earl, before entering Scotland, having attempted to open negotiations with the Duke of Orleans; they appeared before the king and his council, and asked for help against King Henry, declaring that they were supporters of the young Earl of March. They were refused, and seem to have gone thence to Holland, and in the summer of 1407 again took refuge in Scotland (, an. 1406; Chronique de St. Denys, iii. 427;, i. c. 27; , p. 364; Lancaster and York, i. 112). Believing that King Henry was so generally hated, and that popular feeling would be so strong in their favour that adherents would quickly join them, they crossed the border in February 1408, and advanced to Thirsk, where they put out a proclamation that they had come to relieve the people from unjust taxation. Thence they marched to Grimbald Bridge, near Knaresborough, where they found Sir Thomas Rokeby, the sheriff of Yorkshire, at the head of the forces of the shire, holding the passage of the Nidd; they turned aside to Wetherby, and on the 19th were at Tadcaster. They gave Rokeby battle on Monday the 20th on Bramham Moor, in the neighbourhood of Tadcaster; their troops were defeated and the earl was slain in the battle. His head was cut off and stuck upon a stake on London Bridge, where its venerable grey hair excited no small sorrow among the people (, pp. 262–3;, ii. 278); his body was quartered, parts being sent for exposure to London, Lincoln, Berwick, and Newcastle; but they were afterwards delivered to his friends for burial.

Northumberland was magnificent in his daily life, gracious in manner, and given to courting popularity. Over a large part of northern England, where the feudal tie was stronger than in the south, he had almost kingly power; he kept great state, and was faithfully served by his knights and retainers. Prompt and fearless in war, he was the hero and champion of the English of the northern marches in their almost ceaseless strife with the Scots (see the ballad of ‘Chevy Chase’). He probably desired good and vigorous government, and was not wholly insincere in his profession of anxiety for the public welfare. At the same time his actions were really the results of selfish motives, of ambition, jealousy of the rival house of Neville, anger, pride, or mortification. Though he was exceedingly crafty, his temper was violent, and his policy devoid of wisdom. Proud, passionate, unstable, and faithless, he was never to be relied on except when his own interests were to be served or his feelings gratified by his adherence to the cause he had adopted. His desertion of the popu-