APPENDIX A.
No. 1.
Reply from the City to a letter from King Henry V [Printed in Memorials] asking for wine and provisions for the army at Rouen. Dated the Feast of Nativ. of B.V.M. (8 Sept., 1418).
Letter Book I, fo. 216.
Our most dred most soveraign lord and noblest kyng to the soveragn highnesse of your kyngly mageste with all maner of lowenesse and reverence mekly we recomende us Nat oonly as we oughte and shulde but as we best can and may with alle our hertes thankynge your soveraign excellence of your gracious lettres in makyng gladsom in understondyng and passyng confortable in favoring of our poure degrees which ye liked late to send us from your hoost afore the cite of Roan. In which lettres after declaracõn of your most noble entent for the refresshing of your hooste ye recorde so highly the redinesse of our wille and power at alle tymes to your plesaunce and thankyn us therof so hertely that treuly save oonly our preier to hym that al good quiteth never was it ne mighte it halfe be deserved. And after suing in your forsaid gracious lettres ye praye us effcuelly [sic] to do enarme as mani smale vessels as we may with vitaille and specially with drinke for to come up as fer as they may in to the river of Seyne. And nat only this but in the conclusion of your soveraign lettres forsayd ye fede us so bounteuesly with behest shewyng of your good lordship to us in tyme comyng as ye have ever don that now and ever we shulle be the joyfuller in this life whan we remembre us on so noble a grace. [O how may the simplesse of pouere lieges better or mor clerly conceyve the graciouse love and favorable tendresse of the kyng her soveraign lord than to here how your most excellent and noble persone more worthi to us than alle wordly richesse or plente in so thynne habondance of vitaill homly disposed so graciously and goodly declare and uttir un to us that ar your liege men and subgitz yor plein luste and plesaunce as it is in yor sayd noble lettres worthily conteyned. Certein trewe liege man is þer non ne feithful subgit coude þer non ne durste tarie or be lachesse in any wyse to the effectuell praier or comaundement of so soveraign and high a lord which his noble body peineth and knightly aventureth for the right and welfare of us alle].[841] Oure most dred most soveraign lord and noblest kyng plese it your soveraign hignesse to understonde how that your forsaid kyngly praier as most strait charge and comaundement we willyng in alle pointes obeye and execute anon fro þe resceit of your of your [sic] sayd gracious lettres which was þe xix day of August nigh none unto þe makyng of þese symple lettres what in getyng and enarmyng of as many smale vessels as we myght doyng brewe boþe ale and bere purveing wyne and oþer vitaillee for to charge with þe same vessels we have don our besie deligence and cure as god wot. In which vessels wiþoute gret plente of oþer vitails þat men of your cite London aventuren for refresshing of your host to þe costes where your soveraign presence is Inne we lowely send wiþ gladdest wille unto your soveraign excellence and kyngly mageste by John Credy[842] and John Combe poure officers of your sayd cite bringers of these lettres tritty botes of swete wyne that is to seye ten of Tyre, ten of Romeney, ten of Malvesy and a thousand pipes of ale and bere with thuo thousand and five hundred coppes for your hoost to drinke of which we besech your high excellence and noble grace for our alder comfort and gladnesse benignely to resceyve and accepte nat havyng reward to þe litelhed or smale value of the gifte it self which is simple but to þe good will and high desir þat þe poure yevers þerof hav to þe good spede worship and welfare of yor most soveraign and excellent persone of which spede and welfare and al your oþer kyngly lustes and plesaunces we desire highly be the sayd berers of thes lettres or oþer whom your soveraign highnesse shal like fully to be lerned and enfourmed. Our moost dred most soveraign lord and noblest kyng we lowely besech the kyng of heven whos body refused nat for our savacõn wordly peyne gilteles to endure þat he your graciouse persone which for our alder good and proffit so knythly laboureþ litel or noght chargyng bodily ease in al worship and honure evermore to kepe and preserve. Writen at Gravesende under þe seal of mayralte of your sayd cite London on þe day of þe Nativite of our Lady the Blisful Mayde [8 Sept.].