YALE UNIVERSITY LIBRARY Itev,*. yjr A-X7Z-. '¦*7- LETTERS OF QUEEN MAEGAEET OF ANJOU BISHOP BECKINGTON AND OTHERS. WRITTEN IN THE REIGNS OF HENRY V. AND HENRY VI. FROM A MS. FOUND AT EMRAL IN FLINTSHIRE. EDITED BY CECIL MONRO, ESQ. PRINTED FOR THE CAMDEN SOCIETY. M.DCCC.LXIII. WESTMINSTER : PRINTED BY JOUN BOWYEft NICHOLS AN1> SONS, 25, PARLIAMENT STREET. [no. LXXXVl.j COUNCIL OF THE CAMDEN SOCIETY FOR THE YEAR 1863-64. President, THE MOST HON. THE MARQUESS OF BRISTOL, F.S.A. ARTHUR ASHPITEL, ESQ. F.S.A. WILLIAM HENRY BLAAUW, ESQ. M.A., F.S.A. Treasurer. JOHN BRUCE, ESQ. F.S.A. Director. WILLIAM DURRANT COOPER, ESQ. F.S.A. JAMES CROSBY, ESQ. F.S.A. THE RIGHT HON. LORD FARNHAM. JOHN FORSTER, ESQ. LL.D. THE REV. LAMBERT B. LARKING, M.A. JOHN MACLEAN, ESQ. F.S.A. SIR FREDERIC MADDEN, K.I-I. F.R.S. FREDERIC OUVRY, ESQ. Treas.S.A. WILLIAM SALT, ESQ. F.S.A. WILLIAM JOHN THOMS, ESQ. F.S.A. Secretary. WILLIAM TITE, ESQ. M.P. F.R.S. F.S.A. HIS EXCELLENCY M. VAN DE WEYER, D.C.L., Hon. F.S.A. The Council, of the Camden Society desire it to be under stood that they are not answerable for any opinions or observa tions that may appear in the Society's publications; the Editors of the several Works being alone responsible for the same. TABLE OF CONTENTS. PAOB I. — A Letter to King Henry the Fifth from one of his Chaplains, immediately after the Battle of Agin- court ........ I II. — A Letter to King Henry the Fifth, written from the Council of Constance ..... 7 III. — A Letter from the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland to one of high rank in England, respecting a pre sentation of Thomas Polton to the Prebend of Swords ....... 12 IV. — A Letter from the Treasurer of Calais to Henry V. 14 V. — A Letter from the Treasurer of Calais to the King 15 VI. — A Letter from King Henry V. to the Lieutenant and Treasurer of Calais ..... 17 VII. — A Letter to King Henry V. from the Lieutenant and Treasurer of Calais . . . . . 18 VIII. — A Letter to King Henry V. from an Officer having the charge of Public Works at Calais . . 19 IX. — A Letter from certain Officers at Calais to the King 21 X. — A Letter from the same Officers to the Duke of Bedford ' . . . 23 XI. — A Petition by J. B. (a suspected Lollard) to King Henry V 24 XII. — A Letter from the Sovereign to . . 28 XIII. — A Declaration or Memorandum of Thomas Rowley ^9 XIV. — A Letter from to RicKard Flemmyng, Bishop of Lincoln . . , . . . 31 CONTENTS. XV.— A Letter from an Officer at Calais on behalf of him self and others to the Duke of Bedford XVI.— A Letter from the Duke of Bedford to the Officers at Calais .....••• A Letter from Richard Bokeland to . A Letter from to Richard Bokeland . XVII, XVIII ¦ XIX. XX. XXI, XXII, XXIII. XXIV. XXV. XXVI. XXVII. XXVIII. XXIX XXX, XXXI XXXII, —A Letter from Richard Bokeland to Richard Wydvile —A Letter from R. B., a Member of the Council of the Duke of Bedford, excusing himself from coming to Parham, on the ground of important business concerning the Duke his Master . —A Letter from J. B. to the Officer holding the sub sidy of Wools (probably) at Calais . — A Royal Letter to the Mayor and Aldermen of Lon don, recommending a Clerk for the next avoidance of the Parish Church of St. Peter in Cornhill — A Letter to the Abbot of Abingdon — A Letter from one of Ducal Rank, respecting Jewels of his in Pawn to Merchants at Bruges — A Letter from Cardinal Beaufort to E. L. B. — A Letter from JE. L. B. to Cardinal Beaufort — A Letter from E. L. B. to the Duke of Bedford — A Letter from Cardinal Beaufort to John Duke of Bedford — A Letter to the Abbot of Westminster — A Mandate from the King to the Lord Privy Seal, commanding him to direct Letters to the Lord Chancellor of England, that he issue a Congd d'Elire to the Prior and Convent of the Monas tery of Reading, on the death of Thomas Henley, the last Abbot thereof ..... . — A Mandate from the King to the Lord Privy Seal, signifying the Royal Assent to the Election of John Thorn, as Abbot of Reading , — Confirmation of John Thorn as Abbot of Reading . 34 38 41 42 4345 46 47 48 50 51 52 54 55 56 CONTENTS. Vll FAGK XXXIII. — A Letter from Henry VI. to Thomas Beckington, Bishop of Bath and Wells .... 57 XXXIV. — A Letter to the Lord Sudeley, Lord High Treasurer 58 XXXV. — A Mandate to the Lord Chancellor respecting the Election of William Babyngton, D.D., as Abbot of the Monastery of St. Edmundsbury, on the death of William Curteys .... 59 XXXVI. — Two Mandates to the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, for a Conge d'Elire to issue to the Prior and Convent of Walden, on the death of John Horkesley, the last Abbot thereof, and for the Confirmation of the new Abbot, Richard Wilesey ....... 60 XXXVII. — A Letter from the King (Henry VI.) to James Lord Berkeley ... ... 63 XXXVIIL— A Letter from King Plenry VI. to his Agent at Rome, respecting William Westkarre, Doctor of Theology ....... 66 XXXIX. — A Letter from the King to the Lady Strange . 67 XL. — A Letter from the King to the Earl of Northumber land 68 XLI. — A Letter to the Lord Zouch . . . — XLII. — A Letter from the King to . . 69 XL1IL— A Letter to Lord Suffolk 77 XLIV. — A Letter from Thomas Beckington to John Noreys 78 XLV. — A Letter from Thomas Beckington to Lord Suffolk — XL VI. — A Letter from Thomas Beckington to James Fenys 79 XLVII. — A Letter from Thomas Beckington to Sir Edmund Hungerford ...... 80 XLVIIL— A Letter from Thomas Beckington to King Henry VI. ...... — XLIX. — A Letter from Thomas Beckington to the Lord Chancellor 82 L. — A Form of Letter from Thomas Beckington to Lord ¦Suffolk and to others . . . . . 83 Till CONTENTS. PAGE LI. — A Letter from Thomas Beckington to the Bishop of Salisbury ....•¦• 84 LII. — A Letter from Thomas Beckington to Sir John 85 LIII. — A Letter from Thomas Beckington to Master John Somerset .....•¦ — LIV. — A Skeleton Letter from Thomas Beckington to King Henry VI 86 LV. — Litera missa per Dominum D. Secret. Duci Glouc. — LVI. — Litera missa Cardinali Angliaa .... 87 LVII. — Litera missa Cardinali Eboracensi ... — LVIIL — Litera missa Cancellario Angl. .... 88 LIX. — Litera missa Comiti SufF. ....- — LX. — A Letter by the Queen to R. Kent ... 89 LXI. — A Letter from the Queen to the Parker of Ware . 90 LXII. — A Letter from the Queen to the Abbess of Shaftes bury, respecting the Promotion of her Chaplain, Michael Tregory . . . . . . 91 LXin. — A Letter from the Queen to Thomas Forest, Exe cutor of John Forest, late Dean of Wells . . 93 LXIV. — A Letter from the Queen to the Master of St. Giles- in-the-Fields, beside the City of London . • . 95 LXV. — A Letter from Queen Margaret to Dame Jane Carew 96 LXVI. — A Letter from the King to the Queen . . , 98 LXVII. — A Letter from the Queen to the Corporation of London, touching Injuries done to her Tenants of Enfield _ LXVIII. — A Letter from the Queen to the Archbishop of Can terbury ........ 99 LXIX. — A Letter from the Queen to the Keeper of Apchild Park ,100 LXX. — A Letter from the Queen to the Executors of Car dinal Beaufort . . . . . .101 LXXI. —A Letter from the Queen to the Abbess of Barking, Essex 103 LXXII. — A Letter from the Queen, acknowledging that Sir CONTENTS. TAGE John Montgomery, Knight, holds Land of her in Enfield as tenant in capite .... 104 LXXIII. — A Letter from the Queen to the Keeper of Falborne, Park, or his Deputy there .... 105 LXXIV. — A Letter from the Queen to the Duke of Exeter . 106 LXXV. — A Letter from the Queen to the Bailiff, etc. of her Manor of Great Waltham . . . .108 LXXVI. — A Letter from the Queen to the Earl of Northum berland 109 LXXVII. — A Letter from the Queen to the Mayor and Sheriffs of London . . . . . . .111 LXXVIII. — A Letter from the Queen to John Somerton, one of the Custumers of Southampton ... — LXXIX. — A Letter from the Queen to Marmaduke Lumley, Bishop of Carlisle . . . . . .112 LXXX. — A Letter from the Queen to the Mayor and Corpo ration of Southampton . . . . .113 LXXXI. — A Letter from Queen Margaret to the Wife of a Man of High Rank, thanking her for Assistance given to George Assheby, Clerk of her Signet, and requesting her further Benevolence . . 114 L XXXII. — A Letter from the Queen to the Duke of Somerset 115 LXXXIII. — A Letter from the Queen to her Wardrober . . — LXXXIV. — A Letter from the Queen to the Archbishop of Can terbury . . . . . . . .116 LXXXV. — A Letter from the Queen to the Duchess of Somerset 117 LXXXVL— A Letter to the Duke of Somerset . . .118 LXXXVII. — A Letter from the Queen to the Bishop of Norwich 119 LXXXVIII. — A Letter from the Queen to Master W[illiam] S[croop] 120 LXXXIX. — A Letter from the Queen to the Bishop of Durham 121 XC. — A Letter from the Queen to the Lord Bourchier . 122 XCI. — A Letter from the Queen to the Officers of the King's Ports, respecting Antony Hewct of Rome 123 XCIL— A Letter from the Queen to the Abbot of St. Osy 124 CONTENTS. PAGE XCIII. — A Letter from the Queen to Nicholas Straunge of Iseldon (Islington) respecting the Marriage of his Daughter Katherine . . . ¦ .125 XCIV. — A Letter from the Queen to Edmond Pyrcan, Squire 126 XCV. — A Letter of Reproof from the Queen to Sir John Forester, Knt. ....... — XCVI. — A Letter from the Queen to the Deputy of the Keeper of the Privy Seal . . . . .128 XCVII. — A Letter from the Queen to the Abbot and Convent of Ramsey . . . . . . .129 XCVIII. — A Letter from (most probably) the King to the Prior of St. Mary Overies .... — XCIX. — A Letter from the Queen to John Godwyn . . 131 C. — A Letter from the Queen to the Lord Chancellor . — CI. — A Letter from the Queen to Sir John Bourchier, Knt. 132 CII. — A Letter from the Queen to the Park Keeper of Pleshy 134 CIII. — A Letter from the Queen to Master Gilbert Kymer, Chancellor of Oxford and Dean of Wymborne Minster . 135 CIV. — A Letter from the Queen to all Searchers, Custo mers, and Keepers of Ports, &c. . . . 136 CV. — A Letter from the Queen to the Keeper of Shene Park, or his Deputy there .... 137 CVI. — A Letter from the Queen to the Bishop of Exeter . 1 38 CVII. — A Letter from the Queen to the Abbot and Convent of Peterborough ...... — CVIII. — A Letter from the Queen to the Mayor, Bailiffs, and Commons of Coventry . . . . 139 CIX. — A Letter from the Queen to the Steward of her Lordships of Haseley and Periton . . 1 40 CX. — A Letter from the Queen to Robert Hiberdon . 141 CXI. — A Letter from the Queen to the Custumers of the Port of Boston ...... — CXII. — A Letter from the Queen to John Stanley, Squire ". 142 CONTENTS. TAGE CXIIL— A Letter to W. Chaterley, Yeoman of the Crown . 143 CXIV. — A Letter to Sir John Denham, Knt. . . . 144 CXV. — A Letter from the Queen to certain Officers and Tenants of Richard Plantagenet, Duke of York . 145 CXVI. — A Letter from the Queen to the Lord Ferrers of Groby 146 CXVII. — A Letter from the Queen in aid of Letters Patent of Safe-conduct granted to Guille Alany, Master of a Ship of Britany clept the Jenet . . . 147 CXVIII. — A Letter from the Queen to Thomas Brown, Squire 148 CXIX. — A Letter from . the Queen to the Lord Chancellor, the Lord Archbishop of Canterbury . . . 149 CXX. — A Letter from the Queen to Sir Edmond Ingoldes- thorpe, Knight, touching Henry Chevele, a ser vant of his ....... 150 CXXI. — A Letter from the Queen to Master Piers Stewkeley, Warden of the College of Maidstone . . . 151 CXXII. — A Letter from the Queen to William Gastrik or Gaskryk, proposing a Match between his Daughter and Thomas Fountains, Yeoman of the Crown . 152 CXXIII. — A Letter from the Queen to Thomas Bawlde, Squire 1 54 CXXIV.— A Letter from the Queen to the Duke of Norfolk . 155 CXXV. — A Letter from the Queen to the Bishop of Chester, her Chancellor . . . . . 156 CXXVI. — A Letter from the Queen to the Lord Chancellor, Archbishop of Canterbury . . . — CXX VII. — A Letter from the Queen to Sir John Steward . 157 CXXVIII. — A Letter from the Queen to John Gedney, Citizen and Alderman of London . . . . .158 CXXIX. — A Letter from the Queen to John Joyse, Squire, Steward of Ashbourne .... 159 CXXX. — A Letter from the Queen to the Archbishop of Can terbury ........ 160 CXXXI. — A Letter from the Queen to the Sheriffs of London 161 CXXXII. — A Letter from the Queen to the Sheriffs that next shall be of the City of London . . . .162 xn CONTENTS. PAGE CXXXIII. — A Letter from the Queen to the Mayor of the City of London . . , . . . .163 CXXXIV. — A Letter from the Queen recommending Dame Maud Everyngham to be Prioress of Nuneaton . — CXXXV. — A Letter from the Queen to the Abbot and Convent ofByland 165 CXXXVL— A Mahometan Manifesto 166 ERRATA. Page 1 of Preface, line 1 of note b, for " seventeen " read " seven." Page 21, line 1, for " ambasseth," read " ambassheth." It is not clear whether this word is abasheth (shameth) wrongly spell, or whether it was intended for empecheth (preventeth or hindereth). Page 176, insert in the Glossarial Index : — empeched, 111, 147. cmpechement, 123, 156. PREFACE. Antiquities have been defined by a great master to be " history defaced, remnants of history, which have casually escaped the shipwreck of time."" The documents contained in this volume are emphatically "remnants," and, if they do not shed much light on the history of the times to which they relate, they will be admitted to be at least curious, from the celebrity of the writers, and from their very age. These documents are not printed from originals, but from an ancient MS. book containing copies, pronounced by com petent judges to have been made in the fifteenth century. The book in question was accidentally found, in the year 1861 , amongst many other valuable documents, in a loft at Emral, the ancient seat of the Puleston family in Flintshire.6 " Advancement of Learning, book ii. 11 Emral is a fine old ivy-covered mansion about seventeen miles east of Wrexham, surrounded by a moat, in the midst of an ancient park, through which a brook called the Elphin flows, in a north-westerly direction, to the Dee. Adjoining the park to the northward is the village of Worthenbury, a family living, of which the Rev. Theopbilus Puleston is the present rector. The Pulestons have resided uninterruptedly at Emral ever since the early part of the fourteenth century. The name (Puleston), originally De Pyvelisdon, seems always to have been pronounced, as it now is, Pilston. There are extant two letters, one from Edmund Earl of Richmond, father of Henry VII., dated in 1456, and the other from Jasper Earl of Pembroke, dated in 1470, both of which are addressed " Rogero Pylston, armigero " (ArcliEeoI. Cambrensis, vol. i. pp. 146, 147), and Leland says, " Pilston, knight, hath much land yn Hanmere, but his chefe howse is yn Worthembre paroche, at a place caullid Emerhaule." (Leland's Itinerary, vol. v. p. 31.) CAMD. SOC. C XIV PREFACE. This manuscript was first brought under my notice by Frederick Peake, Esq., of Gray's Inn Square, the family solicitor of the Pulestons; and, at my request, I was, most kindly, entrusted with it by the Eev. Theophilus Puleston, to whom I was previously unknown, with permission to publish the whole, or such part of it as I might think proper. Availing myself of Mr. Puleston's courtesy, 1 am happy to be allowed to produce the work under the auspices of the Camden Society. The manuscript, which is in perfect preservation, may be de scribed as follows : — It is a small folio, very nearly, but not quite, of foolscap size, containing two hundred and twenty-seven pages. The cover is of soft sheepskin, limp and inartificial, and somewhat ragged at the sides. The paper is stout, of a good colour, not very white; two water-marks, one a star of eight sharp points, another of seven irregular and blunt points, pretty equally dividing the book. The handwriting, which I believe to be the same throughout, is thoroughly mediaeval, firm, with characters, for the most part, distinct and well shaped." The contents of the book are very miscellaneous. The earlier pages contain precedents of agreements, bonds, and powers of attorney; the middle consists of the letters comprised in this volume, with some other documents in an imperfect state; and the remaining pages are devoted to accounts, deeds, and other entries in Latin, Welsh, and English; some extracts from relio-ious works in Latin; and some old receipts for curing the ailments of horses and hawks. The letters, which extend from p. 22 to p. 136 of the manuscript, may be divided into three periods: — B All the letters aro certainly written by the same person; tlicro may bosoino memoranda at the'beginning and end of the book by a different hand. PREFACE. XV11 containing the letters was brought, with many other family deeds and papers, to Emral. The family of Edwards of Chirk is said to be now extinct " But how are we to account for the possession by John Edwards of Chirk of the original letters, which he transcribed into a book, in the fifteenth century? I cannot satisfactorily account for it, but I have a theory on the subject, which, in the absence of direct knowledge, may be entitled to consideration. There being a family connexion with the House of Tudor, and John Edwards being in the service of the Crown, under Henry the Seventh, we may, not unreasonably, conclude that he and his family were Lancastrians. Chirk was a royal castle; and it is not improbable that, in. one or more of the hurried journeys that Queen Margaret and her ill-starred consort — that " ruler not ruling " — were compelled to make, during the " Wars of the Koses," they * Following William Edwards, who died in 1532, there was a John Edwards of Chirk (probably a son of William), who died 4 and 5 Philip and Mary (1557). He was suc ceeded by his son John Edwards, who died 25 Eliz. (1 563),* and was followed by another John Edwards, who with a son, also named John, defended a suit in Chancery, com menced against them in 1615 by Sir Thomas Middleton, knight, who purchased the manor of Chirk of Lord St. John in 37 Eliz. (1595). [Extracted from what appears to be the brief of defendants' counsel in Middleton v. Edwards in 1615, found at Emral.] At this period the family of Edwards was Roman Catholic (Lansd. MS. No. 153, fol. 51), and John Edwards, the elder defendant, then resident at Newhall or Plas Newydd, is described in documents extant in tho Court of Chancery (Sherborne v. Lloyde, 8th Sept. 1619, Reg. Lib. A. 1618, fo. 1189); and also amongst the State Papers of the reign of James I. (Domestic Series (Calendars), 1611—1618, pp. 191 and 220; and 1619—1623, pp. 104, 105, and 112,) as an obstinate popish recusant, convicted upon the Statute of Praemunire, for refusing tho oath of allegiance. His house at Chirk is picturesquely described as surrounded by a moat, crossed by a drawbridge both in front and at the rear. ^ * The existence of the Edwards family at or near Chirk, in Queen Elizabeth's reign, is attested by T. Churchyard in his poem on the " Worthines of Wales." XV111 PREFACE. may have occasionally spent a short time at Chirk. Some secretary, chaplain, or other officer, in attendance on their persons, and wlio had charge of the royal correspondence, may have unintentionally left, or intentionally hidden, at Chirk, on being suddenly called away, the letters of which he was the official depositary. This theory would account for the letters being found, as they, or most of them probably, were, at Chirk, when John Edwards entered on his office there, in the reign of Henry the Seventh. Under Edward the Fourth the penalties of treason were denounced and executed against those who were guilty of having in their posses sion letters from the Queen.a But when I recollect the circumstances of her life, and the energy with which she strove to uphold the Lancastrian cause (which was her own), I cannot but think that her correspondence with her partisans throughout England must have been considerable ; and I still hope that some more of it may be recovered. It will be a matter of satisfaction to me if the present publication, which is a proof that all her letters have not perished, should lead to the discovery of others. The reign of Henry the Sixth has been said to be amongst the darkest of our annals — perhaps light may yet be shed upon it. There are, I am convinced, still many muniment rooms, and other family repositories, in this country, which have not been sufficiently searched; and, remembering the a In Feb. 1461 (1 Edw. IV.), six noblemen and gentlemen were arrested on suspicion of having received letters from Queen Margaret; and all except one were beheaded on Tower Hill. Will. Wyrc. Annates Rerum Anglic. (Lib. Nig. Seacc.) vol. ii. p. 492 (Hearne). Sir Henry Ellis had not met with any of Queen Margaret's letters, but ho thought it probable that some must exist, either in English or French. (Original Letters, 2d series*Vol. i. p. 94.) Miss Strickland goes much further; she says, " Of the many private letters written by her, not even a copy of one appears to have been preserved." (Lives of the Queens of England, vol. iii. p. 252, n. London, 1844). The present pub lication supplies an answer to this somewhat hazardous assertion. PREFACE. XIX singular chance which attended the discovery of the present letters, I cannot despair." With regard to Bishop Beckington's letters, of which there are seventeen in this volume, (with none of which Sir Harris Nicolas was acquainted,) there does seem to be a glimmer of a reason why they should have been found in North Wales. I find in the Acts of the Privy Council, that, in the year 1444, he petitioned "that money due on account of his embassy to Guicnnc might be paid to him by the Chamberlain of North Wales that now is, or that for the time shall bo."b This seems to imply that he had some intimate connexion with North Wales. It is observable that some of the letters of Bishop Beckington, contained in this volume, bear marks of coming from a book or register kept by the bishop's amanuensis or private secretary. It seems to be a well ascertained fact that, formerly, official persons deemed themselves at liberty to retain, as their private property, documents, of which, at the present day, they would be considered as having the custody only during their tenure of office, and which therefore they would be bound to deliver over to their successor.0 Perhaps the amanuensis or private secretary of Bishop Beckington was an Edwards, and an ancestor, a See some remarks on the subject of MSS. in private depositories by Mr. Hardy, the Deputy Keeper of Records, in the Preface to the first volume of his Catalogue of Materials relating to the History of Great Britain and Ireland, p. lxxi. b Acts of Privy Council, vol. vi. p. 24. c This custom seems to have been so thoroughly understood to be the rule of official life, in former times, that to it is attributable, as is well remarked by Mr. Bruce in his Letters between Queen Elizabeth and James VI. of Scotland, published by the Camden Society (Preface, pp. i. and ii.), the finding in private repositories so many documents which we should now consider public property. To its operation we may also attribute the fact, that in the Court of Chancery no order book exists anterior to 1545, although the office of Registrar is much more ancient. It is said that the earlier registrars considered the hooks their own private property, and appropriated them accordingly. XX PREFACE. or near relation, of John Edwards of Chirk, who was Receiver of Chirk under King Henry VII. It is not, by any means, necessary that all the letters should have to come to John Edwards from the same source. Those of Bishop Beckington, and those of the reign of Henry the Fifth, and of the earlier part of that of Henry the Sixth, may have been in his possession, before he came to Chirk. Nevertheless the question, how the originals came to the hands of John Edwards, is involved in much obscurity. I must not omit to mention, that John Edwards seems to have copied the letters before him, without regard to their dates; and that I have attempted to reduce them to something like chrono logical order — with what success the reader will judge. I have striven to identify the several persons named; and often with unexpected success. Some names, however, have utterly eluded every attempt I have made to discover anything relating to them. It only remains that I request the gentlemen, from whom I have received so much and such kind aid, to accept my very sincere thanks for their courtesy. To Mr. Hardy, the Deputy Keeper of the Public Records, and to all the gentlemen of that department, with whom I have had the pleasure of coming in contact, to the Rev. Joseph Stevenson, to Mr. William Hardy of the Duchy of Lancaster office, and to Mr. Courthope, Somerset Herald, I owe especial thanks. I am also very much indebted to Mr. Carew of Exeter, to the Rev. W. D. Macray of Magdalen College, Oxford, and to Mr. Wynne of Peniarth, for information, which was most readily given, and which I could not have obtained elsewhere. PREFACE. XXI Let me also offer to my distinguished friend M. Francisque Michel, whose reputation is European, my hearty thanks for his zealous and never-failing advice and help. I owe much to Mr. John Gough Nichols, for his suggestions, and for his careful supervision of the text, while passing through the press; and my thanks are also due to Mr. Cleghorn the engraver, who has enabled me to prefix to Queen Margaret's letters her badge, the daisy, copied from that splendid MS. volume in the British Museum, usually called the Shrewsbury Book. I am conscious that, in endeavouring to illustrate these letters, I must, from want of leisure and imperfect knowledge, have com mitted many errors; where that is the case, I shall be very glad to have them pointed out. C. M. Monken-Hadley, July, 1863. CAMD. SOC. d LETTERS TIIE REIGNS OF HENRY V- AND HENRY VI. A Letter to King Henry the Fifth from one of his Chaplains, immediately after the Battle of Agincourt. This letter from one of. his chaplains to King Henry the Fifth was written, as it appears to me, between the 25th of October 1415 (the day of the battle of Agincourt) and the octave of St. Martin following, i.e. the 18th of November of the same year. It contains many " swelling words of vanity," and much absurd declamation. It is, moreover, exceedingly obscure, and the text is so corrupt, that I have been compelled, in one place, to desist from the attempt to affix a meaning to it. It will be seen, however, through the haze of words in which his meaning is almost stifled, that the writer con gratulates the King on having, within the space of nine weeks, taken Harfleur, marched through a part of Prance, and, finally, fought a battle to which no thing which had hitherto occurred in history, whether sacred or profane, could be compared. It was indeed a most glorious victory, obtained in a war of which the main object, as remarked by a great living author, was " plunder."" The writer of the letter also mentions the great sickness which had prevailed in the English army, and appears to allude to the term "Prince of Priests,'' which was early ascribed to Henry on account of his subserviency to the clergy .b I am unable 11 Lord Brougham's History of England and France, p. 99. h Foxe's Acts and Monuments, vol. iii. pp. 397, 579 (ed. Townsend, 1844). The title of ' Ottrislianissivius Ecclesice -pugil ' was also applied to Henry tho Fifth. See Acts and Proceedings of the Privy Council, vol, iii. p. 3. CAMD. SOC. 11 2 letters during toe reigns OF to say who wrote this letter, but I have sometimes felt inclined to suspect that it was Henry Bishop of Winchester, afterwards Cardinal Beaufort, the King's uncle, and, at this time, Lord Chancellor. It somewhat resembles a speech of his to the Parliament (Pari. Hist. vol. i.), and no letter in this collection was written except by a person of rank. The fact that the writer calls himself the King's " devoted chaplain " is by no means conclusive against his having been a Prince of the Church." The letter was probably received by the King at Calais, where he arrived on the fourth day after the battle of Agincourt, and where he remained a fortnight.b Gloriosissime Princeps et invictissime domine, ipsam quam sit aut pos'sit capellanus devotus domino suo in terris supprcmo recom- mendacionem humillimam. Omnipotenti regi regum, cuius judicia semper justa sunt, ipsas quas valeo cotidianas gratiarum actiones suplcx exsolvo. Dum iam, quod diu sperabam, quod optaveram et antequam ab hac luce migrarem videre rogaveram, oculos ante mcos conspicio (unde meum ex intimis animum speciali gaudio refocillo) inclitissimi videlicet regni Anglic gloriam et honorem, a diu sopor- tam (sopitam?), ctiam prope e mcmoria clapsam, sompno de gravis- simo suscitatam. Jam cnim yemps abiit et rcccssit; flores apparuc- runt ; vinee florentes odorem dederunt ; yemps videlicet pigricie et desidie, ne dicam timoris aut vecordie; flores apparuerunt strenuis- sime iuventutis et milicie ; vinee florentes, propago ilia nobilissima Most glokious Prince, and invincible Lord, the devoted chaplain, in as humble wise as he can or may, recommends himself to his supreme Lord on earth. To the omnipotent King of Kings, whose judgments are ever just, I humbly address such daily thanksgivings as I can. Now, what I long hoped for and wished to see before I left this world, I behold before my eyes, whereby I feci my heart warmed with special delight, viz. the glory and honour of the famous realm of England, for a long time wholly lulled to sleep and forgotten, roused from its heavy slumber. For now winter is gone — the winter, that is, of sloth and idleness, that I say not timidity or madness. Flowers have ap peared — the flowers of vigorous and warlike youth ; and flourishing vines — " In a Petition addressed to Henry the Sixth, dated 14 May, 1426 (when the King was four years old), tho cardinal styles himself tho King's "humble chapellain." — BihI. Cotton. Cleop. E. in. fo. 30b. u Hunter's Tracts (Agincourt), p. 20. HENRY V. AND HENRY VI. o regum et procerum Anglie, que, virtuosis artibus radicata, suos quon dam palmites mundi per climata diffudit; odorem dederunt fame et probitatis dignissime, eta seculo inaudite victorie; que, cuntis regni bcnevolis, mire suavitatis fragranciam, inimicis terrorcm , et iura regni detinentibus spiritum aufert amplius reluctandi. Postulavit regni iusticia, pugnavit certantium prudencia, assistebat incolarum depre- cacio assidua, et coUuctantes respexit summus iudex, cuius non est victoria in multis vel in paucis, qui superbis resistit, et humilibus graciam subministrat. Quis, queso, prudens, expedicionis tante successus futuris temporibus conspiciens, non mirabitur, et ipsius Dei potencie non ascriberet? que gesta sunt ut, in novem hebdomadarum spacio, opidum fortissimum, hominum reputacione invincibile, por- tusque gloriosi regni Francic tutissimus obtinere possint, et per tam spaciosas inimicorumque refertas provincias pateret progressus, et finaliter tam gloriosa inter regain annales merito aggreganda victoria haberetur. A seculo non est auditum simile ncque lcctum ; non Machabeorum tempore, quorum historie hoc in tempore in ecclesia whereby I understand that noble progeny of kings and nobles of England, which, rooted in virtuous arts, formerly spread their branches throughout the world, have given forth the odours of fame and of worthiest probity and of victory unheard of in all time ; which to all the wellwishers of the realm arc a savour of rare sweetness, to its enemies a terror, and deprives those who would cripple the rights of England of all courage for further resistance. National jus tice has required, the wisdom of the combatants has struggled, the prayers of the population have worked for [this consummation]. He whose victory is nei ther to the many or the few — who, the supreme judge of all, resists the prouil and gives grace to the humble — hath looked on the combatants. What wise man, I ask, beholding, in future times, the success of such an expedition, will not marvel, and ascribe it to the power of God himself? How great are the evenls that have happened 1 when it is considered that, within nine weeks, a fortress of great strength, generally esteemed impregnable, and the safest port of the glorious realm of France, were taken ; a progress opened through so many spacious and hostile provinces; and, finally, a victory obtained, which may well be deemed glorious in royal annals. Nothing like it has been heard or read of in all time. Not in the time of the Maccabees, whose history is still read in the 4 LETTERS DURING THE REIGNS OF lecte sunt, non Sauli a propheta inuncto, non David Israelitice plebis regi preelecto, non Salamoni mortalium sapientissimo, aut Alexandro fprtunatissimo, huiuscemodi data leguntur. Estimat et pro firmo tenet ut reor magestas regia quod non sua, sed Dei manus extenta, hec fecerit universa, ad ipsius laudein, Anglorum plebis decuset gloriam, regalis nominisque memoriam sempiternam. In qua summe consider- andum quid nobis fecerit Deus, ut, dum nos forte propter nostra crimina aliquantulum puniri volucrit, non in manus inimicorum, qui parcere non noscunt, tradidit, sed sue castigacionis virgam, pestem ali- qualem, inter nos transmiserit; ac, ne gloriam tante victorie, qui forte non meruissent, sibimet ascriberent, ipsos absentes esse voluit, ut sibi gloria, et vobis, tanquam suo ministro, victoria preberetur. Sed sum- opere cavendum consulo, ne, post tantas victorias, vincant victorie comites, quales sunt superbia, vana gloria, iactancia, verborum pompa, crudelitas, rabies, et vindicandi furor, qui victorum sunt hostes hor- rendi, a quibus sepe victores clarissimi victi sunt. Quin magis assit humilitas, modestia, graciarum accio,pietas, clemencia et ignoscendi church ; not in that of Saul, the anointed of the prophet ; not in that of David, the chosen king of the Israelitish people ; not in that of Solomon, the wisest of men; not in that of Alexander, the most fortunate, has anything similar been read. Thy royal majesty deems and firmly holds, as I presume, that not thy hand, but the outstretched hand of God, hath done all these things, for His own praise, the honour and glory of the English nation, and the eternal memory of the royal name. In which it is chiefly to be considered what God has done for us ; that whilst it was His will, perchance, to punish us to some extent, on account of our sins, he did not deliver us into the hands of our enemies, who know not how to spare ; but he sent among us a plague, the rod of His displeasure ; and, lest the glory of such a victory should be claimed by the men who perchance did not deserve it, it was His will that they should be absent, that the glory of the victory should be to Him, and to you as His minister. Chiefly let us beivare lest, after such victories, the accompaniments of victory vanquish the victors — such as pride, vainglory, boasting, swelling words, cruelty, rage, and the fury of revenge ; all of which are enemies greatly to be dreaded by conquerors, and by which the most famous victors have been themselves conquered. Much more let humility, modesty, giving of thanks, HENRY V. AND HENRY VI. 0 zelus. Restat igitur, princeps invictissime, ut internis affectibus Deo laudes pro hiis magnalibus referantur, et bene vivendo sibique serviendo suppliciter deprecemur, ut opus tam gloriosum ad finem perducat sibi gratum. Vosque, princeps metucndissime, ne in va cuum (in vanum ?) gloriam Dei recipiatis, sed ad juris vestri perse- cucionem, abiecta dominandi libidine, postpositis et fugatis dolosis partis adversi tractatibus, viriliter incedatis, et ne vires interim recol- ligant vigilancius insistat[is] . Nemo autem mittens manum ad ara- trum et retro respiciens aptus est regno : continuatum autem studium communiter ducit ad profectum; et, secundum Tullium, perfecte virtu tis est non quod actum sed quod gerendum, non quod assit sed quod desit, inspicere. Regiam insuper decet celsitudinem non de quesito gloriari, sed de querendo solicitum esse; nee nos retrahat inimicorum potencia, conturbet astudicia, aut quemvis seducant pro- missa pulcra. Usque quo ipsam, in carde vestro fixam et diu desi-' deratam, cum iusticia, pacem apprehehdere, et perhenniter stabilire, possitis, ferrum ignitum securis ad axem messis multa aptissima ma- piety, clemency, and a warm desire to pardon, prevail. There remains, there fore, invincible prince, that, with our inmost affections, praises be rendered to God for these great things ; and, living righteously and serving him, let us suppliantly pray that He may bring so glorious a work to an end pleasing to Him. And you, most dread Prince, receive not the glory of God in vain, but for the prosecution of your right, casting away the lust of power, go forward manfully (the false dealings of the adversary being retarded and put to flight) and insist, with the utmost vigilance, that he shall not regain his strength. No man putting his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the king dom [of heaven] ; but continued eflbrt usually leads to success ; and, ac cording to Tully, it is the part of true virtue not to look on what has been done, but what remains to be done ; not what a man has, but what he is wanting in. Moreover, it is fitting that your royal highness should not boast of the past, but be anxious for the future ; neither let the power of our enemies drag us back ; let not their astuteness disturb us ; nor let any fair promises seduce any one. Until you may be able to bring about and establish, on a basis of justice, a permanent peace, which has so long been the fixed desire of your heart . . . fitting matter will not be wanting, nor 6 LETTERS DURING THE REIGNS OF teria non desit, aut tepescat executor sedulus, qui quantum possibile est christianorum sanguini parcat, et, cuncta cum misericordia tem- perans, perducat feliciter usque finem. Sane, regum princeps dig nissime, de regni subsidiis, et spiritualiter et temporaliter, in hoc casu faciendis timere non oportet ; quia in tantum gaudet populus vester fidelissimus, in tam felicibus auspiciis, ut se et sua vobis offerant et preccs devotissimas inccssanter pro vobis effundant, et ca de causa in parliamento vestro presencialiter congregantur, clerusque regni vestri devotissimus in Octabis Sancti Martini proximo futuro Londoniam convenient, quo in tempore, non dubito, suum principem (et eorum alludam vocabulo principem presbiterorum, nuper a quibusdam vocitato,) taliter respicient, ut luculenter apparere poterit quod non tantum voce vel labiis vos laudent, sed magis operibus gloriose magnificent, et super eos diutissime regnaturum corditer concupis- cant. Ad regni vestri Anglie decus, gloriam et magestatem vestram conservet incolumem summus Deus. Scriptum, etc. ought a careful executor [of the divine will] to falter, who, as far as possible, should spare Christian blood, and, tempering all things with mercy, bring them happily to an end. Truly, most worthy Prince, it behoveth you not to fear for the subsidies of your realm, both spiritual and temporal, to be raised in this matter ; because your faithful people so delight in their present happy auspices, that they offer to you themselves and their goods, and pour out for you unceasingly their devout prayers ; and therefore they are now met together in Parliament; and the devout clergy of your realm will meet in London, on the Octave of St. Martin next coining. At which time, I doubt not that they will so regard their Prince — (I allude to the phrase lately used by certain per sons, " the Prince of Priests,") that it will appear plainly, that they not only laud you with their voices, but rather gloriously magnify you with their deeds, and heartily desire that you may long reign over them. To the honour of your realm of England may the great God safely preserve your glory and ma jesty ! Written, &c. HENRY V. AND HENRY VI. II. A Letter to King Henry the Fifth, written from the Council of Constance. This letter was certainly written from the Council of Constance, and as cer tainly addressed to King Henry the Fifth. By whom it was written does not appear ; but there can be little doubt that, being sent to the King of England, the writer was one of the numerous embassy, composed mainly of ecclesiastics, despatched by Henry to that famous assembly." The letter, while giving the current news and rumours of the day, bears, I think, sufficient impress of the hand of a churchman to make it not unlikely that it emanated, either from llobert Ilallam, Bishop of Salisbury, or Thomas Polton, then a prebendary of York, the two most distinguished English ecclesiastics present at the Council." The Council opened the 5th November, 1414, and closed its sittings in May 1418. John Huss was burned 6th July, 1415.