Lord Hungerford and Robert Whityngham to Margaret of Anjou

LETTER IX.

The following is the Copy of the Letter enclosed to his Maist’ Paston.
A la Reyne D’engleterre

                                                                                                Escote.

   MA DAM please it yo^r gode God we have sith our
     comyng hider writen to yo^r Highnes thryes the last we
sent by ¹ Bruges to be sent to you by the first vessell that went
into Scotland the oder ij letters we sent from ² Depe the t’on by
the Carvell in the whiche we came and the oder in a noder
vessell but ma dam all was oon thyng in substance of puttyng
you in knolege of the ³ Kyng your uncles deth whom God
assoyll and howe we stade arest and doo yet, but on tuysday next
we trust and understande we shall up to the ⁴ Kyng yo^r. Cosyn
germayn, his Comyssaries at the first of our tarrying toke all our
letters and writyngs and bere theym up to the Kyng levyng my
Lord of Som’set in kepyng atte Castell of Arkes and my felowe
Whityngham and me, ffor we had sauf conduct in the Town
of Depe where we ar yete. But on Tyysday next we under-
stande that it pleaseth the said Kyngs Highnes that we shall
come to hys p’sence and ar charged to bring us up Mon’s^r de
Cressell nowe Baillyf of Canse and Mon’s^r de la Mot Ma dam
ferth you not but be of gode comfort and beware that ye aven-
ture not your p’son, ne my Lord the Prynce by the See, till ye
have oder word from us in lesse than your p’son cannot be sure
there as ye ar that extreme necessite dryfe you thens and for
God sake the Kyngs Highnes be advysed the same, ffor as we
be enformed Therll of ⁵ March is into Wales by land and
hath sent his navy thider by see, and Ma Dame thynketh verily
we shall not soner be delyvered but y^t we woll com streght to
you w^taut Deth take us by the wey, the which we trust he woll
not till we see the Kyng and you peissible ayene in your Reame,
the which we besech God soon to see and to send you that your
Highnes desireth. Writen at Depe the xxx^ti dey of August.

                                           Yo^r true Subgettes and

                                                           Liege men,            ⁶ Hungerford.
                                                                                            ⁷ Whityngham.

             8 ½ by 11 ½.
              Paper Mark,
       Bull’s Head and Star.
              Pl. x. N^o 1.

Diepe,
30th of August, 1461,                                                 
     I E. IV.

At the bottom of the Copy of the Letter is added

These ar the names of those men that ar in Scotland w^t the Quene.

     The Kyng Herry is at Kirkhowbre w^t iiij men and a childe
     Quene Margaret is at Edenburgh and hir Son.
     The Lord ⁸ Roos and his Son.

     This Copy is written by Henry Windsor, and having the same Paper Mark with the
foregoing Original Letter, is that which was sent with it to his Master Paston, to whom
it is directed.

     We here see the suspicious state the Adherents of the Queen were in abroad, though in
 

the kingdom of her Cousin Germain. What a fall for poor King Henry, from a throne
to the attendance of four men and a boy!

     ¹ A City and Port Town in Flanders.

     ² A Port Town, in the Province of Normandy, in France.

     ³ Charles VII. King of France, died 22d of July, 1461, aged 60.

     ⁴ Lewis XI. King of France.

 ⁵ Edward IV. King of England.

     ⁶ Robert, Lord Hungersord, was a steady friend to the House of Lancaster, and
being taken in arms, endeavouring to restore Henry VI. was beheaded in 1463.

 ⁷ Sir Robert Whityngham and Sir Edward Hampden, were slain at the battle of Tew-
kesbury, in 1471.

     ⁸ Thomas, Lord Roos, and his Son Edmund, the former was beheaded in 1463, after
the battle of Hexham.

    LETTER IX.

To the Queen of England,
in Scotland,

   MADAM, please it your good God, we have since our
     coming hither, written to your Highness thrice; the first,
we sent by ¹ Bruges, to be sent to you by the first vessel that
went into Scotland; the other two Letters we sent from ² Diepe,
the one, by the Carvel in the which we came; and the other,
in another vessel; but, madam, all was one thing in substance,
of putting you in knowledge of the ³ King your Uncle’s death,
whom God assoyl (pardon), and how we stade (stood) arrested,
and do yet. But on Tuesday next we trust and understand, we
shall up to the ⁴ King your Cousin Germain. His Commissa-
ries, at the first of our tarrying, took all our Letters, and Wri-
tings, and bare them up to the King; leaving my Lord of
Somerset in keeping at (the) Castle of Arkes; and my Fellow
Whityngham and me, (for we had safe conduct) in the Town of
Diepe; where we are yet. But on Tuesday next we understand,
that it pleaseth the said King’s Highness, that we shall come to
his presence: and are charged to bring us up, Monsieur de
Cressell now Bailiff of Canse and Monsieur de la Mot.

