1

IX

2

LITTERA ANGLICANA REGI DIRECTA PER MAIOREM &
3ALDREMANNOS &C.

4

DATE: 1417.

5
6    Of Alle erthely Princes Our most dred souereigne liege Lord
7and noblest Kyng, we, youre simple Officers, Mair and Aldermen
8of youre trewe Citee of London, with exhibicion of alle maner
9subiectif reuerence and seruisable lowenesse that may be hadde
10in dede, or in Mynde conceyued, recommende vs vnto your most
11noble and hye Magnificence and excellent Power, bisechyng the
12heuenly kyng of his noble grace and Pitee that he so wold
13illumine and extende vpon the trone of your kyngly mageste
14the radyouse bemys of hys bounteuous grace, that the begunnen
15spede, by hys benigne suffraunce and help yn your Chiualiruse
16persoune fixed and affermed, mowe so be continued forth, and
17determined so to his plesaunce, your worship, and alle your

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18reumys proffyt, that we and alle your other lieges to the desired
19presence of your most noble and graciouse persone, fro which
20grete distance of place long tyme hath priued vs, the sonner
21myght approche and visuelly perceyue, to singuler confort and
22special Joye of vs alle; Makyng protestacion, our most dred
23soueraigne liege lord, and noblest kyng, that be this feruent
24desire wiche we han to the bodyly sight of your most excellent
25and noble persone, our entente is noght to move you fro no
26thing of your hye worship, ne to no thyng that myght be perill
27to your lond, that ye haue put in obbeissaunce. Our most dred
28soueraign liege lord & noblest kynge, for-as-moche as we trust
29verryly that the kyngly desyre of your inspired excellence
30deliteth to here of the welfare of your forsayd Cite, which your
31noble and soueraign grace with innuberable prerogatifs &
32liberalle Fraunchises hath euer visited and endowed, Like it vn-to
33your kyngly mageste to vnderstonde that euer syn the tyme of
34your last departyng it hath stonde, yit doth, and euer shal, by the
35help of oure Lord almighty, in as gret pees and tranquillite as
36euer ded Cite in absence of his most soueraign and excellent lord.
37And for-as-moch, most dred souerein liege lord and noblest kyng,
38as the hertly desire of your forsayd Cite ys, as who seith, with an
39heuenly drynk and infusion so oftetymes gladed and refresshid
40as it hereth the soueraign helth and prosperite of your most
41graciouse & noble persoune; Therfor we, mekely bowyng our
42hertes to-for the clernesse of your kyngly mageste, biseche your
43high excellence and excellent highnesse that it lyke, of the roted
44gentillesse and gronded grace in your nobley, so to visyte vs in
45assertenyng of your souueragn helth and prosperite, as it is seyd
46before, that we, in defaute of such visitacion, languisse not as men
47from so hie a grace sequestred and exiled. Our most dred
48soueraign liege lord and noblest kyng, we, your symple officers,
49specially beseche vnto alle the holy company of heuenly knyghthode,
50assembled in the hie blisse wher-as is eternal ioye and non
51euynesse, so be-shyne the noble knyghthode in your cronicable
52excellence aporeued, that ye mowe in this world vpon vs and alle

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53your other lieges with report of wordly victory longe regne and
54endure; and after, whan your graciouse erthely persoune from
55your inward spirit ys dessolued, that ye mowe be brought tofor
56the throne of the hye kynge, and ther with heuenly Ierarchies in
57eternel glorie perpetuelly duelle and abyde. Wryten at your
58forsayd Cite of london, the xx^e day of Decembre. Your humble
59lieges and simple Officers, Richard Merlawe, Mair, and Aldermen
60of your Cite of London.
61

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62

XII

63

RESPONCIO EIUSDEM LITTERE.

64

DATE: 1418.