° Notice of this event was probably con tained in the letter of which John Hervy was the bearer.11 Before the end of July 1415 the Emperor Sigismond quitted Constance for Spain, on the very vain mission to induce Peter de Luna, the Antipope, calling himself Benedict the Thirteenth, to renounce his claim to the Popedom. Benedict was sup ported by Ferdinand the First, King of Aragon,e and some other princes ; but, " L'Enfant, Hist, du Cone, de Constance, p. 42. "¦ L'Enfant, pp. 42, 456. In Rymer, ix. 773, is a letter to the King of 30th June 1419, from Florence, signed by John Ketterick, Bishop of Lichfield, and Thomas Polton, beginning Inviclissime Regv.in Princeps, precisely as this letter begins. c L'Enfant, p. 275. d John Hervy (a mediaeval form of Hcrvey) was, I conceive, of Thurleigh, Beds. He was employed by Henry the Fourth in 1403, in a negotiation with Owen Glendower; and also, as on this occasion, at Constance, by Henry the Fifth. He must have died before 1419, as his wife's second husband is said to have died in that year. He is buried at Thurleigh. Seo Paper by the Rev. Lord Arthur Hervey on the family of Hervoy as connected with Ickworth, Suffolk. Lowestoft, 1858, pp. 54, 55, 110, 111. Collins's Peerage, iv. 141. c Benedict was of the blood royal of Aragon. He was at this time 78 years of ago, and is said to have harangued the omperor for seven consecutive hours, "sans qu'il parut anenne alteration dans sa voix, ni sur son visage.'" — L'Enfant, p. 355. Benedict never submitted to the Council, and never despaired of his own cause. He retired to the fortress of Peniscola, on the coast of Valencia, and thence, from his own centre of unity, exeom. municated Ferdinand King of Aragon, regularly, every day, until tho King died in 1416. Benedict survived until 1424. — L'Enfant, pp. 366, 575. 8 LETTERS DURING THE REIGNS OF finding him irreclaimably obstinate, they at length renounced his obedience, and entered into articles of agreement to that effect, which were executed at Narbonne the 13th December 1415, and are called the Capitulation of Narbonne. This capitulation was read in the Council the 30th January 1416." The letter notices an irruption of the Turks into the territories of the Emperor during his absence on the affairs of the Church. This news seems to have reached the Council in August 1415.b It also notices the marriage of Joanna the Second, Queen of Naples, with Jacques de la Marche, as having taken place the 10th September, 1415.c The marriage was shortly followed by the arrest, torture, and execution of Pandolfello Alopo, a former favourite of the Queen.d This event is referred to in the letter, as also a false report of the death of a "great soldier of fortune," probably Ludovico Sforza, who was at this time in a Nea politan dungeon, who had also undergone torture, and barely escaped with life.e The ambassadors of Ladislas, King of Poland, arrived at Constance towards the end of November 1 415.f On the 7th of December 1415, the Council received an autograph letter from Angelo Corario, who, as Antipopo, had for merly borne the title of Gregory XII. confirming the cession of his claim, which had been already made by proxy.s It is probably to this occurrence that the closing sentences of the letter refer. Comparing the circumstances mentioned above with L'Enfant's History of the Council of Constance, I con clude that this letter was written in December, 1415. The King had already returned home after the battle of Agincourt.'1 In March 1416 Sigismund arrived in Paris on his way to England. In April 1416 the death of Ferdi nand King of Aragon, whose illness is mentioned in the letter, took place ; and on the 7th May 1416 Sigismund arrived in London.' The object of his jour ney was to make peace between England and France. He remained in Eng land until the following August, and then returned to the Continent.11 He did not reappear at Constance until the 27th January 1417. » L'Enfant, p. 361. h L'Enfant, p. 312. c Sismondi (Rep. Ital. vi. 175,) says 10th August. d Sismondi, vi. 175. e Ibid. p. 176. Sforza did not die until 1424, when he was drowned in the Pescara. Sismondi has given a very graphic account of his death (Rep. Ital. vol. vi. p. 229). f L'Enfant, 721. g Ibid. p. 350. h He arrived in London 24th November 1415.— Hunter's Tracts (Agincourt), p. 20. ' L'Enfant, p. 723. fauli, tjescl.icbto von England, ,. 132. llunio takes no' notice of the Emperor's visit. k English Chron. p. 43. HENRY V. AND HENRY VI. 9 Invictissime regum Princeps, citra decimumnonum mensis Augusti diem vestri [vestras] celsitudini per dominum Johannem Hervy occurrencia nobiscum nova scripsi, quo ad in Consilio [Concilio] gcsta, pauca emerscrant relatione digna. Quinymo [quin- immo] a christianissimi principis Iiomanorum Eegis recessu re- formacionis Ecclesie materiam in capite et in membris tractandam solum [Concilium] duxerat, et tractavit. Nee ad tempus, quo de ipsius principis prospero successu super factis Ecclesie, pro quibus legitime decertans tot sudatos labores a temporibus sustinuit et in presentia- rum sustinet, certa recepit, alia pertractare disponit; ea in ipsa re- formacione iam statuens, que dum, suo tempore, mundo publicentur, veluti Deo grata, universalis Ecclesie decorativa, cuntis uti speratur merito venient applaudenda. Nichilominus, serenissime Princeps, super conclusione quavis cum Aragonum rege et Petro de Luna prin- cipe habita, nil certi recepimus; licet et spes firmissima sit, ex multis que concilio scribuntur, finis optati. Infirmitas vero, qua rex ipse Ara gonum valde deprimitur, in causa putatur prodilationis et more. In- Invinciblb Sovereign, since the 19th day of the month of August, when I wrote to your Highness by Mr. John Hervy the latest occurrences amongst us, very little has arisen, so far as the proceedings of the Coun cil are concerned, worthy of mention. In fact, Bince the departure of the most Christian prince the King of the Romans, the matter of the reformation of the Church in its head and members is the only one which the Council has thought worthy to be taken in hand, and has treated of. Nor, at this time, when it has received certain intelligence of the success of the Prince himself in matters relating to the Church, striving lawfully for which he has borne in times past and still bears many wearisome labours, does it choose to entertain any other questions ; being now engaged in establishing, in connexion with this very reformation, things which, when, at the proper time, they shall be published to the world, will, as being acceptable to God and to the honour of the universal Church, be deservedly applauded, as it is hoped, by all men. Nevertheless, most serene Prince, as touching any agreement come to with the King of Aragon and the Prince Peter de Luna, we have received no certain intelligence; although, from many written communications received by tho Council, we have sttong hopes of the desired issue. The illness, how ever, by which the King of Aragon is so much pulled down, is thought to be CAMD. SOC. C 10 LETTERS DURING THE REIGNS OF super, serenissime Princeps, literatore nobiscum refertur, Turcos, qui tanta potcncia et sui spiritu furoris Christianorum terras et regnorum Eomanorum Eegis fines, precipue iam a temporibus invaserant, Christi- colarum plebe permaxima sepius (proch dolor !) ense perempta, sicuti serenitatem vestram multorum scripturis,meisque inter ceteras, estimo concepisse, et iam, post multa, manus Christicola, Deo laudes, pro parte maxima trucidavit. Licet et principes aliqui Begnorum Croacie et Dalmacie, viri valde potentes, Eegis Eomanorum in odium, cuius tamen erant, vel esse saltern debuerant, Turcis memoratis adheserunt, quorum singulos inopinatus casus emergens, non minus miraculose quam mirabiliter, primitus extinxit. Eesque mira, sicuti relatores asse- runt, secuta est. Nam qui supersunt ex infidelibus ipsis, antiquissima per eos scriptura reperta, convincuntur, qua dictatur eos infra se- quentes annos quinque a Christianis funditus opprimi, vel ad fidem Christiana} religionis omnino converti. E quibus minus confusi ad propria, sicuti refertur, dispersi remcant. Hii pauci vivi relicti. Insuper , serenissime Princeps, super statu Eegine Neapolitane Comitisque the cause of the delay. Furthermore, most serene Prince, we are informed by a correspondent (?), that the Turks, who with their immense power and the energy of their native ardour had invaded the lands of the Christians in times past, specially the dependencies of the King of the Romans, slaying with the sword (alas!) great numbers of Christians (as I presume your serenity will have understood by the writings of many, and by mine amongst others), have (praise be to God !) been, for the most part, destroyed by a Christian band ; and this although some princes of Croatia and Dalmatia, men of great power, adhered to the aforesaid Turks, out of hatred to the King of the Romans, whose subjects, nevertheless, they were or ought to have been ; every one of whom has been destroyed by a sudden chance not less miraculous than wonderful. A wonderful circumstance, as is related, occurred. For the survivors of the infidels themselves are convinced, by a very ancient writing found amongst themselves, in which it is declared that, within the next five years, they will be wholly conquered by the Christians, or converted to the faith of the Christian religion. Of the survivors, those who had kept some order are, as it is said, returning, in different directions, to their homes. Moreover, most serene Prince, with regard to the condition of the Queen of Naples and the French HENRY V. AND HENRY VI. 11 Marchio de Francia, qui cum ea Septembris x matrimonium con- firmavit, legato in urbe existente, Concilio pridie plurima scribente, nova venerant, que cedula continet hiis inclusa; cuius tenor sibi, prout asscrint (asserunt ?), a civitate Neapolitana viro magnilico transmissus est. Et lcgatus ipse, suis Uteris postcrioribus, Concilio directe affirmat Pandolfellum generalem, de quibus in cedula simi liter, et fortune capitaneum magnum ibidem, qui contra ecclesiam fuerat, iam a diebus subito morti datos. Insuper, metuendissime doinine, ex parte Regis Polonie, Ambassiatoribus suis in Concilio existentibus, pridie scriptum est, de spe firma quam habet super reduccione Grecorum ad ecclesiam Romanam, etc. de illis saltern qui sunt regnis suis; in quibus sunt ducenti episcopatus, ut ipsi ambassiatores affirmant. Et ob fincm istum, confirmiterque ad reducendum ad vitam nostram populum quasi infantinum in Eussia, sue dicioni subiecta, qui necduin fidei catholice professores exist- unt, de quo eius spes existat, ut scribit Constantino Policionem ( ?) vicarium generalem, in Latino, Greco et Tartarico ydeomatibus Count de la Marche, who confirmed his marriage with her on the 10th of September, much news came the day before yesterday from one writing to the legate attending the Council in this city, which is in the schedule inclosed herein ; the tenor of which, it is said, has been transmitted hither from the city of Naples by a man of high rank. And the legate himself directly informs the Council, from his later letters, that the General Pandolfello, and the great soldier of fortune there who was against the Church, as to both of whom also see the schedule, had lately died. Furthermore, most dread Lord, letters were received the day before yesterday from the King of Poland, by his ambassadors now present at the Council, of the firm hope he has of reducing the Greeks of his dominions to [the obedience of] the Roman Church, &c. amongst whom, the ambassadors say, there are two hundred bishoprics. To this end, and also for the purpose of bringing over permanently to our [mode of] life the simple population of that part of Russia, which is subject to his rule, which does not yet profess the Catholic faith, he has sent to the King of the Romans and the Council, on his own behalf, as a ... . writes, a Vicar General sufficiently versed in the Latin, Greek, and Tartaric languages, in order to gain certain favours and letters necessary for the aforesaid matters ; who confidently hopes 12 LETTERS DURING THE REIGNS OF sufficienter instructum, ad Eomanorum Eegem et Concilium, pro se pro consequendis favoribus certis literisque ad premissa neces- sariis transmisit, qui firmissime sperat ad finem prosperum in brevi reducere que premisi. Et sic, invictissime Princeps, firme credatur Altissimum, cuius res agitur, hiis postremis temporibus, velle sui gregis dominici imperii, ut juxta ab antiquo promissa unum fiat ovile, et pastor unicus, ecclesie sue sancte. Cardinale[s] nuper Gre- gorii, infra octo dies, omnes ad Constanciam venient, indistincte. Officialibus suis aliis nobiscum iam existentibus, et iam diu est, inter nostros, ut rationis est, cum honore receptis. Ad victoriosum trium- phum, votivis uti successibus, diu valeat et vigeat vestra celsitudo. Scriptum, etc. to be able shortly to bring to a prosperous end the business I have referred to above. And thus, most puissant Prince, let us firmly believe that the Most High, whose cause it is, means, in these last times, as promised of old, that His flock and empire shall form one fold, and that there shall be one shepherd of His Holy Church. The cardinals, lately adherents of Gregory, are all, without exception, expected at Constance within eight days. His other officials, now and for some time past with us, have been received, as was right, with honour. May your Highness long thrive and flourish in victory and success. AVritten, &c. III. A Letter from the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland to one OF HIGH RANK IN ENGLAND, RESPECTING A PRESENTATION of Thomas Polton to the Prebend of Swords. Afteb much consideration I have come to the conclusion that this letter was written, between the years 1414 and 1419, by Sir John Talbot, Lord Furnival, who for his valour in the French wars was created Earl of Shrewsbury A.D. HENRY V. AND HENRY VI. 13 1442.» The writer was a Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, whose acting deputy was his brother. Now, Sir John Talbot was Lord Lieutenant of Ireland from A.D. 1414 to A.D. 1419 ; and his brother, Richard Talbot, Archbishop of Dublin, was his Deputy.1" I have not found any other Lord Lieutenant and Deputy standing in the same relation to each other, during the period within which the letter was probably written, nor am I at all able to say to whom the letter was addressed. Thomas Polton, LL.D. who has been already mentioned, was an English ecclesiastic of considerable note, during the early part of the 15th century. He was a prebendary of York in 1408," and, in 1416, was elected dean of that see.11 As one of the King's ambassadors he attended the Council of Constance (1414 to 1418), where he appears to have highly dis tinguished himself by upholding the rights and dignity of England.' Consi dering the nature of the arguments by which he maintained the right of Eng land to be deemed " a nation," we of the present day may perhaps be pardoned if we incline to think that the Ambassador's reasons were less convincing than the victories which had been lately gained by the English. Thomas Polton, who, in addition to his English honours, had the title of Pope's Notary, was, by Papal provision, promoted to the see of Hereford, A.D. 1420/ Early in 1422 he was translated to Chichester;? and, in 1425-6, to Worcester.1" He was pre sent at the Council of Basle, and died there 23rd August, 1433.' The name of Thomas Polton does not occur in the list of the Prebendaries of Swords. The Prebend of Swords, which belonged to the Church of St. Patrick, Dublin, was so valuable that it was called " the Golden Prebend." In 1431 the revenues were divided into three parts by Archbishop Talbot, and a part only was re served to the prebendary> High and mightje Prince, and my right noble and gracious lorde, I recommende me unto youre high and noble lordeship, with right humble hert, and souveraine desire, certainly to wete alle gra cious and comfortable tidings of youre noble persone, as yor most a Synopsis of Peerage by Sir H. Nicolas, vol. ii. p. 633. b Annals of the Four Masters, p. 214, note (1). - Fasti Eccles. Anglic, vol. iii. pp. 196, 215. d Ibid. vol. iii. p. 124. c L'Enfant, Hist, du Concile de Constance, vol. i. p. 456; and Seward's Anecdotes, vol. i. p. 18. f Fasti Eccles. Anglic, vol. i. p. 464. t Ibid. vol. i. p. 245. h Ibid. vol. iii. p. 60. 1 Ibid. vol. iii. p. 60, and Anglia Sacra, p. 805. L Cotton's Fasti Eccl. Hib. vol. ii. p. 136. 14 LETTERS DURING THE REIGNS OF gentil hert best can ymagin, to my most especial comforte; Lowly thankyn youre said noble lordeship, of mony gracious supportacons, and noble helpes, to me shewid, afore this tyme, in my greet nede, without eny.desert on my behalve; the which Gode rewarde, where I may not. Lowly beseking you, my gracious Lorde, for my perseverance (?). High and myghte Prince, and my Eight noble and gracious Lorde — It liketh to youre high Lordeshipe beningly [benignly] to understond, that youre gracious letters for maister Thomas Polton, touching his prebende of Swerdes, to me sent, I have reverently and humbly received. Highly having ( ? marvailing), my right noble lorde, of that, that the said Maister Thomas stirred your gra cious lordeshipe to write to me in wise, where no gilte ne deffaute was in my personne, in that matere. For, my Eight noble Lorde, his possession of the seid prebende was never emblemisshed by me, nor by none other, by myne ordinance. For, when I granted him a presentacon therof at London, in oure most souveraing Liege Lordes name, [I] therupon wrote to my brother, that was my Deputee in Yreland, for to put hym in execucon. , The which was duely exe cute, as I supposed, so fer forthe that the said proouratours of the said maister Thomas couthe finde no faulte therein. And (if) they had founden any faulte in me or my brother, or any other persounes towards me, and wolde have certified therof, hit shulde have be remedied, without delaye; as I declared, openly, afore Thomas La- vington servant to the said Maister Thomas, to his procurators now at his being here. IV. A Letter from the Treasurer of Calais to Henry V. It appears to have been the custom for the Captain of Calais to indent i.e. bind himself by deed to the King, to maintain a certain military establishment on receiving a certain daily pay. In Dugdale's Baronage,' mention is made of Dugd. Bar. vol. i. pp. 244, 245. HENRY v. and henry VI. 15 two indentures of "this kind having been entered into by Richard Beauchamp Earl of Warwick. This letter seems to imply that, if the Captain were vnin- dented, the whole charge was provided for by the Crown. The Earl of Warwick was Captain of Calais throughout the greater part of the reign of Henry the Fifth, and during a part of that of Henry the Sixth. I conclude this letter to have been written towards the close of the former reign. Souveraine Lorde, yn as humbly wise as any true liege man can thinke or devise, I recommend me unto youre noble grace. Please yow to wite, that I have received your gracious letters writen at Saintliz [Senlis ?] the xxj day of Juil, charging me to certiffie yow the cause, why that I restreined the souldeours of youre toune of Caleys, xl dayes in a yere, for to goo into youre remne [realm] of England, for to dispose for suche thinges as they had to doo there, leving a sufficient man [number of men] in hire [their] stede. Sou veraine lorde, I restreined never non, (the more harme hathe be yours). Bote, I being in youre full noble Eeamne, and [of] the counseil of my lorde of Warrewic, Capitain of youre seid toune, I desired of my full worthye lordes of youre counseil, that the Capitain shulde en- dente [indent] with yow, after youre laste appointment for the pees. And your counseil wold not grante eche souldeour xl dayes, with- outen special commandement from yow in writing. And soo youre saide Capitaine standeth unendented with alle, and none restreined, ne no rekenyng can be made with hym, for his retenue [retinue], to greet harme to yow, and to me greet charge withoute youre gra cious lordship. Lowly I beseke (beseche) youre hight (high) discre- cion, that hit may be hastely remedied, whan it best list yow, for youre prouffite and my discharge. V. A Letter from the Treasurer of Calais to the King. This letter being from Calais, relating to the payment of money, and being addressed to the King in person, I conceive to have been written by the trea- 16 letters during the reigns of surer of Calais (probably Richard Bokeland)* to King Henry the Fifth. Of the three persons named in it, John Skott, Guy Bussh, and Sir Raulf Racheford or Rochford, the only one of whom I can recover any trace is the last. Sir Ralph Rochford appears to have been much trusted by King Henry the Fifth, and was often employed by him.i> Sir Ralph Rochford was lieutenant of Calais 1421 ;c it is probable therefore that the letter was written in that year. Souveraine Lorde, in as humble wise as any true liegeman can thinke or deme, I recommend me unto youre noble grace. Like it youre highnesse to conceive, that I have received your gracious let ters, charging me to receive of John Skott and Guy Bussh xlvi pri- sonners, paying and contenting thayme resonably for thaire costages. Yf it please youre highnesse, I have received of the seid John Skott and his fFellawship xxix prisonners,and I content theym of thaire cost- ages. And, truly, they er poure men, of no value, and gret cost drawers; noughtwithstandyng that they er kepte as straitely, and in as esy dieting, as I can deme, after youre commaundement. And, as touching the xvi prisouners that hit liked [you] to charge me to receive of Guy Bussh, he wold not delyver thaime to me, unless thanne I wold have content for hym every prisonner, in the weke, a crowne, beyng in his keping, at that tyme, by the space of xii wekes. Thinking to me these costages askyng unresonable. Wherupon I charged hym, on youre * Richard Bokeland was of a Northamptonshire family, and he sat for the county in the 3rd and 9th parliaments of Henry VI. (Bridges's Northamptonshire, vol. i. p. 10.) He was treasurer of Calais from 9 Hen. V. (1421) to 14 Hen. VI. (1436). (Calais Ac counts, Record Office.) He was also victualler of Calais for some time. (Rymer vols. ix. and x. passim.) In the 2 Hen. VI. (1423) he bought the manor of Edgecote in Northamptonshire, about four miles north of Banbury in Oxfordshire, for the use of himself and Joan his wife; and, by his will, which is extant in the register of Wills of Gray, Bishop of Lincoln, he bequeathed Edgecote to his widow for life, with remainder to their daughter and heir Agnes Whitingham. (Bridges, vol i. p. 120.) A pedigree of the Bokeland family is to be found in Baker's Northamptonshire (vol. i. p. 493); but as the pedigree commences with Richard Bokeland, I have been unable to learn anything as to his descent. He was one of the executors of the will of the Duke of Bedford (Test. Vet vol i. p. 242), who died 14 September, 1435, and whom he survived barely a year, dying 10 August, 1436. (Bridges, vol. i. p. 118.) <• Rymer, ix. passim. Acts P. Council, ii. 155 n. 205 m.; Carte's French Rolls ii. 246- c Acts of P. C. ii. 365. HENRY V. AND HENRY VI. 17 behalve, in the presence of Sir Eaulf Eacheford, and your Marshal of youre tonne of Caleys, and many moc pcrsounes of youre seid toune, that the seid Guy Bussh shulde kepe thaime savely, as he wold answere unto yor Highnesse, unto the tyme that I hold other commaunde- ment from you. Souveraine Lorde, I beseche Almightie gode, etc. VI. A Letter from King Henry V. to the Lieutenant and Treasurer of Calais. This letter was found amongst the Calais accounts of the reign of Henry V. preserved at the Public Record Office. It is so intimately connected with the letter which follows it, that I ain glad to be able to publish them together. It is impossible to determine with certainty the date of the King's letter ; but after carefully examining vols. ix. and x. of Rymer, and other authorities,* 1 strongly incline to the conclusion jthat it was written in the year 1421. The Duke of Burgundy mentioned in the letter was Philip the Good, son of John the Fearless, who was treacherously murdered at the bridge of Montereau, at the junction of the Yonnc and the Seine,b the 10th September, 1419, in the presence, if not by the command, of the Dauphin, afterwards Charles the Seventh. John of Luxemburg was a staunch adherent of the English and of the House of Burgundy.c I conceive that Sir Ralph Rochford was Lieutenant, and Richard Bokeland was Treasurer, of Calais at this time, and that the letter was addressed to them.d Thomas de la Croix (Delia Croce) was an envoy sent by Filippo Maria, Duke of Milan, to King Henry V. as early as 1414.e He appears to have afterwards taken service with the King, and to have been highly esteemed by him/ The minute directions given by the King, prescribing the route of the horse and its attendants from Calais to Paris, are very curious ; and strongly indicative of the then disturbed state of the country. Notwith standing these directions, the horse appears not to have arrived at its destina tion ; hence a second letter from the King which seem* to have perished, to which the next letter is a reply. ¦ Pauli, Geschichte von England, vol. v. p. 169. b Montereau-fault-Yonne. " Biog. Univ. * Acts of Privy Council, vol. ii. pp. 3C3, 365, 367. c Rymer, ix. 118. f Rymer, x. 137, 139. CAMD. SOC. D 18 letters during the reigns of By the King. Trusty & welbeloved, forasmuche as we be enfourmed Thomas de la Croix hath sent hors & certain armerers, and harnois, for us unto our town of Caleys, We wol & charge yow expressly yat ye ordaine yat y" saide hors, and ye men yat ar comen with hem, come to us in al seure haste, and send sum trusty man for to go with hem, that may have the oversighte & gouveurnance of hem alle.and yat [they] be seurely & saufly conducted fro thens to St. Omer & so to Arras, and fro thens to Amyas [Amiens], there abidinge unto the tyme they have seure conduct from our brethre [brother] of Burgoigne or fro Sir Job an de Luxemburgh, to ye whiche we have writen for her sauf passage fro thens to Aubmalle [Aumale], fro whens our garnisons with God's grace shallen conduct hem to Parys, where we wol they shal abyde til they have heard of our wille — and, they comen to Parys, we wol that he that shal come fro you with them sende us woord of theire comyng thider. Yeven under our signet in our castel at Seint Denys de Moronval beside Dreux, the last day of Juill. To the Lieutenant and Treasurer of our towne of Caleys and eche of them. VII. A Letter to King Henry V. from the Lieutenant and Treasurer of Calais. The horse and its attendants not arriving, as stated in the introduction to the last letter, the King writes a second letter respecting it, of the 18th of September, and sends it to Calais by Blanc Turcell, a pursuivant. The receipt of this message from the King is acknowledged by the officers of Calais ; who in reply state, that they have had a similar letter from the Duke of Burgundy, which they inclose, and also another letter giving an account of some mishap that had attended their convoy, whereat they much marvel. Full High and Mightie oure moste douted Souveraine lorde, also [as] lowly as yn any wise we most [best] can or deme, Wc us HENRY v. and henry VI. 19 recommende unto your High noblesse, unto the which please hit to understand that your gracious letters, yeven at Mcwen [Meung] beside Baugency,a in date of the xviij. day of the monethc of Sep- tcmbre, hider broght by Blanc Turcell, the Poursuivant, makyng mention of the horse and other things, that Thomas De la Crosse has sent to your Highnesse, out of Lumbardy, \liave been received^]. Whereupon, ful high and mightie and oure most douted souve- raine liege lorde, the soth [the truth] is, that upon that high and mightie Prince the Due of Borguigne had, for the same cause, writen unto youre tresorer here, and to me, by his letters, whiche bceth closed within this, the men, with the same horsse, and other things that they bro3t [brought], departed from hens the xxij. day of August last passed; witlioute that we have sithen had tidings of hem unto ester [yester] day, that [when] unto youre seid tresorer and me was broght a letter of the same matcre, which also is closed within these. Mervailing right inly moche, truly, bothe he and I, that they have be soo demened [behaved] as the letter makith mencion. VIII. A Letter to King Henry V. from an Officer having the charge of Public Works at Calais. Mention being made of a servant of Thomas de la Crosse being at Calais when this letter was written, and of his having been the bearer of it to the a The name of the town in the MS. is written Mewes, but, as there is no town of that name on the Loire, and that there is a town "beside Beaujency " called Meun, which is not unfrequently written in English aB Mewen, I have corrected the text. Meun,Mehun, or Moung-sur-Loiro, is a small town not far from Orloans, tho birtb-pluco of Jemi do Meun, surnamed Clopiuel, '' parcesqyCil Mali boileux,'" a poet, who, in the 13th century, completed the Roman de la Rose. (Biog. Univ.) He is also known as the earliest trans lator into French verse of Boethius de Consolatione Philosophic. (Pantheon Litteraire, Philosophie ChrHienne, Paris, 1835; and the notice of the author, by Buchon, prefixed.) Both Thomas de Montacute, the brave Earl of Salisbury, who was mortally wounded at the siege of Orleans in 1428, and Charles VII. of France, died at Meun. 20 LETTERS DURING THE REIGNS OF King, I conceive, but not without hesitation, that it is attributable to the year 1421. It is plain from the contents that it was written in time of war, and that the King had (probably not long before) been at Calais. Henry was in England from the 3rd February to the 10th June 1421. On the last men tioned day he landed at Calais from Dover, and with very slight delay pro ceeded to Rouen." Caen stone has always enjoyed a good reputation for build ing,1' and linseed oil is noted for its hardening qualities. Souveraine Lorde, in as humbly wise s£ any true liegeman can think or deme, I recommend me unto youre noble grace ; having in myne hert continuelly emprinted, amonges youre other high comaundments, yeven to me at youre departyng from Caleys, that speciall commandment, by the whiclie ye charged me, that I sliuldc algates write unto youre highnesse, from tyme to tyme, of all matiers that me semed necessarie or expedient to signiffie unto youre high nesse. In parformyng of the which youre commaundement, like it youre highnesse to conceive, that the fundament of youre chappell, withinne youre castell of Caleys, and the walles over (height above the grounde, in the lowest place, viij. fete) wherof I send yow the patrone [pattern] by John Makyn, servant to Thomas De la Crosse, bringer of this And, as touching the stone of this cuntre, that shuld be for the jambes of your dorres and windowes of your seid chapell, I dare not take upon me to sett no more therof upon your werkes, hit freteth and fareth so foule with himself, that, had I not ordained lynnesede oyle to bed [bathe ?] hit with, hit wolde not have endured, ne plesed youre Highnesse. Wherfore I have pur veyed xiij. tons tight [weight ?] of Cane stone, for to spede youre werkes withall. And more I shall purveye, in all the haste possible, for I cannot see that none other stone wolle be so profitable for youre seide werkes; and, for God's love, souveraine lorde, like yow, of youre benign grace, to have me excused, nowe and at al tymes, of my rude and uncunnyng writyng to youre highnesse ; the which « Pauli, Geschichte von England, v. 166, 169. b As to the use of Caen stone in the middle ages, see Mr. Hardy's Descriptive Cata logue of Materials relating to the History of Great Britain and Ireland, vol. i. preface xxxi. HENRY V. AND HENRY VI. 21 ambasseth [shameth] me ful mochel, to write unto youre high estate of any matter, savinge youre wille and commandement afore said; the which I shall ever obeye and perfounne, to the uttermoste that is possible unto me, whiles my lyf endureth. Souveraine lorde, I beseche Almightie gode kepe yow in continuel prosperitee, to his plesaunce, and youre herts desire, and send yow victorye of all your enemys for his muche mcrcye. IX. A Letter from certain Officers at Calais to the King. Richard Widviule, esquire of the body to King Henry the Fifth, and chamberlain to the Duke of Bedford," was the bearer of letters to Calais, from the King and the Duke, to which this and the following letter are replies. They are therefore attributable to the reign of Henry the Fifth ; but I am unable to affix to them any more precise date ; nor can I state, except as ap pears from the letters themselves, under what circumstances they were written. Richard Beauchamp Earl of Warwick, then or lately Captain of Calais, was absent from his government, having left in charge the writers of the letters. During his absence they are commanded to deliver over the town (apparently) to another governor. They are anxious to stand well with the King, the Duke and the Earl, and this causes them no small embarrassment, as seems to me plain, from the language of their replies. They intimate, however, that, being deputies of the Earl of Warwick, they can do nothing without his know ledge and concurrence. " Richard Wydvile, Widvil, or Woodville, was one of the bravest, and, according to Miss Strickland (Lives of the Queens, vol. iii. p. 308), handsomest men of his day. He was of a Northamptonshire family of note, and, in 7 Hen. IV., was sheriff of that county, and governor of Northampton Castle. He served with distinction under Henry the Fifth, and was one of the esquires of his body. In 3 Hen. VI. (1425) he was made con- stable of the Tower; and, on Whit-Monday, 1426, received the honour of knighthood, at Leicester, from the King, who, being then of the age of four years, had himself been knighted the same day by his uncle the Duke