Edward IV to the Duke of Clarence

                                               LETTER XXXIII.

These iij Letteres undirwreten the Kyng of his own hand wrote
     unto my Lords Clarence Warr, and Arch’ of York.  The Cre-
     dence wherof in Substaunce was y^at eu’y of them shulde in suech
     pesibil wise as thei have be accustumed to ryde, come unto his
     Highness.

 R. E.                        To ou^r Brother of Clarence.

BRODIR, We pray you to yeve feight and credence to ou^r
     welbeloved S^r. Thom’s ¹ Mongomery and Morice ² Berkley
in that on ou^r behalf thei shal declare to you And we truste
ye wole dispose you accordyng to our pleser and comāunde^t
And ye shal be to us right welcome. At Notyngham the IX
day of Jull.

To ou^r Cosyn Therl of Warr.

COSYN we grete you well And pray you to yeve feight and
     credence to S^r. Thom’s Mongomery and Morice Berkley, &c.
And we ne trust y^at ye shulde be of any suech disposicōn
towards us as y^e Rumo^r here renneth consederyng the trust and
affeccōn we bere in yow. At Notyngham the IX day of Jull.
And Cosyn ne thynk but ye shalbe to us welcome.

To our Cosyn Tharchbyshop of Yorke.

COSYN we p’y you y^at ye wul accordyng to the p’myse ye
     made us to come to us as sone as ye goodely may And y^at
yeve credence to S^r. Thom’s Mongomery and Morice Berkley
in y^at un our^r behalve yei shal sey to you And ye shalbe to us
welcome, at Notyngham the IX day of Jul.

11 ¾ by 4 ½.

           Nottingham,

   9th of July, 1470, 10 E. IV.

 These Letters of King Edward were copied, and the Copies appear to have been
sent enclosed immediately to the person to whom the Letter containing them was directed.
Pl. IV. N^o 1. was copied from an original Autograph of this King.

     The Letters were written by the King in 1470, either immediately before he was taken
Prisoner by the Earl of Warwick; or soon after his escape, and re-assuming the govern-
ment, when a Conference was held at Westminster under a Safe-conduct; or (which is
most probable) they were written at the time that the King had ordered his forces to
rendezvous at Nottingham, in order to oppose Warwick; when on the Earl’s approach

he retreated, and marched for Lynn, in Norfolk, from whence he embarked for Holland.
The Date will not coincide with the time as fixed by our Historians.

     The Letters are short and concise, but contain every thing the Writer intended, and
as royal Letters are certainly curious. The Signature at the top is copied from an
Autograph of King Edward.

     ¹ Sir Thomas Montgomery had a command at the battle of Barnet, and was a Knight
of the Garter.

     ² Maurice Berkeley was second son of James, Lord Berkeley, and in great favour
with King Edward. He succeeded his Brother William as Lord Berkeley, in 1491, and
died in 1506.

                                                LETTER XXXIII.

 These three Letters underwritten, the King of his own hand wrote
     unto my Lords of Clarence, Warwick, and Archbishop of York.
     The Credence whereof in substance was, that every of them
     should in such peaceable wise, as they have be (been) accustom-
     ed to ride, come unto his Highness.

REX EDVARDUS.            To our Brother of Clarence.

BROTHER, we pray you to give faith and credence to our
     well beloved Sir Thomas ¹ Montgomery and Morice ² Berk-
ley, in that on our behalf they shall declare to you; and we
trust ye will dispose you according to our pleasure and com-
mandment; and ye shall be to us right welcome. At Nottingham
the 9th day of July.

To our Cousin, the Earl of Warwick.

COUSIN, we greet you well, and pray you to give faith and
     credence to Sir Thomas Montgomery and Morice Berkley,
in that on our behalf they shall declare to you; and we ne trust
(do not believe) that ye should be of any such disposition towards

us, as the Rumour here runneth, considering the trust and affec-
tion we bear in you. At Nottingham the 9th day of July. And
Cousin ne (do not) think but ye shall be to us welcome.

To our Cousin the Archbishop of York.

COUSIN, we pray you that ye will according to the promise
     ye made us, come to us as soon as ye goodly may; And
that (ye) give credence to Sir Thomas Montgomery and Morice
Berkley in that on our behalf they shall say to you; and ye shall
be to us welcome.  At Nottingham the 9^th day of July.

                11 ¾ by 4 ½.

           Nottingham,

   9th of July, 1470, 10 E. IV.

 These Letters of King Edward were copied, and the Copies appear to have been
sent enclosed immediately to the person to whom the Letter containing them was directed.
Pl. IV. N^o 1. was copied from an original Autograph of this King.

     The Letters were written by the King in 1470, either immediately before he was taken
Prisoner by the Earl of Warwick; or soon after his escape, and re-assuming the govern-
ment, when a Conference was held at Westminster under a Safe-conduct; or (which is
most probable) they were written at the time that the King had ordered his forces to
rendezvous at Nottingham, in order to oppose Warwick; when on the Earl’s approach

he retreated, and marched for Lynn, in Norfolk, from whence he embarked for Holland.
The Date will not coincide with the time as fixed by our Historians.

     The Letters are short and concise, but contain every thing the Writer intended, and
as royal Letters are certainly curious. The Signature at the top is copied from an
Autograph of King Edward.

     ¹ Sir Thomas Montgomery had a command at the battle of Barnet, and was a Knight
of the Garter.

     ² Maurice Berkeley was second son of James, Lord Berkeley, and in great favour
with King Edward. He succeeded his Brother William as Lord Berkeley, in 1491, and
died in 1506.

719

EDWARD IV. TO THE DUKE OF CLARENCE, &c.¹

These iij. letteres undirwreten, the Kyng of his own hand wrote unto
     my Lords Clarence, Warrewyke, and Archbishop of York.
     The credence wherof in substaunce was, that every of them
     shulde in suech pesibil wise, as thei have be accustumed to ryde,
     come unto his Highness.

R. E.                      To our Brother of Clarence.

BRODIR, we pray you to yeve feight [faith] and credence
     to our welbeloved Sir Thomas Montgomery and
     Morice Berkly, in that on our behalf thei shal declare
to you. And we truste ye wole dispose you accordyng to our
pleser and comaundement. And ye shal be to us right welcome.
At Notyngham the ix. day of Jull.

To our Cosyn Th’erl of Warr’.

COSYN, we grete you well, and pray you to yeve feight
     and credence to Sir Thomas Mongomery and Morice
     Berkley, &c. And we ne trust that ye shulde be of
any suech disposicion towards us, as the rumour here renneth,
consederyng the trust and affeccion we bere in yow. At Not-
yngham the ix. day of Jull. And, cosyn, ne thynk but ye
shalbe to us welcome.

To our Cosyn Th’archbyshop of Yorke.

COSYN, we pray you that ye wul, accordyng to the pro-
     myse ye made us, to come to us as sone as ye goodely
     may. And that [ye] yeve credence to Sir Thomas
Mongomery and Morice Berkly, in that un our behalve thei
shal sey to you; and ye shalbe to us welcome. At Notyng-
ham the ix. day of Jul.

     ¹ [From Fenn, ii. 40.] The dates of Edward the Fourth’s privy seals show that
he was at Nottingham in July 1469. He was not there in 1470, the year to which
Fenn assigns these letters; and both Clarence and Warwick were then in France. It
would appear, therefore, that these letters were written at the time of Robin of
Redesdale’s rebellion, which the King was going northwards to suppress.

1469
JULY 9

1469
JULY 9