“ Which answer come to the Duke of York, the which Duke, by the advice of the Lords of his Council, said unto them these words: "The King our sovereign Lord will not be reformed at our beseeching nor prayer, nor will not understand the intent that we be come hither and assembled for and gathered at this time; but only his full purpose, and there none other way but that he will with all his power pursue us, and if taken, to give us a shameful death, losing our livelihood and goods, and our heirs shamed for ever. ”

“ I pray you send me word if any of our friends or well-doers be dead, for I fear that there is great death in Norwich, and in other borough towns in Norfolk, for I assure you it is the most universal death that ever I wist in England; for, by my troth, I cannot hear by pilgrims that pass the country nor none other man that rideth or goeth [through] any country, that any borough town in England is free from that sickness; God cease it when it please Him. ”

“ King Richard, after his coronation, taking his way to Gloucester to visit in his new honour the town of which he bore the name of his old, devised as he rode to fulfill that thing which he before had intended. And forasmuch as his mind gave him that, his nephews living, men would not reckon that he could have right to the realm, he thought therefore without delay to rid them, as though the killing of his kinsmen could amend his cause, and make him a kindly king. ”

“ Most noble Prince, displease you not, though it hath pleased God of his Grace to grant us the victory of our mortal enemies, the which by their venomous malice have untruly steered and moved your highness to exile us out of your land. We come not to that intent for to inquiet nor grieve your said highness, but for to please your most noble person, desiring most tenderly the high welfare and prosperity thereof, and of all your realm, and for to be your true liegemen while our lives shall endure. ”

“ Moreover, gracious Lord, please it your Majesty Royal of your great goodness and righteousness to incline your will to hear and feel the righteous party of us your subjects and liegemen; first, praying and beseeching to our Lord Jesus of his high and mighty power to give unto you virtue and prudence, and that through the mediation of the glorious martyr Saint Alban to give you very knowledge to know the intent of our assembling at this time; for God that is in Heaven knoweth that our intent is rightful and true. ”

“ And to bring her back into the union and communion of our holy mother the church, to cleanse her from such horrible and pernicious crimes and sins, and to keep and preserve her soul from perpetual torment and damnation, she was often, during a long time, very lovingly and gently admonished that all her errors being rejected by her should be put away, and that she should humbly return into the way and straight path of truth, or otherwise she would put herself in great peril of soul and body ”

“ The consequence was that, from and after this period of time, the combatants on both sides, uniting their respective forces together, attacked each other whenever they happened to meet, and quite in accordance with the doubtful issue of warfare, now the one and now the other for the moment gained the victory, while fortune was continually shifting her position. In the meantime, however, the slaughter of men was immense; for besides the dukes, earls, barons, and distinguished warriors who were cruelly slain, multitudes almost innumerable of the common people died of their wounds. ”

“ Furthermore, as far as father may and can, I charge you in any wise to flee the company and counsel of proud men, of covetous men, and of flattering men, the more especially and mightily to withstand them, and not to draw, nor to meddle with them, with all your might and power. And to draw to you and to your company good and virtuous men, and such as be of good conversation, and of truth, and by them shall ye never be deceived, nor repent you of. Moreover, never follow your own wit in no wise, but in all your works, of such folks as I write of above, ask your advice and counsel ”

“ And so horrible was the shouting that there was no man so brave or confident that he was not in fear of death; they began to strike with axes and to thrust with lances, then they put their hands to their swords, with which they gave each other great blows and deadly strokes; 29the archers of England and the Scots, who were with the French, began to shoot one against the other so murderously that it was a horror to look upon them, for they carried death to those whom they struck with full force. ”

“ The Duke of Bedford, the regent, took the field in very fair array, and rode on until he had passed the woods near Verneuil; and when he found himself in the plain he beheld the town and all the force of the French arranged and set in order of battle, which was a very fair thing to see; for without doubt I, the author of this work, had never seen a fairer company, nor one where there were so many of the nobility as there were there, nor set in better order, nor showing greater appearance of a desire to fight ”

“ But the Divine Power having pity on His loyal people, whom He has not long left in peril, nor suffered them to remain in the vain, perilous, and novel cruelties into which they had thoughtlessly thrown themselves, has been pleased to permit it in His great mercy and clemency that the said shameful woman has been taken in your army and siege which you were then maintaining on our behalf before Compiègne, and put by your good help into our obedience and governance. ”

“ And when the King heard someone wishing that whatever nobles of the realm of England, who were well-disposed thereto, were present at this affair, with kingly steadfastness he thus replied, "Truly I would not that by one single person the number of 17this army should be increased. For if in the number of fighting men, we were equal to, or perhaps, stronger than, our enemies, and they were delivered into our hands by the hazards of war, our indiscreet judgement would attribute the victory to the greatness of our strength, and so due praise would by no means be accorded. ”

“ On the eve of his coronation, in the Tower of London and in the presence of Richard late King, King Henry made forty-six new knights, amongst whom were his three sons, and also the earls of Arundel and Stafford, and the son and heir of the earl of Warwick; and with them and other nobles of the land he passed in great state to Westminster. And when the day of Coronation was come (13th October) , all the peers of the realm, robed finely in red and scarlet and ermine, came with great joy to the ceremony, my lord of Canterbury ordering all the service and duties thereof. ”