of Bedford. In 15 Hen. VI. (1437) he was fined one thousand pounds for marrying Jaquetta Duchess of Bedford, without licence from the Crown. For his valiant conduct in France, he was created Baron Rivers in 26 Hen. VI. (1448). Lord Rivers remained firm in his allegiance to the House of Lancaster until the accession of Edward IV. Soon after this, however, his daughter Elizabeth, 22 letters during the reigns of Unto the Kinge oure Souvreigne Lord. Ful high and mightie Prince and oure right gracieux and most douted souveraing Lord : We youre humble and true obeisant sub- jectes recommende us lowly unto your high and mightie rioll [royal] maiestie. Unto the whiche plese hit to understande, that we re ceived, nowe late, by the handes of youre squier and servant Richard Wideville, youre gracieux letters of prive seal, the tcneur of the which we have wel understand, conceyving ther with all the credence by hym to us exposed. Upon the teneur of the saide letters [we] beseching youre saide rioll maiestie, oure right gracieux and moste douted souveraigne lorde, That we, youre humble be- sechers, (which alwaie have ben, beeth, and ever shal be, [and] wol be, duryng oure lyves, youre verraye and trewe obeisant subgetes,) mowen been done to and demened in manere and fourme liche [like] as contenen [are contained in] certaine articles closed with inne this same. And we at all tymes aren, and, with Godds grace, shallen be redy, at the comandement, ordinance, and be charge of letters, under seal of right worshipfull and oure ful dere lorde therle of Warrewic, be whos comandement and charge (as he that for the saufgarde and seure keping of the toune of Caleys, was and is, unto yow oure souveraing lorde, be these letters, and seurly bounden in bodyc, goodes, liflode, and heritages), and yet not dis charged thereof, as we understanden, we have charge and com- aundement of the keping and governaunce [i.e. of Calais] and to whom, be all haste possible, and incontinent after tharrivaille of youre seid squier and servant, we have sent certaine messages [messengers] for the same cause, to obey and lulfill youre noble widow of Sir John Grey, having captivated the King, he was taken into favour, and great honours and trusts were conferred on him. He was made Treasurer of tho Ex chequer, Lord High Constable of England, and advanced to the rank of an Earl. After a brilliant career, the common story is that, in 9 Edw. IV. he was seized in his house at Grafton near Towcester, by Sir William Conyers a Lancastrian partisan, who, under tho name of Robin of Ridsdale, raised an insurrection against the Yorkist government- that lie was hurried to Northampton, and there beheaded. (Dugd. Bar. vol. ii. p. 230- AVarkworth's Chronicle, p. 6.) HENRY V. AND HENRY VI. 23 charge and comandement, touching the delyverance of this youre toune of Caleys. _ And, full high and mightie prince, and oure right gracieux and moste douted souverainge lorde, God of his might and grace ever preserve and kepe unto his plesaunce your noble per- sonne, with perfit encres of ycrcs and right good lif and longe, for his muche mercy, etc. Writen X. A Letter from the same Officers to the Duke of Bedford. Full, high and mightie Prince and oure right gracieux douted lorde, also [as] lowly as in any wise we best mowen or cannen we us recomande unto yor high and mightie lordeship, unto which plese it to understand, that we received nowe late, by the handes of worshipfull Squier Richard Wydebyle, youre counseller and cham berlayn, youre honorable letters in date of the xv. day of Ffeverer [February], with certain credence therupon be him to us exposed— the teneur of which we have well conceived and understande [un derstood] as wel as tho teneur of other gracieux letters of the Kinges oure souverainge lorde, now late be youre saide counseller and chamberlayn to be delivered and declared. Unto which letters of the Kinges oure forsaid souveraing lorde, and credence upon the same, we, [who] alwaye han ben, beth [are], and wol be, during oure lyves, his veray trewe and obeissant subjetes, as trewly disposed to oure ligeance, hanen, after oure simple pouer [poor] discrecions, devised answers suche as we trusten to Almightie God shalbe unto his plesaunce. Beseching yor saide lordeshippe, ful high and mightie prince, and our right douted gracious lorde, that where as we hanen now late, and incontinent forthwith, at tharrivaille of your said counsellor and chamberlayn at this said town of Caleis, sent certain messages [messengers?] ffelawes of oures, unto oure worship- 24 LETTERS during the reigns of full and right dere lorde therle of Warrewick, now late oure capitaine, to lete him have knowleche of the said letters, as wel as of the will of oure forsaide souveraing lorde, touching the de liverance of this his toune of Caleis ; of which in al haste possible [we] truste to have answere, [and that] hit be unto yor highness no displesaunce ; hot that oure poore worshippes and honestees in that partie mowen bee favourably recommended unto youre said high and mightie lordeship; submitting us hooly ther inne unto youre good grace and ordinance, as they that hertely beeth disposed to obeye all youre honorable desires and doo youe true service at oure simple pouers. And, full high and mightie prince, and oure right douted and gracieux Lorde, God of his might and grace ever youe preserve and kepe, with pcrfitc hclthc of pcrsonne, and right good lyf and longe, for his muche mercy. XI. A Petition by J. B. (a suspected Lollard) to King Henry V. It is very difficult to say what manner of man J. B. the author of this curious petition was. That he was an ecclesiastic, and considered himself sus pected of LoUardism, there is no doubt ; but, although there were grounds for suspicion, he was nevertheless no Lollard. Still he greatly fears and distrusts the ecclesiastical authorities, and has no hope of justice except from the Kinw himself. He had been compelled by false leasings ¦ to take sanctuary at West minster, and is anxious that the King should himself determine his cause. He asks, first, that a particular service or manual of devotion to our Lady in Latin, " containing all the Bible, with great part of Catholic doctors for the better understanding of the same Bible," may be freely used by any one, and specially that it may be used by what he terms " a private religion," meaning, as I con ceive, a religious confraternity called " Christ's Knights." This is what he mainly aims at; but, inasmuch as he intimates, besides, a very orthodox desire ¦ Ps. iv. 2; v. 6. HENRY V. AND HENRY VI. 25 to " iverry the heathen and other heretics," in order to consolidate the unity of the Church under "our holy Father the Pope of Rome" one would have thought the Bishop of London would have deemed the purity of his faith unim peachable. He was, however, accused of having affixed some letter to the gate of Thomas Falconer, Lord Mayor in 1414-15, and "bad been cast into the Penitentiary of St. Paul's." He was further accused of favouring Lord Cobham ; of possessing a Lollard book " they clepe the Lanthorn of Light ;" and of lately organizing and abetting a Lollard rising at Coventry. He denies the truth of all and every of these allegations ; but the possession of the book was suspicious. A copy of the "Lanthorn of Light" "bound in red leather, of parchment, written in » good English hand," had been found in the hands of one John Claydon, a currier, a poor relapsed Lollard, who, a few years earlier, had been delivered over to the secular arm. The examination of the book was on that occasion referred to a committee of ecclesiastics, one of whom was the famous William Lyndwood, author of the "Provinciate" and, if their report is to be trusted, it was highly abusive of the Pope and the bishops. It is, however, remarkable that, amongst the fifteen heretical propositions which the committee found in the book, one (the sixth) is directly condemnatory of " private religions," the very institutions one of which J. B. wished to intro duce.11 Lord Cobham, who was condemned for heresy by Archbishop Arundel, 10th October, 1413,° was executed in December, 1417.'1 The Duke of Bedford was Lieutenant of the kingdom in 1415, and again in 1417, when the King was absent from England.e The Duke of Gloucester was appointed to the post, 30th December, 1419.f The King was at home from February to June, 1421,« * It is not very clear what the words " J'enitauneery of Ponies " mean. I conceived them to indicate an ecclesiastical court ; but it has been suggested, on high authority, that they, more probably, mean an episcopal prison, the use of which, as regarded sus pected heretics, was sanctioned by an Act of the 2 Henry IV. I do not however find, in Dugdale's History of St. Paul's, any trace of either a court or prison so named attached to the metropolitical cathedral. Under the word " Pcenitenliaria,"1 Ducange has "Tri bunal Romanum cui prseest Poenitentiarius Major," and he defines " Pcenitentiarius " to be a dignity instituted in cathedral churches by the Council of Trent (Session 24, cap. 8, and Sess. 14, cap. 7), having power to absolve in reserved cases. He adds, how ever, that this dignity existed long before the Council of Trent. (Ducange, v. 326.) The name of an office might very soon pass into the name of a place; and, in modern Eng lish, this change has occurred with reference to this very word. b Foxe, Acts and Monuments, vol. iii. p. 532. "The Lanthorn of Light" was after wards printed by Robert Redman. Ames's Typog. Antiq. (Dibdin's edit.) vol. iii. p. 246. = Rymer, ix. 61. '• Pauli, ». 147, 148. e Rymer, ix. 305, 475. f Rymer, ix. 830. £ Pauli, v. 166, 169. CAMD. SOC. E 26 LETTERS DURING THE REIGNS OF and the Duke of Bedford was reappointed the 10th June, 1421 .» I conceive this petition to have been presented to the King in the spring of 1421. The Bishop of London of the period was Richard Clifford.11 The text is both obscure and corrupt; but I must leave the document and its apparent contradictions as I find them. Sadely, mekely and truely bcsecheth youre true liegeman and continuel devoute bedman J. B., that sythcn, by fals lesinges, he is neded to holde youre and god is Seintwary [God's sanctuary] of Westminster, ffor drede of fals prisonnement and gratter wronges, that ye wolde yeve him leev and hardiness to plaine to yow, and ye youreself, in youre owne solempne propre personne, withouten any other Juge, spirituel or tempore!, be youe or any other, to be assigned in this cas, as fer [as] youre pouer streches, to here him ; And who that wol obiect ayainest him, on bothe sides, to alegge and prove; And thann youre owene self, at thende, whann ye have all thinges wel herd and conceived, yeve sentence diffinityf. And, namely, of a service of oure ladye, in laten, contening al the bible, with gret part of Catholic Doctours for the better understanding of that same bible. And this service for devocion take it whoo so wol, who so nil leef, and hit fully to be saide, foure tymes a yeere, or, at the lest, twice; and the labour, on the day, no^tfidly iii houres; which fourme of service he asketh to be camfermed soo, that, whooever wol use hit, mo we bodely [boldly?], withouten sclaundre or defame of all manere unleeffulness ; and also the same he asketh for a privat religion, named cristys Knightis, for the same service to use. And also to iverry [make war, (Chaucer)] on the hethen and other heretikes, bothe gostely & bodely, in all law full manere, to make oo [one] foulde and one herde, oure Lorde Jhu [Jesu] criste, and his chief Vicar in erthe, oure hooly fFader the pope of Rome. Of which ma- tiers the same John [viz. J. B. before mentioned] toke up thre bookes, to be examined, to his ordinarie, bishop of London, sone after Estir last was ; asking therof aunswere. Bote he maye none yet have, ne his bookes neithr, ne of divers billes [letters] that he * Rymer, *.. 129. 1> Fasti Eccl. Angl. vol. ii. p. 294. HENRY V. AND HENRY VI. 27 hath sent sithen. Of whech therfor he asketh youe, liege lorde, both aunswer and deliverance ; and also of fals lesinges falsly he [knoweth] not by whome put on him, that ye wolde holde and declare him ful innocent, fTor, got wote, soo he is. Of which lesings one is, that he shulde have made a letter y sett upon Faukener is gate thanne maire of London, and [he is] cast into the Penitauncery of Poules. [The 2d not stated.] The thridde, in declaring [liimself in favovir ?] of John Oldecastcll, Knyght. The fourthe, a booke thei clepe the launtern of light; the vto that he shulde, at Coventre, Sun day thre wekes nextebifore Lammesse day last was, have taught and stirred Loullers to rise; the vite. that he shulde have made vi hun dred tabardes for the same entent. And, to fore god, liege lord, al is fals and falsly fayned; and that he is ever redy to declare him self, oonely yn yor noble presence, right as ye and youre rightwise lawe wollc: and yet, every day, they countrefet nue lesinges, soo that he may not poursue aunswer of his service and religion aforsaide. And therfore, liege lorde, til these matiers be al finisshed,heasketli, freely, youre true and faithfull highest and most free and gracious protection, in all manere causes to ayeinst all manere of men, of what condition ever it be, he in no wise be letted : bote alwaye mowe safe goo at large, to poursue his nedes in this cas; and to take his ful counsseil withoute al manere of prisonnement, and othir letting whatever, ye mowe deffende. And also, evermore, to have free honest commynge unto youre owen rial presence, in due time and place, withouten any lettyng, at his owen wille ; ffor he findeth youe god and at hese to borogh (?). That that he wol never this flye, but redi appere, and youre lawfull sentence ever abyde, and with goode will take. And, on this condicion, bote not elles, he forsaketh all other priviliges and libertees of Sanctewary, ever bounden to yow and to youre righwys laws; fFor, god wote, he toke never Sante- wary bote for fere of fals prisonnementes, and therfor he besecheth youleeveth [that ye believe] not lyers against him, fFor [lore] god, he saith ne meneth bote treuthe. And all this, liege lorde, as fer as god may be plcsed, and ye not displesed, he requireth you, bifore 28 LETTERS DURING THE REIGNS OF gode, at his endeles dome, [that ye hear] and also that ye see and conceive an Informacion in latin of the same Religion, which he tooke to myn excellent and worthie lorde your brother, thanne youre lieutenant, also noble Due of Bedford. And, more over, he asketh you al that ever he shulde, pertening and helping to this matiere, and all that is impertinent and harmyng to be had awaye. And ever to have libertee to adde and minise [minish ?] chaunge and amende, as hit may hirn most speede; and in noo waye delaye ne hinder, thogh he [know]not what it is. Therfore evermore, he asketh yow also al manere true and faithfull counsseill in this matier; for he is bot right simple, ne greet truste hath not ferrer [further?] thanne in god and yow. Lete hym not therfore be deceived, for godds love allmighte. And therfore, if ayenst this peticion any processe be made of any maner Juge spirituel or temporell, and soo the same John have wronge, thanne he provoketh and appelleth this cause directly to the right wisness of god and to the liege lorde, fFor other juges in this matere he hath utterly suspecte, for greet wronges that he hath had, dreding to have more. He therfor hem utterly recuseth, and herto he fully him submitteth. Al this and eche parcel therof he asketh yow, and requireth oonly to have right, for god is [God's] love, etc. XII. A Letter from the Sovereign to This letter seems to have been written by Henry the Fifth, or Henry the Sixth, (I incline to think by the former sovereign,) from France ; but to whom I am wholly unable to say. The only particular of any importance it discloses, is notice of the fact that, at one period, the King of England felt so sure of retaining France, that it was contemplated having one chancellor for both realms. I cannot discover who W. M. was ; but Richard Leyot was a person of some note. I have not found that he ever held any distinct office under the Crown ; but he was a churchman mentioned more than once in Rymer as HENRY V. AND HENRY VI. 29 having been employed, during the reigns of both Henry the Fifth and Henry the Sixth. He was a prebendary of Lichfield in 1431,a and advanced to the dignity of Dean of Salisbury in 1446. He died 16 June 1449.b This letter is merely a fragment. Right trusty and welbelovyd. We grete yow wel. And for as muche as that we ben advised for to have but oon Chaunceller, bothe for oure matiers that we have adoo in this land, and also in England, We writen at this tyme unto oure right trusty & welbelovyd Clerc, Maistre Richard Leyot, for to send us over into this lande, in all, goodely haste, oure seal that he hathe in his keping. And we wol that he be forthe of oure counssail, as that he was bifore, and more over, sith that oure lorde hathe taken owte of this worlde W- M., that in his lyf was oure trewe servant, as we truste verraly, whoos soule god for his mercy assoille: we wol and charge yow that ye sende unto us oure Signett, that he hadd in kepinge, and certiffie us alweys, fro tyme to tyme, by comers betwene, of suche tidings as that ye han. XIII. A Declaration or Memorandum of Thomas Rowley. James the First, King of Scotland, had been most unjustly arrested in the year 1406, when a child, by King Henry the Fourth, while on his way to France. He remained in confinement during the reigns of Henry the Fourth, Henry the Fifth, and until the second year of Henry the Sixth (1423). In this year he was released, on an undertaking to pay, within six years, the sum of 40,0001., not for ranson, but for his " support and education." Before return ing home, he espoused in London, Joanna, niece of Richard the Second by the mother's side, and, through her father, John Duke of Somerset, granddaughter of John of Gaunt, and was presented on his marriage-day with a discharge for 10,000?., being one quarter of the stipulated sum.c The 10,000 marks men- 1 Fasti Ecc. Ang. vol. i. p. 601. b Ibid. vol. ii. p. 616^ 1 Scott's Hist, of Scotland, vol. i, p. 258. 30 LETTERS DURING THE REIGNS OF tioned in this memorandum were no doubt another instalment of the sum in question. A " cedul " appears to have been added to the original document sealed by Thomas Roweley. Thomas Roweley, Roulle, or Roule, was an eccle siastic, and chaplain to James the First, King of Scotland. He seems to have been a diplomatic agent whose services were often required by his master." In the yere of grace mhhcxxvi, ThefFriday vito day of the monethe of Decembre, Maister Thomas Roweley Clerc, for certain causes y commen from high and mighte Prince the Kyng of Scotland, unto the Kyng oure Souverainge Lorde, and to his greet Counseill. After certain communication y had at Westminster, betwene hym and Richard Bokeland, Tresorer and Vitailler of Caleys, as touching the paiement of the some of x m1 marcs be the saide Kinge of Scotland, owing, as be terme runnen, after the stablement of the same, and due to be paied unto the Kynge our saide souverainge lorde in the Cite of London, made hym strange, b as in the saide Kinges name of Scot land, and said unto the saide Richard Bokeland at the saide West minster, That at the ferthest be the ferste Sunday Clene Lenton ° nexte comynge the seid somne of x m1 marcs holy shulde & shalbe redy in money to the value of good nobles, mountyng, the same somne to be paied within the toune of Bruges in Flaundres, unto all suche personnes or personne as thereof han or shullen have pouer & auc- torite sufficient, be the Kinge our saide Souverainge lorde, and that withouten any longer delaies makyng hym strange.d Over [further?] that the said Maister Thomas permitting that, upon that the said Kinge of Scotland in al goodly haste shall sende his letters seeled under his seel unto the lordes of the Counsseil of oure said souve rainge lorde, promising & afferming the same. In Witenesse of whiche thing the said Maister Thomas unto this cedul hath sett his seel day & yere aboven rehersed. 1 Acts of Privy Council, vol. iii. p. 357; Rot. Scot. vol. ii. pp. 258a, 2596, 261a, 2626, 2656, 2696, 275a & b, and 282a; Rymer, x. pp. 428 and 431. '' Made it a matter of difficulty. See Canterbury Tales, 11,535. c See Paston Letters, xxii. vol. i. p. 297. d i.e. without any further difficulty. HENRY V. AND HENRY VI. 31 XIV. A Letter from to Richard Flemmyng, Bishop of Lincoln. The bishop to whom this letter was addressed was a Bishop of Lincoln, Slea- ford having been formerly a residence of the Bishops of Lincoln. His Lord ship was plainly " in trouble," and, from his having to sue the King's Council for his temporalities, I conclude this was the "trouble" and "adversity" that is alluded to in the letter. This circumstance seems to point out Richard Flemmyng, who was Bishop of Lincoln from 1419-20 to 1430-1. » Richard Flemmyng was born in Yorkshire of a good family,1" and educated at University College, Oxford. He took his degrees of B.A. and M.A., and was a proctor in 1407 and 1408. In early youth he inclined strongly to the doctrines of Wick- liffe ; but, " his mouth being stopped with preferment" not only his zeal cooled, but he became a determined enemy to all church reforms He was made Rector of Boston in Lincolnshire, Prebendary of South Newbald, and (by ex change) of Langtoft,d both in the arch-diocese of York, and, in 1419-20, was promoted to the see of Lincoln." In 1423 he was present at the Council of Sienna ' (Senense), and so distinguished himself there that the Pope (Martin V.) made him his Chamberlain,^ and the following year (1424) promoted him to the Archbishopric of York. This preferment Richard Flemmyng unwarily accepted without the permission of the King's Council.1' The Council there upon seized the temporalities of Lincoln, compelled the prelate to renounce the archbishopric, and the Pope was fain to retranslate him (in 1425) by the style of Richard Archbishop of York to his former see.1 It was on this occa- ¦ Fasti Eccles. Anglic, ii. 17. b Ulustribus in Anglia natus parentibus (Pitseus, t. 1, p. 615). • Antiq. Oxon. (Gutch) iv. 234. When I first walked up the nave of Lincoln Cathedral I almost forgave Richard Flemmyng for wishing to preserve things as they were. d Ibid. 234 n. (4). « Fasti Ecc. Angl. ii: 17. ' Pitseus, t. i. p. 615. This author gives, as the date of this Council, 1424, sed vide contra Chron. of Hist. (Nicolas) 252. Anthony Wood, by mistake, calls it the Council of Sens (Antiq. Oxon. 234), which was held in 1485 (Nicolas, 253). 8 See the Latin epitaph published by Anthony Wood as having been formerly on the tomb, but which was not there in 1640 (Antiq. Oxon. (Gutch) iv. 235, 236). h The King's Council had assented to the election of Philip Bishop of Worcester to the Archbishopric. (Acts of Privy Council, vol. iii. xxviii. n.) 1 Fasti Eccl. Angl. vol. ii. p. 17, where see, in the footnote, a very remarkable letter 32 LETTERS DURING THE REIGNS OF sion that Richard Flemmyng petitioned, in most abject style, for the restitution of his temporalities," and they were restored 3rd August, I426.b Richard Flemmyng obtained a royal license, dated 12 Oct. 1427, to found Lincoln College in Oxford, to educate persons who should write, preach, and dispute against the "damnable doctrine" of Wickliffe. He died, however, at Lincoln, the 25th January, 1430-1, before his college was actually founded.0 I am struck with the unrelenting hostility shown by this bishop to the memory of one, whom in his youth he had so much admired. He it was who was selected by the Council of Sienna to execute the decree of the Council of Constance, which directed that the bones of the great reformer should be exhumed ; to which, as one of Wickliffe's biographers observes, he, in his zeal, added the burning them.d I believe this letter to have been written in 1426; and I have a suspicion that Bishop Beckington, at that time archdeacon of Buckingham, was the writer. I can discover nothing with regard to " Alisaundre the Lum- bard," Anderby, Thomas Soresby, or Wyche. There was a Richard Wychc, who may have been living in 1426, who, like Richard Flemmyng, had once been a follower of Wickliffe, and who was compelled to recant.e Perhaps he was the last of the persons named. Right Worshipfull fFadir in Gode, and my worshipfull lorde, I recommende me unto youre lordeshipe, yn all due wise; and like hit youre lordeshipe to wite, that I have received youre letters writen at Sleford the x day of Januer, rehercyng, muche things, the which, as ye affirme, is iche [each] worde true, on peyne of your unworshipe. By the which youre letters I understand, yn especial, that, touching the cxxx1', that I paied of myn owen goods to Alisaundre for your bulles, the same Alisaundre muste paye me ayen; and Anderby to hym the said somme, as ye writen. Sir, I mervaille right muche, and can noght have mervailed to muche, that ye soo writen, consi dering, namely, how, at your departing hens, and many tyme before, from the Council to the Lord Chancellor, on the occasion. There is in Flemmyng's Register, circa 1424, very distinct intimation of the see being then vacant. ¦ Rot. Pari. iv. 311. Fasti Eccl. Anglic, ii. 17 c Antiq. Oxon. (Gutch) iv. 236, 237. Reg. Flem. fo. 36. d L'Enfant, Hist, du Cone, de Const, lib. ii. vol. i. p. 157; Lewis's Life of Wickliffe p. 280; Godwyn de Preesulibus Angliee, p. 297; and Lyndwood's Provinciale, lib. v. tit. 4 p. 284, note c. Lyndwood's annotator seems, however, to consider the " burning " as having been ordered by the Pope. e Fasc. Zizan. p. 501. • HENRY V. AND HENRY VI. 33 withe much more langage thanne is now to be reherced, ye desired and praied me, with greet instance, to sue unto my lordes of the kinges counsaille for deliverance of youre temporaltces ; like as y did, full diligently, God knoweth. And, also, ye praied me to spede your bulles towards you, as soone as thei were comen ; ye rehercyng, how greetly the delaying of youre said bulles might skaythe you. The which bulles hider commen, because that they might not be geten oute of the Lumbard's hands, on lasse than the forsaide somme first paied, as youre servants Maister Thomas Soresby and Wyche knowen well, and also the Lumbard wol recorde, thei besoght and praied me right instantly ,T>n youre behalve, to content the Lumbard of the said somme; and soo I did, with right good wille (God knoweth) in thaire presence, the xxvi day of August; receyving of Alisaundre a cedul of the said somme, upon good and just rekenyng, betwix you and hym. And this is so clere, that hit may nojt be said nay unto (I am seure) yf they be wel avised. Wherefore 1 may well mervaille of that ye write, that ye had no knowlege that I paied for yow the forsaid somme. Of which paiement Alisaundre also saieth, playnely, he certiffied yow, by letters diverse; and therby he wol abide. The which bulles, yn wise beforsaid, by me receyved, I sent thaym to yow, by youre seid servants, havyng, at all tymes, ful grcte tendernesse and rewth (God knoweth) of your adversitie, thogh it be litill considered. And, as touching the Cu. that, as ye write, ye spake to Anderby of at Sleford, etc. trewly, as me seemeth, I quyte me soo to yow in that matere, amonges other, as were thanke worth, and [if] it be well remembred. Natheles, of that and muche more I passe over, at this tyme, and praye yow hertely that, consi dered this that here is reherced, and the remenant that might be reherced, of my trew and kynde service unto yow, in youre trouble, ye wolle ordaine, in savyng your owen worship and me harmeles, that I be paied, as reason and good conscience wollen ; soo that, for defFaute of paiement, I be no3t constreint to pourvey me of othir remedye, that were me lothe; the which, after answere of this letter had from yow, I must nedes and thenke. [think] to doo, on lesse than CAMD. soc ¦ f 34 LETTERS DURING THE REIGNS OF ye woll content me. And, sir, I am seure ye wol no3t gruche so to doo, wel avised; fFor hit were to muche ayeinst youre worship, ayeinst good conscience, and ayeinst all gentilnesse, that I shulde thus straungely be quyte [requited] for my kyndenesse, and, pera- venture, cause many men herafter, that han will to do you service, wittyng herof, to be warre by me — that God deffende [forbid] for youre sake, more than for myn. Right worshipfull, etc. the hooly Trinitee have yow evermore in his kepyng. Writen, etc. XV. (1). A Letter from an Officer at Calais, on behalf of him self AND OTHERS, TO THE DUKE OF BEDFORD. I have no hesitation in assigning the five following letters to the year 1428. I have less confidence in my having placed them in their right order. They chiefly relate to the displeasure shown by Richard Beauchamp Earl of War wick towards Richard Bokeland,1 Treasurer of Calais, Richard Wydvile,b Chamberlain to the Duke of Bedford, Regent of France, and Lowis John, Warden of the Mint in London and at Calais,' in consequence of their having, • Ante, p. 16. b Ante, p. 21. c Lowis, Lewis, Lodowick, or Lodewyke John was the representative of an ancient family (which also bore the name of Fitz- Lewis) formerly possessing property in Herts, but much more in Essex. It is said that the first of the family was the offspring of an intrigue of Prince Lewis (afterwards Lewis VIII.) of France with an English lady, when, in 1216, that prince invaded England, at the invitation of the barons opposed to King John. (Morant, vol. i. pp. 212, 213, note p.) It must, however, be admitted that the name Lewis John is intensely Welsh; and that he, in a petition presented by him to Par liament, in 1414, speaks of himself as of Welsh extraction. (Rot. Pari. iv. 45.) Lewis John was Warden of the Mint at London and Calais, and also Master of the Mint under Henry the Fifth. (Ruding's Annals of British Coinage, vol. i. pp. 33, 57.) The Hertford shire property of this family was near Hatfield, where the name of Ludwick's or Lodwick's Hyde still lingers. (Clutterbuck, vol. ii. p. 357; Chauncy, p. 311.) Members of this family represented tho county of Herts in 27 and 31 Edwurd III. and 1 lion. IV. Lewis John was married tlireo times, and Hurndon or 'I'horndon Hall, in the parish of West Thorndon, with other lands in Essex, game to him by his third marriage, in 1438, with an HENRY V. AND HENRY VI. 35 as he conceived, caused his removal from the captainship of Calais. The charge is most strenuously denied by one of the three, who I believe to have been Richard Bokeland ; but, although the Duke of Bedford interested him self warmly on their behalf, both by word of mouth and by letter, the Earl seems to have remained still of the same mind. Wydvile appears to have vainly attempted to exculpate himself by throwing the blame on Bokeland and Lowis John ; the latter, so far as appears, was silent. How far the Earl was justified in his suspicions it is impossible now to say, but a very sufficient rea son for his ceasing to command at Calais existed in his being called upon, on the first of June of this year, to preside over the education of the young King Henry VI." a duty which would of course require his presence in England, and which, very likely, he thought more honourable than agreeable, especially in time of war. The Duke of Bedford, who had lately been in England, had now returned to France. There is no doubt that he had at this period suc ceeded in detaching the Duke of Britanny from his alliance with King Charles vTI.b of France ; but I have not discovered any trace of the particular meeting of the two Dukes, which, it would seem, was expected to take place on the 20th of May at Rouen. Thomas de Montacute, Earl of Salisbury, whose coming is said to be " right needful and expedient," landed from England at Calais in July, 1428, with reinforcements,0 taking the Earl of Warwick's place with the Duke of Bedford, who was now at Paris.d He proceeded southwards, and was killed, 3rd November, 1428, at that fatal siege of Orleans, where the English, in the spring of 1429, received their first check from Joan of Arc." The Duke of Bedford was made Captain of Calais by patent bearing date the 5th December, 1428.' The office of Treasurer of England was held at this time by Walter Lord Hungerford." Essex heiress. (Magna Brit. Essex, p. 684.) He died in 1442. (Inquis. post mortem, 21 Hen. VI.) • Ry. *. 399; Rot. Pari. v. 411a; Acts of Privy Council, iii. 296; and Pat. 6 H. VI. p. 2, m. 5. The "Articles declaring how the Earl of Warwick took charge of Henry VI." which Sir John Fenn has prefixed to the Paston Letters, were not entered into on this occasion, but are of a later date (11 Hon. VI.). b Lobineau, Hist, do Bretagne, torn. i. p. 672. ' Acta Regia, vol. ii. p. 244. d Hall, 143. <¦ Lord Salisbury was mortally wounded at Orloans, but died at Meungsur- Loire, the 3rd November, 1428. Of him an old French author (Lefebre de St. Denis), quoted by a modern historian , writes thus : " Plus vaillant homme que lui ne fut en Angleterre, ni ne put etre sous le soleil." (Martin, Hist, de France, vii. 7, 41, 47, 48.) ' Rot. Franc. 7 Hen. VI. m. 1. e Walter Lord Hungerford held high office under the Crown, during the reigns of 36 LETTERS DURING THE REIGNS OF Letter 1 was certainly addressed to the Duke of Bedford, probably to Paris, by certain officers at Calais ; and, although Bokeland, Wydvile, and Lowis John are named in the third person, it is clear from the Duke's reply that they were the writers. "Oure Lorde youre brother" must refer to Humphrey Duke of Gloucester, who conducted the home government as Protector, in the absence of the Duke of Bedford, but who seems at this time to have had some command at Calais. Letter 2 is from the Duke of Bedford to the writers of Letter 1. He has spoken to the Earl of Warwick, and now incloses a letter to him respecting " the hevynesse " he entertains towards Bokeland and his friends, and he tells them how they ought to conduct themselves towards him. The advice given as to certain payments due to the Earl seems to refer to some letter from them, which has not been preserved. Letter 3 from Bokeland to a friend (perhaps a brother) in personal at tendance on the Duke of Bedford, expresses much gratitude to the Duke, and affection to his correspondent, who seems to have written Bokeland a letter, which has been also lost. Notwithstanding the Duke's letter, the Earl maintains his " bevy lordship " to Wydvile, Lowis John, and him, but specially to him. He hopes the Duke will still stand his friend, or he fears he must resign his post. He also states his reasons for feeling a difficulty in complying with the Duke's wishes, with regard to the payments due to the Earl of Warwick. Letter 4 was, I conceive, written to Bokeland from Paris by his friend in attendance on the Duke, probably early in May 1428. From its contents it would seem to have been sent to Calais with the Duke's letter. The notices of Lords Salisbury and Talbot are interesting. The siege mentioned at the end of the letter, as in preparation, was probably not of Laval, but Orleans. Letter 5 was certainly written by Bokeland to Richard Wydvile, who, being Chamberlain to the Duke of Bedford, was probably with him at Paris. Bokeland complains that Wydvile has tried to make his peace with the Earl, at the expense of his friends. He professes great difficulty in believing that Henry the Fourth, Henry the Fifth, and Henry the Sixth. He served in France under Henry the Fifth, received grants in that country, and was made a Knight of the Garter. He was also one of the King's executors. He was, for many years, Lord Treasurer of England, and sat in Parliament as Baron Hungerford from 4 Hen. VI. (1426) to 27 Hen. VI. (1449). He died in 1449, and was buried in Salisbury cathedral. (Dugd. Bar. vol. ii. pp. 204, 205, 206.) Notwithstanding the minute directions given by this nobleman in his will (Test. Vet. vol. i. p. 257) as to his place of sepulture, scarcely a trace of it exists. Walter Lord Hungerford resided chiefly at Farley Castle, otherwise Farley Mont- ford, on the borders of Wilts and Somersetshire. The remains of Farley Castle are said to be very trilling. (Hungerfordiana, p. 102.) HENRY V. AND HENRY VI. 37 AVydvile can have so acted. He ends his letter, however, by giving his corre spondent a piece of news with which Wydvile, from his position with the Duke, was probably well acquainted. Oure right dredfull and moste gracious lorde, with entier hum- bless of oure poure and obeissaunts hertes, we recommande us unto youre high and noble grace. Like hit unto youre highness to un derstand, how that wee hen enformed by the Tresourer of England, that he is instructed by yo1' highness for to reforme youre patent of the Capitaineshippe of the toune and castell of Caleys. Whereupon he desireth us, youre poure servants, to sue it forth; whiche we dare not take upon us, with outen special commandement and sup- portacion of yow therin; considering that nowe oure lorde of Warrewik sheweth himself alwaye hevy lorde to Wydevile, Lowis John, and Richard Bokeland, surmetting upon thayme that they were causers therof [i. e. of his removal from the Captainship of Calais], which God knoweth the contrary, saving yor com mandement, that all youre trewe ferendes as all youre poure ser vants dyd and as thayme owe of right to doone [as they ought of right to have done], and ever woll, to thaire lyves ende, in that and maters other. Wherfor, and it like unto yor goode grace, we thenke that it were right necessarye to directe youre letters unto oure lorde youre brother, as well as unto the lordes of the Counsail, tb have us, yor poure servants, recommended unto thaire goode grace, as for al suche matere as we shall poursue unto thayme in yor behalf, and in especial in this matere abovesaid ; and for how many yeres that ye desire to have [your patent made out] . Oure right, etc. We besech the blessed and gracieux Trinitee ever to preserve yow in honneur and prosperitee, and sende yow victorye of alle yor enemys. 