Proclamation by the Duke of Suffolk

LETTER LXIII.

The duc of Norff.

BE hit knowen to alle the kyngs trewe liege peple The Cause
      of our Comynge in to this Contre ys by the Comandemēt
of y^e kynge our Sou^rayn lorde. For to enquer of suche gret
riotts extorcyons oryble wrongis and hurts as his highnesse ys
credybyly enformyd ben don in yis Contre And to know in ser-
teyne by yow y^t knowe the trowthe. by what p^rsone or personys
the seyde gret riotts extorcions oryble wrongis and hurts be done
Wherfor we charge yow alle on y^e kyngs behalve our sou^rayne
lorde y^t ze spar neyy^r for love drede ne fer y^t ze haue to any
persone of what estat degre or Condicion he be but y^t ze sey the
soth by whome suche offences be done And y^t ze spar no man
y^t ze knowe gilty. And be the feyth y^t we owe to our sou^rayn
lorde yey schal be chastysid after ther desert. And hit reformyd
as lawe requyrith. Also hit ys opunly puplysschid y^t serteyne
s^runts of y^e lord Scales schulde in his name manasse and put men
in feer and drede to Compleyne to us at y^is tyme of y^e seide
hurts and greves seynge y^t we wolde abyde but a schort tyme
her. And aftir our departynge he wolde haue the rewle and
gour^rna’nce as he hay had affore tyme. We lete yow wete y^t
nexst the kynge our sou^rayn lord be his good g’ce and lycence
we woll haue the p’ncypall rewle and gou^rnance yrowh all yis
Schir of whishe we ber our name whyls y^t we be lyvynge as
ferre as reson and lawe requyriy. hoso eu^r. will grutche or sey
       . . . .
the contrary for we woll y^t the lord Scales S^r Thom’s Tuden-
h’m S^r Mylie Stapylton and John Heydon haue in Knowleche
yowh our persone be not dayly her. They schal fynde our
power her at alle tymes to do the kynge our sou^rayn lord s^ruyse
And to support and ma[SYM]tene yow alle in your right y^t ben the
kyng?s trewe lige men For hit may not ben seyde nay but y^t her
hay ben the grettest Riotts orryble wrongs and offences done in
thise partyes. by the seide lord Scales Thom?s Tudenh?m Mylis
Stapilton Joh? Heydon And suche as ben Confedred on to theym
y^t evir was seen in our dayes And most myschiffe yrowh ther
maliciouse p?pose lyke to haue fallyn amonge the kyngs trewe
liege peple now late at Norwiche ne had we bett^r p?vidid y?for.
And also y^t god fortunyd us to w^tstande ther seyde malicious and
evill disposid purpose Wherfor maky billiz of your grevance
And Come to us And we schal brynge yow to the kynges p?sence
our selfe whos p?sence wyll be her in all y^e hast w^t the m^rcy of
god And see y^e reformacion yer of his owyn persone.

          11 ? by 8 ?.
            Paper Mark,
               A Bull.
           Pl. XXII. N^o 16.

On the back of this Letter is the following memorandum in an ancient hand, ?A
?Copie of the Duke of N. L?re wh^ch sheweth y^t notable Injuries wer comytted by the
?L. Scales and his Adherents.?

     This Letter was written at a time when the King was under the direction of the Duke
of York?s party, about the year 1455, as it accuses the Friends of the House of Lan-
caster of being guilty of riots and outrageous offences. It fairly shews the behaviour of

the victorious party to those in the opposite interest, and speaks the language of those
who had the King in their power.

     John Mowbray, Duke of Norfolk, died in 1461. For his curious Autograph see
Pl. I. N^o 3.

     From such orders as these, issued by the great men, we can judge better of the trans-
actions of these turbulent times than from any regular history extant.

LETTER LXIII.

The Duke of Norfolk.

BE it known to all the King’s true liege people, the cause of
      our coming into this country is, by the commandment of
the King our sovereign lord, for to enquire of such great riots,
extortions, horrible wrongs, and hurts, as his highness is cre-
dibly informed be done in this country, and to know in certain,
by you that know the truth, by what person or persons the said
great riots, extortions, horrible wrongs, and hurts be done;
wherefore we charge you all, on the king’s behalf our sovereign
lord, that ye spare neither for love, dread, nor fear that ye
have to any person of what estate, degree, or condition, he be,
but that ye say the soth (truth) by whom such offences be
done, and that ye spare no man that ye know guilty, and, by the
faith that we owe to our sovereign lord, they shall be chastised
after their desert, and it reformed as law requireth.

