Henry Percy, 1st Earl of Northumberland - Character

Character

Northumberland was magnificent in his daily life, gracious in manner, and given to courting popularity. Over a large part of northern England, where the feudal tie was stronger than in the south, he had almost kingly power; he kept great state, and was faithfully served by his knights and retainers. Prompt and fearless in war, he was the hero and champion of the English of the northern marches in their almost ceaseless strife with the Scots (see the ballad of "Chevy Chase"). He probably desired good and vigorous government, and was not wholly insincere in his profession of anxiety for the public welfare. At the same time his actions were really the results of selfish motives, of ambition, jealousy of the rival house of Neville, anger, pride, or mortification. Though he was exceedingly crafty, his temper was violent, and his policy devoid of wisdom. Proud, passionate, unstable, and faithless, he was never to be relied on except when his own interests were to be served or his feelings gratified by his adherence to the cause he had adopted. His desertion of the popular cause in 1377 was shameful. For his desertion of Richard II there were valid reasons; but his conduct towards his fallen master was base, and merely dictated by his wish to place the new king under overwhelming obligations, and reap a rich harvest from his gratitude. That he had cause for discontent in 1403 seems certain. But he failed to make allowance for the king's financial difficulties; he was impatient, and perhaps incapable of appreciating the position of affairs. When he was bereft of his sons and others, as his brother Thomas Percy, earl of Worcester, that were near to him, when he found that the king had learnt to distrust him, saw his rivals advancing in favour and power, and knew that his greatness was slipping from him, his heart became bitter; and, though he retained his capacity for guile, he lost his judgment, and acted with a lack of wisdom and a recklessness that reached their highest point in his last mad expedition.

He gave the hospital of St. Leonard at Alnwick to the abbey there, is said incorrectly, as it seems, to have founded a hospital at Scarborough, to which he was perhaps a benefactor, did good service to St. Alban's Abbey, and gave largely to its cell, the priory of Tynemouth.