38 LETTERS DURING THE REIGNS OF XVI. (2). A Letter from the Duke of Bedford to the Officers at Calais. Right trusty and wel-belovyd, We grete you well, And doo you to wite that we han received and seen yor letters that ye han nowe late sent us, and fullyche understanden the contenue of thayme ; of the whiche we thanke yow right hertely, and pray yow that, for oure comforte, ye wol continue to write forth unto us, and certiffie us, from tyme to tyme, of all suche tidings as that ye shall have; and, as touching unto the hevynesse that oure cousyn of Warrewyk hath unto yow, we have spoken unto hym therof, and praied him, that, by contemplacion of oure praier, he wol be yowr goode lorde, and remoeve his saide hevynesse from yowe. And nowe we writen unto hym also for the same cause, ri3t tenderly, hy oure letters; the whiche we sende yow with these, prayeng yow hertely, that ye. wol gouvern yow unto him in alle wise goodely and frendely, as that ye owe to doo; and, as unto that that [ye] desire, by yor said let ters, for to be certiffied from us, howe that we wol that ye shall gouvern and demene yow from hens forthwards, in the payments that ye shall make unto oure saide Cousyn, we wol and pray yow, that, by youre goode discrecion, ye gouvern yowe in suche wise therin, as that ye thenke that ye owe to doo of right and reason; tendering in asmuche as that ye goodely may oure saide Cousyn in his forsaide payments. And oure Lorde, etc. XVII. (3). A Letter from Richard Bokeland to Right worshipfull Brother, I commende me to yow, etc. and have received my lordes letters, oon direct to my lorde of Warrewik nENRY V. AND HENRY VI. 39 another to me, of whiche I beseche yow to thanke lowly his goode and gracious lordeship on my poure behalf, with due rccommendacion, etc. And grauntmercy, brother, hertely of youre kynde and gcntill letter to me (right welcome at this tyme and at all tymes, prayeng yow entierly of continuance, at suche tymes as ys yor goode lay3er,) and mene commyng betwix for my recomfort singular [i.e. thanking you for your intervention], certiffieng me also, yf ther be anything that lyeth in me here to doo to youre plesaunce as hym that ye shall fynde als well willing and as hertely doo hit to my powaire as that that toucheth myn owen personne trculy. And, brother, touching thanswer of youre letter, wol ye wite, that my maisters, etc. presented my lordes letters unto my lorde of Warrewik, with as g^dely lan- gage of lowly submission on my behalf, that I might be 'received to myn answer and excuses, as we cowthe devyse. Natheles, yn con clusion, it wol no3t be, as yet, me to greet sorowe and hevyness, that never, at my witting, yave any cause or occasion of suche dis- plesaunce unto his lordeshipp, but have doo [done] and wolde doo, God knoweth, to my saide lorde of Warrewyk any servyce to my connyng and powaire, that him luste [that he may choose to] com- maunde me with all myn hert, for to stande yn grace and favour of his goode lordeshipp, as I have ever desired. But, as I am lerned, he surmittethe to me as for cause principal of his offense and hevy lordeshipp to me wardes, like as he doeth to my cousin Wydvyle and to Lowis John, but principally to me, that I shulde have be the first fynder, chief sterer, and grettest causer that my lorde [i.e. the Duke of Bedford] hadd thoffice of Capitaine of Caleys, as I have certiffied youe or [ere] this, the which cause wele considered, hit semeth to many men here, that hit fitteth my lorde to supporte, socour, and remedy his poure servants here yn suche cas and sem- blable, bering maugree [ill-will] for his service, yf they shul darre to doo his lordeshipp trew and proffitable service in his absence, the whiche, withoute his special. supportacion, can msjt be don, and eche day wers than other. Wherfor, brother, I pray yow 40 LETTERS DURING THE REIGNS OF right hertely, and as instantely as I can, meveth [to move] my lords counssail there, to stere him to tendre the poure degree of all his servants here, and specially of me, amonges other, that at this tyme bere [bear] mooste maugre, the which, withouten socour of his lordeshipp, may not doo him suche service as were thaire desire and dutee ; and if like to my lordes grace to write any more in this ma tere unto my lorde of Warrewyk for' me, I pray you, brother, sendeth [send] me a cope of my lordes letters closed in youres for my more redy instruccion, fFor my lorde of Warrewyk is soo sore meved ayenst me in this matere, as I am plainely enformed that, onless than my lorde shewe me the better and more singular lorde ship, men sayen hit hadde be muche better for me to have surcesed of my sery^e longe or this. And therfor, brother, as ye be that : personne tnat I have singular truste and affeccion unto, amonges all the servants that longeth to my lorde, I beseche yow doo suche dili gence anenst my lorde for remedy of this maugree be youre goode discrecion, as I, with other his servants here, may stande in herts ese and seuretee for to doo him service here, like as, amonge all erthely desirs, is my special desire, and ever hope hath be to doo ; and that I might have answer herof in alle goodely hast. Also, brother, there as my lordes letters maketh mencion, that I shulde gouvern me as tenderly as I can in preferring the payments due to my saide lorde of Warrewyk, God knoweth my will were to plese my lord of Warrewyk in that or in any other thing to me possible; but it is harde for me to preferre thos payments withouten importable [insup portable] maugre on other parties. Considering that all thassignc- ments of Caleys wol no3t suffice yerely to paye my lorde and his soudeours and the remenant of the Cappitaines of the Marches, that is to saye, my lord of Gloucestre and his souldeours of theire part, and semblably other captaines of theires, so that the preferment of of my saide lorde of Warrewyk moste [must] of necessite cause my lorde and his souldeours to renne [run] muche the more in dette, the whiche I mooste charge. Nathelcs, yf my lorde wol, algates, that it so be, I pray yow certify me therof, and I shal be redy til obeye HENRY V. AND 11ENUY VI. 41 his coininandeinent with right good wille, as my dutee requireth, yn that, and in all other, to my powaire, while I leve, with Gods grace, that ever have yow in his hooly keping, and grante yow right goode lyf and longe. Also, brother, for as muche as me semeth hit were expedient that my lorde see this letter, and redde hit, I beseche yow, as I truste yow entierly, that, yf you seme it be to doo, ye wol, at goode lay$er, she we hit til his lordeship, and clerely cer- tifiie me, by your ncxte letter, what he wol say thertoo, and how he taketh it. XVIII. (4). A Letter from to Richard Bokeland. My right worshipfull maister, I recommende me unto yow as humbly and entierly, with all myn herte, as that I can or best maye; thanking yow, in as muche as that in any wise I suffice, of youre goodely lettors that it hath liked youe to send me at this tyme ; the whiche 1 have received, unto my greet comforte. And, as touching the hevynesse that my lorde of Warrewik hathe unto yow, my lorde hath spoken unto hym therof, before this (as he hath tolde me); and praied him that he wold be [to] youe good lorde, at the reverence of him, and by con tern placion of his prayere; and remoeve his saide hevynesse from yowe. And nowe he writeth unto hym also right tenderly thereof, and, as that ye see that he doeth, ye may writen agenn (and it like youe) and I shall enfourme my lord therof, that he may therupon write eftcrsoones unto him, yf that node be. [And] as unto [that] ye wolde be certified by my lorde, howe that he wolde that ye shulde demene yow in the payments that [ye] shall make unto my saide lorde of Warrewik, my lorde saith, that he wol that ye gouvern yow unto hym, in making of youre said payments, in such wise, as that ye owe to doo of right, and as that goode fcith CAMD. soc. c 42 LETTERS DURING THE REIGNS OF and conscience wolde, tendering him in asmuche as that ye goodely may. As anendeth the convention that shulde be betwix my lorde and the Due of Bretaigne, my lorde hath appointed hit to be at Rouen, the xx day of May nexte comyng; but whedev that the saide Due -wol agree him therunto or not, my lorde is not yet plainely certified alweys; and it [he] wolde, I shall doo as muche in youre mater as that lyeth in my powaire, with all the help that I may geete, truly and in good feith. And as unto tidinges of thees parties [parts], I have enfourmed the berer of thees of all suche as that we han here, and prayed him for to make yow reporte therof. Hit were right nedefull and expedient that my lorde of Salisbury were here, for this same day my lorde hath tithinges from my lorde Talbot, that thenemys been assembled, and wol, within thes x dayes, leye siege unto Laval, or to sum other place. My Right Worshipfull, etc. XIX. (5). A Letter from Richard Bokeland to Richard Wydvile. Right worshipful Cousyn, etc. like it yow to wite, that my lorde of Bedford wrote late a letter to my lord of Warrewik, for to remeve his displesaunce anenst my personne, touching his discharge of [the] Capitaineship of Caleys, the which letter, whann hit was presented unto my said lorde of Warrewik, he saide, as I am enfourmed, that ye had be besy to excuse youreself unto his lordeship, and surmitted the defaulte hooly upon Lowys John and me ; the whiche nojtwith- standing, he hathe yow never the more excused, as it is saide. Saying also, more over, that other he hathe, or hathe seyn, a letter that the saide Lowis John and I shulde have writen to yow against his lordeship, yn that matier; the which I cannot suppos yn yow, HENRY V. AND HENRY VI. 43 Cousyn, treuly; ffor hit shulde be to me to greet mervaile, yf it so were. For God knoweth that, yf a cas fellc, that touched my wor ship, or the contrarye, as muche as were possible, I durste right well disclose hit unto yow, as for trustc of trouthe and secretness, as muche as to any personne liffyng. And, treuly, I can not remembre me, that ever I wrote to yow any thing that shulde cause my saide lorde of Warrewyk to be thus displesed towardes my personne; but in writyng, worde, and dede [I have] geven cause the contrary, at all tymes ; ever desiring yow to be the mene, that I might stand under the favour of his goode lordeship. Also, Cousyn, my lorde of Warre wik is appointed to have the King in gouvernaunce ; the manere and fourme I can not certiffie yow. XX. A Letter from R. B., a Member of the Council of the Duke of Bedford, excusing himself from coming to Parham on the ground of important business con cerning the Duke his Master. Three personages are named in this letter, the Duke of Bedford, Regent of France, Sir John Salvayne, and Fulthrop. The Duke of Bedford was Regent of France from the death of Henry the Fifth (1422) until his own death (1435), and Sir John Salvayne died in 1432. Therefore this letter was writ ten between the years 1422 and 1432. The writer, R. B., who was a member of the Council of the Duke of Bedford, I conceive to have been Richard Boke land, Treasurer of Calais, a strong adherent of that prince, and one of his exe cutors. I find that Robert the sixth Lord Willoughby d'Eresby, a distin guished captain in the French wars, was at this time owner of Parham in Suffolk, and he is twice mentioned by Hall in connection and close association with the Duke of Bedford and Sir John Salvayne." I think, therefore, that it Hall, pp. 121 and 163. 44 LETTERS DURTNG THE REIGNS OF may be assumed, that it was to him the letter was written. Parham in Suffolk was erected in 1547 intoabaronyinfavourofadescendantof Robert Lord Willoughby d'Eresby, who took the title of Lord Willoughby of Parham. Parham was the family seat until the end of the 17th century, when the property was sold to John Currance or Corrance, esq. of Rendlesham, whose descendant is the pre sent owner. A Sir John Fulthorpe is also mentioned by Hall » as having been with the Duke, Lord Willoughby, and Sir John Salvayne, at the siege of Lagny near Paris (11 II. VI.). Sir John Salvayne was the second son of Sir Gerard Salvayne of Hcrswell and North Duffield, county Durham, and he died 19th of January, 1432. The family of Salvin still nourishes in the county palatine of Durham. What the matters were affecting the Duke of Bedford and Sir John Salvayne, to which the letter refers, cannot now, it may be fairly presumed, be ascertained. My right worshipfull lorde and noble lorde, I recommend me unto youre goode lordeshipp, with my trewe hert and service. And please yow to understande, that I have received your worshipfull letters, by the bringer herof. By the which letters ye wol me to be with yow, at Parham, the xxii day of Cristenmasse, for a certaine matter touching Sir John Salvayn, as in youre said letters is more plainely expressed. Touching the which youre desire, like it youre Lordeshipp to wite, that my lorde of Bedford, Regent of the Reaume of Fraunce, hath late yeven in commandement by his letters to his counssail in this lande, and soo to me amongs other of his servants here, that we shulde mete to gederes atte London, upon ffridaye nexte after the date of this letter, for certaines chargeable matiers conserving [con cerning?] his high and noble astate. Atte which tyme I muste of verraye necessitee be ther present with other of my saide lorde is [his] counssaile, after his commandement. And also hit standeth soo that Fulthrop, withouten whoom the- saide matiers might not procede to an effectual conclusion, is not here present, soo that I may not fulfill youre entencion, as to be with yow at the saide xxij clay, like as my desire were in that and in all other to ohbey youre commandement. Wherfore I beseche youre goode lordeshippe to • Hull, p. 163. HENRY V. AND HENRY VI. 45 have me excused as of my commyng to Parham at this tyme, con sidering the forsaid causes. And that it like you, my lorde, for the greet truste that the said Sir John Salvayn hathe in youre goode lordeshipp, that ye wol appointe suche of your counssail as yow liketh to be here atte the begynnyng of this terme, with souficeant powaire and instruccion, for to conclude the saide matiere, with G odd's grace. Atte which tyme I suppos Fulthrop wolbe here, and I truste to God that we shall soo demene us in that mater, as youre lordeshipp shalbe plesed, as ferre as longeth to the partie of Sir John Salvayne, etc. R, B. XXI. A Letter from J. B. to the Officer holding the subsidy of the Wools (probably) at Calais. I judge this letter to have been written by John Duke of Bedford, Regent of France, and during the early part of the reign of Henry VI. I have no means of more accurately determining its date. Trusty and welbiloved, We greet you often tymes well. And for as much as Richard Bokeland, tresorer of Caleys, ys assigned to receive by youre handes, [out] of the remenn3 [remainder] of the subside of the wolles C11., for money which he lent to the Kinge : We wolle and praye yow, that ye see he be paied, and content of the seid some, in the haste that ye may goodly — receiving of hym a toale [tale r] thereof, for youre discharge. And Gode have youe in his keping. Writen, etc. J. B. 46 letters during the reigns of XXII. A Royal Letter to the Mayor and Aldermen of London, recommending a clerk for the next avoidance of the Parish Church of St. Peter in Cornhill. The Church of St. Peter Cornhill was one of the most ancient in the city of London, perhaps in England. It was burnt in the Great Fire in 1666, but was rebuilt. The manor of Leaden-Hall, with the appurtenances, and the advow- son of St. Peter's Cornhill, was in 1411 confirmed by Richard Whittington and others, citizens of London, to the Corporation of London, and they have been patrons of the Church ever since. I have not found any incumbent during the reign of Henry VI. whose initials were T. 1$., nor have I any means of deter mining the date of this letter. Trusty and welbeloved, We grete you wel. And for as moch as we be enfourmed that the Paroish chirch of Saint Petre in Corne- hull is like, withinneshorte tyme, to voide, wherof ye be patrons, as it is said. We therfore, havyng consideracion unto the vertues and konnyng which be reported unto us to be and rest in the personne of or welbeloved Thomas B., whoom the paroisshiens of the said pa roish have in greate tendrenesse, for the good conversacion that he long tyme hathe beknowen amongst theym to be of, pray you affectuously that, at reverence and contemplacion of us, ye wol have hym unto the said benefice, at such tyme as hit shal nexte voide, before all other especiall recommended. Wherinne ye shall do unto us, etc. To the Mair and Aldermen of London. XXIII. A Letter to the Abbot of Abingdon. The vicarage of St. Aldate's Oxford was formerly in the alternate presenta tion of the Abbots of Abingdon and St. Frideswide's Abbey, now Christ Church. HENRY v. and henry VI. 47 It afterwards came to the Crown, and was bestowed by Charles I. on Pembroke College) by which college it has been lately sold to Mr. Simeon's trustees. There does not appear to be any record of the presentation of Robert Mark- ham either at Christ Church or at Lincoln, in which diocese Oxford formerly was. By the Kinge. Trusty and welbelovyd in God, we greet yow wcl, and late yow wite, that we be enformed how the chirch of Saint Aides, withinne oure Universite of Oxon, being of yor patronage, is voide or like hastely to void, by the decesse of thincumbcnt of the same. Wher- fore we, considering the vertueux cunnyng and goode zeal and dis- posicion, that, as we be enformed, resten in the personne of oure welbeloved Maister Robert Markham, desire and hertely praye you that, at the reverence of us, ye wol have him unto the saide chirchc if it be voide, or at suche tyme as hit shall ncxte void, especially recommended. Wherinnc ye shall doo unto us good pleasure. Yevcn, &c. the xxvi day of Fcvercr. Thabbot of Abyndon. XXIV. A Letter from one of Ducal Rank, respecting Jewels of his in Pawn to Merchants at Bruges. I can only conjecture that the writer of this letter, who was of ducal rank, and who had lately lost his wife, may have been the Duke of Bedford, whose first wife Anne, sister to the Duke of Burgundy, died at Paris the 13th or 14th November, 1432. He married again 20th April, 1433. The Duke was at this time Captain of Calais, and perhaps the letter was addressed to Richard Boke land, who was still Treasurer of Calais. The pawning of jewels by persons of high rank was very common in the 15th century. I can discover nothing respecting the Flemish merchants, Carles Giles and Johan Martyn. If I am right in my conjecture as to the writer of this letter, it would have been written between November 1432 and April 1433. 48 letters during the reigns of Right trusty and welbelovyd, We grete yow well; and for as moche as it hathe liked oure blessed Createure [Creator], now late to take oute of this worlde unto his pardurable blisse, as we truste, oure wif the Duchesse that was, whoos soule God assoille ; wherethorough we have greet nede to reeovere oure Joialux, and hire beyng yet in Bruges, with and in the handes of Carles Giles and Johan Martyn, Marchaunts of lignes (?) and dwelling in Bruges for the some of 1 lln ixciiij. etc. of Flandres, or the value of thayme, as thei be worth in London. We pray yow hertly that, fore the quityng oute of oure said Joialux, ye wol, in all goodely haste, doo all youre goode devoir and possible diligence, taking all oure said Joiaulx hooly into youre handes and warde, and keping theyme stifle unto the tyme that yu be fully paied and content by us ayein of all youre goode, that ye shall paye for the said cause. Withoute that ye wol not faille herof in any wise, as oure truste is unto youe, and as ye desire oure goode lordshippe ; witting that ye may do us therin bothe worshipp and greet hertsease; and God, etc. Yeven under oure Signett, atte etc. the daye, etc. XXV. A Letter from Cardinal Beaufort to E. L. B. Or the four following letters I believe the first and the last (which seems to be only a fragment) to have been written by Henry Bishop of Winchester, commonly called Cardinal Beaufort, Cardinal of Winchester and Cardinal of England. His Roman title was Cardinal of St. Eusebius. The first letter was addressed to E. L. B.; who wrote the second to the Cardinal, in reply to the first; and the third, addressed by E. L. B. to the Duke of Bedford, was sent to the Cardinal to be delivered to the Duke, and was probably inclosed in the second. Who E. L. B. was I have no means of ascertaining ; but the tone of the Cardinal's letter to him and of his reply shews him, I think, to have been a personage of very high rank. The reader will note the curious present, the " ampulle " or phial, which E. L. B. sends to the Duke. The fragment which is all that remains of the fourth letter from the Cardinal to the Duke is an HENRY V. AND HENRY VI. 49 instance, as far as it goes, of that singular commixture of business and piety, which the churchmen of the fifteenth century knew so well how to exhibit. The letters were certainly written soon after the 23rd June, 1433, when Richard Chichester, named in the first letter, was presented to his living," and before tho 14th September, 1435, when the Duke of Bedford died. I strongly suspect that they were written in July, 1435, just before Cardinal Beaufort left England to attend the Congress of Arras. The last siege of Mont St. Michel by the English, where the Cardinal's ship "cleped 'The Mary of the Toure'" was taken by the Bretons, occurred in 1423 In the Ashmolean MSS. No. 789, p. 164, is a fragment of a Latin letter, said in the Catalogue to be from Henry VI. to a certain prelate {ad prcelatum quendairi) dated 18th February, 1437-8, promising the restoration of a ship of his taken at Mont St. Michel off the coast of Britanny. The prelate was perhaps the Bishop of Win chester. I have been unable to discover anything about the Moot Hall (eo nomine) at Calais, and the shops underneath it. I find, however, in certain Calais accounts of the year 1439, still extant at the Record Office, mention made of " octo shopas in fine occidentali magne aide in foro Cales?' Perhaps Thomas Christopher's shops, which the Cardinal promises to "see unto," were amongst these. High and mighte, and my full noble Lorde, I recommend me unto yower good lordeship, in as humble wise as I can, or may, in any wise; desiring (as I am full moche beholden) to wite of the welfare and prosperities of youre high and noble estate, the whiche I beseche our Lorde alwaies governe and preserve, after his pleasaunt wolle, and your owen noble desires. Signiffiing unto your said lordeshippc, that I have received your worshipfull letters, by the which ye comaunde me, that I shulde see unto certaines shoppes that youre Squier Thomas Xtofer hathe within the toune of Caleys; and to lete theym to ferine to his moste profit, etc. — touching the whiche your comaundement, as well in that mater as in all othir that is possible to me to execute, I shall, with Godd's grace, doo such diligence, as youre seid lordeshippe shalbe pleased, I hoope; " Bishop Lacy's Register, vol. ii. fo. 79. I have to thank Mr. John Carew of Exeter for his kindness in examining the Bishop's Register, which has enabled me to determine the date of these letters. See also Pole's Devon, pp. 384 and 524. b Accounts of Ro. Whityngham, Treasurer of Calais (17 H, VI). CAMD. SOC. H 50 LETTERS DURING THE REIGNS OF and, if ther be any thing, there or elles where, that ye wott of, yor lordeshippe comaunde me, youre servant, and [I] alweys shall be redy to obey youre noble comaundements, to my powaire. Upon Friday nexte, I am purposed, with Godd's grace, to departe out of this toune towards Caleis, and, soone after mycomyng thither, other [either] to ride my self, or to send, unto my Lorde the Regent of France, to pursue for restitution of my shippe, that was late taken in the Kinges service; beseeching youre good and gracious lordeshippe, that yow like to write unto my forseid Lorde youre letters of reco- mendation, for the better expedicion of my pursuite in that partie. Ferthermore, my Lorde, ther is a good frende of myne, oon Richard Chiehestre, a clerc with my lorde the Bishop of Excestre, late pre sent to a chirche called Litiltory,a within the dioces of Excestre; and the seid clerke is institute and induct in corporal possession. The which chirche is within the taxe, as my maister Clerc of the Rolles certified you, by a bill under his seall. Like it unto youre seid lordeshippe, I beseche yow, my lorde, to graunt to the forseid Richard a ratification of the forseid chirche, for the fortification of his title, and possession in the same. High and myghte, and my full noble Lorde, I beseche the Blessed Trinitee have yow ever in his holy keping, and grante yow right goode lyf and longe. H. W«. XXVI. A Letter from E. L. B. to Cardinal Beaufort. Right dere and welbelovd Cousin, We grete yow well ; Doyng youe to wite, that we have sent yow a letter, to be take unto my Lorde of Bedford; whiche we praye yow to take hym, other elles [or else] • The name of tho parish to tho church of which Riohard Chichester was presented is Little Torrington (Torrington Purva) Little Torrinton or Little Toryton. See Bishop Lacy's Reg. vol. ii. fo. 79; Pole's Devon, pp. 384, 524. HENRY V. AND HENRY VI. 51 that ye ordaine that it be take to hym, after youre discrecion. Also we have sent yow an ampulle, which we praye yow to approve, in presence of my lorde fbrsaid, and take him, in oure name. No more; but Allmightic gode save yowe, and enores yow unto his worship. E. L. B. XXVII. A Letter from E. L. B. to John Duke of Bedford. Unto the Right High, Worthie, Right Mightie, and noble Prince, my right douted Lorde the Due of Bedford, Regent of France. Right trustie and welbeloved, We grete you well ofte tymes. And for as muche as oure welbelovyd Squier, Thomas Christopher, hath, within the toune of Caleys, certaines shoppes, undernethe the Mootehall, whiche were wonte to yelde hym x marcs of rent by yere; and it is now soo, that this three [years] passed, and moo, he had not therof but vii. nobles, as he saith; we praye yow hertely that, considered that the said Christopher may not goodly be oute of our service, at this tyme, ne entend [attend] to the better gover nance of his said rent; ye wol, at reverence of us, and throw con- templacion of these our prayers, ordeine soo for lettyng of the said shoppes, as oure greet truste is unto yow, that they may be of as great avayle unto hym, yf it be possible — as we trust hit shall wele, thorowe youre good pollicie and governance — as they have be here to fore. And soo, in all wise, pourveying therfore, to his prouffite, as ye wolde doo and they were youre owen. And, moreover, that ye woll receive of oon Thomas Hende, a servant of the staple, viii11., which is due unto oure seid Squier, by an obligacion (as he saith) by the seid Hende; whiche obligacion is in the keping of Jankyn Loundey of Caleys, or of his wyf. And for as muche as the same 52 LETTERS during the reigns of Loundcy hath had the governance of the seide shoppes all these iii. yere and more, yelding no more unto oure seid Squier bote, etc. hit were his entent that ye shulde take accomptes of the same Loundey, and receive of hym that ye fynde due; and answere oure seid Squier thereof. In which thing ye shall doo us right greet pleasure; and God have youe in his keping, etc. Writen, etc. XXVIII. A Letter from Cardinal Beaufort to John Duke of Bedford. High and mightie Prince, my full noble and full gracious Lorde, I recommend me unto your good and gracious lordeship, in the most lowly wise that I can or may, yn any wise. Desiiyng full entirely, as a trew servant oweth of duetee til his lorde, to wite of the wel fare and prosperite of youre noble astate, the which I beseche hertely Almighty god preserve and encres, in the best wise that other can be wished or desired. And, for as muche as it is knowen unto your lordeship, as I suppose, that, by auctoritee and commandement of yow, my gracious lorde, a shippe of myne cleped The Mary of the Toure, was arested to doo the King service and yow, atte the siege of Mont Saint Michel, and there abode truly in the Kyngs service, and was taken by certaines enemys, Bretons, unto right greet losse and harmyng of me youre poure man XXIX. A Letter to the Abbot of Westminster. The patronage of St. Magnus, at the foot of London Bridge, was formerly and down to the dissolution of religious houses in Henry the Eighth's time, in the henry v. and henry vi. 53 Abbot and Convent of Westminster and the Abbot and Convent of Bermond- sey, who presented alternately. Queen Mary, in 1554, gave it to Bonner Bishop of London, and to his successors, with whom it still remains. This letter was written by the King, between 1434 and 1444, and does not appear to have been successful. The name of Thomas Gascoigne is not to be found in the list of Rectors, tempore Hen. VI. published by Newcourt. Thomas Gascoigne was four times Chancellor of Oxford," but on not one of those occasions was there a vacancy at St. Magnus, at which the Abbot of West minster could have presented. The King had been misinformed. Newcourt remarks, on the authority of Wood, of this Thomas Gascoigne, that, although he was a man of great eminence and worth, he was never offered any church preferment of any kind.h This seems, from this letter, not to have been lite rally true. Trusty and welbeloved in God, We grete, etc. And for asmoche as the paroissh chirch of St. Magnes (Magnus) in London is now voide by the decesse of the last incumbent of the same, and beying to youre disposicion, as hit is said, We, considerynge the vertues [and] greet conyng of our trusty and welbeloved chapeleyn, M. T. Gascoigne, Doctor in Theologie, and Chauncellor of our Universite of Oxon, desire and praye you hertly that, at reverence of us, and namely for contemplacion of his merites, ye woll have hym espe cially recommended unto the said benefice, before all other ; wherinne ye shall worshipfully dispose the said chirch unto the pleasir of God, as we trust, and, over [beyond] that, do unto us right good pleasir. Yeven, etc. To Thabbot of Westminster. ¦ In 1434, 1442, 1443, and 1444, Antiq. Oxon. (Gutch) iv. pp. 45, 48, 49, and 50. b Newe. Rop. vol. i. p. 525, note d. Thomas Gascoigne is said to have been some time a commoner of Oriel. He presented books to this and other colleges at Oxford, but chiefly to Lincoln College. At Lincoln College is Gascoigne's Theological Dictionary, still remaining in manuscript, a work continually quoted, and which appears to he replete with information respecting the English Church of the 15th century. A volume of the Harl. MSS. (No. 6949) is full of extracts from this work. 54 LETTERS DURING THE REIGNS OF XXX. A Mandate from the King to the Lord Privy Seal, com manding HIM TO DIRECT LETTERS TO THE LORD ClIAN- cellor of England, that he issue a Conge d'Elire to the Prior and Convent of the Monastery of Reading, on the death of tliomas henley, the last abbot THEREOF. Thomas Henley was abbot of Reading from 1430 to 11th November, 1445. The conge d'elire is dated the 13th November, 24 Hen. VI. (1445). The election of John Thorne took place 7th January, 1446. The Lord Chancellor was John Stafford, Archbishop of Canterbury. The Bishop of Salisbury, who confirmed John Thorn in his post of Abbot, was William Ascough, afterwards murdered. All Berkshire was at this time within the diocese of Salisbury. Per Regem. Sincere Dilecte, — Cum monasterium nostrum Radinge per mortem fratris Thome Henley ultimi Abbatis ibidem sit pastoris solacio destitutus, supplicaveruntque perinde nobis humiliter et devote Prior et Conventus ejusdem loci, ut eis alium in ipsorum et dicti monasterii abbatem licenciam elegendi concedere dignaremur, sicuti per literas suas patentes sigillatas, quas vobis presentibus mittimus interclusas, plenius poterit apparere : Nos igitur, eorum supplicationi in ea parte favorabiliter inclinati, licenciam ipsam duximus conce- dendam. Et ideo vobis mandamus quod sub privato sigillo nostro Wellbeloved, — Whereas our monastery of Reading by the death of Bro ther Thomas Henley, the last Abbot thereof, is deprived of the comfort of a pastor, and the Prior and Convent of the same place have prayed us humbly and devoutly that we will deign to grant them leave to elect another Abbot of their said monastery, as by their letters patent sealed, which we send inclosed within these presents, may more fully appear : We, therefore, being favourably inclined to their supplication in that behalf, have thought fit to grant them the said licence. Therefore we command you that ye cause to be made letters HENRY V. AND HENRY VI. 55 literas super hoc nostras Cancellario nostro Anglie dirio-endas in forma debita fieri faciatis. Et presentes litere nostre vobis erunt sufficientes in warrantum. Dat. sub signeto nostro in palacio nostro Westm. xiii. die Novembris anno, etc. xxiiii'0. xxxi: A Mandate from the King to the Lord Privy Seal, sig nifying the Royal Assent to the Election of John Thorn as Abbot of Reading. Per Regem. Sincere Dilecte, — Vacante nuper Monasterio Radinge per mor tem fratris Thome de Henlee ultimi Abbatis ibidem : Prior et Con- ventus dicti monasterii, petita de nobis in ea parte, lit est moris,licencia pariter et obtenta, fratrem Johannem Thorn Sacre Theologie Bacalla- reum in eorum dicti monasterii abbatem per viam Spiritus Sancti concorditer et unanimiter elegerunt, prout per literas eorundem Prioris et Conventus, quas vobis transmittimus presentibus interclusas; plenius poterit apparere. Nos igitur, dictam eleccionem merito ac- under our privy seal in this matter, the same to be directed to our Chancellor of England in due form. And these our present letters shall be your sufficient warrant. Given under our signet, in our Palace at Westminster, 13th day of November, in the 24th year of our reign. Wellbeloved, — Whereas our monastery of Radinge being lately vacant by the death of Brother Thomas de Henlee, the last Abbot there, the Prior and Convent of the said monastery, having besought us in that behalf, as is usual, to grant our licence (which they obtained), have, with the assistance of the Holy Ghost, unanimously elected Brother John Thorn, S.T.B., to be abbot of their said monastery, as by the letters of the same Prior and Convent, which we send you inclosed within these presents, may more fully appear. 