     Also it is openly published that certain servants of the Lord
Scales should in his name menace and put men in fear and dread
to complain to us at this time of the said hurts and griefs, say-
ing that we would abide but a short time here, and after our
departing he would have the rule and governance as he hath had
afore time. We let you weet that next the king our sovereign
lord, by his good grace and licence, we will have the principal
rule and governance through all this shire, of which we bear our
name, while that we be living, as far as reason and law requireth,
whosoever will grudge or say the contrary; for we will that the
Lord Scales, Sir Thomas Todenham, Sir Miles Stapylton, and
John Heydon have in knowledge, though our person be not daily
here, they shall find our power here at all times to do the King
our sovereign lord service, and to support and maintain you all
in your right that be the King’s true liege men; for it may not
be said nay, but that here hath been the greatest riots, horrible
wrongs, and offences done in these parts by the said Lord Scales,
Thomas Todenham, Miles Stapylton, John Heydon, and such
as be confederated unto them that ever was seen in our days;
and most mischief through their malicious purpose like to have
fallen among the King’s true liege people now late at Norwich,
ne had we (had we not) better provided therefore; and also that
God fortuned us to withstand their said malicious and evil dis-
posed purpose.

     Wherefore make bills of your grievance and come to us, and
we shall bring you to the King’s presence ourself, whose pre-
sence will be here in all the haste with the mercy of God, and
see the reformation there of his own person.

          11 ? by 8 ?.
            Paper Mark,
               A Bull.
           Pl. XXII. N^o 16.

On the back of this Letter is the following memorandum in an ancient hand, ?A
?Copie of the Duke of N. L?re wh^ch sheweth y^t notable Injuries wer comytted by the
?L. Scales and his Adherents.?

     This Letter was written at a time when the King was under the direction of the Duke
of York?s party, about the year 1455, as it accuses the Friends of the House of Lan-
caster of being guilty of riots and outrageous offences. It fairly shews the behaviour of

the victorious party to those in the opposite interest, and speaks the language of those
who had the King in their power.

     John Mowbray, Duke of Norfolk, died in 1461. For his curious Autograph see
Pl. I. N^o 3.

     From such orders as these, issued by the great men, we can judge better of the trans-
actions of these turbulent times than from any regular history extant.

210

PROCLAMATION BY THE DUKE OF NORFOLK²

The Duc of Norffolk

     BE hit knowen to alle the Kyngs trewe liege peple, the
        cause of our comynge in to this contre ys, by the
        comandement of the Kynge our soverayn Lorde, for
to enquer of suche gret riotts, extorcyons, oryble wrongis and
hurts as his Highnesse ys credybyly enformyd ben don in this
contre, and to know in serteyne, by yow that knowe the
trowthe, by what persone or personys the seyde gret riotts,
extorcions, oryble wrongis and hurts be done. Wherfor we
charge yow alle, on the Kyngs behalve our soverayne Lorde,
that ze spar neyther for love, drede, ne fer that ze have to
any persone of what estat, degre, or condicion he be, but that
ze sey the soth by whome suche offences de done, and that ze
spar no man that ze knowe gilty; and be the feyth that we
owe to our soverayn Lorde, they schal be chastysid after ther
desert, and hit reformyd as lawe requyrith.

     Also hit ys opunly puplysschid that serteyne servaunts of
the Lord Scales schulde in his name manasse and put men in
feer and drede to compleyne to us at this tyme of the seide
hurts and greves, seynge that we wolde abyde but a schort
tyme her, and aftir our departynge he wolde have the rewle
and governaunce as he hath had affore tyme. We lete yow
wete that nexst the Kynge our soverayn Lord, be his good grace
and lycence, we woll have the princypall rewle and govern-
ance throwh all this schir, of whishe we ber our name whyls
that we be lyvynge, as ferre as reson and lawe requyrith, hoso
ever will grutche or sey the [contrary¹]; for we woll that the
Lord Scales, Sir Thomas Tudenham, Sir Mylis Stapylton,
and John Heydon have in knowleche, thowh our persone be
not dayly her, they schal fynde our power her at all tymes
to do the Kynge our soverayn Lord servyse, and to support
and mayntene yow alle in your right that ben the Kyngs trewe
lige men. For hit may non ben seyde nay, but that her hath
ben the grettest riotts, orryble wrongs and offences done in
thise partyes by the seide Lord Scales, Thomas Tudenham,
Mylis Stapilton, John Heydon, and suche as ben confedred on
to theym that evir was seen in our dayes; and most myschiffe
throwh ther maliciouse purpose lyke to have fallyn amonge
the Kyngs trewe liege peple now late at Norwiche, ne had we
better providid therfor. And also that God fortunyd us to
withstande ther seyde malicious and evill disposid purpose.

     Wherfor makith billiz of your grevance, and come to us,
and we schal brynge yow to the Kynges presence our selfe,
whos presence wyll be her in all the hast with the mercy of
God, and see the reformacion ther of his owyn persone.

     ² [From Fenn, iii. 248.] The intended royal visit to Norfolk mentioned in the
end of this proclamation appears to tally best with the date of April 1452, when, it
will also be seen from the letters following, the Duke of Norfolk was at Framlingham,
hearing complaints from the gentlemen of Norfolk.

    ¹ Indicatcd by Fenn as illegible in MS.

1452
APRIL 1

1452
[APRIL]

1452
[APRIL]