“ Our Lord the King, considering the premises, hath provided ordained and established, by the authority of this present Parliament, that the Knights of the Shires to be chosen within the same realm of England to come to the Parliaments, shall be chosen in every County by people dwelling and resident in the same, whereof every one of them shall have free land or tenement to the value of forty shillings by the year, at the least, above all charges; and that they which shall be so chosen shall be dwelling and resident within the same Counties.... ”

“ It is notorious now in the realm of England that boys, youths and men dwelling in the courts of the worldly are placed in churches, in high offices and in prelacies, others being set aside who have long been occupied in study and preaching and in the guiding of the people without thought of worldly lucre.... ”

“ A battle of the greatest severity now ensuing between the two sides, the earl of Richmond, together with his knights, 119made straight for King Richard, while the earl of Oxford, who was next in rank to him in the whole army and a most valiant soldier, drew up his forces, consisting of a large body of French and English troops, opposite the wing in which the duke of Norfolk had taken up his position. In the part where the earl of Northumberland was posted, with a large and well-provided body of troops, there was no opposition made, as not a blow was given or received during the battle. ”

“ Item, we say our sovereign lord may understand that his false council hath lost his law, his merchandise is lost, his common people is destroyed, the sea is lost, France is lost, the King himself is so set that he may not pay for his meat and drink, and he oweth more than ever any King of England owed, for daily his traitors about him, where anything should come to him by his laws, anon they ask it from him. ”

“ Wherefore, for God's sake, let my mother take heed to my young brethren that they be not in any place where that sickness is reigning, nor that they disport not with any young people which resort where any sickness is, and if there be any of that sickness dead or infect in Norwich, for God's sake, let her send them to some friend of hers in the country.... ”

“ And whereas it is so that, through the help of Almighty God, the assistance of our loving and true subjects, and the great confidence that we have to the nobles and commons of this our principality of Wales, we be entered into the same, purposing by the help above rehearsed, in all haste possible, to descend into our realm of England, not only for the adoption of the crown, unto us of right appertaining, but also for the oppression of the odious tyrant, Richard late Duke of Gloucester, usurper of our said right ”

“ In the meantime the constable of Scotland, his son and all their men, dismounted and advanced to attack their adversaries, by whom they were received with great courage. The English archers, under the shelter of their carriages, shot so well and stiffly that all on horseback within their reach were glad to retreat with their men-at-arms. The constable of Scotland and his men attacked one of the entrances of the enclosure, but they were soon slain on the spot.... The other French captains retreated with their men to the places whence they had come. ”

“ They shall hold them so busy with their great people, that it shall not lie in their power within to hold it against them, without God help them, or have hasty succour from you.
Therefore, as ye will have my blessing, I charge you and require you that ye see your brother be helped in haste. And if he can have no means, rather desire writing from my Lord of Clarence, if he be at London, or else of my Lord Archbishop of York, to the Duke of Norfolk, that he will grant them that be in the place their lives and their goods ”

“ A NOBLEMAN REQUESTS A LICENCE FOR A SHIP TO CARRY PILGRIMS (1445) . Source.—Ellis's Original Letters, Second Series, vol. i., pp. 110, 111.
To the King our Sovereign Lord.
Please it unto your Royal Majesty of your grace especially to grant unto John Earl of Oxford, owner under God of a ship called the Jesus of Orwell, that the said ship, without any fine or fee to be paid unto you, may have licence, in the worship of God and of St. James, to make the first voyage unto St. James [12] with as many persons as therein would thitherward take their passage. ”

“ Then the English captains holding the siege, knowing of the coming of the said boats and of those who convoyed them, at once and in haste endeavoured to resist by force in order to prevent them from landing in the town of Orleans, and on the other hand the French exerted themselves to bring them in by force of arms. On the vessels coming up to pass there was many a lance broken, many an arrow shot, and many a bolt shot by the engines, and so great a noise was made both by the besieged and by the besiegers, both by defenders and assailants, that it was horrible to hear them ”

“ Wherefore I, miserable sinner which here before long time have walked in darkness, and now by the mercy and infinite goodness of God reduced into the right way and light of truth, and considering myself grievously to have sinned and wickedly have informed and infected the people of God, return and come again to our Mother, Holy Church ”

“ Also, that we, to our power and as soon as it may commodiously be done, shall strive so to put into obedience of our said father all manner of cities, towns, castles, places, countries and persons with the realm of France, inobedient and rebel to our said father, holding the party being, or have been, of that party commonly called Dauphin or Armagnac.
Also, by God's help, when it happeneth us to come to the Crown of France, the duchy of Normandy and also all other places conquered by us in the said realm of France, shall be under the commandment, obedience and monarchy of the crown of France. ”

“ Item, that considering how, blessed be God, the King is growing in years, in stature of his person, and also in conceit and knowledge of his high and royal authority and estate, the which naturally causing him, and from day to day as he groweth shall cause him, more and more to grudge with chastising, and to loath it, so that it may reasonably be doubted lest he would conceive against the said Earl, or any other that would take upon him to chastise him for his defaults, displeasure, or indignation therefore, the which, without due assistance, is not easy to be borne. ”

“ May it please your Royal Majesty to understand that Robert Parys, the deputy constable of Carnarvon Castle, has apprized us through a woman, because there was no man who dared to come—for neither man nor woman dare carry letters on account of the rebels of Wales,—that "Oweyn de Glyndour," with the French and all his other power, is preparing to assault the town and castle of Carnarvon, and to begin this enterprize with engines, sowes [3] and ladders of great length; and in the town and castle there are not in all more than twenty-eight fighting men, which is too small a force ”