56 LETTERS during the reigns of ceptantes, dicte eleccioni et electo regium nostrum assensum adhibe- mus cum favore. Et ideo vobis mandamus quod literas super hoc nos tras Cancellario nostro Anglie dirigendas sub private) sigillo nostro in forma debita et consueta fieri faciatis ; et hec litere nostre vobis erunt sufficientes in warrantum. Datum sub signeto nostro apud etc. XXXII. Confirmation of John Thorn as Abbot of Reading. Per Regem. Sincere Dilecte, — Sciatis quod Reverendus inChristo pater Wil- lielmus Sarum Episcopus, per suas patentes literas, quas vobis trans- mittimus presentibus interclusas, nobis nuper intimavit qualiter ipse eleccionem fratris J. Thorn monachi in Abbatem monasterii nostri Radinge, per mortem fratris Thomai Henlee ultimi Abbatis ibidem de- functi vacantis, electi, adhibita j uris solempnitate confirmari, ac eidem manibus benedictionis impendi fecit, justicia id suadente. Suppli- cavitque perinde nobis idem Geverendus Pater ut prefatum fratrem Wherefore we, worthily accepting the said election, do willingly give our royal consent to the said election and elected [clerk]. And therefore we command you, that ye cause to be made our letters in that matter to our Chancellor of England to be directed, under our privy seal, in usual and accustomed form ; and these our letters shall be unto you sufficient warrant. Given under our signet at, &c. Wellbelovbd,— Know ye that the Reverend Father in Christ William Bishop of Sarum, by his letters patent, which we transmit to you inclosed within these presents, hath lately informed us how he hath caused to be con firmed the election of Brother J. Thorn, a monk, as Abbot of our Monastery of Radinge, vacant by the death of brother Thomas Henlee, the last abbot there, deceased, with all lawful solemnity thereunto appertaining, and hath blessed him by the imposition of hands, as was right and just. The same reverend father hath besought us that we will deign to accept the aforesaid Brother J. chosen, HENRY V. AND HENRY VI. 57 J. electum confirmatum et bcnedictum acceptare, sibique regium favorem nostrum impendere, ac cetera jura temporalia ad predictum monastcrium nostrum spectancia, juxta morem et consuetudinem Regni Anglie, concedere dignaremur. Nos igitur dictam eleccionem conlirmatam et benediccionem ac fidelitatcm eidem duximus. Et ideo vobis mandamus, et cet. XXXIII. A Letter from Henry VI. to Thomas Beckington, Bishop of Bath and Wells. Thomas Beckington was consecrated Bishop of Bath and Wells 13th Octo ber, 1443." John Forrest, Dean of Wells, died the 25th March, 1446, and appears to have been succeeded for a short time by John Delabere, the Kind's Great Almoner,6 the person named in the King's letter to Beckington. Some obscurity hangs over the election of Delabere to the deanery. He seems to have been opposed by" Nicholas Carent, who had a majority of the Canons in his favour, and who was confirmed by Beckington. Nevertheless the claim of Delabere to the vacant dignity, which was supported by the royal letter, and also by a papal bull,' appears to have prevailed; but he was never installed, and, on the 15th September, 1447, Delabere became Bishop of St. David's.11 Subsequently he resigned his see.e Gascoigne says Delabere was a, very indifferent character. Nicholas Carent succeeded Delabere as Dean of Wells. I conceive this letter to have been written 29th March, 144G. By the Kinge. Reverend fader in God, &c. We grete yow often tymes wel. We suppose that ye have wel in remembrance how that at divers confirmed and blessed (consecrated?) and that We would think fit to bestow on him our royal favour, and to grant all other temporal rights relating unto our said monastery, according to the usage and custom of the realm of England. We therefore, &c. • Fasti Ecel. Ang. i. 141. Life of Beckington (Nicolas), lvi. b Fasti, i. 152. c Phelps's Somerset, ii. 144. d Fasti, i. 293. « Ibid. CAMD. SOC. I 58 LETTERS DURING THE REIGNS OF tymes herbefore we desired and prayed yow hertly to be goode and favorable lorde unto oure trusty and welbelovyd clerk Maister J. Delabere, oure greet Aumsner [Almoner], whensoever the Deanry of Welles shulde voide ; at which tymes ye were well willed and made ful promesse unto us to doo youre peyne and diligence to the performyng of oure desire, yf the cas shulde happen ; wherof we cun yow right good thanke. And, for as moche as the seid Deanry is now void, by the decesse of M. J. Forest, last incumbent of the same, We therefore write unto yowe at this tyme, and pray yow, as hertely as we can, that, in performyng of yor said promesse, ye wolbe goode and special lorde, in this matier, unto oure saide clerke, and do all yor possible diligence to sollicite yov brethren Chanons of Welles, to have hym specially recommended to the seid Deanry, in theire next elleccion; so tenderly and effectuelly acquiring yow herin, that we may verayly understand that, by oure good mediation, the saide mater may the rather come to a good conclusion, after then- tente of this oure special desire, as oure greet truste is in yow; and, over this, we wol that ye yeve credence unto the bringer herof, in that he shall secretely open unto yow by oure commandement, in this behalve. Yeven at Westm1 the xxix day, &c. To the Bishop of Bath. XXXIV. A Letter to the Lord Sudeley, Lord High Treasurer. Sir Ralph Boteleb, Lord Sudeley, was Lord Treasurer from 1444 to 1447.* James (not John) Grysacre ceased to be Escheator for the counties of Herts and Essex in 1445 (24 Hen. VI.).b This letter was probably written in that year. The successor of Grysacre was Thomas Scargill ;c John Bour. 1433 to A. d. 1473.* There can be no doubt that it was to her this letter was addressed. This lady had at one time under her care Edmund and Jasper Tudor, sons of the Queen dowager Katharine of Valois by her second husband Owen Tudor.b Robert Osberne was a squire in attendance on King Henry the Sixth, in 1454,° and, as appears from this letter, his secretary; but I have not found any trace of his ever having lived in the county of Essex. By the Quene. Dere Cousine and right welbeloved in God, We grete yow wele; and, for as moche as oure welbeloved Robert Osbern, squier, and my lorde's servant in th'office of his secretary, is inhabited nygh unto yow, and is yor tenant, as he seith; desiryng to do yowe service and pleasure, and therto hath and soo purposeth to be disposed with all his hert, we praye youe Cousyn, afFectuously, that, considerynge his will [and] sette purpose, ye wol, as wel therfore, as at the reverence of us and this oure instance, be unto hym good and favorable ladye, in his honest desires and resonable offers, and shew unto hym and unto his wif the tendre binevolence of yor good ladyship, in suche wise as they may fynde this oure writing unto thayme vailable, for oure sake, and at oure contemplacion, as we therfore may have cause especially to thank yow. Yeven at, etc. To th'abbesse Berking. » Dugd. Mon. i. 436, 437. b Rymer, x. 828. ' Proc. of Pri. Co. vi. 224. 104 LETTERS OF MARGARET OF ANJOU. LXXII. Letter of the Queen, acknowledging that Sir JonN Montgomery, Knight, holds land of her in Enfield, as tenant in capite. If the Sir John Montgomery mentioned in this document is the same person who is referred to in the introduction to the next letter, the Queen's signet must have been put to it on the 22nd day of November, 1448,» but a short time before his death. The post mortem inquisition of Sir John Montgomery does not mention any lands at Enfield,b nor have I been able to find that any part of the parish of Enfield is called " Goldyngesfeld," unless " Gongsfield " be a corruption of that name.0 Margareta, Dei gratia Regina Anglia? et Francias, et Domina Hibernise, omnibus ad quos presentes literse pervenerint, salutem. Sciatis, Nos vicesimo primo die Octobris ultimo praeterito, apud Waltham Crosse, recepisse, de praedilecto milite nostro Johanne Montgomery, fidelitatem, pro quadam parcella terra? vocata Gold yngesfeld, infra dominium nostrum de Enfeld, quam de nobis tenet in capite, per servitutem supradictam. In cujus rei testimonium presentibus signetum nostrum fecimus apponere. Datum apud Eltham, mensis Novembris die vicesimo secundo, anno regni me- tuendissimi Domini mei regis Henrici Sexti vicesimo septimo. Margaret, by the grace of God Queen of England and France, and lady of Ireland, to all to whom these present letters shall come, health. Know ye that we, on the 21st day of October last past", at Waltham Cross, received the [oath of] fealty of our dearly beloved knight John Montgomery for a certain parcel of land called " Goldyngesfeld," within our lordship of Enfeld, which he holds of us in chief by the service aforesaid. In testimony whereof 'we have caused our signet to be put to these presents. Given at Eltham the 22nd day of November, in the year of the reign of my most dread lord King Henry the Sixth the twenty-seventh (1448). • The 27 Hen. VI. began 1 Sept. 1448, and ended the 31st August, 1449 (Nicolas). " Inq. P. M. 27 Hen. VI. No. 36. ' Robinson's Enfield, i. 75. LETTERS OF MARGARET OF ANJOU. 105 LXXIII. From the Queen to the Keeper of Falkeborne Parr, or his Deputy there. Elizabeth daughter to William Lord Say, and heir to her brother John Lord Say, (who died under age in 1382-3, 6 Rich. II.), was born in 1366. She married, first, Sir John Fallesley, or de Falvesle, a knight of Northamp tonshire; secondly, Sir William Heron; and died 8th July, 1399 (23 Rich. II). Both her husbands were summoned to Parliament as Lord Say, in her right ; and Sir William Heron, who survived her, continued to be summoned by the same title up to his own death, in November, 1404. Previously to his death Sir William Heron married, as his second wife, Elizabeth, sister of Ralph Lord Sudeley, and widow of Sir Henry Norbury. This lady, on her second mar riage, was called Lady Say, and was "Dame Elizabeth the Lady Say," men tioned in this letter. After the death of Sir William Heron, she married, thirdly, Sir John Montgomery. Sir John Montgomery, who was the owner of Falkeborne, amongst other estates in Essex, was at one period Privy Coun cillor to John Duke of Bedford, and is the first-named on a list of the gentry of Essex returned by certain commissioners in 1433-4 (12 Hen. VI.)" His marriage with Lady Say must have taken place not later than 1431, as their second son, Sir Thomas Montgomery, was born in 1433. Sir John Montgo mery died in 1448-9. His wife, by what an English historian calls " a far fetched courtesy,"b was allowed to retain the title of Lady Say, until her death in 1464. In her will, which is in the British Museum/ she speaks of "her place at Falkeburne," and desires to be buried in the Priory of Erdbury in the county of Warwick, where, she says, " the bones of her ancestors rest." This refers to that priory, which was of the Augustinian order, having been founded by a Ralph de Sudeley in the reign of Henry the Second.d The Queen's letter is dated at Pleshy, (which is not more than nine miles west of Falkeburne,) and was probably written very shortly after Sir John Montgo mery's death. Lady Say was mother to a Sir Thomas Montgomery, who, a a very distinguished man, was of so pliant a mind, that he managed to be in favour with Henry VI., Edward IV., Richard HI., and Henry VII. He died » Fuller's Worthies, p. 337. b Morant, ii. 116. ' Lansd. MSS. No. 860 B. fo. 107, and Coll. Topog. iii. 106. d Dugd. Bar. i. 428; Monast. ii. 565; Antiq. Warw. 1074, 1075. CAMD. SOC. P 106 LETTERS OF MARGARET OF ANJOU. 11th January, 1494. A daughter of Lady Say, Alice Montgomery (she had two daughters of the same name), married John Fortescue, a great-nephew of Sir John Fortescue, Lord Chief Justice, and author of the De laudibus legum Anglim.* By THE QUENE. Welbeloved, — For as moch as oure dere and welbeloved dame Elizabeth the Lady Say hath granted us to have our disporte in hir park of Falborne, at what tyme it shall please us to resorte thedre, and in to this cuntrey; We wol and charge you, that the game there be faveured, cherisshed, and kepte, without suffryng any personne, of what degre, estat, or condicion that he be of, to hunte there, or have cours, shet, or other disporte, in amentising the game above- said, without an especial commandement of us or of the said Lady Say; and that ye faill not herof in no wyse. Yeven, etc. at Plasshe the xxx. day of August, the yere, etc. xxvii. To the Keper of Falborne Park, or to his depute there. LXXIV. A Letter from the Queen to the Duke of Exeter. Aspeden or Aspenden Manor, on the Rib, between Westmill and Bunting- ford, Herts, came, early in the 15th century, to William Berkeley, whose only daughter and heir, Elizabeth, married Ralph Jocelyn, esq. Alderman of Lon don, and third son of Geoffrey Jocelyn of Sawbridgeworth in the same county of Herts. Ralph Jocelyn held this manor in right of his wife, and resided there in 1434 (12 Hen. VI.), when he was returned as being able to dispend 10/. per annum, "which was a fair estate in those days." He appears to have been afterwards (1458) sheriff, and (1464) Lord Mayor of London." Whether » Morant.ii. 116. The Fortescues sold Falkeburne in the 17th century to the Bullocks, trjp present owners. Neither at Falkeburne Hall, which is a strikingly fine old mansion, nor at the church, unless possibly in an ancient window near the pulpit on the north side is there any trace of the Montgomery family. b Chauncy's Herts, vol. i. pp. 32 and 243. LETTERS OF MARGARET OF ANJOU. 107 "Ralph Josselyn, draper of London," who was disseised, was the alderman, seems doubtful. The letter was certainly written after 1445. I incline to think that the nobleman to whom it was addressed was John Holland, created third Duke of Exeter in 1443, and who died (according to Sir II. Nicolas) in 1446," or (according to Dugdale), 1447.b The letter may, however, have been written to Henry his son, the fourth duke. I find no connection between Aspeden Manor and any Duke of Exeter. Henry the fourth duke was dan gerously wounded at Barnet, fighting on the Lancastrian side, and lay untended on the field from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.; he recovered, however, and fled beyond sea, where he lived in great poverty. De Comines relates that he saw him in such great distress that he ran barelegged after the Duke of Burgundy, begging his bread, for God's sake. He was at length, in 1473, found dead in the sea between Dover and Calais, though it was not known how he got tbere.c Tho mas Sharnborne, the Queen's squire, was of a very ancient family in Norfolk, of which Spelman has written the history in Latin. Thomas Sharnburnc mar ried Jomona Cherneys, a lady in attendance on Queen Margaret.'1 Sharn- burne, which appears to have belonged to the family, is a village near San- dringham, in the north-western part of Norfolk, not far from the sea. I sus pect that it was this " Thomas Sharnburne " who is mentioned, under the name of *' Sharinborn," as -bearing a message from the Queen to Elizabeth Clere;' and perhaps also he was the sheriff of Suffolk against whose conduct at a county election the Duke of Norfolk petitioned the Council in 1454.' By the Quene. Eight trusty and right entierly beloved Cousyn, — We grete, etc. And for as moch as our trusty and welbeloved squier Thomas Sharn borne hath do us to be enformed, how, albeit that his cousin Rauf' Josselyn, draper, of London, was wrongfully disseised of the Manoir of Aspedon in Hertfordshire, and theruppon an enquest late passed with hym, afFermyng his trewe title and right, as, of verrey trouth and law, they ought to do, as it is said ; yet, nevertheles, th'adversaries of the said Rauf, seing that they may not, by right ne lawe, opteine thaire entente ne wrongfull purpos in this partie, have cnfclTcd you in the said manoir, uppon hope and trustc to be supported by you in « Syn. Peer. vol. i. p. 224. b Dugd. Bar. vol. ii. pp. 80, 81. c Prince's Worthies of Devon, p. 503. * Spelman's English Works, p. 198. ¦ Paston Letters, vol. i. p. 69. ' Acts of P. C. vi. 183. 108 LETTERS OF MARGARET OF ANJOU. thaire injurious entencion in that behalf; We, knowyng verreily yor good and naturale disposicion towards the faver and tendernesse of trouth and justice, desire and praye you, the rather sith or said squier is by negh possibilite heritier to the same manoir, ye will, at reverence of us, be so good lord unto the said Josselyn, that he may be sufFred t'enioie and possede his said right without eny interrupcion or meddlyng, by yor supporte to the contrarie; soo that he may fynde in effect thise our lettres unto hym vailable, as our full and singler trust, etc. Which thing, etc. Yeven, etc. To the Due of Excestre. LXXV. A Letter from the Queen to the Bailiffs, etc. of her Manor of Great Waltham. The manor of Great Waltham (Chelmsford hundred), Essex, was part of the estates of Humphrey de Bohuii, Earl of Hereford, Essex, and Northampton, which came to Henry the Fifth by partition. From him it descended to his son, and it is included in the duchy of Lancaster. Morant calls it a "noble manor." Great Waltham is about three miles S.E. of Pleshy. A close Letter. Margarete, by the grace of God, Quene of England and of France, and Ladye of Ireland. To our baillives, fermors, or other occupiers of our manoir of Greet Waltham, in the countic of Essex, that now is, or for the tyme shalbe, greting. For as much as we of our especial grace, the ix day of October, the xxvii yere of my lord's reigne, have granted, by oure letters patentes, unto our trusty and wellbeloved squier Thomas Sharnborne xx" of sterlings, to be taken of our manoir of Greet Waltham, in the countie of Essex, every yere at the fests of Ester and Michelmasse, by evyn porcions, by th'andes of oure baillives, fermors, and other ministres or occupiours of our LETTERS OF MARGARET OF ANJOU. 109 said manoir, as in the said letters patents it appereth more pleinly; We wol and charge you that, the said letters patents by you seen, ye do, thereupon, after the cotinuc [contents, contenu] and purport of the same letters, paie unto our said squier the said xx" yerely, at the times above prefixed ; receivyng of oure said squier letters of acquittances, witnessing the payment which ye doo to hym; by the which letters and these presents we wol that ye have due allowance in your accompts. Yeven, etc. at our castell of Plasshe, the xx1" day of August, the yere of, etc. xxvii. [1449.] To oiir baillives, fermors, or other occupiours of our Manoir of Greet Waltham in the countie .of Essex, that now be, or for the tyme shalbe. LXXVI. From the Queen to the Earl of Northumberland. Thomas Lord Camoys of Broadwater (Sussex) K.G. died 28th March, 1421 (9 Hen. V.) His eldest son Richard had died before him, leaving an infant son, Hugh, and two daughters. The infant son died early in the reign of Henry VI., and the barony of Camoys remained in abeyance between the two daughters, and was not revived until 1839, in the present Lord Camoys. But Thomas Lord Camoys left also a second son, Sir Roger Camoys, who, in the 22 Hen. VI. (1443-4), was taken prisoner in France, and, it is said, was there detained in great misery." It appears that Sir Matthew Gough,b a brave Welsh knight, who was " a man of great wit, and much experience in feats of " Dugd. Bar. vol. i. p. 768 b, and Segar's Baronage, MS. (at the College of Arms) fo. 208. The name of Sir Roger Camoys does not occur in the Camoys Peerage Claim. I conceive that Sir Roger Camoys, who would have been the next male heir, had the peerage not been in abeyance, was called Lord Camoys, by courtesy. * b This valiant leader, who was, at one time, governor of Lisieux, in Normandy, figures in the French chronicles, sometimes as " Mathago " (Hist, de France par Henri Martin, vol. vii. p. 331); and sometimes simply as "Go" (Basin, vol. i. p. 227). He was an ancestor of Richard Gough the antiquary. 110 LETTERS OF MARGARET OF ANJOU. chivalry, the which, in continual wars, had valiantly served Kings Henry the Fifth and Sixth, in the parts beyond the sea,"a negociated Lord Camoys's ran som, and to that end pledged himself that a large sum of money b should be paid on a certain day. As a further and, as it probably was deemed, a better security, the Earl of Northumberland gave his " obligation " or bond for the same purpose. The Earl failing to pay at the day, Sir Matthew Gough, and perhaps Lord Camoys also, were in peril ; hence thve Queen's letter. After giving so many proofs of valour abroad, Sir Matthew Gough perished ignobly in 1450 in what is called the Battle of London Bridge, against Jack Cade. This letter was written between 1445 and 1450. By the Quene. Right trusty and right welbeloved Cousyn, — We grete you well, lattyng you witte that, upon truste and seurte of yor obligacion, wherinne ye were bounden, as we be enformed, unto our welbeloved squier Mathew Gogh, in two thousand salut^, for the finance of the lord Camoys, we were the rather inclined and benevolent to desyre or said squyer, by or lettres, to do all his peyne and diligence for delyverance of the said lord. At whos instance and request or said squier toke upon hym to ley his selee [sele?] in this mater. And it is now soo, that he hath acerteened us that the day prefixte of yo1' payment is past and ronne; so that the charge lyth now upon hym, and must neds be droven by justice t'answear that to hymself, and likly, in yor defaulte, to be dishonoured and rebuked for ever; the which we suppose ye will take right nigh to hert, in especiall sitli he was brought in thereto by yor mene. Wherfore we desire and ex- horte you, upon yo1' worship, that, in all goodly haste, ye do content yor said summe, in savyng or said squier harmeles, so that we be no more called upon, in lake of yor devoir, and trew acquitall, in this partie. Yeven, etc. at Windsor, the viii. day of March. To th'erl of North. a Hall's Chronicle, p. 222. b 2000 saluts. The salut was a gold coin of the value of 25 shillings. (Paston Letters, vol. iii. p. 261.) See also Leblanc, Traite Historique des Monnoyes de France, pp. 288, 294, and 298. LETTERS OF MARGARET OF ANJOU. 1 1 1 LXXVII. From the Queen to the Mayor and Sheriffs of London. At the time at which this letter was written the Cordwainers had only lately been incorporated. Maitland says this took place in 1410," Seymour in 1439. b This letter must have borne date after 1445, as that was the year of the Queen's marriage. By the Quene. Trusty, etc. We grete you well; lettyng you wite that John Lory, oure cordewaner, is so occupied in our service, other while in his craft, and other while in comyng towards us, at such tymes as we shall have nede of his crafte, and send for hym, that he may not appere and attend in enquests, in the cite of London. Wherfore we praye you, that duryng the tyme that he is in such wise oure servant, ye will not suffre hym to be empanelled, but therein sparing hym at reverence of us, so that he be no more vexed, ne empeched, in that behalf. As we truste yowe. In which thing, etc. Yeven, etc. the 1 1 day of November. To the Mair and Shirefs of London. LXXVIII. A Letter from the Queen to John Somerton, one of THE CUSTUMERS OF SOUTHAMPTON. Marmaduke Lumley, Bishop of Carlisle, was Lord Treasurer during the year 1447-8 ; therefore this and the next letter were written in that year.c The Queen's dower settled on her at her marriage was valued at - Hist, of London, p. 1244. '• Survey of London, vol. ii. p. 378. c Parliamentary Paper X. prefixed to Pari. Hist. vol. i. 112 LETTERS OF MARGARET OF ANJOU. 3,666?. 13s. Ad. per annum, of which 1,0002. was charged on the customs of the port of Southampton. It would seem from these letters that the payments from this source were sometimes in arrear, and perhaps it was for this very reason that, at the end of the year 1447, it was agreed at the Parliament held at St. Edmundsbury to commute the money payments for lands parcel of the duchy of Lancaster.' Sir John Wenlok, although now Chamberlain to the Queen, and advanced to the rank of a Knight of the Garter by King Henry the Sixth, subsequently sided with the Yorkists, and was attainted by the Par liament held at Coventry 38 Hen. VI. (a.d. 1460). He was present with King Edward IV. at the battle of Towton Heath, and was raised by him to the peerage ; but, following the fortunes of Richard Neville, Earl of Warwick, he again changed sides, fought at Barnet, and was slain at Tewkesbury .b BY THE QUENE. Trusty, etc. We desire and praye yowe, and also exhorte yow and require yow, that, of suche money as is dewc unto us, at Michcl- masse terme last passed, of oure dover [dower] , assigned to be paied of the custumers of Suth [Southampton] by yor handes, ye will do yor peyne and diligence that we may be contented and paied in al hast. And of the day of yo1 payement ye will acerteine by writynge oure right welbeloved knight Sir John Wenlok oure chamberlayn, which knoweth in what wise the said money must be emploied and bestowed in all possible hast; and that ye faile not herof as we truste, and as ye thinke to stande in continuance of the favor of oure good grace, and t'eschewe oure displeasure. Yeven, etc. To John Somerton, oon of the custumers of Suth. LXXIX. A Letter by the Queen to Marmaduke Lumley, Bishop of Carlisle. By the Quene. Reverend fader in God, etc. We grete, etc. desiryng hertly and praying yow that ye doo write yor lettres unto J. Somerton, oon ' Rot. Pari. v. 118b. l> Dugd. Bar. ii. 264. LETTERS OF MARGARET OF ANJOU. 113 of [the custumers of] Suthampton, yevynge him stretely in com mandement to paye and contentc us of oure money dewe unto us at Michelmasse last passed, of oure dower, assigned to be paied of the customs of Suthampton ; which we must paye, in all possible hast, for suche causes that lyen us right nigh to hert; havynge th'exploit herof in suche recommendacion and favor, that we may cause to cun yow therfor right especial thanks; as oure full trust, etc. At W. ut supra. To the Bishop of Carliel, Tresorier of England. LXXX. A Letter from the Queen to the Mayor and Corporation of Southampton. By the Quene. Trusty and welbeloved. For asmuch as our welbeloved Eobert Bedalc, [who] desireth to do you service in th'oflice of Waterbailif, is Serjeant of Southampton; to the which, as we be enformed, he is right hable and sufficiant, as wel in his trouth and discrecion as in other cunyng ; We, at instance and supplication of certein our servants attendinge right negh aboute oure personne, desire and pray you therfore, that, at reverence of us, ye will have the said Eobert to the said occupacion especially recommended, and admittc hym thereto, before all other; as we truste you. In which thing, etc. At Wynds[ore,] the etc. To the Mair and his brethern of Southamton. CAMD. SOC. 114 LETTERS OF MARGARET OF -ANJOU. LXXXI. A Letter from Queen Margaret to the wife of a man of high rank, thanking her for assistance given to George Assheby, Clerk of her Signet, and requesting her further benevolence. The reference in this letter to the death of the Duke of Gloucester shews that it was written after 1447, in February of which year the Duke died (or was murdered) at Bury St. Edmund's. It may have been addressed to Alice Duchess of Suffolk, granddaughter of Geoffrey Chaucer, whose husband was at this time chief minister ; or to Alianore Duchess of Somerset, whose husband, Edmund Beaufort, Duke of Somerset, succeeded to the Duke of Suffolk, on his murder, at sea, in May 1450." George Asheby appears to have been in the service of the Duke of Gloucester, and was at this time " clerk of our signet." He was a poet of some note. He wrote, amongst other works, a moral poem for the use of Henry Prince of Wales, intituled " On the Active Policy of a Prince," which is still extant amongst Bishop More's MSS. at Cambridge, No. 492. The author is said to have completed this poem in his eightieth year.1" George Asheby died 20th February, 1474, and is buried at Harefield, Middle sex, where the family was settled as early as 1471.° The Ashebys resided at an ancient mansion in that parish called Breakspears, still existing."1 The letter was probably written between 1447 and 1454. By the Quene. Dere and welbeloved, we grete you well. And it is reported unto us, that atte reverence of us, and for the service that our ser vant George Asheby, clerc of oure signet, standeth in with us, ye, as mene to yor husbande, have hadd [him] in right good faver and' tendernesse, towards expedicion of payment of his wages deue unto him by the Due of Glouc. that last died ; wherof we thanke you hertly, praying you right affectuously that ye wil continue so forth yor binevolence and good disposicion to th'exploit of his agrement in this partie. As we, etc. at P. &c. » Dugd. Bar. ii. 189a. b Ritson, Bibli. Poet. p. 43. Walton's Eng. Poetry, iii. 80. « Collect. Top. ct Gcnoal. v. 125, el scq. and 21(1. a For a description of this ancient mansion see Gent. Mag. Sept. 1823. LETTERS OF MARGARET OF ANJOU. 115 LXXXII. A Letter from the Queen to the Duke of Somerset. Edmund Beaufort, Marquess of Dorset, was created Duke of Somerset 31st March, 1448 (26 Hen. VI.), and lost his life in the first battle of St. Alban's in 1455. I conceive this letter to have been written to him between the years 1450 and 1454, when he occupied the post of chief minister. By the Quene. Eight trusty and right entierly beloved Cousyn, we grete you well; desyring and praying you that, in suche things as oure dere and wclb. servant, Marguerite Stanlowe, oon of oure gentilwomen, shall have for to do towards you, ye will atte reverence of us have hir towards you especially recommended, helping, furthering, and supporting hir, with all th'ease, faver, and tendernesse that ye goodly may by right and trouth, demening [i.e. managing for] hir in such wise, that she may have cause to reporte unto us of yor good dis posicion towards hir at this tyme, to th'accomplissement of our en- tencion in this partie. As we truste, etc. To the Due of Somerset. LXXXIII. A Letter from the Queen to her Wardrober. This letter being addressed to the Wardrober, and dated the 10th Decem ber, 1449, was probably intended for Richard Wellden, who served the Queen in her great wardrobe, under Robert Rolleston, clerk, for eighteen years and more, and who on this account is exempted from the operation of an Act of Resumption of 28 Hen. VI- (1450)." * Rot. Pari. v. 188. 116 letters of margaret of anjou. By the Quene. Warderober. We wol and charge yow, that, unto oure welbe loved Squier Lewis ap Med, ye do deliver iii yeards of fine russet cloth, and ii yeards ditto of blacke satcn fugury (figured ?), to be taken of oure yeft. And this bill, signed with oure hand, the x day of De- cembre the yere of my lord's reigne xxvii, shalbe youre warrant. LXXXIV. A Letter from the Queen to the Archbishop of Canterbury. From the contents of this letter it would seem to have been addressed to the Archbishop of Canterbury in his capacity of Lord Chancellor; but, as there were three Archbishops of Canterbury (John Stafford, John Kempe, and Tho mas Bourchier) succeeding each other as Lords Chancellors between the years 1443 and 1455, it is impossible to say to which of them the supplication of William Dorset was sent. I have found at the Record Office the name of "William Dorset" in a bill addressed to Lord Chancellor Stafford; but there is nothing to shew that he was the "William Dorset" named in this letter. By the Quene. Right worshipfull fader in God, etc. And for asmoch as oon William Dorset hath presented unto us a supplication, complaynyng him of divers injuries and dishcritances doon unto hym and his wyf, as in the same supplication closed withinne thise ye may see more pleynly ; We desire and pray yow, that, the said supplication by yow seen, ye will pourvey therupon such remedie, as fer as in yow is, that the seid William may have al that to him rightfully belong in that mater; havyng him towards yow the more tenderly recom mended atte reverence of us and by contemplacion of this oure praier; as or singler trust in yow. In which, etc. To tharchbisshop of Cant. LETTERS OF MARGARET OF ANJOU. 117 LXXXV. A Letter from the Queen to the Duchess of Somerset. Edmund Beaufort, Duke of Somerset, grandson of John of Gaunt, was first-cousin of King Henry V., and first-cousin once removed of King Henry VI. His wife was Alianore, one of the daughters and coheirs of Richard Beau champ, Earl of Warwick." The duke was the last English governor of Nor mandy, and, in that capacity, surrendered to the French, in 1450, Cherbourg, the last place held by the English in that country. In the same year occurred the murder of William de la Pole, Duke of Suffolk, to whose power in the ministry and credit with the Queen the Duke of Somerset succeeded.*" He was successful in quelling Jack Cade's insurrection, and retained his post of chief minister until 1454, when Richard Duke of York (who was beginning to aim at the Crown), having, in consequence of the King's illness, been appointed Lieutenant of the kingdom, he was sent to the Tower. Soon, however, on the King's partial restoration to health, he regained his liberty, and his former power. He terminated his career at the first battle of St. Alban's on the 22nd May, 1455.c He was buried in the abbey .d This letter was probably written between the years 1450 and 1454, when Somerset was at the head of affairs. That such a letter, requesting the " mediation " of the wife of the minister with her husband, that effect might be given to a royal grant, should have been deemed requisite or fitting, may perhaps be taken as some proof (if any were wanting) of the truth of the remark of one of our chroniclers that the King was " a ruler not ruling."0 I can find nothing further relating to Robert Edmunde, nor have I met with the Letters Patent granting to him the three hundred and threescore franks.' Calculating according to the rule laid down by Mr. Ilallam, the grant to Robert Edmund would be worth in our money as much as 2301.B " Dugd. Bar. ii. 124. b Hume, vol. iii. pp. 177, 188; and see p. 114, ante. » Hume, vol. iii. p. 200. " Weever's Fun. Mon. p. 573. « Hall, (26 Hen. VI.) 1 The frank, a. very ancient coin in France, was struck by Henry VI. as King of that country. — Diet, des Origines (Franc), p. 601. See also Ruding's Annals of the Coinage, vol. ii. p. 399, and vol. iii. supplement, part ii. plate xiii. 15; Leblanc, Traite Historique des Monnoycs de France, pp. 257, 298. B Middle Ages, chap. ix. part ii. 118 letters of margaret of anjou. By the Quene. Right dere and right entierly welbeloved Cousine, we grete you hertely well. And for asmoche as it hath liked unto my lord's highnesse to graunte unto our wel [beloved] squier, Eobert Edmunde, the some of iiic. iiixx. franks, as in my said lord's lettres patents it apperith more plainly ; wherupon my lord writith, at this tyme, unto oure cousyn yor husband, for the special recommendacion of oure said squier in this behalf; we desire and hertly pray yow, that, atte reverence of us, ye will, by yor good and tendre mediacion, shew herin such diligence to th'accomplissement of my lord's en- tencion, that oure said squier may rejoisse [enjoy] my said lord's graunt, and the rather by contemplacion of this oure prayer ; as oure full trust is in yow. Wherein ye shull mowe desire [deserve] of us right especial thanke, unto oure greet plesaunce, at this tyme. Yeven, etc. at Windesore, etc. To oure Cousine the Duchesse of Somerset. LXXXVI. A Letter to the Duke of Somerset. Edmund Beaufort Duke of Somerset having been chief minister from 1450 to 1454, it is probable that this letter was written to him between those years. John Viscount Beaumont, the first nobleman who bore the title of Viscount in England,a and K.G., a firm Lancastrian, was slain at the battle of Northampton, 10 July, 1459 (38 Hen. VI.)b He was a legatee under the will of Walter Lord Hungerford, dated 1 July, 1449, of " a cup of silver with a cover bordered with gold, and on it a knob of gold ; with which cup the most noble Prince John Duke of Lancaster was often served, and in which he did use to drink so long as he lived."' Lord Hungerford speaks of Lord Beau mont as lineally descended from the Dukes of Lancaster. Sir II. Nicolas shews that he was descended from the Earls of Lancaster."1 ¦ Dugd. Bar. vol. ii. p. 54. l> Ibid. <• Tost. Vet. 259. d Ibid. n. 2. letters of margaret of anjou. 1 19 By the Quene. Right trusty and right entirely beloved Cousin, we grete you full hertly and often tymes well. And for asmoch as my lord writeth his especiall lettres unto you, desiryng. afFectuously, for cer tain consideracions comprised in the same, our cousyn the Viscont Beaumont, to be recompensed and seen unto after his estate, and after the quantite of lyvelod that he hath lefte in the counto of Manor [Maine ?] , like as in the said lettres it more pleynly appcreth. We therfore havyng respecte both unto my said lord's writyng, and also unto the great chierte that he hath our said cousin in, pray you, as hertly as we can, that, as well at the reverence of my lord as at contemplacion of us and this oure writyng, ye will ordeine and see unto the recompensacion of the same oure cousyn, after my lord's desire and entent, and soo we may have cause to thanke you. Yeven, etc. To the Duo of Somerset. LXXXVII. A Letter from the Queen to the Bishop of Norwich. ' The Bishop of Norwich, to whom this letter was addressed, was Walter Le Hert, de Hart, Lyghard, or Lyhcrt or Lyghert, who is said to have been a Cornish man, and confessor to the Queen.' He presided over the diocese of Norwich from 1446 to 1472.b Edmond Clere, the Queen's squire, was son of John Clere of Ormesby in the county of Norfolk. He is often mentioned in the Paston Letters, and wrote one of the most interesting letters in that very curious collection.0 By the Quene. Reverend fader, etc. And for as moche as our squier, Ed mond Clere, desireth to have his cousin T. S. sergeant of Norwich, by the grant of the Mair, Aldermen, and Commonaltie of the Cite of Norwich ; We, havyng consideracion thei wol be gretly reuled ¦ Gasc. Theol. Diet. '' Fasti Eccl. Angl. ii. 4C7. c Paston Letters, vol. i. p. 81 . 120 LETTERS OF MARGARET OF ANJOU. and demened by you in this partie, as it is said, pray you right hertly that, in accompHssement of our said squier's entencion, in this mater, ye will have the said T. towards yor good lordship especially recommended, and do such dilligence, by all goodly meenes, that the said citizens wol, at yor request, in contemplacion of or letters at this tyme, admitte the seid T. unto th'occupacion abovesaid. As our singler, etc. Yeven, etc. To the Bisshop of Norwiche. LXXXVIII. From the Queen to Master W[illiam] S[croop]. This and the following letter are placed together as referring to the same matter ; in the MS. they are separated. Gretham or Greatham Hospital is a very ancient foundation still existing in the county of Durham. William Scroop or Le Scroop was Master from 1451 to 1463," and also Archdeacon of Durham.b Robert Neville, fourth son of Ralph Neville, Earl of Westmer- land, by Joan of Lancaster, a daughter of John of Gaunt by Katharine Swin- ford, was Bishop of Durham from 1437 to 1457.