• refervatfon in regard to nie ? who am uncle to the king, and who hatfe my inheritance to guard, which-rnext to the king's, it the greateft, and who for the good of the realm have made this journey kit© Scotland ? Your anfwer does not excufe you from having much wronged my ' honour, in thus giving credit to the reports in circulation that I wifhed to commit treafon with the Scots, by {hutting againft me thedcing my lord's towns, and in particular that in which my provifion and ftores were. For which reafons I tell you, you have ill behaved j and for the blame you have thus caft on me, and to clear myfclf in the prcfenee of my lord the king, I throw down my glove : take it up if you dare/ Upon this, the king ftepped forth and faid,—* f Fair uncle of Lancafter, whatever has been done I avow as my orders. Take up your glove, and recal your words. I muft excufe the earl of Northumberland ; for ftridly, and on his life, did we order him to keep every town clofe fhut that was on the borders of Scotland : and know, that our kingdom was in fuch confufion and peril, when you were ' in thofe parts, that - it could not fupport itfelf. It muft, therefore, have been through the fault of the fecretary, or the negled of our council -, for, in truth, you ought to have been excepted. I therefore beg of you, and will, that you lay afide your ill humour : I take all on myfclf, and clear the earl of Northum-berland/ - • The eaife of ikundclj SalMbiry, Suffolk, Stafford and 379