[1] [2] [3] [4] [5] The king of Scotland aduertiſed therof, ſent with all ſpeede an Herrault, deſiring reſtitution of his ſhippes as he thought ſtoode with reaſon, ſeing no warre was proclaymed, but the King of England thought it no reaſon to departe with them ſo ſoone, til other articles of agreemẽt might be concluded,ſir Robert Bowes inua| [...] the bor|der. & therefore refuſed not only to deliuer their ſhippes, but alſo ſent ſir Robert Bowes with men to the borders, giuyng him in charge to inuade Scotlande, who according to his cõmiſſion with three thouſand men rode into Scotland, & began to brenne and to ſpoyle certayne ſmall townes, wherevpon the fray be|ing reyſed in the countrey,The Erle of Huntley giueth ouerthrow the Engliſh|men. the Erle of Huntley who was appointed to remaine as Lieutenant vpon the borders, for doubt of ſuch ſodden inua|ſiõs, immediately gathered a number of bordu|rers, and ſet vpon the Engliſh men, and put thẽ al to flight, Sir Robert Bowes and his brother Richard Bowes with diuers other to the num|ber of vj hundred were taken priſoners, and the ſaid ſir Robert Bowes & other ye principal lãded men were kepte ſtill in Scotlande till after the kings death. This victory chanced to the Scots at a place called Halden Rigge in the Mers, vpõ S. Bartholomewes day, whiche is the .xxiiij. of Auguſt. After this the king of England ſent the Duke of Norffolke with the Erles of Shrewſ|bury, Derby, Cumberland, Surrey, Hertforde, Angus, Rutland, & the Lords of ye North parts of England, can [...]an army of .xl. thouſand men as the Scots eſteemed them, though they were not many aboue xx. thouſand, who entred into Scotland the .xxj. of October, & brent certayne townes vpon the ſide of the water of Twerde, but the Erle of Huntley hauing with him a ten thouſand of the bordurers and other, ſo wayted vpon them, giuing them now & then ſkirmiſhes and allarms, that they came not paſt two miles from the water of Tweede within the Scottiſh boundes at that ſeaſon. In the meane time the king of Scotlande beyng aduertiſed hereof, ga|thered a greate army through all the partes of his realme, and came to Sowtray hedge, where they muſtered, & were numbred to be a xxxvi. thouſand men, with the which he came to Falla Mure, & there encãped, determining to giue bat|tel to the Engliſhmen, as he pretẽded: howbeit if ye Duke had raued longer, as it was thought he would haue done, if the time of ye yeere & proui|ſion of vitailes had ſerued, the Scots would yet haue bene better aduiſed before they had ioyned wt him in a pight field: but true it is that after ye Duke had remayned there ſo long as vitayles might be had & recouered frõ any part, he retyred with his army backe into Englãd, not without ſome loſſe of mẽ, horſe, & ſpoiles, which ye Scots vnder the Erle of Huntley & others tooke fro the Engliſhmẽ in that their retire, ſpecially as they paſſed ouer the riuer of Tweede. After the En|gliſhmẽ were thus departed & withdrawẽ home foorth of Scotlãd, king Iames being of an high & manly courage, in reuenge of the harmes done by the Engliſhmẽ within his countrey, thought good yt his whole army ſhould paſſe forwarde & inuade England, himſelf to go therwith in pro|per perſon. And herein he requeſted the cõſent of his nobilitie, who after long reſoning & good ad|uiſement takẽ in the mater, gaue anſwere to the king in this ſort, yt they could not thinke it good that they ſhould paſſe within Englãd, & to ſeeke battayle, ye king himſelf being with thẽ, conſide|ring yt his .ij. ſonnes were lately diſceaſed, ſo yt he had no ſucceſſiõ of his body: for in caſe that they loſt the field, as the chaũce of battell is moſt vn|certaine, then the king of England hauing great ſubſtance, might therewith folow the victory & put the realme of Scotlande in greate hazarde. Therefore they thought it ſufficiently to defend their owne boundes, & to conſtrayne the enimie for feare to leaue the inuaſion therof, as preſent|ly they had done and declared that they were [page 456] determined to haue giuen battayle to theyr e|nimies if they had cõtinued within the realme, and doubted not by the helpe of God, they ha|uing ſo iuſt a cauſe, and being inuaded in theyr countrey, but that they ſhoulde haue obteyned the victory. The King hearyng theyr deter|mination, albeit his high courage preſſed him to inuade,The king brea+keth vp his ar|my. yet the approued witte of his nobles and Coũſellours cauſed him to follow their aduiſe, and ſo returned with his army backe againe the firſt of Nouember, the army of England being firſt diſcharged, and the Duke of Norffolke in his returne towardes London.