     Madam, ferth (fear) you not, but be of good comfort, and
beware that ye adventure not your person, ne my Lord the
Prince, by the Sea, till ye have other word from us; in less than
(unless that) your person cannot be sure there as ye are (where
you are), and that extreme necessity drive you thence. And
for God’s sake (let) the King’s Highness be advised the same;
for as we be informed, the Earl of ⁵ March is into Wales by
land, and hath sent his Navy thither by Sea. And, Madam,
think verily, we shall not sooner be delivered, but that we will
come straight to you, without Death take us by the way; the
which we trust he will not, till we see the King and you peace-
able again in your Realm; the which we beseech God soon to
see, and to send you that your Highness desireth. Written
at Diepe, the 30th day of August.

Your true Subjects and

                                                Liege men,           ⁶ HUNGERFORD.
                                                                                ⁷ WHITYNGHAM.
    

8 ? by 11 ?.
              Paper Mark,
       Bull’s Head and Star.
              Pl. x. N^o 1.

Diepe,
30th of August, 1461,                                                 
     I E. IV.

     These are the names of those men that are in Scotland with
the Queen.

     The King Harry is at Kirkhowbre with four men and a child.

     Queen Margaret is at Edenburgh and her Son.

     The Lord ⁸ Roos and his Son.

 This Copy is written by Henry Windsor, and having the same Paper Mark with the
foregoing Original Letter, is that which was sent with it to his Master Paston, to whom
it is directed.

     We here see the suspicious state the Adherents of the Queen were in abroad, though in
 

the kingdom of her Cousin Germain. What a fall for poor King Henry, from a throne
to the attendance of four men and a boy!

     ¹ A City and Port Town in Flanders.

     ² A Port Town, in the Province of Normandy, in France.

     ³ Charles VII. King of France, died 22d of July, 1461, aged 60.

     ⁴ Lewis XI. King of France.

 ⁵ Edward IV. King of England.

     ⁶ Robert, Lord Hungersord, was a steady friend to the House of Lancaster, and
being taken in arms, endeavouring to restore Henry VI. was beheaded in 1463.

 ⁷ Sir Robert Whityngham and Sir Edward Hampden, were slain at the battle of Tew-
kesbury, in 1471.

     ⁸ Thomas, Lord Roos, and his Son Edmund, the former was beheaded in 1463, after
the battle of Hexham.

480

LORD HUNGERFORD AND ROBERT WHITYNGHAM
TO MARGARET OF ANJOU¹

A la Reyne D?Engleterre [en] Escote.

MADAM, please it yowr gode God, we have sith our
     comyng hider, writen to your Highnes thryes. The
     last we sent by Bruges, to be sent to you by the
first vessell that went into Scotland; the oder ij. letters we
sent from Depe, the ton by the Carvell in the whiche we came,
and the oder in a noder vessell. But, ma dam, all was oon
thyng in substance, of puttyng you in knolege of the Kyng
your uncles² deth, whom God assoyll, and howe we sta[n]de
arest [arrestea], and doo yet; but on Tuysday next we trust
and understande, we shall up to the Kyng, your cosyn
germayn.³ His Comyssaries, at the first of our tarrying,
toke all our letters and writyngs, and bere theym up to the
Kyng, levyng my Lord of Somerset in kepyng atte Castell of
Arkes,⁴ and my felowe Whityngham and me, for we had sauff
conduct, in the town of Depe, where we ar yete. But on
Tyysday next we understand, that it pleaseth the said Kyngs
Highnes that we shall come to hys presence, and ar charged to
bring us up, Monsieur de Cressell, nowe Baillyf of Canse, and
Monsieur de la Mot.

     Ma dam, ferth [fear] you not, but be of gode comfort,
and beware that ye aventure not your person, ne my Lord
the Prynce,¹ by the See, till ye have oder word from us, in less
than your person cannot be sure there as ye ar, [and] that
extreme necessite dryfe you thens; and for God sake the
Kyngs Highnes be advysed the same. For as we be en-
formed, Th’erll of March² is into Wales by land, and hath
sent his navy thider by see; and, Ma dame, thynketh verily,
we shall not soner be delyvered, but that we woll come streght
to you, withaut deth take us by the wey, the which we trust
he woll not, till we see the Kyng and you peissible ayene in
your Reame; the which we besech God soon to see, and to
send you that your Highnes desireth. Writen at Depe the
xxx^ti dey of August.

Your true Subgettes and Liege men.

                                                                           HUNGERFORD.

                                                                           WHITYNGHAM.

     At the bottom of the Copy of the Letter is added:—

     These ar the names of those men that ar in Scotland with
the Quene. The Kyng Herry is at Kirkhowbre with iiij. men
and a childe.

     Quene Margaret is at Edenburgh and hir son.

     The Lord Roos and his son.

¹ [From Fenn, i. 246.] That this letter was written in the year 1461 is
sufficiently evident from its contents. The MS. from which it was printed by Fenn
was a copy in the handwriting of Henry Windsor, and was manifestly the enclosure
referred to in his letter No. 483. It bore the same paper-mark as that letter.

     ² Charles VII. of France. He died on the 22nd July 1461.

     ³ Lewis XI., son of Charles VII.

     ⁴ Arques, in Normandy, south of Dieppe.

  ¹ Edward, son of Henry VI.

     ² Edward IV., whom the Lancastrians did not yet recognise as king.

AUG. 30

1461
AUG. 30