° He was first-cousin once removed to King Henry VI. and is said to have been of a peaceful and bene volent disposition, a lover of religious peace and retirement. The King was his guest, for several days, in 1448 ; and seems to have had groat satisfaction in his visit. I presume the letters to have been written soon after 1451. Of Richard Chester I find nothing connecting him with the diocese of Durham. Richard Chester is described by Bishop Beckington as S.T.P., and the King's "faithful and beloved chaplain." In 1440(19 Hen. VI.) he seems to have been sent on a mission to Pope Eugenius IV.d In 1448 he was prebendary of Piona Parva in the diocese of Hereford ; and he seems to have exchanged that dignity with Elias Holcote or Holcoat, prebendary of Twyford in the diocese of London.e I have found nothing further with regard to him. These letters ¦ Hutchinson's Durham, vol. iii. p. 96. u Fasti Eccl. Angl. vol. iii. p. 304. c Surtees, vol. i. lvii. ¦' Beckington's Letters, Bihl. Lamb. MS. fo. 49, 78, and 79. - c Fasti Eecl. Angl. vol. i. p 522. LETTERS OF MARGARET OF ANJOU. 121 seem to imply a claim on the part of the Crown to appoint a Master of the hos pital. The list of the Masters published by Surtees and Hutchinson shows that the royal claim failed, but a notion has prevailed that at one time the Crown had the right.* ' By the Quene. Trusty, etc. For as moch as we be enformed that, ayeinst all law, trouth, and good conscience, ye occupie the hospital of Gretham, longyng of right unto my lord's clerc, and our maister R. C; we wol and exhorte yow that, if it so be, that thanne ye doo make due rcstitucion of the seid hospital, with his goodes, unto or seid clerc, or elles to ccrtiffic, etc. To Maister W. S. LXXXIX. A Letter from the Queen to the Bishop of Durham. By the Quene. Worshipfull fader, etc. And we suppose vCrreily that it is clerely in yor remembrance how that now late we wrote unto yow for the recommendacion of my lord's clerke and oures Maister R. Chestre unto the restitucion of thospital of Gretham, and his goods, longyng unto hym there of right, as it is said. Wherin as yet ye have not accomplissed oure entencion, to our greet merveil. Wherfore we praye yow eftesones that ye suffre oure said clerke to rejoyse . [re-enjoy] his said hospital, with the seid goods, as right, law and good conscience requiren; or elles to certifie us the cause in writino-, whie ye wil not, nor ought not, so to do of right. As ye desire to stande in the favor of oure good grace in tyme commynge. Yeven at W. the etc. To the Bisshop of Durcsme. » Hutchinson, vol. iii. p. 303. CAMD. SOC. R J 22 LETTERS OF MARGARET OF ANJOU. xc. A Letter from the Queen to the Lord Bourchier. Humphrey de Bohun, Earl of Hereford, Essex, and Northampton died the 17th of January 1372, leaving as his co-heirs two daughters, Elianor married to Thomas of Woodstock, Duke of Gloucester, sixth son of Edward III. (who was inveigled from Pleshy by Richard II., and murdered at Calais), and Mary married to Henry Earl of Derby, afterwards Duke of Lancaster and King Henry IV. Henry IV. was nephew to the Duke of Gloucester, and thus nephew and uncle were brothers-in-law. Anne Plantagenet, eldest daughter of Elianor Duchess of Gloucester, married first Edmund de Stafford, Earl of Stafford, who died in 1403, and secondly Sir William Bourchier. Being her mother's only child, she inherited an undivided moiety of the Bohun estates. The other moiety was vested in King Henry V. as representing his mother, Mary de Bohun, Countess of Derby. Sir William Bourchier was made Go vernor of Dieppe, and (10th June 1419) Earl of Eu in Normandy, by King Henry V. lie died 1420-1, leaving three sons, of whom the eldest was Henry. This Henry Earl of Eu was employed in France during the reign of Henry VI., and, from 5th July 1435 (13 Hen. VI.) to 13th January 1445 (23 Hen. VI.), (but never afterwards) was summoned by that title to Parlia ment. From the 14th December 1446 (25 Hen. VI.) to 23rd May 1461 (1 Edw. IV.) he was summoned as Henry Viscount Bourgchier." A partition of the Bohun inheritance took place in 1421 between Henry V. and Anne Plan tagenet, then Lady Bourchier, and in this partition Walden fell to the King.b As Queen Margaret was not married until April 1445, this letter cannot have been written earlier than that year. On the 29 May 1454 (33 Hen. VI.), Lord Bourchier was made Lord Treasurer ; but, having married Isabella, sister of Richard Duke of York, aunt to King Edward IV., he afterwards sided i with the Yorkist party, and was present, with the Earls of March and Warwick, at the battle of Northampton in July 1460 (28 Hen. VI.). He was created Earl of Essex by King Edward IV. on the 18th March 1461 (1 Edw. IV.), and on the 22 April 1471 (11 Edw. IV.) was again constituted Lord Trea surer. He died 4 April 1483 (23 Edw. IV.). By the Quene. Right trusty and welbeloved Cousyn, — We grete yow well, and, sit.h it is soo that certein matiers himgyng in debate, travers, and » Dugd. Bar. ii. 1'29, and Nicolas. b Morant, vol. ii. p. 547. LETTERS OF MARGARET OF ANJOU. 123 controversie betwix oure tenants of Walden and oon Nicholas Browne and John Chownc, be put in ordinance, award, and arbitrement of yow and of yo' counseil; Wc, desiryng a final conclusion thereof, to rest.c and quicte of oure said tenants, praye yow hertely that ye will, atte reverence of us, prefixe and set a day to mete with oure counseil, and ther to dispose yow t'abido and attende upon the determinacion of all the grevaunces compromitted in maner above reherced, havyng oure seid tenants towards you in suche favor and tendernesse recommended, for oure sake, that they mayo fyndo, in eflectc, that ye be unto tlicym goode lorde, to th'accomplisscmcnt of oure entencion in this muter; and the rather by contemplacion of tills oure prayer, as our full truste is in yow. In which, etc. at W. etc. To the Lord Bourgchier. XCI. A Letter from the Queen to the Officers of the Kino's Ports, respecting Antony He wet of Rome. My endeavours to learn something of Antony Hewet of Rome have been utterly fruitless. Margarete, etc. ut supra, and to other the officers of my lord's ports whom apperteyneth, greting, — Know ye that we have yeven in commandement unto Antony Hewet of Rome for to bring unto us certein silver vessels, jewels, rings, and other things of plcasauncc, for yeres yifts, and other disports. Wherefore we praye yow that, sith the said goods bene oures and to oure use, ye will suffre the said Anthony to passe with the said goods, witlioute takinge there fore eny custume, and that without eny lating, empechement, or dis turbance in eny wise; as we truste yow, and as ye thinke to do us pleasir. Yeven, etc. 124 LETTERS OF MARGARET OF ANJOU. XOII. A Letter from the Queen to the Abbot of St. Osr. The Prior of Chich or St. Osyth's, to whom this letter was addressed, was John Deeping, who had been Prior of St. Botolph's, Colchester, and who was elected Prior of St. Osyth's in Essex the 4th of April 1434. He appears to have held his post until 1480, when he was succeeded by John Newton." The monks were of the order of St. Augustine. There are still considerable re mains of the conventual buildings.11 What connection Humfrey Hayfovd had with St. Osyth's does not appear. He was a very distinguished member oT the ancient and honorable Company of Goldsmiths ; several times warden ; sheriff in 1467; and in 1477-8 Lord Mayor." By the Quene. Trusty and welbeloved in God, we grete you wele. And for asmoch as we be enformed that ye wrongfully vexe, trouble, and disease oure welbeloved servant and goldsmyth, Humfrey Hayford, by feined accions of trespas, ayeinst al right and good conscience, as it is said; We therfor desire and praye yow, and also exhorte and require you, that, serchinge yor conscience after God and trouth, and calling unto yor remembrance what dishonor it shulde sowne unto you that bene a member of chirche in doing the contrarye, will, atte reverence of us, demene you in suche wise, that no thing be attempted eyeinst oure said servant otherwise than feith, equite, and good conscience rcquiren in this behalf, so that he have no cause to compleyne unto us for lacke of right in yor defaulte, as we trust yow. Yeven, etc. at Windesor the iii day of Feverer. To th'abbot of the monastre of Saint Osy. * Dugd. Monast. vi. 3U8. b Ibid. 309. ' Records of the Goldsmiths' Company, pixtsim; and Maitland, vol. ii. pp. 1195 and 1203. LETTERS OF MARGARET OF ANJOU. 125 XCIII. A Letter from the Queen to Nicholas. Straunge of Iseldon (Islington), respecting the marriage of his daughter katiierine. I regret to be unable to find anything relating to Nicholas Straunge, Katherine Straunge, or T. Bugdon. I cannot therefore assign any date to this curious letter. By the Quene. W [elbeloved] , — For asmoche as we have understande, by cer tein oure servants right negh attending about oure personne, how, albeit that T. Bugdon hath, nowe late, made a lawfull contracte with Katrine yor doghter, and hertly desireth to do hir worship by wey of marriage, aswel for his deute and lawful contract as for the great zeal, love, and affeccion that he hath unto hir personne, bifore all creatures levyng, as it is said; yet ye, of wilfulnesse and by sinistre excitacion, not havyng regarde unto the said contract, wol not applie you, ne condescende, unto the said mariage, ne yeve therto yor benevolence ne assent, but rather induce yor said doghter to the contrarye, ayeinst God, the chirche, and al trouth, (as unto us is reported,) to oure greet merveil. We therfore desire and praye yow, and also on God's behalf exhorte and require you, if it so be, that thanne ye incline you to th'accomplissement of the mariage without seeking eny formal delay or empediemeht, otherwise thanne right lawe and good conscience asken and requiren in this partie; demenyng herin in such goodly wise that the said T. may, atte reverence of us, be unto you especially recommended, and fare the better, by contemplacion of this oure prayer. As we trust yow, etc. Yeven, etc. at P. the iii. day of May. To Nich. Straunge of Iseldon. 126 LETTERS OF MARGARET OF ANJOU. XOIY. A Letter from the Queen to Edmond Pyrcan, Squire. The manor of Hertingfordbury, in the county of Herts, formed part of the Queen's dower.* I can discover nothing relating to either Edmund Pyrcan or AVilliam Southwode, the Queen's bailiff. By the Qcene. Trusty and welbeloved, — We late yow wite, that we be enformed that ye wrongffully vexe, trouble, and menace to bette and sle Wil liam Southwode, ourebailyff of oure lordeship of Hertingfordbury; so that he dar not, for drede of dethe, abide in oure saide lordship, and attende upon oure service there, as his dewte is; unto greet hindring and derogacion, aswel of oure said bailiff, as of oure right and dewte there, as it is said. Wherof we merveil gretly. Wherfore we wol, ex horte, and require yow, that ye suffre oure said bailiff to leve at home in rest and peas; without vexing, diseasing, or attempting any thing ayeinst our said bailiff, or the lest [least] of oure tenants there, otherwise thanne right, trouth, and good conscience asken and requiren. And in case ye finde yow agreved ayeinst any of oure seid tenants there, yf ye will compleyne yow unto us, or oure counceil, ye shul be remedied, as the case justly requireth. And that ye fail not herof, in no wise, as ye desire to stande in the favor of oure good grace, and t'eschewe oure displeasir, at yo1 peril. Yeven, etc. at oure manoir of Plessy the first day of Marche. To Edmond Pyrcan, squier. xcv. A Letter of Reproof from the Queen to Sir John Forester, Knight. The manor of Hertingfordbury, mentioned in the last letter, had devolved to the Crown under Edward the Third, by whom it was conveyed to John of Rot. Pari. v. 1 18. LETTERS OF MARGARET OF ANJOU. 127 Gaunt. It has ever since continued in the Duchy of Lancaster (Chauncy, p. 272). I can lind no trace of any Sir John Forester as connected with this manor, although the name is by no means unknown in the county of Herts. By the Quene. Trusty and welbeloved, — We late now wite, that, this same day, ther have be bifore us a greete multitude, both of men and women, our tenants of oure lordship of Hertingfordbury, compleyning them that ye have, and yet be, dayly, about to destroie and undo them for ever; in so ferth forth that ye have do many of them to be wrong fully endited, nowe late, of felonye, before the crowner, by yor owne familier servantes and adherents, not knowyng the trouth of the mater; and many of theym ye do kepe in prisonne, and the reme- nant of oure temmts dar not abide in theire houses for fer of doth and other injuries, that ye dayly do them ; and al by colour of -a lerme that ye have there of oures, that, as it is said, for yor owne singler lucre, ye wrongfully engrose towards you al oure tenants lyvelode there; not ownly unto grete hindering and undowyng of oure said tenants, but also unto grete derogacion and prejudice of us, and of oure said lordship; wherof we meivel greetly; and, in especial, that ye that be jugge [judge] wold take so parceably [peaceably] the wrongfull destruccion of oure said tenants. Wher fore we wol, and expressly exhorte and require yow, that ye levc yor said labors and besinesse, in especial ayeinst us and oure said tenants, until tyme that yc have communed and declared you in this mater before us; and that, the meene while, ye do suffre oure tenants that be in prisonne to be mainprissed, under sufficient seurtie; and the remenant of oure tenants, giltlesse, that be fled, for fere of yor destruccion, may come home unto oure said lordship. And if eny of oure tenants have offended ayeinst the lawe, oure entent is that, the trouth knowen, he shalbe peynfully punysshed, and chastised, as the cas requireth. And howe ye thinke to be disposed therin ye will aserteine us, by the bringer of thisc, wherto we shall trustc; as ye desire to stande in the tendre and favorable 128 LETTERS OF MARGARET OF ANJOU. remembrance of oure grace therfor, in tyme comyng. Yeven, etc. at Wynds. the etc. To John Forester, Knyght. XCVI. A Letter from the Queen to the Deputy of the Keeper of the Privy Seal. The Secondary or Clerk of the Pipe or Great Roll of the Exchequer, is the officer whose duty it is to enter all accounts and debts due to the Sovereign delivered and drawn out of the Remembrancer's office on the Great Roll. (Cowell.) By the Quene. Right trusty, etc. And for as moch as we be enformed that my most doubted lord hath, nowe late, granted unto W. the office of Secundarye of the Pipis in th'escheger, after the continue and pourport of his lettres, of suffisant warant, to yowe directed in this partie ; we, therfor, desire and pray that, in accomplissement of my said lord's grant in this partie, ye wil, at reverence of us, have the seid W. towards you especially recommended; shewing hym, in the sealing his lettres of privie seal, th'exploit and good expedicion, with al the favor and tendernesse, that ye goodly may, and the rather by contcmplacion of this oure prayer. So that the seid W. may fare the better, and perceive in effect thise oure lettres unto hym fructuouses and vailable, as we trust yow. In which ye shul mowe desserve of us right especial thanke, unto our greet plesaunce, in tyme comyng. At or M. of P. the iii day of M. To M. T., depute unto the worshipfull, etc. Keper of the Prive Seal. LETTERS OF MARGARET OF ANJOU. 129 XCVII. A Letter from the Queen to the Abbot and Convent of Ramsey. The patronage of Barton-in-the-Clay in Bedfordshire was formerly in the Benedictine Abbey of Ramsey in Huntingdonshire. The Abbot, to whom this letter was addressed was unquestionably John Stowe, who held his office from 1436 to 1468. By the Quene. Trusty and welbeloved in God, — We, etc. And for as moche as Maist. Ric. Here, parson of Barton in the cley, in the diocese of Lincoln, is in will to resigne his said benefice, to th'entent that o* welbeloved Sir David Robert shuld have the said benefice, of your yefte ; we desire, therfore, and praye you that, the said resignation so don, ye will, at reverence of us, have the said Sir David to the said chirch especially recommended, and grante hym therof yor lettres of protection, under youre covent seall, in deu forme; and the rather by contemplacion of this our prayer, as we trust, etc. In which thyng, etc. To th'abbot and covent of Ramesey. XCVIII. A Letter from (most probably) the King to the Prior of Saint Mary Overies. So far as I have had any means of judging, I should say that none of the royal letters of recommendation were successful. The present letter forms no ex ception to the rule. Robert Stillington, for whose " great cunning, virtues, and priestly demeaning," the writer of this letter vouches, does not appear on the list CAMD. SOC. S 130 LETTERS OF MARGARET OF ANJOU. of the rectors of St. Mildred in Bread Street." I incline to think that cunning (in the modern sense) was a marked characteristic of this churchman. He was Fellow of All Souls, Chancellor of Wells, Archdeacon of Taunton, Prebendary of York under the Lancastrian government, and Dean of the King's Chapel, Dean of the College of St. Martin's-le-Grand, Archdeacon of Berks, Archdea con of Colchester, Bishop of Bath and Wells, and finally Lord Chancellor under the Yorkists. He held the latter office from 1468 to 1473.b He was in high favour with Edward the Fourth, temporized with Richard the Third, but was accused of treason by Henry the Seventh, for lending, as has been supposed, some assistance to Lambert Simnel. Either on this account, or on account of the strong part he had taken against the King before his accession, he with drew for safety to Oxford. The Chancellor of the University, however, delivered him up, and he was imprisoned at Windsor, where he died, in 1491.' He was buried in the cloisters at Wells. The patronage of the church of St. Mildred (which was burnt in the great fire, but rebuilt,) was formerly in the convent of St. Mary Overies, Southwark. The name of the prior to whom this letter was addressed was probably Henry Werkworth, who was elected in 1414, and died in 1452.-1 T[rusty], &c. we grete yow well, — And for asmoch as we be enformed that the paroch chirch of Saint Mildredes in Breed- strete, within your citee of London, beying of yor patronage, is like to voide, withinne shorte tyme, by decesse of hym that is now possessor of the same; we therfore, consideryng the grete cunyng, vertues, and preestly demenyng of or welbeloved M. R. Stillyngton, desire and hertly praye you, that, at the reverence of us, and con- templacion of this our especial writyng, ye wol have hym unto the said chirch, whannsoever hit shall nexte voide, before all other especially recommended, yevyng feyth and credence unto our W. N., brynger of these, in suche thing as he shall seye unto you touchyng the same mater. Wherinne ye shall do us right good pleasure, etc. To the Prior of Saint Mary Ovories. " Newc. Rep. vol. i. p. 499. b From this period must be deducted the short restoration of Henry VI, (1470-1). Hardy's Catalogue, 62, 53. •¦ Fasti E. A. vol. i. p. 141. d Dugd. Monast. vi. 169. LETTERS OF MARGARET OF ANJOU. 131 XCIX. A Letter from the Queen to John Godwyn. I have been unable to discover anything respecting John Godwyn. I find that there was a Hugh Godwyn one of the Yeomen of the Crown in 1450." From the contents of the letter, John Godwyn appears to have held much the same office as one John Spryngwell, whose duties were denned, in 1446, by the following curious instrument: " De providendo equos pro Regina. Rex dilecto sibi Johanni Spryngwell de Attelbrugge (Attleborough) in comitatu Norffol- cije, salutem. Scias qubd constituimus et ordinavimus te ad coursers, palefre- dos, somerhorses, hakeneys, et alios equos, pro equitatione et alio usu caris- simse consortis nostras Reginse Anglise necessarios et opportunos, ubicunque inveniri poterunt, tam infra libertates quam extra, (Feodo Ecclesise dumtaxat excepto,) pro denariis nostris in hac parte prompte et rationabiliter solvendis capiendum et providendum, juxta formam ordinationum et statutorum in hac parte editorum, etc. In cujus, etc. quamdiii nobis placuerit duraturas. Teste Rege apud Westm. 15 die Martii. Per ipsum Regem." (Rymer, xi. 125). By the Quene. Welbeloved, for as moche as we understand that there is a mare in that (sic) countrey that [is] right covenable, and according to or entent and purpose; wherof our secretary communed with you, in that behalf; We wol and desire you that ye, aggreing with the owner of the said mare, as reason wol, ye do sende or brynge hir, with hir colt, unto us, in all goodly haste; and that ye faile not, etc. To John Godwyn. c. A Letter from the Queen to the Lord Chancellor. The office of Protonotary or Prothonotary of the Court of Chancery was u very ancient office, as indeed this letter attests, and appears to have been for- » Rot. Pari. ».192h. 132 LETTERS OF MARGARET OF ANJOU. merly held by one of the Masters. The duties of the office are enumerated at p. 29 of the Report of the Commissioners for examining into the duties and salaries of the officers of the Court of Chancery, printed by order of the House of Commons, 6th June, 1816. The Commissioners further state, that the then holder of the office "had been appointed in 1792, but that he had never been called upon to execute any of the duties of his post, or any other duties what ever." They then say that he has certain fees and emoluments, to which he is still entitled " on performing the duties to which they are attached." After so damaging a report, it seems strange that the office should not have been abolished until 1833. I am not aware of any records in the Court of Chancery which would enable me to say who " Maister J.C., late clerke and familiar ser vant of oures," was; and I can only conjecture that the Chancellor may have been either Archbishop Stafford or Archbishop Kempe. By the Quene. Right reverend ffader in God, etc.,— Desiryng and praying you hertly, that, albeit that we suppose, verreilly, that ye be good and special lorde unto or welbeloved Maister J. C, late clerke and familiar servant of oures, ye will nevertheles, the rather atte re verence of us, and for our sake, have hym towards the faver of yor good lordship especially recommended ; shewing hym th'exploit and expedicion of his pursuit towards you for th'office of protonotarie of the chauncellerie, that my lord hath granted hym, as in my lordes lettres of warrant it appereth more at large; so that he may fynde, in effecte, fdVaccomplissement of my lord's entencion and oures in this behalf, as we truste yow. In which thyng ye shall mowe do unto us right grete plesaunce. Yeven, etc. atte Wyndesor the xxx day of M. To the Chaunc. of Englond. CI. A Letter from the Queen to Sir John Bourchier, Knight. Sib John Bouiichieb, K.G., fourth son to the Earl of Ewe, married Mar gery daughter and heir of Richard Lord Berners, and was summoned to Par- LETTERS OF MARGARET OF ANJOU. 133 liament 33 Hen. VI. (1455) by that title. He was at the first battle of St. Alban's in 1455, on the Lancastrian side; but afterwards took part with the Yorkists, and was Constable of Windsor Castle under Edward IV. He died 16th May, 1474, and is buried at Chertsey. This letter was written between 1445 and 1455. I have found nothing relating to Thomas Downe or Thomas Hery, " Groom of our Chamber." By the Quene. Right trusty and welbeloved, we grete you well. Lating you wit, that we wrote, now late, unto oon Thomas Downe, exciting hym to delyver unto or welbeloved servant Thomas Hery, grome of our chamber, certein evidences, longyng unto hym of right; which our request he is redy to accomplisse and performe, so that ye will therto assente, as it is said. And it is so, as we be en formed, that, at our instance and prayer, by our lettres now late adresscd unto you in this partie, ye be right well disposed and binevolent unto or said servant in this mater. Wherof we thanke you right hertly; and sith it is so that th'expedicion herof resteth oonly in yor trew acquitail, we desire and hertly praye you, that, on the faver, tendernesse, and frendship thatt ye have be gonne for our sake to shewe to our seid servant, ye will continue forthe to the hasty conclusion therof, in such wise, that, without delaye for eny sinistre suggestion, he may have delyverance of his said evidences, and fele in effecte brief exploit and accompHssement of our request, at reverence of us, and by contemplacion of tins our prayer; as our singler trust is in you. In which thinge ye shull not oonly deserve right especial thanke, to our greet pleasure, but also cause us to have you, the rather, in tendre remembrance of our grace, therfor, in tyme comyng, etc. To our knyght Sir John Bourgchier. 134 LETTERS OF MARGARET OF ANJOU. Oil. A Letter from the Queen to the Park- Keeper of Pleshy. Pleshy in Essex, " castell de Placeto," formerly, and for centuries, the abode of the Lords High Constables of England, is a village about eight miles N.W. of Chelmsford, now only remarkable for the vestiges of its ancient castle. Many were the vicissitudes undergone by its princely owners ; but the most striking event recorded in its annals is the treacherous visit of Richard the Second to his uncle, Thomas of Woodstock, Duke of Gloucester, the sixth son of Edward the Third, which resulted in the Duke's violent death at Calais. This, one of the last and worst acts of King Richard's reign, has been most graphically recorded by Froissart. The arrest and murder took place in 1397 ; the treacherous King was deposed, and died, in 1399. In the reign of Henry the Fifth, the castle, manor, and park of Pleshy became vested in the Crown, by partition of the estates of Humfrey de Bohun, Earl of Hereford, Essex, and Northampton, between the King and a grand-daughter of the Earl, and has ever since been parcel of the Duchy of Lancaster. (See Gough's History of Pleshy.) The description given by Shakespeare of Pleshy (Richard II. Act 1, Sc. 3) may have been applicable in his own day, but could not have been so at the time of which he wrote. Pleshy was certainly inhabited for half a century later. Many of Queen Margaret's letters are dated from her manor of Pleshy, and even now the name of " The Queen's Garden " attaches to a space, on which are some fine trees, lying between the rampart, now called "the Mounds," and the church. Pleshy is well worth a visit. By the Quene. Wellbelovyd, we wol and charge you, that, unto our well belovyd servand Rob' Penall, or unto the brynger of these in his name, ye do delyver a bucke to be taken within oure ifbrest, or grete parke, of Plashe of our gefte ; any comandment yeven to yow notwithstanding: and these our lettres shall be unto yow therein sufnciant warant. Yeven undr oure signet, at Chestre, the xvi. day of August, the year of my lordes reign xxxiiij40 [1456], To oure welbelovyd the keper of oure parke of Plashe, or elles to his deputee there. LETTERS OF MARGARET OF ANJOU. 135 cm. A Letter from the Queen to Master Gilbert Kymer, Chancellor of Oxford and Dean of Wymborne Minster. Gilbert Kymer was a person of considerable note in his day. He was edu cated at Durham (now University) College. He took the degrees of LL.B., A.M. and Ph. Mag. and M.D." He served the office of Proctor in 1412 and 1413.b In 1424 we find him Physician to Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester, in 1427 Dean of Wymbourne Minster, and Treasurer of Salisbury. He was a Prebendary of Wells and Gillingham, Rector of Fordyngbrigge, of St. Mar tin's Vintry, London (in 1434), and, in 1449, Dean of Salisbury .= When the Chancellorship of Oxford was an annual or biennial office, he was eleven times chosen to fill that post, viz. in 1431, 1432, 1433, and from 1446 to 1453, both years inclusive.11 It was during the period last referred to that he received the Queen's letter. It could not have been earlier, as Margaret was not Queen until 1444-5. Of the names of the clergy of Wimbourne Minster, at this period, too few have been preserved to enable me to say what may have been the effect of this letter.0 Kymer inscribed to Duke Humphrey, in 1424, a curious medical treatise, intituled " Diajtarium de Sanitatis Custodia."f He appears to have died the 16th May, 1463, and was buried in Salisbury Cathe dral. In one of the windows of the south aisle, under the figure of a person in a gown was the following inscription : " In imaginem Doctoris Kymer, Medici, quondam Cancellarii Oxon, et postea Decani Sarum. O Sancti Medici, medico mihi ferte juvamen, Ut summus medicus mentis mihi dot medicamen ; Quo, sine fine, salute poli pbst perfruar. Amen."B * Hist, and Antiq. Oxon. (Gutch), iv. App. 44. Diaetarium de Sanitatis Custodia, Bibl. Sloane, 84 f. b Ibid. (Gutch), iv. App. 40. ' Ibid. 61; and Newc. Rep. i. 422. <• Ibid. 54 and 61; and Hutchins's Dorset, ii. 535 a. c Hutchins, ii. 538 a. ' Warton's Hist, of English Poetry, vol. ii. p. 266 (ed. 1840). Warton says Kymer was physician to the King, but this seems not to be warranted by authority. Hearne, in his Preface to the Lib. Nig. Scacc. xxxiii. mentions Kymer; and, at pp. 650 and 551, gives certain excerpta from the Diaetarium, which are remarkably curious. Hearne quotes from a MS. formerly belonging to Sir Hans Sloane, which is now in the British Museum. S Hutchins, ii. 535a; and Hist, and Antiq. Oxon (Gutch) iv. Appendix 61. No trace of this inscription is now to be seen. 136 LETTERS OF MARGARET OF ANJOU. Br THE QUENE. Eight trusty and welbeloved, etc., lating you witt, that we have certein right good and notable clerks, of grete fame and vertueux disposicion, attending in or service, as yet by us unpromoted, and destitute of benefices. We, havyng knowelech that there is like, in shorte tyme, to voide a prebende in the ministre [minster] of Wymborne, longyng unto yo1' yefte and collocacion, as patron therof, as it is said, desire, and hertly praye you, that ye wil grante us the nexte prebende that first shall voide there, for to avaunce therwith oon of or said clerks. Wherinne trusteth verreilly ye shul not mowe oonly pourvei right well for the wele and worship of yor said prebende, to God's pleasance; but also cause us to have you in tendre remembrance of or good grace therfore, in tyme comyng. And how ye thinke to please us in this mater, ye will acerteine us by our well [beloved] the bringer of thise, etc. To Maistr. Gilbert Kymer, chan. CIV. A Letter from the Qceen to all Searchers, Custumers, and Keepers of Ports, &c. The Queen's mother mentioned in this letter was Isabella of Lorraine, wife of Ren6 d'Anjou, and titular Queen of Sicily. Isabella died 28lh February 1453, aged only forty-three. Margarete, by the grace of God, Quene of England and of France, and Lady of Ireland. To all serchers, custumers, kepers of ports, and to all other my lord's officers, sendeth greting. And, for as moche as oure welbeloved servant W. A., chappelleyn unto oure right entierly welbeloved modor the Quene of Sicile, pur posing to passe over the see towards oure said modcr; We desire and praye yow, that, in his seid passage, ye wilbe frendly, favorable, LETTERS OF MARGARET OF ANJOU. 137 and wel willed, with al th'ease and favor that ye goodly maye, without eny empechement or interupcion to the contrary. As we truste yow. Yeven at P. the xx. day of Marche the yere of my lord's reigne xxv. cv. A Letter from the Queen to the Keeper of Siiene Park, or n is Deputy there. It is said in Manning's History of Surrey (vol. i. p. 409) that Edward the Third built a palace at Shene (now Richmond). He died there 21st June, 1377. Anne of Bohemia, the first Queen of Richard the Second, also died there, 7th June, 1394, and this event caused the King to take such a disgust to the place that he ordered the palace to be pulled down. It was rebuilt, however, by King Henry the Fifth. Manning says that he had found no trace of Henry the Sixth having been at Shene (ibid. 410). This letter, however, shows that both King Henry and Queen Margaret did resort thither, at any rate for hunting. I have no means of fixing the date of this letter. By the Quene. Trusty and welbeloved, For as moche as we suppose that, in short tyme, we shall come right negh unto my lord's manoir of Shene, we desire and praye you hertly that ye will kepe ayeinst our re- sortinge thedre, for oure disporte and recreacion, two or iii. of the grettest bukkes in my lord's pare there, saving alweyes my lord's owne commandement there in his presence. As we trust, etc. To my lord's squier and ours, J. B., keper of Shene Parke, or his depute there. CAMD. soc. 138 LETTERS OF MARGARET OF ANJOU. CVI. A Letter from the Queen to the Bishop of Exeter. Thehe can be no doubt that this letter was addressed to Edmund Lacy, Bishop of Exeter, who held the see from 1421 to 1455;" but in what year written, or to whom it refers, I am wholly unable to say. By the Quene. Keverend fader in God, etc. And for as moch as we desire th'encres, furtherance, and promocion of our welbeloved clerc, Maister N., as well for his vertues, merits, and clerkly governance, as for his famows and clene livyng, with the goodly disposicion that he is renomed of, praye you right hertly that, at reverence of us, ye will have our said clerc to the nexte benefice, accordyng to his degree, that first shall voide in your yeft and disposicion, especially rccomendet. Wherinne we truste verreily ye shall mowe purvey right notably for the wele and worship of yor said benefice, and Godd's pleasance. And doubt not but of us ye shall mowe deserve, in accompHssement of our entencion in this partie, good and es pecial thanke, unto or right great and singler pleasance. Yeven, etc. at N. the xxviii day of March. To the Bishop of Exeter. CVII. A Letter from the Queen to the Abbot and Convent of Peterborough, Patrons of the Living of Cottingham. Peterborough, alias Medeshamsted, was a Benedictine abbey founded a.d. 655. The abbots were admitted to Parliament under Henry the Third, and ¦ Fasti Ecc. Angl. vol. i. p. 374. LETTERS OF MARGARET OF ANJOU. 139 became mitred about a.d. 1400. The monastery was dissolved, and the church made a cathedral, by Henry the Eighth.* Cottingham in Northamptonshire belonged to the monastery down to the Dissolution, but the name of Stanham does not occur amongst the incumbents during the 15th century.b It would appear, therefore, that the Queen's candidate did not succeed. The name of the abbot to whom the letter was addressed must have been Richard Ashton, who governed the monastery from 1438 to 1471." By the Quene. Trusty, etc. And for asmoche as we be enformed that the parissh church of Cotyngham is voide, or like withinne shorte tyme to voide, wherof ye be patrons as it is said; We, therfore, havyng considcracion aswell to the vertues, merits, and clerkly governance, as for the famows and clene lyvyng that oure welbeloved Sir Henry Stanham is renomed of, desire and hertely praye you that, atte re verence of us, and contemplacion of this oure especiall writyng, ye woll have hym unto the said chirch whensoever it shall nexte voide, before all others especially recommended. Wherinne we truste ver reilly ye shall mowe purvey right notably for the wele and worship of yor said benefice, to Godd's plesaunce. And doubt not but of us ye shall mowe deserve, in accoinplissement of our entencion in this partie, good and especiall thanke. To th'abbot and covent of Peterborijdi. CVIII. A Letter from the Queen to the Mayor, Bailiffs, and Commons of Coventry. Coventry was constituted a corporation in 1345 (18 Edward III). The first mayor was elected in 1348 ;e the first sheriffs, who had previously been called bailiffs, were appointed in 1450.' I have not seen any list of the recorders, " Tanner, Northamptonshire, xxvii. b Dugd. Mon. i. 361; Bridges's Northamptonshire, ii. 299. ' Dugd. Mon. i. 361, 363. 6 Dugd. Warw. vol. i. p. 140. ' Ibid. 147. ' Ibid. 142, 148. 140 LETTERS OF MARGARET OF ANJOU. nor is the office of recorder mentioned by Dugdale. The Queen's coronation took place in 1445, and, from the bailiffs (not the sheriffs) being mentioned, this letter must have been written between that year and 1450. By the Quene. Trusty and welbeloved, wc grete you wel. And for asmoch as we be enformed that the recordership of the cite of Coventre is like within shorte tyme to be voide, unto your disposicion and ycfte ; We, desiring th'encres, firtherance, and preferring of oure wel beloved T. Bate, aswel for his suffisiant of cunnyng and habilite thereto, as in especial for the humble instance and prayer of certein oure servants right negh attending aboute oure personne, pray yow right hertly that, atte reverence of us, sith it is oure first request of you after our coronacion, ye wil have the seid T. unto the said occupacion of recorder, when it shall nexte voide, bifore al other especially recommended, as our ful trust is in you. In which thinge ye shal not mowe oonly to do us greit pleasir, and deserve of us especial thanke, but also cause us to have you in remembrance of oure good grace therfore, in tyme comyng; and of yor good dis posicion to our pleasir in this matere ye will acerteine us by the bringer of thise. Yeven at P. the vi. day of Marche. To the Mair, Baillifs, and good Communes of the City of Coventre. CIX. A Letter from the Queen to the Steward of her Lord ships of Haseley and Periton. The manors of Great Haseley and Piryton, Periton, or Pirton, formed part of the lands granted to Queen Margaret on her marriage by way of dower. (Rot. Pari. v. 118a.) They lie between Wallingford and Thame, and are both in Oxfordshire. By the Quene. Trusty and welbeloved, For asmoch as we be enformed that LETTERS OF MARGARET OF ANJOU. 