6.1. A letter directed to the duke of Au|strich, wherein king Richard is cleared of the death of the marquesse of Mountserrat, whereof he was vehementlie suspected.

A letter directed to the duke of Au|strich, wherein king Richard is cleared of the death of the marquesse of Mountserrat, whereof he was vehementlie suspected.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 _LVpoldo duci Austriae, Vetus de Mon|te salutem. Cùm plurimi reges & prin|cipes vltra mare Richardum regem Angliae & dominum de morte mar|chisi inculpent, iuro per dominum qui regnat in aeternum, & per legem quam tenemus, quòd in [...]|ius mortem nullam culpam habuit. Est siquidem causa mortis ipsius marchisi talis. Vnus ex fratri|bus nostris in vnam nauem de Satalei, ad partes nostras veniebat, & tempestas illum fortè ad Ty|rum appulit, & marchisus fecit illum capere & occidere, & magnam pecuniam eius rapuit. Nos verò marchiso nuncios nostros misimus, mandan|tes vt pecuniam fratris nostrinobis redderet, & de morte fratris nostri nobiscum se concordaret, & noluit.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 Nec non & nuncios nostros spreuit, & mortem fratris nostri super Reginaldum dominum de Si|donis posuit, & nos tantùm fecimus per amicos no|stros, quod in veritate scimus, quòd ille fecit illum occidere & pecuniam rapere. Et iterum alium nuncium nostrum nomine Edrisum misimus ad eum, quem in mare mergere voluit, sed amici no|stri illum à Tyro festinanter fecerunt recedere, qui ad nos peruenit, & ista nobis nunciauit. Nos quoque ex illa hora marchisum desiderauimus oc|cidere. Túncque duos fratres misimus ad Tyrum, qui eum apertè & ferè coram omni populo Tyri oc|ciderunt.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 Haec ergò fuit causa mortis marchisi, & benè dicimus vobis in veritate, quòd dominus Richar|dus rex Angliae in hac marchisi morte nullam cul|pam habuit. Et qui propter hoc domino regi An|gliae malum fecerunt, iniustè fecerunt, & sine cau|sa. Sciatis pro certo, quòd nullum hominem huius mundi pro mercede aliqua vel pecunia occidimus, nisi priùs nobis malum fecerit. Et sciatis quòd has liter as fecimus in domo nostra ad castellum no|strum Messiat in dimidio Septembri, anno ab A|lexandro 1505.

6.1. The same in English.

The same in English.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 _VEtus de Monte to Lupold duke of Austrich sendeth greeting. Where manie kings and princes beyond the seas blame Richard king of England of the marques his death, I sweare by the lord that reigneth euerlastinglie, and by the law which we hold, that he was not in fault for his death. For the verie cause of the marques his death was such as followeth. One of our bre|thren in a ship of Satalie came towards our parties, and chanced by tempest to be driuen vnto Tyre, and the marques caused him to be taken and slaine, and tooke a great portion of monie that he had in the ship with him. Wher|vpon we sent our messengers to the marques, commanding him to restore vnto vs the mo|nie of our brother, and to compound with vs for our said brothers death, and he would not.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 Moreouer, he also contemned our messen|gers, & laid the fault of our brothers death vp|on Reginald lord of Sidon, and we did so much through our freends, that we got full vnder|standing that the marques himselfe caused him to be slaine, and tooke his monie. And there|fore we sent vnto him againe an other messen|ger named Edrisus, whome he would haue drowned in the sea, but our freends made such shift, that they procured him to depart with speed from Tyre, who returned to vs, [...] signi|fied these things to vs for certeine. And from that houre euer after we had a desire to slea the marques: and so then we sent two of our bre|thren vnto Tyre, who openlie, & in a manner in presence of all the people of Tyre slue him.

Compare 1577 edition: 1 2 This therefore was the verie cause of the death of the marques; & we say to you in good sooth, that the lord Richard king of England, in this death of the marques was nothing cul|pable: and they that haue doone anie displea|sure vnto the king of England for this cause, they haue doone it wrongfullie, and without a|nie iust occasion. Know ye for certeine, that we doo not vse to kill anie man of this world for a|nie EEBO page image 137 bribe, or for monie, except he haue doone to vs some harme afore time. And know ye that we haue made these letters in our house at our castell of Messuat, in the midst of Septem|ber, in the yeare from Alexander the great, 1505.