"hys m'cy foone to calle you to hym agen w re"pentaunce fatisfaccōn and contricōn of youre "herte never more in will to offende hym.

"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 most high and dredde Sou'cygne 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 know any thyng y' were ayenfte y welfare or p'fp'ite of his most "riall p'fone but y' as ferre as youre body, and lyf may ftrecthe ye lyve and die to defende it.

1

"And to lete his Highnesse have knowlache y' of " in alle y hafte ye can.

Thirdly in y fame wyfe I charge you my "Dere Sone alwey as ye be bounden by y "com'aundement of God to do, to love to worThepe 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 shall be beft and treweft "to you. And yef any other body wold ftere

"

you to y contrarie to flee y counfell in any wyfe "for ye fhal fynde it nought and evyll. "Forthermore as ferre as Fader

may

and can

"I charge you in any wyfe to flee y cōpany

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"and councel of proude men, of coveitowse men "and of flateryng men the more especially and myghtily

"

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 your company good and v'tuowfe men and such as "ben of good conu'facon and of trouthe and be "them fhal ye nev' be defeyved ner repente 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 your advise and "counsel and doyng thus w' y' m'cy of God ye « fhall do right well and lyue in right moche

worship and grete herts rest and ease. And I "wyll be to you as good Lord and Fader as my "hert can thynke. And laft of alle as hertily

and as lovyngly as ever Fader bleffed his child "in erthe I yeve you y bleffyng of Oure Lord " and of me, whiche of his infynite m'cy encrece es 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 wyfe as after y departyng fro this wreched "world here ye and thei' may glorefye him et'nally amongs his Aungelys in hevyn. "Wreten of myn hand,

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

"SUFFOLK."

24

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 science, 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 gr, 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 " & and to fpede the better in all matiers and

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things that we fhall ufe occupye & exercise.

Ryght high & ryght mighty prince, our ful "redouted lorde & fadur, we thanke 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 also of the knowledge that hit pleased your nobleffe to lete "us nowe late have of the fame by relation of "S Waltier Devreux knyght, & John Mile

"waitier

watier fquier, & John at Nokes, yemen of your " honorable chambier. Alfo we thank your "nobleffe and good fadurhood of our grene'

gownes, now late fende unto us to 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 requireth. Over this, right noble lorde and fader, please hit your

се

*

highneffe to witte that we have charged your fer"vant Will" Smyth berer of thees for to declare "unto your nobleffe certayne things on our be

"

half, namely, concerning & touching the odieux "reule & demenyng of Richard Crofte & of "his brother. Wherefore we beseeche your gene"roufe lordship and full noble fadurhood to here "him in expofition of the fame, and to his rela"cion to geve full feith & credence. Ryht high " & ryght myghty prince; our ful redouted &

ryght noble lorde & fadur, we beseeche Al"myghty Jhu geve yowe as good lyfe & long, with as moche continual perfete profperite as " your princely hert con beft defyre. Written at our Caftel of Lodelowe on Satursday in the "Aftur-woke.

"Your humble fonnes,

"E. MARCHE & E. RUTLONDE."

Louis the Eleventh of France having, contrary to treaty, refufed the Dauphin in marriage to the

daughter

daughter of Edward, that Monarch, thus addreffed his Parliament: "This contumelie I am "refolved to punish, and I cannot doubt fucceffe.

Almighty God ftill ftrengthens his arm who "undertakes a war for juftice. In our expedi"tions hitherto against the French, what profpe

rity waited upon the English arms is to the "world divulged, and yet ambition then appeared "the chief counsellor to war. Now, befide all "that right which led our Edward the Third, "our glorious ancestor, and Henry the Fifth, our glorious predeceffor, we feem to have a deputyship from Heaven to execute the office of the "Supreme Judge, in chastising the impious."

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"It is manifeft that our confederacies are now "diffolved, and I rejoice that alone we fhall un"dertake this great business; for experience in "our last attempt fhewed that Princes of feveral << Nations (however they pretend the fame) have "still several aims; and oftentimes confederacy " is a greater enemy to the profperitie of a war " than the enemy himself; envie begetteth more "difficultie in a camp, than any oppofition from "the adverse army."

"But I detain you too long by my speech "from action. I fee the clouds of due revenge gathered in your hearts, and the lightning of « fury

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