141 our manoir of Haseley and Periton neden of reparacion, we desire and praye you that such reparacion as shall be necessarie in that partie ye will do make by the wodesale of our beclies in our wode of Kelingrigge and Ilolmewode, as it apperteinet unto you by vertue of yor office of oure steward there ; so that, in yor defaulte herof, we take no hurt ne prejudice in tyme commyng. As we trust yow, etc. To D. B., Steward of oure lordship of Haseley and Periton. ex. A Letter from the Queen to Eobert Hiberdon. By the Quene. Trusty and welbeloved, for asmoch as we be enformed that ye have the crafte and cunnyng to make [train?] blode hondes in the best wyse ; We desire and praye you that ye will, att reverence of us, take suche diligence and peyne upon you as for to make us two blode hondes to oure use, kepyng theym sauffly and semly, under yor drawing, reule, and demenyng, until tyme that we do send for theym ; and that ye faile not herof as ye desire to do us pleasir, and to stand in the faver of our good grace therfore in tyme corny nge. At Windesore, the xvi day of August. To Robert Hiberdon. CXI. A Letter from the Queen to the Custumers of the Port of Boston. Custumers for the town and port of Boston, Lincolnshire, were appointed as early as a.d. 1255 ;> but I have found very slight mention made of Boston ¦ History of Boston, by Pishey Thompson, 1820, p. 30. 142 LETTERS OF MARGARET OF ANJOU. during the reign of Henry the Sixth. The grant to John Wenham, the Queen's servant, and his wife, has not been preserved. By the Quene. Trusty, etc. And for asmoche as it hath pleased my lord's high nesse to graunte unto John Wenham x marcs in mariage with his wif, duryng theire lyves, to be taken yerely in the port of Boston by thands of the Custumers there for the tyme beyng, as in their lettres patents therof unto theym made it appereth more pleinly ; We, havyng consideracion unto the good service that our said servant hath don us, and yet daily therin continueth, desire and pray you that, at reverence of us, ye will have hym in his payment of the said annuitie, after the continue of my said lord's grant, especially recom mended ; and for yor tyme to shew hym therin th'ease and faver that ye goodly may, so that he may finde in effect thise, etc. unto hym effectuelx and vailable. As we truste yow. In whiche thinge, etc. CXII. A Letter from the Queen to John Stanley, squire." The manor of Edgarslei, Adgarseley, Agardsley, Aggresley, or Aggersley, on the edge of Needwood Forest, in the honour of Tutbury in Staffordshire, not far from the junction of the Dove with the Trent, formed part of the dower lands of Queen Margaret." At this distance of time it would be vain to attempt to ascertain the cause of the Queen's displeasure against William Chatterley, yeoman of the crown ;b nor can I satisfactorily discover who John Stanley, squire, was, but I incline to think that he may have been a John Stanley, eldest son of Sir John Stanley, and who was groom of the bedchamber to the Kino- in 1439.c From a book to which I have been allowed access at the office of the Duchy of Lancaster, I gather that, somewhat before the middle of the 15th century, a John Stanley was connected with the honour of Tutbury, but in what capacity is very doubtful. I find also a John, otherwise called Jenkyn, Stanley, squire " Rot. Pari. y. 118 h. b Kot. Pari. ». 183. c Seacome, pp. 61, 65, LETTERS OF MARGARET OF ANJOU. 143 Usher of the chamber, as to whom, in 1451, a petition was presented to the King by the Commons that he, amongst many others, might be removed from the royal presence." It would seem, from a notice in the Archrcologia, that, in 1452, some dire disaster befell William Chatterley, yeoman of the crown, but of what nature does not exactly appear.b This and the following letter were probably written between 1445 and 1452. By the Quene. Trusty and welbeloved, We late you wit that we write at this tyme unto Chaterley charging hym that ho come no more into eny of or places and parkes in that countrey, nether to hunte ne serve no warrant in any wise. Wherfore we praye yow that ye delyver him yor lettres in this partie, seing, as fer as in yow is, that he com into non of or places that ye have governance of under us in that countrey. As we trust, etc. To John Stanley squier. CXIII. A Letter to W. Chaterley, Yeoman of the Crown. By the Quene. We merveile gretly that ye durst presume upon you, ayeinst our writing unto you in that mater, for to come into or parke of Aggres- ley, there distroing our game, where wc were disposed to have che risshed you in yor disport in our other places ; wherfore we expresly charge yow that from hennesforward ye com into noon of oure places and parkes, nether to hunte ne serve warrant, without yor espe cial commandement in that bihalf, at yor peril. For thus it pleasith us to be doon. To W. Chaterley, Yoman -of the Croune. » Rot. Pari. v. 216 a. b Archoeol. xxix. 326. 144 LETTERS OF MARGARET OF ANJOU. CXIV. A Letter to Sir John Denham, knight. This letter was written between 1445 and 1458. " Our knight, Sir John Denham," was probably a Sir John Denham of Hartland, in North Devon, who served in the wars in France in the eighth and fourteenth years of Henry VI., and died in the thirty-sixth year (1458) of the same King." The family is amongst the most ancient in Devonshire. Sir John left a son, also a Sir John Denham or Dinham, who was 28 years old in 1458, and who, " out of love to the Earl of March," became a decided Yorkist. He was raised to the peerage by King Edward IV. Nevertheless he was in favour with King Henry VII., and was made Lord High Treasurer in the first year of his reign. Prince in his " Worthies of Devon " says : " This noble lord was advanced, further yet, to the high honour of a Knight of the Garter, and from that, we hope, to heaven, in the seventeenth year of King Henry the Seventh, set. 72."b I have not found anything relating to John Asshe, to whom Sir John Denham owed four teen guineas " for diverse vitailles." By the Quene. Trusty, &c. And forasmoche as we be enformed that there is by yow dew unto our welbeloved John Assh the some of xiiii11 xiiii3 for diverse vitailles taken unto your use, as it is said ; We praye yow, considering the necessite that lie is in, ye will, at reverence of us, have him to the payment of his seid dewte [duty = debt] especi ally recommended, shewyng hym herin th'easc, favours, and tender nesse that ye goodly maye, to th'accomplissement of our entencion in this partie, so that he may fele in effecte these oure letters, as we truste yow. In which things, etc. Yeven, etc. To our knyght Sir John Denham. " Dugd. Bar. i. 514. Collinson's Somerset, vol. ii. p. 362. b Prince, pp. 298, 299, 300. LETTERS OF MARGARET OF ANJOU. 145 cxv. A Letter from the Queen to certain Officers and Te nants of Richard Plantagenet, Duke of York. In 1380 Richard the Second granted the bailiwick of the hundred of Roch ford or Rachford in Essex to Alberic de Vere, tenth Earl of Oxford, for life, with remainder in fee to Edmund Langley, Duke of York, fifth son of Edward the Third, and the King's uncle. Edmund Langley succeeded in 1400, and, dying in 1402, the estate came to Edward Duke of York, his eldest son. On the death of Edward without issue at Agincourt (1415), where he commanded the van, Phi- lippa his widow, daughter of John Lord Mohun, held the third part in dower. The duchess married secondly Robert Fitzwalter, and at her death (1432) Roch ford came to Duke Edward's nephew and heir, viz. Richard Plantagenet, eldest son to Richard Earl of Cambridge, who was second son to Edmund Langley, and who was beheaded at Southampton for treason in 1415. Richard Plantagenet was father to King Edward the Fourth. Thus Rochford, on the accession of that sovereign, was reunited to the Crown." The manor of Clements was so called from a family of that name.b In 1440 Philip Clement enfeoffed in this estate Robert Dacre and John Breton, who granted the reversion after Philip's death to Henry Fylongley and others.e Amongst the others, however, the Close Roll (which I have examined) ddes not name either John Stoughton or Alice Ar nold, nor can I find any trace of these persons. There was a family of Stough ton or Staughton near Guildford in Surrey ;d but I am unable to identify the John Stoughton named in this letter with any member of that family living in the fifteenth century. This letter must have been written after 1445, and pro bably not later than 1450. By the Quene. Trusty and welbeloved, etc., of the good faver, frendship, and supportacion that ye have shewed unto our wel[beloved] servant and squier John Stoughton, and Alice Arnold, his cousine, touching tlicire possession in the manoir of Clements, with th'appurtenances, " Dugd. Bar. vol. ii. pp. 155, 157, 158. Inquis. post mortem, 3 Hen. V. and 10 Hen. VI., and Morant 'a Hist, of Essex, vol. i. p. 268. " Morant, vol. i. p. 290. c Rot. Claus. 19 Hen. VI. d Harl. MSS. No. 1562, fo. 58 b; Manning's Surrey, vol. i. p. 171. CAMD. SOO. U 146 LETTERS OF MARGARET OF ANJOU. in Essex, we thanke you right hertly, praying you so forth to con tinue helping, furthering, and assisting them with all th'ease, faver, and supportacion that ye goodly may by right; so that thei may finde thise oure lettres unto them effectuel and vailable. As we trust you, etc. To Kichard Clifton, John Rokeley, John Baker, and to all other officers and tenants of our C[ousin] the Due of Y^ork, in his hundred of Racheford, and to everyche of them. CXVI. A Letter from the Queen to the Lord Ferrers of Groby. Sir Edward Gret, son of Reginald Lord Grey of Ruthyn, married Eliza beth, granddaughter and heir of William Lord Ferrers of Groby, in Leicester shire. By this marriage the estates of that family, including Stebbing in Essex, which had belonged to them ever since the Conquest, came to Sir Edward Grey. Sir Edward thereupon took the title of Lord Ferrers of Groby, and was summoned by the same title to Parliament in 1 446, 27 Hen. VI. He died in 1457, leaving a son, Sir John Grey, who was the first husband of Elizabeth Woodville, afterwards queen to Edward the Fourth. Sir John Grey, who had been created Lord Lisle, was killed at St. Alban's in 1460, fighting for Henry the Sixth. The Queen speaks of " our lordship " and of " our tenants," but I have been unable to discover what claim she had to the manor of Stebbing. The letter was written between 1445 and 1457. By the Quene. Right trusty and welbeloved, — We grete you well. And foras- moch as we be enformed that yor baillif of Stebbyng wrongfully vexeth, troubleth, and oppresseth oure tenants of our lordship of Stebbing, aswel in usurping and breking oure franchise there as in other grevous wise; We therefore desire and praye you, and also exhorte and require you, that ye do yeve in commandement unto LETTERS OF MARGARET OF ANJOU. 147 yor said bailiff for to cesse of his said vexacions and oppressing, and put him in suche reule that oure said tenants may leve in rest and peas, so thart they have no cause to compleine ayeine unto us for lak of rcmcdic in yor defaulte; as ye thinke to stande in the faver of oure good grace, and t'eschewe our displeasir at yor peril. Yeven etc. the etc. To the Lord Ferrers of Groby. CXVII. A Letter from the Queen in aid of Letters Patent of Safe-Conduct granted to Guille Alany, Master of a Ship of Britanny clept the Jenet. A safe-conduct was a security given by the Prince, under the great seal, for the quiet coming into and passing out of the realm. (Cowell.) By 15 Hen. VI. c. 3, all safe-conducls were to contain the name of the grantee, of the ship, of the master, and the number of the mariners, with the portage. These particu lar letters patent do not appear to have been preserved, but many of the same kind are to be found in Rymer. Margaret, by the grace of God, etc. To all maner admiralles, capitains, lieutenants, custumers, serchers, kepers of ports, maiers, shirefs, baillefs, constables, and al other my lord's officers and trewe liege peuple, gretinge, — And for asmoche as it hath liked my lord's highnesse, of his especial grace, to graunte his lettres patentes of sauff- conduit unto Guille Alany, maister of a shipp of Britaingne of portage of fifty tonne, clept the Jenet, to come into this reaume with certeine wyne for oure use ; We pray yow hertely that unto the seid Guille, and unto his mariners, after th'effecte and pourport of my said lord's lettres of sauff-conduit, ye wilbe welwilled, frendly, and faverable, without suffring them to be greved, interupt, or empechet to the contrarie ; rather by contemplacion of this oure praier, as we trust yow, and as ye thinke to do us pleasir. Yeven, etc. the yere of my lord's reigne xxvii. 148 LETTERS OF MARGARET OF ANJOU. CXVIII. A Letter from the Queen to Thomas Brown, squire. The Parliament which met at St. Edmondsbury, the 10th Feb. 1447, con firmed an exchange which had been made of the Queen's revenue, charged on the Customs, for other lands settled on her for lifc.a It is probable that it is to this arrangement that this letter refers; it would therefore bear date some time in 1447 (25 or 26 Hen. VI.) It was on the second day of this Parliament that Humphrey Duke of Gloucester was arrested by Viscount Beaumont, the Lord High Constable. His death, which popular suspicion attributed to the Queen (who was scarcely eighteen at the time), Cardinal Beaufort, and the Duke of Suf folk, occurred a few days later. See, on this head, note lvi. to Lord Brougham's History of England and France under the House of Lancaster. At this time Marmaduke Lumley, Bishop of Carlisle, was Lord High Treasurer.1' Thomas Brown, under-treasurer, was a member of the Inner Temple." lie appears to have been a native of Warwick, and to have died in 1468.J By the Quene. Right trusty and wellbeloved, we grete you well, — Lating yow wite that we be credible enformed, what diligence, faithfull labor, and hertly love ye have shewed us in our maters; and, in especial, now late, in our assignement of the custumes of Southampton; for the which we thinke us greetly beholde unto yow; and cun you therfore right good and especial thanke ;e trusting fully that, in suche things as ye shall mowe have [be able] for to do towards us, we shall have you, after your deserts, in tendrc remembrance of our grace therfore, in tyme commyng. Yeven, etc. at Windesor the xth, etc. To T. Browne, squier, Under Tresourer of Engl. * Pari. Hist. vol. i. p. 382. b Pari. Paper prefixed to vol. i. of the Pari. Hist. c Paston Letters, vol. i. p. 25. d Lib. Nig. Scacc. (W. Wvro.) vol. ii. p. 519. e "And cun you therfore right good and especial thanke, and give you, etc. thanks." This phrase is to he found twice in the Canterbury Tales. See the Knight's Tale, 1810, and 3066. It is equivalent to Einem Dank wissen, Saper yrado, Savoir yre; and u'Sim/ X»£" (Herod, iii. v. 21) has the same meaning. LETTERS OF MARGARET OF ANJOU. 149 CXIX. A Letter from the Queen to the Lord Chancellor, the Lord Archbishop of Canterbury. This letter must have been written between 1445 and 1454; during which period the Great Seal was held by two archbishops of Canterbury (John Stafford and John Kempe) in succession. I cannot determine to which of them it was addressed. Queen Margaret was probably not very well informed as to what appertained, or did not appertain, to a Court of Conscience ; nor, judging from the specimens of^arly bills in Chancery, published by the Record Commission, was the jurisdicraon, during this century, very clearly defined. If the Richard Rede named in this letter was the same Richard Rede who figures as defendant in a suit of Westowe v. Rede, mentioned in the Calendar of the Proceedings in Chancery temp. Hen. VI. xxii., and the allegations con tained in the Bill in that suit were true, Richard Rede, "my lord's servant and oures,'' was not a remarkably good character. By the Quene. Right reverend, etc. And for asmoche as we be enformed that oon John Goldston, as borrowe" for my lord's servant and oures Ric. Rede, is arested in the c[ity] of London, by an obligacion pretended to be due, where our said servant is redy to declare and prove that the said obligacion is not dewe, ne of right and con science ne peny ought to be paied, as he saith; We, consideryng that this mater longeth unto the court of conscience, desire and hertly praye you that ye will call this mater bifore yow, and grante unto or said servant a corpus cum causa in this partie; shewing unto o"- said servant, at reverence of us, the faver, tendernesse, and good lordship that ye goodly may. So that he may perceive, by contem placion of thes our lettres, that he be defended from all such injuries and wronges purposed ayeinst hym, and he t'atteine, by yor help and supportacion, unto all that to hym rightfully apperteineth, with brief expedicion in this behalf; and in cas that ye may not, * borrowe is an old word for pledge, surely, bail. It is to be met with in Chaucer, and in the Robin Hood Ballads. 150 LETTERS OF MARGARET OF ANJOU. with your e'ase, attende unto the conclusion of this mater, that thanne ye will yeve in commandement unto the Clerk of the Rolles t'accomplisse our entencion abovesaid, without remitting his mater out of yor hands, if in eny wise it may goodly be doon, as our singler trust is in yor good faderhode. In which thinge, etc. At Eltham the, etc. To th'archebishop of Canterbury, Chancellor of England. CXX. * A Letter from the Queen to Sir Edmond Ingoldesthorpe, Knight, touching Henry Chevele a servant of his. I am unable to fix the date of this letter. It was, however, written before 1456-7 (35 Hen. VI.) as Sir Edmund Ingoldesthrop or Ingoldesthorp died in that year. He had large possessions in Norfolk, Cambridge, and Essex, and also in London and Middlesex. He married Joan, sister of John Lord Tiptoft, Earl of Worcester, who was beheaded by King Henry VI. in 1470.1 Sir Edmund Ingoldesthorpe's will, dated 9 Aug. 1456, is still extant. In it the testator expresses a desire to be buried at Burgh (Burrough Green) in Cambridgeshire. It is worthy of notice that Sir Edmund Ingoldesthorpe's will is witnessed by '" Henr. Chevele]' no doubt the " servant " said to have disseised " Thomas Gale and Isabell his wife."b Ashdon is in Freshwell Hundred, Essex, not far from Saffron Walden.0 Sir Edmund Ingoldesthorpe left Isabell his sole daughter and heir, who married John Neville, Marquis of Montacute, K.G. John Neville was son of Richard Earl of Salisbury, and brother to the great Earl of Warwick. Both brothers were killed at Barnet in 147 l.d By the Quene. Trusty and welbeloved, etc. And for as moch as we be en formed that oon Henry Chevele, a servant of youres, unjustly and * Coll. Topog. viii. 76. Robinson's History of Enfield, ii. 16. b Coll. Topog. iii. 104. c Ashdon has ten other names, for which see Morant's Essex, ii. 538. d Blomefiold'u Norfolk, v. 1283. LETTERS OF MARGARET OF ANJOU. 151 ayenst al right lawe and good conscience, holdeth a certein place and lande in the towne of Asshedon, within the counte of Essex, appertenyng of right unto oure welbeloved Thomas Gale and Isabell his wif, by the decesse of Richard Wilwes, late brother unto the said Isabell, unto greet hindring, prejudice, and derogacion of or said servant and his wyf, as it is said; We therfore desire and praye you that, if hit so be, ye will thanne, att reverence of us, leying aside all parcialite, withoute eny comfort or supportacion-yevyng unto the seid Henry, suffre oure said servant and his wyf peasably t'enjoie and occupie the seid place and land, and to have all that to hym [them] rightfully apperteineth in that behalf. So that he [they] may finde yor binevolence and trewe acquital in suche wise disposed, that they may atteine unto their right, and have no cause to compleyne ayeine for lacke of justice. As we truste yow, etc. Yeven, etc at Eltham the, etc. To Sir Edmond Ingoldcsthrop, kn1. CXXI. A Letter from the Queen to Master Piers Stewkeley, Warden of the College of Maidstone. Thebe was a college for secular priests at Maidstone, founded by Archbishop Courtenay, in the early part of the 15th century." It succeeded an hospital of a much more ancient date. There are said to be still very considerable remains of this college.b I have been unable to find any list of the wardens ; and I have been equally unsuccessful in discovering any trace of Thomas Mowsherst and his family. By the Quene. Trusty and welbeloved, we grete you well. And of the goode frendship, binevolence, and tendernesse that ye have shewed unto our servant Thomas Mowsherst, and unto his fader and moder, we » Tanner's Notitia, Kent, xxxviii. b Dugd. Monast. viii. 1394. 152 LETTERS OF MARGARET OF ANJOU. thanke you hertly, praying you that in suche things as thei or eny of theym shall have for to do towards you, ye wil, at reverence of us, in continuance of yor good disposicion, have him towards you especially recommended, helping, furthering, and supporting theym as fer as ye goodly may, by right, trouth, and good conscience, the rather by contemplacion of this our prayer. So that they may fynde that they fare the better, and finde these oure lettres unto theyme fructuose and vailable, as we trust yow, etc. Yeven, etc. To M. Piers Stewkeley, Warden of the College of Maydeston, and to R. G. CXXII. A Letter from the Queen to William Gastrik or Gaskryk, proposing a match between his daughter and Thomas Fountains, Yeoman of the Crown. In Vincent's MSS., preserved at the Heralds' College, No. 150, p. 220, is a pedigree of Rigate, who married the daughter and heiress of William Fountaynes. Of this marriage there was issue one daughter, Juliana, who married William Gascarick or Gaskryk," and had a son, William Gaskryk, who is described as " dominus de Middle Soylls infra villam de Killingholm." This William Gaskryk I believe to have been the person to whom this letter was written, and he had an only daughter Elizabeth, who inherited his property. It appears then that the families of Fountains and Gascarick or Gaskryk were connected. I think, therefore, that it may fairly be concluded, that it is to these two families that the letter has reference. I have been unable to identify Thomas Fountains, Yeoman of the Crown; but, it certainly appears that, not withstanding the letter "tenderly wreten" by the King, and " afFectuously " enforced by the Queen, he was not successful in "his honest desire" to do the lady " worship by wey of mariage." She, who is described in the pedigree as ¦ In the Calendar of Inquis. post Mortem, vol. iv. fo. 189, 17 Hen. VI. No. 45, is an inquisition relating evidently to one of the same family, but who is named Edmund Oastryk. Frpm the inquisition itself, however, which I have seen, it is plain that the right name is Oaskryk and not Oastryk. LETTERS OF MARGARET OF ANJOU. 153 daughter and heir of William Gascarick, is stated to have married Henry Boothe of the county of Lincoln, Henry Boothe appears, from the pedigree, to have been a son of Thomas Boothe of Barton (probably Barton- on-Humber), and nephew of William Boothe, Archbishop of York, who died in 14G4." This is the only date that occurs in the pedigree ; and from it, and from the fact that the Queen was married in 1445, I conclude that the Queen's unsuc cessful letter was written a few years later than the last-mentioned date. By the Quene. Trusty and welbeloved. For as much as our wel[beloved] servant Thomas Fountains, yoman of my lord's crown, as wel for the womanly and vertuous governance that yor doghter is re nowned of, as for the greet zeal, love, and affeccion that he hathe unto hir personne, before all creature lyving, desireth, with all his hert, to do hir worship by wey of mariage, as he seith ; Wherupon my said lord hath tenderly wreten unto you for his recommendacion in this bihalf, whiche we suppose vereily that ye have clerely con ceived, and well emprinted in yor remembrance. We, desiryng also .th'encres, wele, and furtherance of my said lord's servant and oures, to th'accomplissement of my said lord's entencion in his honest desire at this tyme, aswel for his many and greet veirtues and good condicions, and also for the good and trewe service that he hathe doon unto my said lord and us, and yet therin dayly con- tinueth, pray right affectuously that, at reverence of us, sith yor doghter is in youre reule and governance, as reason is, ye will yeve yor good assent, binevolence, and frendship t'enduce and t'excite yor seid doghter t'accepte ray said lord's servant and oures to hir husband, to the good conclusion and tendre exploit of the said mariage, as or full trust is in you. In which thing ye shull mowe doo us right greet plesance, and cause us to have you and youres, in suche things ye shul mowe have for to doo towards us in tyme 8 William Boothe had heen Bishop of Lichfield and Coventry. Gascoigne, in his Theological Dictionary, calls him " the unworthy Bishop of Coventry," and says, further, that he " was neither a good grammarian, nor knowing, nor reputed virtuous, nor a graduate of either university." Boothe was, at one time, Chancellor to the Queen; p. 156, post. CAMD. SOC. X * 154 LETTERS OF MARGARET OF ANJOU. comyng, in such tendre remembrance of oure good grace, that by reason ye shul holde you well content and pleased by Godd's myght ; which have you in his blessed keping. At our manoir of P. the etc. To William Gastrick. CXXIII. A Letter from the Queen to Thomas Bawlde, squier. Walden, Essex, came to the Crown by partition of the estates of Humphrey de Bohun, tempore Hen. V., and is parcel of the Duchy of Lancaster. By the Quene. Trusty and welbeloved, — For as moche as we be enformed that, at the citation and stering of certeine personnes not welwillcd unto John Browne, oon of our tenants of our lordship of Walden, ye sue against al trouthe and good conscience our said tenant by an obligation of a greet some not deu, as it is said, putting hym wrong-. fully to greet trouble, vexation, and losse, likely to be his utter undoing for ever, without summe pourveiance of remedie- be the sonner had unto hym in this matter; We, willyng that our said tenant may leve in rest and peax, and in quiet from suche oppres sion and injurie, and to ministre indifferently to all parties justice as the cas requireth, desire, praye, and exhorte you that ye will, at reverence of us, put th'examination of your said suit to us and to our counseil, where we shall, by good deliberation and advis, see that ye shall have al that rightfully belongeth unto you in that behalf; and, the meene while, that ye will leve and surcesse of your suit, by contemplacion of this our prayer, demenyng you herein in such wise, that we have noon other cause thanne to have you in favor of our good grace therfore, in tyme commyng. And how ye thinke to please us in this mater ye wil acertein us by the brynger of thise, wherto we shall truste. Yeven, etc. at P[leshy] the xxiij day of May, etc. To Thomas Bawlde, squier, etc. LETTERS OF MARGARET OF ANJOU. 155 CXXIV. A Letter from the Queen to the Duke of Norfolk. The nobleman to whom this letter was addressed was John Mowbray, third Duke of Norfolk, who was confirmed Duke in 1444, and who died in 146 1." A remarkable speech of his in Parliament against Edmund Beaufort, Duke of Somerset, is referred to by the editor of the Paston Letters as having been pronounced in 1450 or 1453." Sir Robert Wingfield of Letheringham, Suffolk, is also referred to, and not creditably, in the same correspondence.0 Sir Robert's will has been preserved. It is dated 6th October, 1452, and in it mention is made of his five sons, John, llobert, Thomas, William and Henry .d He probably died in 1454, as the will was proved in that year. The letter was written between 1445 and 1454. By the Quene. Eight trusty and right entierly welbeloved cousyn, — We grete yow wele. And for asmoch as our trusty and welbeloved knight Sir Robert Wyngfild and his sonnes have right humbly besoughte that it wold like us to write unto you, desiryng you that, atte oure instance, ye wold admitte them to come unto yor presence, there to here theire declaracion upon certein matiers that ye fynde yow agreved and displeased in as yet; We, havyng consideracion unto the good and acceptable service that oure said knyght and his sonnes have done unto us, aswel beyonde the see to theire greet charges, labores, and costs, as on this side, and yet oure said knight therin dayly continueth, desire and praye you that, atte reverence of us, ye will have theym towards yor good lordship, after th'entent of theire humble request, in this partie especially recommended, and shew therin the more tendernesse and faver, by contemplacion of this our prayer, so that they may fynde in effect thise oure lettres unto them vaillable, and fare the better, to th'accomplisshement of oure enten- * Nicolas. b Paston Letters, vol. iii. p. 109. « Ibid. vol. i. p. 5 n. d Test. Vet. 275. 156 LETTERS OF MARGARET OF ANJOU. cion in this partie, as we trust you. In which thing, etc. Yeven, etc. at Eltham the xvi day of Ffr. To the Due of Norff. oxxv. A Letter from the Queen to the Bishop of Chester, her Chancellor. William Boothe, Bishop of Lichfield and Coventry, the prelate here called Bishop of Chester, was Chancellor to Queen Margaret. The Bishops of Lich field and Coventry were occasionally styled Bishops of Chester. Chester was not actually created a bishopric previously to 1542. By the Quene. Worshipfull Fader in God, etc.— For asmoch as my moost doubted lord, of his especial grace, hath granted unto John Barham x oks for tymbre, to be taken in our outwods of Kenelworth, of his yefte; whereuppon my said lord hath desired and prayed us, by his lettres under his signet, that we woll see that the said oks be deli vered unto the said John, after th'entent of his said grante, the which lettres he woll to be unto us sufficient warrant and full discharge of eny empechement of waste on this partie; We therefore woll and charge you that, under our great seal, beying in yor warde, ye do a warrant directe unto the keeper, charging, etc. to deliver, etc.* To the Bishop of Chestre our Chauncellor. CXXVI. A Letter from the Queen to the Lord Chancellor, Archbishop of Canterbury. This letter may have been addressed to John Stafford, John Kempe, or • See Letter LXVI, 08 ante. LETTERS OF MARGARET OF AtfJOU. 157 Thomas Bourchier, all Lords Chancellors and Archbishops of Canterbury. The last of these prelates was Lord Chancellor from 7th March 1455 to 11th October 145G. John Wygram or Wygryme was of Morton College, a proctor at Oxford in 1428, in 1456-7 a prebendary of Lincoln, and in 1458 a canon of Windsor." The reader will note the singular custom adverted to in the letter. Right Reverend Fader, etc., We grete you well, latyng you witt that we be enformed that our welbeloved clerk M. John Wygram, a prest of my lord's chapell, brought you my lord's offryng on the twelfth day, for the which, as we understond, there is a laudable custume that the brynger of the offryng shall have the first benefice that shall voide withinne th'extent; wherefore we praye you to call it unto yor remembrance, and have herin our said clerc for or sake the more especially recommended, as we truste you ; and our lord, etc. To th'archebisshop of Cant. Chauncellor of England. OXXVII. A Letter from the Queen to Sir John Steward. There was a Sir John Steward, sheriff of London in 1457,b but, whether he was the person to whom this letter was addressed, or how he was connected with Hardington or Harlington in Middlesex, does not appear. The name of Lovell, however, is intimately connected with that parish. Before 1474 the manor of Harlington, otherwise Lovell's, became vested in the Lovells, from whom it derives one of its names, and it continued in that family until 1558: The letter was probably written between 1445 and 1457.c By the Quene. Right trusty and well., We, etc. desiring and praying you, that • Fasti Ecc. Ang. vol. ii. p. 142; vol. iii. pp. 387 and 481 ; Fasti Ox. (Gutch) 43; and Ashmole's Antiq. Berks, vol. iii. p. 250. b Maitland, p. 1202; Fabyan, 631. c Lysons'B Env. Lond. vi. 126; and Newc. Repert. vol. i. p. 631, 632. 1 58 LETTERS OF MARGARET OF ANJOU. in such things as John Lovell shall have for to doo towards, touch ing his suit to the manoir of Hardington in Middelsex, wherof he hath just and lawfull title, as it said, ye wil, at reverence of us, have hym towards you especially recommended; considering that the re- covre of his said right resteth greetly in yor helpe and socour, as it is said, ye wil, by wey of charite and aulmesse, to the pleasance of Almighte Jesus, do such diligence, as fer as ye may after god trouth and good conscience, that he may atteine, by yor good faver and sup- portacion, unto his right and deute in that bihalf. As we trust you. Wherin ye shul mowe not only deserve of God right greet merite, but of us also right especial thanke therfore in time commyng. Yeven, etc. at Wind, the, etc. , To Sir John Steward. OXXVIII. A Letter from the Queen to John Gedney, citizen and ALDERMAN OF THE ClTY OF LONDON. From the length and urgency of this letter, the Queen, or more likely one of her suite, seems to have had much at heart the appointment of Walter Brigges as under-sheriff. I am unable to say whether or not the Queen was successful. John Gedney had represented the city in 1414, and served the office of mayor twice, viz. in 1427 and 1447. In 1444 he married the widow of Robert Large, who had been mayor in 1439, "which widow (says Stowe) had taken upon her the mantle and ring, and the vow to live chaste during life, for the breach whereof (the marriage done) they were troubled by the Church, and put to penance, both he and she." John Gedney was buried in the church of St. Christopher, which stands (or stood) near Threadneedle Street." By the Quene. Trusty, etc. And for asmoche as Waultier Brigges hertly desireth to do you and the citee service, in th'occupacion of under sherreive in the countie of Midd., wherto he is right able and suffi- " Newcourt's Report, vol. i. p. 322. LETTERS OF MARGARET OF ANJOU. 159 sant, as wel in his trouth, discrecion, and cunnyng, as in other pollice, sadnesse, and good governance, as it is said; We, havyng consideracion unto the premisses, with his merits and deserts, and in especial at instance and supplicacion of certein oure servants attending right negh aboute oure pcrsone, to whom the seid W. is cousine, as we undcrstande, desire and pray you hertly that, at re verence of us, ye will have the said W. unto the seid occupacion, as fer as in you is, right tenderly recommended ; and doo therin such dili gence, t'excite and sture all such personnes citezeins of the seid cite of London, that by yow and the commonaltie there shulbe elit shireves for this nexte yere commyng, t'accepte and admitte hym, for oure sake, to the seid occupacion of under-shereve in the countie abovesaid ; havyng th'expedicion of this matter so tenderly to hert, that we may verreily knowe the continuance of the binevolence and good disposicion that ye have be of towards us, and oure request hirbefore, to accomplissement of oure entencion in this mater, wherof we thanke you. And that he may finde thise oure lettres unto hym effectuelx and vailable, as our singler trust is in you. In which thing ye shull not oonly do us right greet pleasure, and deserve of us especial thanke, but cause us also to have you in tendre remembrance of our good grace, therfore, in tyme comyng. Yeven, etc. To John Gedney, citezcin and alderman of the cite of London. OXXIX. A Letter by the Queen to John Jotse, Squire, Steward of Ashbourne. The Ashbourne mentioned in this letter is the fine village of that name in Derbyshire. It is in the Honour of Tutbury, and was included in the Queen's dower lands. By the Quene. Trusty, etc. We desire and pray you, if eny oure lettres pa- 160 LETTERS OF MARGARET OF ANJOU. tents be shewed unto you for th'office of baillif of Asshebourne, grante unto Nich. Cokker, ye will, at reverence of us, have him towards you especially recommended, suffryng [him] t'occupie and enjoie the seid office, after th'effecte and purport of oure lettres pa tentes to hym granted, in that bihalf. As we truste you, for thus it pleaseth us, etc. To John Joyse, squier, Steward of Asshebourne. oxxx. A Letter from the Queen to the Archbishop of Canterbury. This letter was written to either Archbishop Stafford or Archbishop Kempe ; but the date cannot be recovered. By the Quene. Right worshipfull fader in God, etc. Lating you wite, that, at oure instance and request, my most doubted lord hath now late granted unto a poore widpwe, Alice Marwarth, certein pardon, as by a bill therof signed with my said lord's hand, which we send you sealed under oure signet, by a servant of oures, ye may se more pleynly. Wherfore we desire and hertely pray yow that, at re verence of us, ye wil have the seid widowe in expedicion and de liverance of hir lettres patents in youre partie especially recom mended, with such tendernesse and faver that she, upon the socour and trust of oure moene [mean] that she putteth in us, may per ceive good and brief exploit, to th'accomplissement of my lord's grant in this behalf. As our ful trust is in you. In which, etc. Yeven, etc. at W. the xxvi of M. To th'archebisshop of Canterbury, Chauncellor. LETTERS OF MARGARET OF ANJOU. 