15.1. Richard duke of Yorke his letter to king Henrie.

Richard duke of Yorke his letter to king Henrie.

_PLease it your highnesse to conceiue, that since my departing out of this your realme, by your commandement, and be|ing in your seruice in your land of Ire|land, I haue beene informed, that diuerse language hath béene said of me to your most excellent estate, which should sound to my dishonour and reproch, and charge of my person: howbeit, that I haue béene, and euer will be, your true liegeman and seruant. And if there be anie man that will or dare saie the contrarie, or charge me otherwise; I beséech your rightwisenesse to call him before your high presence, and I will declare me for my discharge as a true knight ought to doo. And if I doo not, as I doubt not but I shall, I beseech you to punish me as the poorest man of your land. And if he be found vntrue in his suggestion and information, I beséech you of your EEBO page image 638 highnesse that he be punished after his desert, in ex|ample of all other.

Please it your excellencie to know, that as well before my departing out of this your realme, for to go into your land of Ireland, in your full noble ser|uice, as since, certeine persons haue lien in wait for to hearken vpon me, as sir Iohn Talbot knight at the castell of Holt; sir Thomas Standleie knight in Cheshire; Pulford at Chester; Elton at Worcester; Brooke at Glocester; and Richard, groome of your chamber at Beaumaris: which had in charge (as I am informed) to take me and put me into your castell of Conwaie, and to strike off the head of sir William Oldhall knight, and to haue put in prison sir Wil|liam Deuereur knight, & sir Edmund Malso knight, withouten inlarging, vntill the time that your high|nesse had appointed their deliuerance.

Item, at such time as I was purposed for to haue arriued at your hauen of Beaumaris, for to haue come to your noble presence to declare me your true man and subiect, as my dutie is, my landing was stopped and forebarred by Henrie Norice, Thomas Norice, William Buckleie, William Grust, and Bartholomew Bould, your officers in Northwales, that I should not land there, nor haue vittels nor re|freshing for me & my fellowship, as I haue written to your excellencie here before. So farre foorth that Henrie Norice, deputie to the chamberlaine of Northwales, said vnto me, that he had in comman|dement that I should in no wise haue landing, refre|shing, nor lodging, for men nor horsse, nor other thing that might turne to my worship or ease: putting the blame vpon William Saie vsher of your chamber, saieng and affirming that I am against your intent, and as a traitor, as I am informed. And moreouer, certeine letters were made and deliuered vnto Che|ster, Shrewesburie, and to other places for to let mine entrie into the same.

Item, aboue all wrongs and iniuries aboue said doone vnto me of malice, without anie cause, I being in your land of Ireland, in your honourable seruice, certeine commissions were made and directed vnto diuerse persons; which for the execution of the same, sat in certeine places, and the iuries impanelled and charged. Unto the which iuries certeine persons laboured instantlie to haue me indicted of treason, to the intent for to haue vndoone me and mine issue, and corrupted my bloud, as it is openlie published. Besée|ching your maiestie roiall, of your righteousnesse, to doo examine these matters, and therevpon to doo such iustice in his behalfe as the cause requireth: for mine intent is fullie to pursue to your highnesse for the con|clusion of these matters.

15.1. The ansvver of king Henrie to the duke of Yorke.

The ansvver of king Henrie to the duke of Yorke.

_COosine, we haue séene the bill that ye tooke vs late, and also vnderstand the good humble obedience that ye in your selfe shew vnto vs, as well in word as in deed: wherefore our intent is, the more hastilie to ease you of such things as were in your said bill. Howbeit, that at our more leasure we might answer you to your said bill, yet we let you wit, that for the causes aforesaid, we will declare you now our intent in these matters: sith it is that a long time among the people hath béene vpon you many strange language, and in especiall anon after your disordinate and vn|lawfull slaieng of the bishop of Chester, diuerse and manie of the vntrue shipmen and other said (in their maner) words against our estate, making manace to our owne person by your saiengs, that ye should be fetched with manie thousands, and ye should take vpon you that, which ye neither ought, nor as we doubt not, ye will not attempt: so farre foorth that it was said to our person by diuerse, & especiallie we re|member of one Wasnes, which had like words to vs.

And also there were diuerse of such false people, that went on and had like language in diuerse of our townes of our land, which by our subiects were taken and dulie executed. Wherefore we sent to diuerse of our courts and places, to hearken and to take héed if anie such maner comming were; and if there had béene, for to resist it: but comming into our land our true subiect as ye did, our intent was not that ye, nor lesse of estate of our subiects, nor none of your seruants should not haue beene letted nor warned, but in goodlie wise receiued: howbeit that peraduen|ture your sudden comming, without certeine war|ning, caused our seruants to doo as they did, conside|ring the causes aboue said. And as to the indictement that ye spoke of, we thinke verelie, and hold for cer|teine warning, caused our seruants to doo as they did, considering the causes aboue said. And as to the indictement that ye spoke of, we thinke verelie and hold for certeine, that there was none such. And if ye may trulie prooue that anie person was thereabouts, the matter shall be demeaned as the case shall re|quire: so that he shall know it is to our great dis|pleasure. Upon this, for the easing of your heart in all such matters, we declare, repute, and admit you as our true and faithfull subiect, and as our faithfull coosine.