65
66    Of alle erthely Princes our most dred soueraign Liege lord and
67noblest kynge, we recomaunde vs vnto your soueraign highnesse
68and riall power, in as meke wyse and lowely maner as any symple
69officers and pouuere lieges best may or can ymagine and diuise
70vnto her most graciouse and most soueraign kyng, Thankyng
71with all our soules your most soueraign excellence and noble
72grace of þe right gentell, right graciouse, and right confortable
73lettres, which ye late liked to send vs fro your toun of pount-de-larche,
74which lettres wiþ al lowenesse and reuerence we haue
75mekly resceyued, and vnderstonde bi which lettres, amonges al
76other blessed spede and graciouse tithinges in hem conteyned, for
77which we thanke hyly, and euer shulle, the lord almighty, ware
78we most inwardly conforted and reioysed, whan we herde þe
79soueraign helthe and parfit prosperite of your most excellent

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80and graciouse persoune, which we beseche god of hys grete
81grace and noble pite euer to kepe and manteyne. And of the
82astate of your Cite of London, yif it like your soueraign highnesse
83to here and vnderstonde, plese it your benigne grace to
84conceyue that in pesibler degre, tretabler gouernaunce, ne Joyfuller
85rest, as ferforth as absence of you þat as our most soueraign
86and excellent lord may suffre, was neuer erthly Cite ne toun,
87y-blessed be god. Our most dred souueraign liege lord & noblest
88kyng, we lowly besech þe kyng of kynges, whos reaume shal
89endelesly Last, your blessed soule and noble body from either of
90ther enemys euermore to kepe and defend.
91
96

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97

XIV

98

RESPONCIO LITTERE PRECEDENTIS.

99

DATE: 8 SEPT., 1418.

100
101    Our most dred most soueraign Lord and noblest kyng, to the
102soueragn highnesse of your kyngly mageste with all maner of
103lowenesse and reuerence mekly we recomende vs, Nat oonly as
104we oughte and shulde, but as we best can and may, with alle our
105hertes thankynge your soueraign excellence of your gracious
106Lettres in makyng gladsom in vnderstondyng and passyng confortable
107in fauoring of our poure degrees, which ye liked late to
108send vs from your hoost afore the Cite of Roan. In which
109lettres, after declaracion of your most noble entent for the refresshing
110of your hooste, ye recorde so highly the redinesse of
111our wille and power at alle tymes to your plesaunce, and thankyn
112vs therof so hertely, that treuly, saue oonly our preier to hym
113that al good quiteth, neuer was it, ne mighte it halfe be deserued.

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114And aftur suing in your forsaid gracious lettres ye praye vs
115effectuelly to do enarme as mani smale vessels as we may
116with vitaille, and specially with drinke, for to come vp as fer as
117they may in to the riuer of seyne. And nat only this, but in the
118conclusion of your soueraign lettres forsayd, ye fede vs so bounteuesly
119with behest shewyng of your good lordship to vs in tyme
120comyng, as ye haue euer don, that now and euer we shulle be the
121joyfuller in this lyfe whan we remembre vs on so noble a grace.
122O how may the simplesse of pouere lieges better or mor clerly
123conceyue the graciouse loue and fauorable tendresse of the kyng
124her soueraign lord, than to here how your most excellent & noble
125persone, more worthi to vs than alle wordly richesse or plente, in
126so thynne habondance of vitaill, homly disposed so graciously
127and goodly declare and vttre vnto vs, that ar your liege men and
128subgitz, your plein luste and plesaunce, as it is in your sayd noble
129lettres worthily conteyned. Certein trewe liege man is þer non,
130ne feithful subgit coude þer non ne durste tarie or be lachesse in
131any wyse to the effectuell praier or comaundement of so soueraign
132and high a lord, which his noble body peineth and knightly
133auentureth for the right and welfare of vs alle. Oure most dred,
134most soueraign Lord and noblest kyng, plese it your soueraign hignesse
135to vnderstonde how that your forsaid kyngly praier as most
136strait charge and comaundemant we willyng in alle pointes obeye
137and execute; anon fro þe resceit of your sayd gracious lettres,
138which was þe xix day of August nigh none, vnto þe makyng of þese
139symple lettres, what in getyng and enarmyng of as many smale
140vessels as we myght, doyng brewe boþe ale and bere, purveing
141wyne and oþer vitaille for to charge with þe same vessels, we
142haue don our besie diligence and cure, as god wot. In which
143vessels, wiþoute gret plente of oþer vitails þat men of your cite
144london auenturen, for refresshing of your host, to þe costes

