eet the growing
expenditure of the Crown by the confiscation of ecclesiastical
revenue.

8. =The Capture of the Scottish Prince. 1405.=--Early in =1405= Henry
was threatened with a fresh attack. Charles VI. of France was now a
confirmed lunatic, and his authority had mainly fallen into the hands
of his brother Louis, Duke of Orleans, a profligate and unscrupulous
man who was regarded by the feudal nobility of France as their leader.
The Duke of Orleans refused to consider himself bound to Henry by the
truce which had been made with Richard, and, forming an alliance with
Owen Glendower, prepared to send a fleet to his aid. When there was
war between England and France the Scots seldom remained quiet, but
this time Henry was freed from that danger by an unexpected
occurrence. The reigning King of Scotland was Robert III., whose
father, Robert II., had been the first king of the House of Stuart,
and had ascended the throne after the death of David Bruce, as being
the son of his sister Margaret.[28] Robert III., weakly in mind and
body, had committed to the custody of his brother, the Duke of Albany,
his eldest son, the Duke of Rothesay, who had gained an evil name by
his scandalous debauchery. Rothesay died in the prison in which his
uncle had confined him, and popular rumour alleged that Albany had
murdered him to clear the way to the throne. Robert now sent young
James, his only surviving son, to be educated in France in order to
save him from Albany's machinations. On his way the prince was
captured by an English ship, and delivered to Henry, who kept him
under guard as a hostage for the peaceful behaviour of his countrymen.
The prince, he said, should have been sent to him to be educated, as
he could talk French as well as the king of France. When Robert died
soon afterwards the captive became King James I.; but he was not
allowed to return home, and Albany ruled Scotland as regent in his
name.

[Footnote 28: Genealogy of the kings of Scotland from Robert Bruce
to James I.:--

ROBERT I., Bruce
(1306-1329)
|
------------------------------
| |
DAVID II. Margaret = Walter Stewart
(1329-1370) |
ROBERT II., Stewart or Stuart
(1370-1390)
|