JOHN DE LA POLE,

DUKE OF SUFFOLK.

THE following Letter, preferved by Sir John Fenn, in his very curious Collection of the "Pafton Letters," will fhew that homage which vice is obliged to pay to virtue; and that earnest defire which even the most profligate perfons are animated with, that those who are dear to them may escape the fnares and temptations into which they themselves have fallen.

THE COPIE OF A NOTABLE L'RE WRITTEN BY THE DUKE OF SUFF' TO HIS SONNE GIVING HYM THEREIN VERY GOOD COUNSEIL.

"My dere and only welbeloved Sone I be"feche oure Lord in Heven y maker of alle "the world to bleffe you and to fende you eu'

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grace to love hym and to drede hym to y "which as ferre as a Fader may charge his "child I bothe charge you and prei you to sette 66 alle your fpirites and wittes to do and to knowe "his holy Lawes and Comaundments by the "which ye fhall w' his grete m'cy paffe alle y

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grete tempeftes and troubles of yis wrecched ' world, and y' alfo wetyngly ye do no thyng for love ner drede of any erthely creature yt "fhuld difplefe hym. And yre as any Freelte "maketh

"maketh you to falle befecheth hys m'cy foone to calle you to hym agen w' repentaunce fatif"faccōn and contricon of youre herte never "more in will to offende hym,

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"Secoundly next hym above alle erthely

thyng to be trewe Liege man in hert in wille "in thought in dede unto y° Kyng oure alder "moft high and dredde Sou'eygne Lord, to "whom bothe ye and I been fo moche bounde

too, Chargyng you as Fader can and may

rather to die yan to be y contrarye or to "knowe any thyng y' were ayenste y welfare "or p'fp'ite of his most riall p'fone but y' as ❝ferre as youre body and lyf may strecthe ye lyve and die to defende it. And to lete his "Highneffe have knowlache y' of in alle y "haste ye can,

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"Thirdly in y fame wyfe I charge you my

Dere Sone alwey as ye be bounden by yo ❝com'aundement of God to do, to love to "worshepe youre Lady and Moder, and also y' ye "obey alwey hyr com'aundements and to beleve <hyr councelles and advises in alle youre werks ye which dredeth not but fhall be beft and treweft to you. And yef any other body to ye contrarie to flee y

wold ftere you

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JOHN DE LA POLE.

"councell in any wyfe for ye fhall fynde it "nought and evyll.

"Forthermore as ferre as Fader may and can "I charge you in any wyfe to flee y cōpany " and councel of proude men, of coveitowse "men and of flateryng men the more especially "and myghtily to withstonde hem and not to "drawe ne to medle w' hem w' all youre myght and power. And to drawe to you and to . youre company good and v'tuowse men and "fuch as ber of good conu'facon and of trouthe "and be them fhal ye nev' be deseyved ner re

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pente you off, moreover nev' follow youre "owne witte in no wyfe, but in alle youre "werkes of fuche Folks as I write of above "axeth youre advise and counsel and doyng "thus w' ye m'cy of God ye fhall do right well "and lyue in right moche worship and grete "herts reft and eafe. And I wyll be to you as "good Lord and Fader as my hert can thynke. “And last of alle as hertily and as lovyngly as ever Fader bleffed his child in erthe I yeve

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you ye bleffyng of Oure Lord and of me, "whiche of his infynite m'cy encrece you in alle "vertu and good lyvyng. And y' youre blood

may by his grace from kynrede to kynrede multeplye in this erthe to hys f'vife in fuche

"wyse as after ye departyng fro this wreched "world here ye and thei' may glorefye him "et'nally amongs his Aungelys in hevyn. "Wreten of myn hand,

"y day of my dep'tyng fro the land, "Your trewe and lovyng Fader,

"SUFFOLK."

EDWARD THE FOURTH.

[1461-1483.]

THE original of the following very curious letter of Edward and of his brother, the Earl of Rutland, to their father, the Duke of York, is in that valuable repofitory of literature and of fcience the British Museum:

"RYGHT high and ryght myhty prince, our "ful redouted and ryght noble lorde & fadur as lowely w' all oure herts as we youre trewe " & naturell fonnes can or may we recommande

us unto your noble gree, humbly befeechyng

your nobley & worthy faderhude daily to geve "us your hertely bleffing, thrugh whiche we "trufte muche the rather to encrees and growe "to vertu & to fpede the better in all matiers "and things that we fhall ufe occupye & exer

❝cife.

"cife. Ryght high & ryght mighty prince, 66 our ful redouted lorde & fadur, we thanke

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our bleffed Lorde not only of yo' honourable "conducte & good fpede in all your matiers "and befyneffe and of your gracious prevaile "agenft the entent & malice of your evil-willers, "but alfo of the knowlege that hit pleafed your "nobleffe to lete us nowe late have of the fame by relation of S' Waltier Devreux knyght, " & John Milewatier fquier, & John at Nokes, ઃઃ yemen of your honorable chambier. Also we "thank your nobleffe and good fadurhood of "our grene gownes, now late fende unto us to

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..

our grete comfort; befeeching your good "lordeship to remember our porteux, and that "we myght have fyne bonetts fende unto us by "the next feure meffiger, for neceffite fo re"quireth. Over this, right noble lorde and "fader, please hit your highneffe to witte that we "have charged your fervant Will" Smyth berer "of thees for to declare unto your nobleffe cer

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tayne things on our behalf, namely, concern. "ing & touching the odieux reule & demenyng "of Richard Crofte & of his brother. Where"fore we befeeche your generouse lordship and "full noble fadurhood to here him in expofition

of the fame, and to his relacion to geve full "feith & credence. Ryht high & ryght myghty prince, our ful redouted & ryght noble lorde

<< & fadur,