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145where your soueraign presence is Inne, We lowely send wiþ
146gladdest wille vnto your soueraign excellence and kyngly mageste
147by Johan credy and John Combe, poure officers of your sayd Cite,
148bringers of thes Lettres, Tritty botes of swete wyne, that is to seye
149ten of Tyre, ten of Romeney, ten of Maluesay, and a Thousand
150pipes of ale and bere, with Thuo Thousand and five hundred
151coppes for your hoost to drinke of, which we besech your high
152excellence and noble grace for our alder comfort and gladnesse
153benignely to resceyue and accepte, nat hauyng reward to þe litelhed
154or smale value of the yifte it self, which is simple, but to þe
155good will and high desir þat þe poure yeuers þerof han to þe
156good spede, worship, and welfare of your most soueraign and
157excellent persone, Of which spede and welfare, and al your oþer
158kyngly lustes and plesaunces, we desire highly be the sayd berers
159of thes lettres, or oþer whom your soueraign highnesse shal like,
160fully to be lerned and enfourmed. Our moost dred, most
161soueraign lord and noblest kyng, we lowely besech the kyng of
162heuen, whos body refused nat for our sauacion wordly peyne
163Gilteles to endure, þat he your graciouse persone, which for our
164alder good and proffit so knythly laboureþ, litel or noght chargyng
165bodily ease, in al worship and Honure euermore to kepe and
166preserue. Writen al grauesende, vnder þe seal of mayralte of
167your sayd Cite London, on þe day of þe Natiuite of our Lady the
168Blisful mayde.
171

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172

XVIII

173

RESPONSIO LITTERE PRECEDENTIS.

174

DATE: 6 SEPT., 1419.

175
176    Our most dred and most souueraign ertly lord, we recomande
177vs vnto þe souueraign excellence of your kyngly mageste in þe
178most humble and lowely wyse þat any pouere or simple lieges
179can best imagine or deuise, lowely thankyng your souueraign
180excellence and noble grace of þe right gracious and right confortable
181lettres, which ye liked late to sende vs fro your town of
182Maunt, be Johan Palyng. The which lettres, with al maner of
183honour and lowely reuerence, we haue mekly resceyued and
184vnderstonde. And trewely, most dred and souueraign lord, gladder
185ne moor confortable tithinges might neuer haue come, nor in
186better tyme, for to satisfie and refresshe þe feruent desir of your
187poure lieges, þat haue loong thrusted aftur knowlech of your
188prosperite, than were your sayd gracious lettres, the which amongs
189al oþer special graces most Principalich for our hertly confort
190conteyned þe souueraign helþ and parfit prosperite of your most
191souueraign and gracious persone. The which Crist of his souueraign
192mercy and noble pite plese alwey to kepe in al maner of
193worship and Joye. Our most dred and most souueraign erthly lord
194whan we remembre vs hough þat your kyngly might and power,
195grounded in the trewe pees of god, is so vertuosly soonded wiþ þe
196spirit of meknesse in deuout and continuel thankyng of god in
197al his soondes, and trust of good prayers of your peple, as your
198sayd lettres make gracious mencion: Trewely we ar meued be
199as gret consideracion and as resonable cause as euer were liege
200men to pray, as we haue and shulle yef god will, for þe good and
201gracious spede of your most excellent and gracious persone, And
202to thanke god lowely þat euer he sent vs so gracious and so

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203vertuose a souueraign lord to regne and haue lordship vp-on vs.
204Our most dred and most souueraign lord, yef it like your souueraign
205highnesse to here of þastat of your Citee london, Plese it
206your kyngly mageste to conceyue þat in more quiet ne pesibler
207rest, as ferforth as absence of you þat ar our most gracious &
208most souueraign lord may suffre, was neuer erthly Citee nor place,
209blessed be god. Our most dred and most souueraign lord, we
210lowely beseche god the kyng of pees, whos grace excedeth þe
211merit of hem þat pray, þat he vouche-sauf your kyngly mageste
212stabilissh in al vertu, and euermore kepe your most excelent &
213souueraign persone in al Joy & prosperite to his plesaunce.
214Writen at your sayd Citee of london, vnder þe seal of Mairalte
215þerof, þe vi^e day of Septembre.
216

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