161 CXXXI. A Letter from the Queen to the Sheriffs of London. This letter, and the two next following letters, seem to belong tp the year 1450. They relate to Alexander Manning, and are addressed, — the first to the sheriffs of the City of London ; the second to the sheriffs that next shall be, of the City of London ; and the third to the Mayor of the City of London ; and, in them all, the Queen strongly recommends Alexander Manning for the office of Keeper of Newgate. That office was then, and is now, in the gift of the sheriffs of London. There is nothing to shew that these letters were suc cessful; but there is incontestable evidence that Alexander Manning, who had been Keeper of Newgate, had greatly misconducted himself in his office; and that he had, in consequence, been deposed by the lord mayor and aldermen, who passed a resolution, that he should not thereafter be readmitted by any future sheriffs of the city to occupy or exercise the office aforesaid, i.e. of Keeper of Newgate, in any manner howsoever. It is difficult to say whether this resolution preceded or followed the Queen's letters ; but, from her having addressed not only the then existing sheriffs, but the sheriffs "that shall be," there seems some reason to suppose that the resolution was specially directed against this act of royal interference. It is not improbable that Alexander Manning, who was accused of " negligent custody of the prisoners " under his care, " to the great disturbance of the city," was, in some way, connected with the dangerous tumults caused by Jack Cade and his followers, which had, within a few weeks only, been quelled." a I have, by the kind permission of the Corporation of the City of London, had access to their journals; and in Journal v. folios 48 and 51 I found the two following entries: — Oct. 7, 29 Hen. VI. 1450. On this day it is considered by the mayor and aldermen abovesaid, that Alexander Mannyng, late Keeper of the gaol of Newgate, by reason of his negligent custody of the prisoners of the aforesaid gaol, &c. to the great disturbance of the city, shall be committed to the prison there, until it be otherwise advised, and shall lose his office aforesaid, &c. (Jour, v, fo. 48.) Nov. 5, 29 Hen. VI. 1450. On this day it is considered by the mayor and aldermen abovesaid, that Alexander Mannyng, late Keopor of the gaol of Newgate, who, by reason of his negligent custody of the prisoners of the gaol of the Lord the King aforesaid, and other his manifold defaults, was, by the consideration of this court, removed from the office of keeper of the same gaol, &c. shall not hereafter be readmitted, by any future sheriffs of the city, to occupy or exercise the office aforesaid, in any manner howsoever. (Jour. v. fo. 51.) CAMD. SOC. Y 1 62 letters of margaret of anjou. By the Quene. Trusty and welbeloved, we suppose verreily that it is clerely in yor remembrance howe that, now late, for certein consideracions and grete instance, we wrote unto you for the recommendacion of Alex andre Mannyng unto th'office of keper of Newgate, longyng unto yo1' disposicion, as it is said ; wherin as yet oure said writing hath take noon effecte ne expedicion, unto oure greet merveil; wherfore we desire and praye eftesones, right affectuously, that, at reverence of us, ye wil accepte and restore the said Mannynge ageine unto the said office, withe suche tendernesse and faver, that he may perceive thise oure lettres unto him avvailable, to th'accomplissement of oure en tencion in this partie. In which thinge ye shul, etc. Yeven, etc. at P., etc. the xxiii day, etc. To the Shirefs of the Cite of London. CXXXII. A Letter from the Queen to the Sheriffs that next shall be of the clty of london. By the Quene. Trusty and welbeloved, we grete you well. And for asmoche as our welbeloved. Alisaundre Manyng desireth to do yow service in th'office of keping of Newgate, to the which, as we understand, he is right hable and suffisant, both in his trouth and discrecion and also in his governance, like as, for the tyme that he occupied it herbifore, he was founden of good bering and of sad disposicion, as it is said| We, atte instance and supplicacion of certein oure servants right negh attending about our personne, desire and hertly pray you that atte reverence of us, ye will have him towards you especially recom- LETTERS OF MARGARET OF ANJOU. 163 mended, and, at Michel masse nexte commyng, t'admitte him to the said office; as wc trustc you. In which thing, etc. At W. the, etc. To the Shirefs that nexte shalbe of the Cite of London. CXXXIII. A Letter from the Queen to the Mayor of the City of London. By the Quene. Trusty and welbeloved, we grete, etc. And for asmuch as our welbeloved A. Manyng desireth to do service in th'office [ut supra usque " recommended,"] exciting and stering the shirefs that shalbe for the nexte yere, to adinitte him to the said office at Michclmasse nexte commyng, after th'entencion of oure writyng unto theym in that bihalf; as wc truste yow. In whiche thing, etc. Ut supra, etc. To the Mair of the Cite of London. CXXXIV. A Letter from the Queen, recommending Dame Maud Everyngham to be Prioress of Nuneaton. The reader will not fail to observe the double address of this letter — " To the Sub-prioress of Nuneaton," and "To the Master and Brethren of, etc." At first one might suppose this to be a mistake of the transcriber, but this is not the case. 1 find that the Triory of Nuneaton in Warwickshire, which was founded by an Earl of Leicester in the reign of Henry the Second, was of the order of Pontevrault (Fontis Ehraldi), "wherein, besides the prioress and nuns, there was for some time a prior also, perhaps with men, as usually in the foreign 164 LETTERS OF MARGARET OF ANJOU. houses of this order."" I have sought in vain for a list of the prioresses of this house, and am therefore unable to ascertain the date of this letter. I should judge, however, that it was written certainly not earlier than 1445, and, pro bably, not later than 1455. At the Dissolution, the site of the priory was granted by 32 Hen. VIII. to Sir Marmaduke Constable; and at the present day scarcely a vestige remains of this religious house. By the Quene. Dere and welbeloved in God, we grete you well, and we suppose verreily that it is clerely in yor remembrance how that we have now late writen unto you for the recommendacion of our right welbeloved Dame Mawde Everyngham to be accepted and elited for yor priouresse there, what tyme ye shall nexte be destitute of a priouresse ; and it is nowe soo that we understand that yor priouresse is passed to Godd's mercye ; wherupon my most doubted lord writeth unto yow, at this tyme, right especially for the recommendacion of the said Dame Mawde unto th'eleccion of yo1' priouresse there. Wherefore we desire and praye you eftesones that, in accompHssement of my lord's request and oures in this partie, ye will have the same Dame Mawde in yor nexte eleccion right tenderly recommended, and chese hir to be yor priouresse and governour, by consideracion of hir many vertues, religiouse governance, and good fame, that she is renomed of; and the rather by contemplacion of this oure prayer ; as oure full truste is in yow. In which thing ye shul, etc. Yeven, etc. To the Suppriouresse of None Eton. To the Master and Brethern of, etc. Tanner's Notitia (ed. 1788), Warwickshire, x. LETTERS OF MARGARET OF ANJOU. 165 cxxxv. A Letter from the Queen to the Abbot and Convent of Byland: Byi.and Abbey was in Yorkshire, in the Archdeaconry of Cleveland, at a short distance n.w. of Rievaulx. The adjoining district is called Bilsdale; but I have not found any spot near at hand called Belderdale, nor have I been able to discover any John Dacres apparently answering to the Queen's squire of that name mentioned in this letter. The list of abbots of this religious house during the fifteenth century, preserved by Dugdale, is extremely scanty. By the Quene. Trusty and welbeloved in God, we grete yow well; and, for as moch as oure trusty and welbeloved squyer John Dacres desireth the ferme of Belderdale, which he hath now of you, to have for x yere after his termes therof expired, we therfore desire and pray that, att reverence of us, ye wil have oure said squyer in accomplisse- ment of his entencion in this partie especially recommendet, shewing hym th'ease, faver, and tendernesse that ye goodly may, and the rather by contemplacion of this or praier, so that he may fynde in effect thise oure letters unto hym vailable; as we trust, etc. Yeven, etc. at Eltham, the, etc. To th'abbot and Covent of Biland. 166 A MAHOMETAN MANIFESTO. CXXXVI. A Mahometan Manifesto. Fob want of a better name I have called this document a Mahometan Mani festo. It can scarcely be other than a parody, and not a very extravagant parody, of the style of an Eastern potentate of the mediaeval period when addressing a prince of the West. In Monstrelet (vol, v. p. 175, ed. Buchon,) there is a letter, said to be written by the Sultan of Babylon to all Christian princes, very similar in tone to this. The only note which the editor deems it necessary to subjoin is "II est aise de reconnaitre la faussele de ceite lettre." In a modern History of Cyprus I have met with two letters, under the date of 1456, not wholly unlike the present. See Histoire de Me de Chypre sous les Lusig- nans, par Louis de Mas Latrie, vol. iii. pp. 73, 74, n. 5. See also Goldsmith's Citizen of the World, Letter CXX. " On the Absurdity of some late English Titles." I Balthasar, by the grace of Mahownd, Kyng of Kyngs, Lord of Lords, Sowdane of Surrey [Syria], Emperour of Babilon, Steward of Hell, Porter of Paradice, Constable of Jerusalem, Flour of all the World, and Cosyn to the grete God. And yf ye luste to witte why that I am Kyng of Kyngs — for I have under my proteccion xxxviii. kyngs crowned; and [why that] I am Lord of Lords, I am Sowdan of Surrey, and Emperour of Babilon — for I wedded the Empe rour is doghter, the whiche was eyre to byre fader. Then, why that I am Porter of Paradice, where that no man can come yn with owte my licence — for I kepe the stremys and the waters that rennys to Paradice. Why that I am Steward of Hell — for I have dominacion of mawments and wiked spirits, and certeyn clerks with in my remys that may bryng theym downe to me in whate likenes that I will have theym. And why that I am Flour of all the World for I may well say that I have in my keping that all cristen people beleveth on, for that is to witte the holye crosse that yor Lord died on; the whiche may not be gotten with owte my licence. And why that I am Cosyn to the grete God — for I am a cristen man, as ye be A MAHOMETAN MANIFESTO. 167 in Englond. For usyng of lollarye I myght not abide in Englond, and then I wente to Rome, and from Borne to Rodes, and 1 [was] perverted to the Sowden in feythe ; and, for by cause that I was a personable man, I was putte to the Sowden his bowse, and ther I was madeussher of his hall, and steward of his londs; and then dyed the Sowden, and I wedded his wife; and died she, and I wedded the Emperour is doghter of Babilon, and his heyre, and thus became Sowden of Surrey; and then I send gretyng to yor kyng of Englond and of Fraunce, and to Edward Prince of Wales. And, yf he will wed my doghter, I will become cristen man, and all my regions and my reames; and they that will not converte with me shalbe brent. And I will giffe with my doghter viii' myllions of gold, and paye within v Sondays. And I shall delyvcr hym the holye crosse that yor Lord died uppon, and the spere that stroke hym to the herte, and mony other relikes that I have in my kepyng ; and shall make hym Emperour of xviii. kyngs londs. INDEX OF NAMES, ETC. Abingdon, Abbot of, 46 Alany, Guille, 147 Alderly, 65 Alexander, 4 Alisaundre (the Lumbard), 33 Alopo, Pandolfello, 8, 11 Anderby, 33 Anjou, Rene d*, 136 Ap Med, Lewis, 116 Aragon, Ferdinand King of, 7, 8 Arcedekne, Sir Warine, 96 Arnold, Alice, 145 Ascough, William (Bishop of Salisbury), 56, 74, 75 Ashmole, Elias, 71 Ashton, Richard, 139 Assheby, George, 1 14 Assh, John, 144 Audeley, John, 100 Babyngton, William, 59, 60 Baker, John, 146; Thomas, 76 Balthasar, Sultan of Syria,166 Barham, John, 98, 156 Barnwell, William, 63 Basin, Thomas, 91 Bate, T. 140 Bawlde, Thomas, 154 Beauchamp, Alianore, 117 ; Margaret, 64; Richard, 15, 21, 34, 63 Beaufort, Edmund, 91, 101, 114, 115, 117, 118, 155; Joanna, 29; John, 101; Henry (Cardinal), 2, 48, 49, 50, 52, 76,93,97,101, 148 Beaumont.Viscount, 1 18, 119, 148 CAMD. SOC. Beckington, Thomas, 57, 71, 72, 73 to 88 Bedale, Robert, 113 Bedford, Duke of, 16,34, 35, 36, 37, 42, 47, 49, 50, 51, 52, 105 Bennington, Thomas, 61 Berkeley, Elizabeth, 63, 106 ; James Lord, 63, 64, 65 ; Lady, 65 ; Thomas Lord, 63; William, 106 Bermondsey, Abbot of, 53 Berners, Margery, 132 Bertram, William, 68 Bohemia, Anne of, 137 Bohun, family of, 61 j Alia nore, 122 ; Humphrey de, 108, 122; Mary, 122 Bokeland, Richard, 16, 17, 30, 34, 35, 36, 41, 42, 45 ; Joan, 16 Bonham, Edith, 91 Bonner (Bishop), 53 Boothe, Charles, 71 ; Henry, 153 ; Thomas, 153; Wil liam, 153, 156 Botelcr, Sir Ralph, 58 St. Botolph's, Prior of, 124 Botreaux, William Lord, 74 Bourchier, Sir John, 132, 133; Lord, 122, 123 ; Tho mas, 116, 156; Sir William, 122 Bourgh, John, 58, 59 Breton, John, 145 Brigge3, Walter, 158. Britany, Duke of, 35, 42 Browne, John, 154 ; Nicho las, 123; Thomas, 148 Bugdon, T. 125 Bullock, family of, 106 Burgundy, John the Fearless, Duke of, 17; Philip Duke of, 17, 19, 47, 107 Burneby, Thomas, 96, 97 Burnell, Edward, 74 ; Mar garet, 74 Bussh, Guy, 16, 17 Cade, Jack, 73, 110, 161 Cambridge, Richard Earl of, 145 Camoys, Thomas Lord, 109 ; Hugh, 109 ; Richard, 109; Sir Roger, 109 Canterbury, Archbishop of, 100, 160 Carent, Nicholas, 57, 93, 94 Carew, Dame Jane, 96, 98 ; John, 49, 83 ; Sir Nicho las, 96 Cauvet, Jules, 92 Chamberlain, Thomas, 74 Charles VII. (Kingof France), 35, 72 Chatterley, William, 142, 143 Chaucer, Alice, 72, 114; Geoffrey, 114 Cherneys, Jomona, 107 Chester, Richard, 66, 120,121 Chevele, Henry, 150 Chichester, Richard, 49, 50 Chowne, John, 123 Christopher, Thomas, 49, 51 Claydon, John, 25 Clement, Vincent, 66, 75, 76, 84 Clement, family of, 145 Clement, Philip, 145 Clere, Edmond, 119; Eliza beth, 107; John, 119 170 INDEX OF NAMES, ETC. Clifford, Richard, 26 Clifton, Richard, 146 Clopinel, 19 Cobham, Lord, 25 ; Reginald Lord, 67 Cokker, Nicholas, 160 Constable, Sir Marmaduke, 164 Conyers, Sir William, 22 Corario, Angelo, 8 Courtenay, Sir Hugh, 96; Jane, 96 j Philippa, 96 Courtney, Archbishop, 151 Crisacre, John, 59 Croix, De la, Thomas, 17, 18, 19, 20 Currance, John, 44 Curteys, William, 59, 60 Dacre, Eobert, 145 Dacres, John, 165 David, King, 4 Deeping, John, 124 Delabere, John, 57, 58, 93, 94 De la Pole, Catherine, 1 03 ; William, 71 Denham, Sir John, 144 D'Eresby, Robt. Lord Wil loughby, 43, 44 Dorset, Earl of, 101 ; Mar- quessof,92, 101,115; Wil liam, 116 Drewe, Harry, 96 Edmunde, Robert, 117, 118 Edward IV. 145, 146 Edwards, family of, xv. xvi. xvii. &c. E. L. B., 48, 50, 51 Elizabeth, daughter of Lord Ferrers of Groby, 146 Elmham, Thomas, 76 Essex, Earl of, 122 Eu, Earl of, 122 Eugenius IV. (Pope), 66, 75, 84, 94 Everyngham, Dame Maude, 164 Exeter, Duke of (John Hol land), 107 ; Henry, 107 Falconer, Thomas (Lord Mayor), 25 Fallesley, Sir John, 105 Falvesle, de, 105 Felton, John, 75, 84 Fenys, James, 73, 80, 81 Ferdinand I. King of Aragon, 7, 9 Ferrers, Edward Lord, 146; William, Lord F. of Groby, 146 FitzLewis, family of, 34 Fitzwater, Robert, 145 Forest, John, 57, 58, 93, 94 ; Thomas, 93, 94 Forester, Sir John, 127, 128 Fortescue, John, 106 ; Sir John, 106 Fountains, Juliana, 152 ; Thomas, 152, 153; Wil liam, 152 Frome, Nicholas, 74 Frutes, W. 102 Fulthrop, 43, 44, 45 Fylongley, Henry, 145 Gale, Isabell, 150, 151 ; Tho mas, 150, 151 Gascarick, Gaskryk, Gastrik, Elizabeth, 152; William, 152, 153, 154 Gascoigne, Thomas, 53 Gaunt, John of, 101 Gedney, John, 158, 159 Gilbert, Robert, 61 Giles, Carles, 47, 48 Gloucester, Humphrey Duke of, 64, 73, 114, 148 Godde, William, 96 Godwyn, Hugh, 131 ; John, 131 Goldston, John, 149 Gosse, Nicholas, 96, 97 Gough, Sir Matthew, 109, 110 ; Richard, 109 Grey, Sir Edward, 146 Grey, Sir John, 146; Regi nald, Lord of Ruthyn, 146 Grysacre, James, 58 Haccombe, family of, 96 Ilallam, Robert, 7 Hastings, Marquess of, 74 Hayford, Humphrey, 124 Hearn, Thomas, 76 . Hende, Thomas, 51 Henley, Thomas, 54, 55, 56 Henry V. 1, 17, 21, 24, 61 ; Henry VI. 35, et passim Here, Richard, 129 Hervy, John. 7, 9 Heron, Sir William, 105 Hery, Thomas, 133 Hewet, Antony (of Rome), 123 Hiberdon, Robert, 141 Holcote, Elias, 120 Holland, John, 107 Horkesley, John, 60, 61, 62 Hull, Sir Edward, 74, 75, 81, 82, 85 Hungerford, Lord, 118; Wal ter Lord, 35, 73 ; Sir Edmund, 73, 74, 80; Sir Robert, 73, 74 Huss, John, 7 Ilderton, Thomas, 68 Ingoldesthrop, Sir Edmund, 150, 151; Isabel, 150 Jacket, 65 James I. King of Scotland, 29 J. B. 24, 26 Joanna 2nd, Queen of Naples, 8 Jocelyn, Geoffrey, 106; Ralph, 106, 107 John, Lowis, 34, 35, 36, 37, 42 John IV. Count of Armagnac, 71 Joyse, John, 160 Kempe, John, 76, 99, 116, 149 Kent, R. 89 Ketterick, John, 7 Knoghton, Agnes, 102 Kymer, Gilbert, 135, 136 Lacy, Edmund, 49, 138 Ladislas, King of Poland, 8 Lancaster, Joan of, 120 ; Prince John, Duke of, 118 Langley, Edmund, 145 Large, Robert, 158 INDEX OF NAMES, ETC. 171 Lavington, Thomas, 14 Legh, Ralph, 73 Le Hert, Walter, 119 Lewis VIII., King of France, 34 Leyot, Richard, 28, 29 Lisle, Lord, 146 Lorraine, Isabella of, 136 Lory, John, 111 Loundey, Jankyn, 51, 52 Lovell, family of, 157 ; John, 158 Lumley, Marmaduke, 111, 112, 148 Luna (de), Peter, 7, 9 Luxemburg, John of, 17 Lyndwood, William, 25 Makyn, John, 20 Malcolm, King of Scotland, 95 Mandeville, Geoffrey de, 60, 61 Manning, Alexander, 161, 162, 163 Manningham, Sir Oliver, 74 March, Earl of, 144 Marche, Jacques de la, 8 Margaret of Anjou — Is desirous of marrying her servant Thomas Shel ford to the daughter of Hall of Larkfield, 89 Prays that the game in Lord Salisbury's park at Ware may be preserved for her recreation, 90 Prays the Abbess of Shaftesbury to be " good lady " to one of her chap lains, 92 Prays the executor of a late Dean of Wells that he will agree with the present dean, her secretary, about dilapidations, 93 Prays a leper, late chor ister of Cardinal Beaufort, may be taken into St. Giles' Hospital, 95 Proposes to Lady Carew to take as her second hus band Thomas Burneby, her squire, 97 Margaret of Anjou < — Prays the City to suffer her tenants of Enfield to live in quiet and rest, 98 Prays the Archbishop of Canterbury to set a good quiet and rest between John Reignold Yeoman of the King's Hall and John Audeley,one of his squires, 100 Charges the keeper of Apchild Park strictly to pre serve the game there, 100 Prays the executors of Cardinal Beaufort, "for the merit of bur said uncle's soul," to relieve with part of his goods W. Frutes and Agnes Knoghton, " poor creatures of virtuous con versation purposing to live under the law of God in the order of wedlock," 102 Prays the Abbess of Barking to be "good and favorable lady " to Robert Osbern, one of her squires, 103 Acknowledges Sir John Montgomery her tenant in capite, 104 Charges the keeper of Falborne Park strictly to preserve the game there for her alone, 106 Prays the Duke of Exeter to be good lord to Ralph Josselyn, cousin to Thomas Sharnborne, one of her squires, 107 Charges the bailiffs, &c, of her manor of Great Waltham to pay £20 yearly to Thomas Sharnborne, 108 Prays the Earl of North umberland to pay money to her squire. Sir M. Gough, 110 Prays that her cord- wainer, John Lory, may be exempted from attending inquests in the city while in her employ, 111 Margaret of Anjou — Prays John Somerton, a custumer of Southampton, to pay money due to her as part of her dower to Sir John Wenlok, her cham berlain, 1 12 Prays the Lord Treasurer to command Somerton to make the last-mentioned payment, 112 Recommends Rob.Bedale to the office of water-bailiff at Southampton, 113 Thanks a lady of rank for service done to George Assheby, clerk of her sig net, and requests her fur ther benevolence, 114 Requests the Duke of Somerset's favour to Mar guerite Stanlowe, one of her gentlewomen, 1 15 Commands her ward rober to deliver russet cloth and black satin to one of her squires, 1 1 6 Prays the Archbishop of Canterbury, as Lord Chan cellor, to do justice to W. Dorset, 116 Prays the Duchess of Somerset to aid her squire, Robert Edmund, to get a grant of money given him by patent, 118 Prays the Duke of So merset to see that Viscount Beaumont be recompensed for lands he has lost, 119 Prays the Bishop of Nor wich to use his interest in favour of a relation of Edmond Clere, her squire, with the Corporation of Norwich, 119 Exhorts William Scroop to restore the Hospital of Gretham to Richard Ches ter, " my Lord's clerk and ours," 121 Prays the Bishop of Dur ham to the same effect, 121 172 INDEX OF NAMES, ETC. Margaret of Anjou— Prays Lord Bourchier that he will procure the determination of matters in dispute between her tenants of Walden and two other persons, 122 Prays the King's officers to let Anthony Hewet of Rome pass without paying duty, as being in her ser vice, 123 Prays the Abbot of St. Osyth to befriend her well- beloved servant and gold smith Humphrey Hayford, 124 She reproves Nicholas Straunge for not assenting to the marriage of his daughter Katrine with T. Bugdon, and prays him to agree to the Bame without delay, 125 Requires Edmond Pyrcan squire not to "vex, trouble, menace to beat and slay " Wm. Southwode, bailiff of her lordship of Herting fordbury, 126 .Requires Sir John Fores ter, knight, not to destroy and undo her tenants of Hertingfordbury, 127 Prays the Deputy of the Keeper of the Privy Seal that he will aid one W. in procuring the office of Secondary of the Pipe in the Exchequer, granted to him by the King, 128 Prays the Abbot of Ram sey to confer a living in Bedfordshire on Sir David Robert, 129 Desires John Godwyn to buy her a mare, 131 Prays the Lord Chan cellor to bestow the office of Prothonotary of the Chancery on a " familiar Bervant" of hers, 132 Prays Sir John Bour chier, knight, to favour Margaret of Anjou— her servant Thomas Hery, 133 Charges the keeper of her park at Pleshy to de liver to her servant Robert Penall, a buck from " her forest or great park" there, 134 Prays Dr. Kymer, Chan cellor of Oxford, to provide for one of her clerks at Wimbourne Minster, 136 Prays the officers of the King's Porta to show fa vour to a Chaplain of her mother the Queen of Sicily, 136 Desires the keeper of Shene Park to keep for her "two or three of the greatest bucks in my lord's park there," 137 Prays the Bishop of Exe ter to prefer her " well- beloved clerk, Master N.," 138 Prays the Abbot of Pe terborough to prefer her " well-beloved Sir Henry Stanham to the living of Cottingham," 139 Prays the Corporation of Coventry to prefer her "well beloved T. Bate" to the recordership of that city, 140 Prays her steward of Haseley and Periton to see to the repairs of her manor there, 140 Prays Robert Hiberdon to make two bloodhounds, 141 Prays the custumers of Boston to see to the pay ment of x. marks to John Wenham "in marriage with his wife," granted by the King, 142 Charges John Stanley squire not to allow William Chatefley, yeoman of the Crown, to hunt in any of Margaret of Anjou — her parks, and commands W. C. himself to the same effect, 143 Prays Sir John Denham to pay a debt to John Assh, 144 Prays offlcersof theDuke of York to aid her " servant and squire, John Stough ton, and Alice Arnold, bis cousin," touching their pos session of the Manor of Clements, 145 Requires Lord Ferrers of Groby to command his bai liff of Stebbing not to op press her tenants, 147 Prays the officers of the King's ports to be aiding and assisting Guille Alany, a Breton master mariner, 147 ThanksT. Browne,Under Treasurer pf England, for his " diligence, faithful la bour, and hearty love," shown in her matters, 148 Prays the Lord Chancel lor to show ' favour, ten derness, and good lordship' to John Goldston as bor- rowe for Richard Rede, " my lord's servant and ours," 149 Prays Sir Edmond In- goldesthrop, Knt., that he will support certain persons against a servant of his who has disseised them, 150 Prays the Warden of Maidstone College that he will help, further, and sup port her " servant Thos. Mowherst," 151 Prays William Gastrick " right affectuously" to be stow his daughter on Thos. Fountains, yeoman of the Crown, 153 Exhorts Thos. Bawlde, squire, to leave to her and her council a dispute be- INDEX OF NAMES, ETC. 173 Margaret of Anjou — tween him and Jno. Browne, one of her tenants of Wal den, 154 Prays the Duke of Nor folk to admitSir Rob.Wing- field and his sons to come unto his presence, 155 Charges her chancellor to allow John Barham to take oaks for timber in her " outwoodsof Kenilworth," 156 Prays the Archbishop of Canterbury to bestow a benefice on John Wigram, " a priest of my lord's chapel," 157 Recommends JohnLovcll to Sir John Stewart, 157 Recommends Walter Bfiggs to the office of Under Sheriff of Middlesex, 159 Recommends Nicholas Cokker to the office of baili ff of Ashebourne, 159 Prays the favour of the Archbishop of Canterbury to Alice Marwath, a poor widow, 160 Recommends Alexander Manning to the City of London for the office of keeperofNewgate, 162, 163 RecommendsDameM aud Everyngham to be Prioress of the Priory of Nuneaton, 164 Recommends her " well- beloved squire, John Dacres," to be tenant to the Abbey of Byland for a prolonged term, 165 Markham, Robert, 47 Martyn, Johan, 47, 48 Marwath, Alice, 160 Mary Overies, St., Prior of, 129 Matilda or Maud, 95 Meun, Jean de, 19 Milan, Filippo Maria, Duke of, 17 Mohun, John Lord, 145 Moleyns, Eleanor de, 74 Lord, 73, 74, 80 Montacute, Alice de, 90 Thomas de, 19, 35, 72, 90 Montgomery, Alice, 106 Sir John, 104, 105; Sir Thomas, 105 More, Bishop, 114 Mowbray, John, 155 Mowherst, Thomas, 151 Mull, Thomas, 65 Neville, John, 150 ; Ralph, 90, 120; Richard, 90, 112; Robert, 120 Newton, John, 124 Nicolas, Sir Harris, 71 Norbury.Elizabeth Lady, 1 05; Sir Henry, 105 Noreys, John, 72 Northumberland, Earl of, 109, 110 Nuneaton, Prioress of, 163; Subprioress of, 163 Oldhall, Sir William, 69, 70 Osberne, Robert, 103 Osyth, St., Prior of, 124 Parker, Archbishop, 76 Pecocke, Bishop, 66 Penall, Robert, 134 Percy, Henry, 68 Phelip, Sir John, 72 Philippa, Duchess of York, 145 Plantagenet, Anne, 61, 122; Isabella, 122 ; Richard, 145 Pole, De la, Catherine, 103 Polton, Thomas, 7, 13 Preston, Piers, 101, 102 Puleston, xiii. xiv. xv. xvi. Pyrcan, Edmund, 126 Racheford, or Rochford, Sir Raulf, 16, 17 Rede, Richard, 149 Reignold, John, 99, 100 Richard II., King, 134, 137, 145 Ridsdale, Robin of, 22 Rigate, , 152 Robert, Sir David, 129 Roger, 65 Rokeley, John, 146 Rolleston, Robert, 115 Roos, Sir Robert, 71, 76, 77, 82, 83, 85 Rowley, Thomas, 29 Salisbury, " My Lord of," 42; Richard, Earl of, 150 Salvayne, Sir John, 43,44,45 Saul, King, 4 Say, Elizabeth Lady, 1 05, 1 06 ; John, Lord, 105; William, Lord, 105 Say and Sele, Lord, 73 Scargil), Thomas, 58 Scroop, William, 120 Sforza, Ludovico, 8 Shaftesbury, Abbess of, 93 Sharnborne.Thomas, 107, 108 Shelford, Thomas, 89 Sherington, Walter, 61 Shrewsbury, Earl of, 65 Sigismond, The Emperor, 7 Skott, John, 16 Solomon, King, 4 Somerset, John Duke of, 29; Duchess of, 114; John, 76, 86 Somerton, John, 111, 112 Soresby, Thomas, 33 Southwode, William, 126 Spryngwell, John, 131 Stafford, Edmund de, 122 Stafford, John, 54, 59, 75, 99, 116, 149 Stanham, Sir Henry, 139 Stanley, Jenkyn, 142 ; John, 142, 143; Sir John, 142 Stanlowe, Marguerite, 115 Stevyn, 67 Steward, Sir John, 157, 160 Stewkeley, Piers, 152 Stillington, Robert, 129, 130 Stoughton, John, 145 ; Fa mily of, 145 Stowe, John, 129 Strange. Elizabeth Lady, 67 ; Richard Baron, 67 Straunge, Nicholas, 125 ; Katherine, 125 Sudeley, Ralph Lord, 58, 59, 105 174 INDEX OF PLACES. Suffolk, Alice Duchess of, 72, 114 ; Duke of, 72, 89,103, 148 Swift, Dean, 92 Swinford, Katherine, 101, 120 Talbot, John, 64 ; Lord, 12, 13,42; Richard, 13 Thomas, 65 Thome, John, 54, 55, 56 Tregory, Michael, 91, 92 Tresham, William, 61 Tudor, Edmund, 1 03, xiii. ; Jas per, 103,xiv.; Owen, 103 Turcell, Blanc, 19 Uphome, Robert, 95 Vaux, Pasquerius, de, 91 Venables, 65 Vere, Alberic de, 145 ; Lady, 97 ; Sir Robert, 96 Vincent,Augustine (hisMSS.) 152 Waller, or Walker, Richard 101 Warwick, Earl of, 150 Water, John, 73 Wellden, Richard, 115 Wenham, John, 142 Wenlok, Sir John, 112 Werkworth, Henry, 130 Westkarre, William, 66 Westminster, Abbot of, 52 Whitingham, Agnes, 16 Whittington, Richard, 46 Whityngham, Robert, 49 Wilesey, Richard, 60, 61, 62 Willoughby d'Eresby, Robert Lord, 43, 44 Wilwes, Richard, 151 Wingfield, Henry, 155; John, 155; Sir Robert, 155; Robert, 155; Thomas, 155; William, 155 Worcester, Earl of, 150 Wydville (Woodville) Eliza beth, 146; Richard, 21, 22, 23, 34, 35, 36, 37, 39, 42 Wygram, or Wygryme, John, 157 York, Edward Duke of, 145 ; Richard Duke of, 117 Zouche, Lord, 68, 69 INDEX OP PLACES. Abchild, Abfield, or Apechild Park (Essex), 100, 101 Abingdon, 46, 72 Adgarseley,Agardsley,Aggers- ley, or Aggresley, 142, 143 Agincourt, 1, 145 Aide's, or Aldate's, St. (Ox ford), 46 Amyas (Amiens), 18 Arras, 18 Ashbourne (Derbyshire), 159, 160 Ashdon (Essex), 150, 151 Aspeden, Aspendon, or Aspe- don, manor of, 106, 107 Attleborough (Norfolk), 131 Audley End, 61 Au male, or Aubmalle, 18 Babilon, 166, 167 Banbury, 16 Barking (Essex), 103 Barnet, 107, 150 Barton-in-the Clay (Beds.), 129 Barton-on-Humber (Line), 153 Basle, Council of, 13 Beaujency (Loiret), 19 Beckington, (Wilts,) 73, 74 Bedwin, Great, (Wilts,) 72, 73,78 Belderdale, 165 Berkeley Castle, 64 Bermondsey, 53 Bilsdale, 165 Bordeaux, 71 Boston, Port of, 141 Bramham Moor, 68 Bray (Berks), 72 Breakspears (Middlesex), 114 Broadwater (Sussex), 109 Bruges, 30, 47, 48 Buntingford (Herts), 106 Burdegolia, 86 Burgh (Cambridgeshire), 150 Byland Abbey, 165 Caen, 20, 92 • Calais, 15, 18,49, 50 Chelmsford, 134 Cherbourg, 117 Chertsey, 133 Chester, 134, 156 Chirk Castle,xvi. xvii. xviii.xx. Chirkland, xv. xvi. Cleveland, Archdeaconry of, 165 Constance, 7 Corfe Castle, 91, 92, 93 Cornhill, 46 Cottingham (Northampton shire), 139 Coventry, 139 Cricklade, 73 Denis, St , de Morouval, 18 Devizes (Wilts), 7 2, 73, 74, 80 Donnington (Berks), 72, 77 Down Ampney (Wilts), 73 Dreux, 18 Edgarsley, 142 Edgecote, Manor of (North amptonshire) 16 St. Edmundsbury (Suffolk), 112, 114, 148 Edyngton (Wilts), 74 Elphinthe brook (Flint), xiii. Eltham, 98, 104, 150, 151, 156 Emral (Flintshire), xiii. xvi. xvii. Enmore (Somerset), 74 Eton, 73/75, 76 Ewelm (Oxon), 72, 77 Exeter, 75 ; College, 91 INDEX OF PLACES. 175 Falborne (Essex), 105, 106 Farley Castle (Wilts), 36 Fontevrault, 163 Fordyngbrigge, 135 Freshwell, Hundred of (Es sex), 150 Frideswide, St., Abbey of, 46 Giles, St., Hospital of, 95 Gillingham (Dorset), 135 Glastonbury (Somerset), 74 Goldyngesfield (Middlesex), 104 Gongsfield (Middlesex), 104 Grafton (Northamptonshire), 22 Great Waltham (Essex), 100 Gretham, Hospital of (Dur ham), 120, 121 Guienne, 74 Guildford (Surrey), 145 Haccombe (Devon), 96 Hadley, Hermitage of (Mid dlesex), 61 Hampstead Norris (Berks), 72 Hardington or Hartington (Middlesex), 157, 158 Harefield (Middlesex), 114 Harfleur, 1 Hartland (N. Devon), 144 Haseley, Lordship of (Oxon), 140, 141 Hengwrt, xvi. Hertford, 9 1 Hertingfordbury, Manor of, 126, 127 Holmewode, 141 Holy Cross, Hospital of, 93 Horndon (orThorndon) Hall, 34 Illesley, or Ilsley (Berks), 72, 77 Kelingrigge, 141 Kenelworth, 98, 156 Killingholm, villa de, 152 Lagny (Seine et Marne), 44 Langley (Berks), 72, 77 Larkfield (Kent), 89 Laval (Mayenne), 36, 42 Leadenhall, manor of, 46 Leteringham, or Lethering- ham (Suffolk), 155 Lisieux (Le Calvados), 91, 92, 93 Litiltory, 50 Lovells, manor of (Middle sex), 157 Ludwick's Hyde, 34 Lumbardy, 19 Magnus, St. .Church of, 52, 53 Maidstone, College of, 151, 152 Martin's Vintry, St., Church of, 76, 135 Mary Overies, St., 129 Medeshamsted, 138 Merton College, 157 Meung-sur-Loire (Loiret), 19 Middle Soyls, 152 Mildred's, St., Church of, 130 Monmouth, Castle of, 99 Montereau (Seine et Marne), 17 Mont St. Michel, 49, 52 Moot Hall (Calais), 49, 51 Narbonne, 8 • Needwood Forest, 142 Northampton, 21, 22, 90, 118, 122 Nuneaton, 163 Ockwells, or Ockholt (Berks), 72 Omer, St. (Pas de Calais), 18 Orleans (Loire), 36, 72 Parham (Suffolk), 43, 44, 45 •Paris, 18 Patrick's, St., Church of, 92 Peniarth, xvi. Peniscola (Valentia), 7 Peterborough, 138 Peter's Church, St., Cornhill, 46 Piona Parva, 120 Pleshy, 93, 100, 101, 105, 108, 109, 122, 134 Ramsey, Convent of, 129 Rendlesham, 44 Rib, the River (Herts), 106 Rievault, 165 Rochford, or Racheford, Hun dred of (Essex), 145 ; Bailiwick of, 145 Rouen, 20 Saffron Walden (Essex), 150 Saintlix, 15 Salisbury, 77 Sawbridgeworth (Herts), 106 Seine, the River, 17 Shene, 137 Shrewsbury, 68 Sleford, 31, 32, 33 Southampton, 111, 112, 113, 145 Stebbing (Essex), 146 Sutton Courtney (Berks) 72, 78 Swords, 13 Taunton (Somerset), 74, 81, 82 Tewkesbury, 112 Thame (Oxon), 140 Thorndon, West (Essex), 34 Thurleigh (Beds), 7 Tiptoft, Joan, 150; John Lord, 150 Tiverton (Devon), 75 Towton Heath (Yorkshire), 112 Tutbury.Honour of (Stafford), 142, 159 Twyford, 120 Wakefield, 90 Walden (Essex), 122, 123, 154; Abbey, 60, 61, 62 Wallingford (Oxon), 140 Waltham Cross, 104 Ware (Herts), 90, 91 Wells, 57, 58 Wenn's, St. (Cornwall), 91 Westmill (Herts), 106 Westminster, 52 ; Sanctuary at, 24, 26 Winchester, 93 Worthenbury, xiii. Wymbourne Minster (Dorset) 135, 136 Yattenden (Berks), 72 Yonne, the river (Seine et Marne) 17 GLOSSAIMAL INDEX. adoo— to do, 29 affectuously — affectionately (passim) agenn, 41 algates, 20, 40 als (as) 39 ambassheth, 21 ambassiade, 81, 82 amentising, 101, 106 anient issement, 91 ampulle, 51 anendeth, 42 anenst, 40 ar, 18; aren, 22 (er, 16) assoille, 29, 48 astate, 44, 52 attemptats, 64 aulmes, 102 aulmesse, 158 aumsner, 58 availle, 90 ayainest, 26 ayein, 48 ayeine, 147, 151 ayeinst,34, 125, 126, 127, 143 ayen, 32 ayenst, 27, 28, 40, 69 beal, 95, 102 bedman, 26, 84 beeth, 19, 22, 23, 24 beningly, 14 beseke, 15 ; beseking, 14 bill, 50 billes, 26 borrowe, 149 cannon, 23 cedul, 30, 33 chanons, 58 chierte, 119 Clene Lenton, 30 closed, 19 comers betwene, 29 commyng betwix. 39 conyng, 53 ; konnyng, 46 costages, 16 cotinue, 109 couthe, 14 Creature (Creator), 48 credence, 23 Cristenmasse, xxii. day of, 44 cun, " We cun yow right good thanke," 58, 148, and note cunnyng, 47, 141 cunyng, 113 custume, 123, 148, 157 custumers, 112, 113, 142 Debise, 80 defende, that God, 65 demene, 124 demened, 19, 120 demening, 115, 141 depart (divide), 102 disease (vex), 124 diseasing, 126 displeasir, 99, 126, 147 displesaunce, 24 dome, 28 douted, 18, 19, 22, 23 dover (dower) 112 drawyng unto yow, 64, 65 dredfull, 37 eftesones, 162; eftsones, 67; eftersoones, 41 entend, 51, 82 eny, 14, 81, 108, 123, 143, 151 Escheger, 128 everyche, 146 exploit, 113, 114, 128, 133, 153, 160 faderhod, 79 falsdome, 65 felaship, 77 ferendes, 37 feme and fiefes, 83, 85 Ffeverer, 23, 47 finance, 110 franks, 117, 118 fructueux, 82, 85 fructuose, 152 fugury (?) 116 fullyche, 38 gentil, 14 gentilnesse, 34 graunt mercy, 39 gruche, 34 hanen, 23 harnois, 18 hastely, 15 hele, 80 hert, 13, 14, 20,21, 37 hertely, 38, 39, 40, 51, 147 hertly, 24, 33, 53, 70 hertsease, 48 hevy lord, 37 hevy lordeshipp, 39 hevynesse, 38, 41 iche, 32 importable, 40 incontinent, 22, 23 Janner, 32 jepardy, 81 jepart, 82, 85 jugge, 127 konnyng, 46 Lammesse, 27 layser, 41 lepour, 95 lete to ferme, 49 liflode, 22 lollarye, 167 Loullers, 27 Lumbard, 33 lyvelod, 95, 100, 119, 127 made, and makyng hym strange, 30 maugre, 40 maugree, 39, 40 mawments, 166 mene commyng betwix, 39 meny, 80 merit, 102 meritorie, 95, 102 messagers, 79 messagiers, 79 messegiers, 78 meve, 40 minisc, 28 mochel, 21 moe, 17 moene, 160 mony (many), 14 moo, 51 Mootehall, 51 mowe, 26, 27, 94, 99, 139 mowen, 22, 23, 24 nue, 27 oks (oaks), 98, 1 56 on lese (unless), 82 opteine, 10^ outwods, 98, 156 over, 30, 53 paix, 65, 69 pardurable, 48 paroish, 46, 53 paroisshiens, 46 peas, 126 peax, 154 Penitauncery, 27 perfite, 23, 70 plaine, to, 26 pleasaunce, 123 pleasir, 53, 94, 95, 140, 147 plesaunce, 23, 39, 153 possede, 108 pourvei, 136, 139 pourveying, 51 GLOSSARIAL INDEX. querester, 95 reames, 167 reamne, 15 reaume, 70, 147 recomfort, 39 recuseth, 28 rejoisse, 118 religion, 26, 27, 28 remenant, 33, 40 remennz, 45 remeve, 42 remne, 15 remoeve, 38, 41 remys, 166 rennys, 166 renomed, 139, 164 rewarde (regard) , 99 rewth, 33 rial, 27 rioll, 22 rightwise, 27 rightwisness, 28 rightwys, 27 sad, 102, 162 sadely, 26 saluts, 110 santwary, 26 sendeth (send), 40 shet, 91, 106 skattre, 33 soth, 19 177 stablemcnt, 30 strange, made hym, 30 stremys, 166 supportac'ons, 14 surcese, 40 surmetting, 37 surmitteth, 39 sythen, 26, 27 Tabards, 27 thenke, 37, 38 til, 41, 52 tithinges, 42, 80 toale, 45 uncunnyng, 20 unworshipe, 32 vailable, 152, 155, 159, 165 vitaille, 144 vitailler, 30 voide, 130, 136, 140, 157 wags (wages), 114 warre, 34 werry, 26 wete, 13 wherethorough, 48 wite, 15, 32, 38, 42 witte, 67 worship by wey of mariage, to do, 90,97, 125, 153 ycommen, 30 yeseday, 77 Westminster : Printed by J. B. Nichols and Sons, 25, Parliament Struct. This preservation copy was printed and bound at Bridgeport National Bindery, Inc., in compliance with U.S. copyright law. The paper used meets the requirements ofANSI/NISOZ39.48-1992 (Permanence of Paper). (00, 2001