and fir Henry Percy inftandy to join the king's forces, and perform their duties as they were bounden to do. The meflengerContinued his journey to a very handfome cattle of the earl of Northumberland oo the borders of Scotland, and delivered his letters. The earl read diem attentively, and then gave them to his fon. They determined to entertain the meflenger well, and to write to the king to excufe themfelves, a^ they were no way prepared, nor could they leave their own country, and ' as the king had a fufficiency of men for the bufinefs he was going upon. The meflenger returned with his anfwers, and gave them the king ; but they were not agreeable to him nor to his minifters, and for this and other charges, which were publicly made againft die prl of Northumberland and his fon, they were' baniftied England, never to return until recalled by thp kin^. This fentence was publifticd in Lon-don and in all the towns of England, to the great aftonifliment of the citizens, who could not con-* ceive why they had thus been fo feverely punilhed; for they had always cpnfidered the earl of Nor-thumberland and iir Henry Percy as two of the moil loyal fubje.&s in the realm. Some faid, when converting on this matter, thatf the minifters of the king hated them, and would in the end caufe their matter's deftruétion. It "may be that the earl and his fon have talked too freely about the king's minifters, and his foolifh govern-ment 4 107