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An Abridgment of the History of England to the Death of George the Second, Continued, by an Eminent Writer, to the Peace of Amiens
An Abridgment of the History of England to the Death of George the Second Continued by an Eminent Writer to the Peace of Amiens Author:Oliver Goldsmith General Books publication date: 2009 Original publication date: 1803 Notes: This is a black and white OCR reprint of the original. It has no illustrations and there may be typos or missing text. When you buy the General Books edition of this book you get free trial access to Million-Books.com where you can select from more than a million book... more »s for free. Excerpt: CHAP. XVI. HENRY IV. HENRY foon found, that the throne of an ufurper is but a bed of thorns. Such vio. A. D. lent animofities broke out among the barons in the 1399. firft feffion of his parliament, that forty challenges were given and received, and forty gauntlets were thrown down-as pledges of the fincerity of their refentment. But though thefe commotions were feemingly fupprefled by his moderation for that time, yet one confpiracy broke out after another, and were detected in the formation, or actually punilhed in the field. That formed againft him by the earl of Northumberland was the moft formidable. It was in A. D. a Ikirmifh between the Scots and Englifli, that Ar- 1402. chibald, earl of Douglas, with many of the Scots nobifity, were taken prifoners by the earl of Northumberland, and carried to Alnwick caftle. When Henry received intelligence of this viflory, he fent the earl orders not to ranfom his prifoners, as he intended to detain them, in order to increafe his demands in making peace with Scotland. This meffage was highly refented by the earlearl of Northumberland, who, by the laws of war that prevailed in that age, had a right to the ranfom of all fuch as he had taken in battle. The command was Hill more irkfome, as he confidered the king as his debtor both for fecurity and his crown. Accordingly, ftung with this fuppofed injury, he refolved to overturn a throne which he had the chief hand in eftablifhing. A fcheme was laid, in which the Scots and Welfh were to unite their forces, and to affill Northumberland in elevating Mortimer, as the true heir to the crown of Eng. land. When all ...« less