p
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.

It had been arranged that Glendower should meet the allies at
Lichfield; and on his being joined by his uncle, the Earl of
Westmoreland, with his following, Hotspur marched south. His intention
was, after effecting a junction with Glendower, to march and give
battle to the army with which Henry and the Prince of Wales were
advancing against him. At Lichfield, however, he learned that Glendower
had not completed his preparations in sufficient time to join him. He
therefore changed his direction, and made for Shrewsbury, towards which
place Glendower was marching.

Percy's array had swollen as he went south. He had been joined by a
number of archers, from Cheshire, and by other adherents of the late
king; these regarding the war as an attempt, not to place the Earl of
March upon the throne, but to overthrow the usurper who had dethroned
their king.

Oswald rode with sixty spearmen from his own estate; while his father,
with thirty men from Yardhope, rode in his company. Both regarded the
failure of Glendower to come to the place appointed as a serious
misfortune.

"Of course," Oswald said, "if he joins us at Shrewsbury, before the
king comes up, it will not matter much; and indeed would be, in one
respect, the better. Mortimer with his force will be coming on; and
though he is scarce likely to arrive at Shrewsbury in time for the
battle, for he could not leave Wales, to summon his levies to the
field, until the Prince of Wales had drawn off his force and marched to
join his father; his reinforcement, afterwards, w