He also asked Glendower to raise as large
an army as possible, without delay; and Sir Edmund Mortimer to betake
himself at once to Hereford, there to raise his banner and summon his
vassals, and those of the Earl of March, to join him--the king having,
on his return from his last expedition, entered Ludlow, seized
Mortimer's plate and other property, and appointed to the governorship
of Ludlow a knight on whose devotion he could rely.
Chapter 21: Shrewsbury.
The Percys' preparations could not be carried on without exciting
attention; and in March the king, seeing that the open defiance of his
authority, by the release of the Scottish prisoners, would assuredly be
followed by armed rebellion, which the Douglas would probably have
pledged himself to aid as the condition of his release, began, on his
side, to make similar preparations. Levies were called out, and the
Prince of Wales was appointed to the command of the Welsh marches, and
the governorship of Wales.
Towards the end of June Douglas, faithful to his agreement, crossed the
frontier; and was at once joined by Hotspur, with the force he had
gathered. Hotspur's father was lying sick at Berwick, but was to
follow, as speedily as possible, with the army collected in the north
of the county, and from Dunbar's estates.
Pages:
499
500
501
502
503
504
505
506
507
508
509
510
511
512
513
514
515
516
517
518
519
520
521
522
523