No. 12.
Letter from the Earl of Salisbury and of Perche to the Mayor and Aldermen of the City of London announcing the success of the war in France. Dated 5 Sept. [1428]
Letter Book K, fo. 55b.
Right trusty & entierly welbeloved frendes we grete you hertely wel And for asmuche as we trust fully that ye desire to here of þe good tydinges of þat which vureth wel to oure sovereing lord in the conquest of his enemys here in þis lande We do yow to witte þat þe vure & spede seth our last comyng in to þis lande hath be so good that I am ever behold to þanke god besechyng hym to continue hit for his mercye and after þe Wynnying of many diverse tounes castelles & Forteresses we laied siege afor þis toune of Yenville and after diversez aprochemenes made þerto as was on sonneday sevenyght which was the xxix day of August we gate þe said toune of Yenville be þe most notable assault þat evere we sawe. And sethen þe castell was yolden un to oure grace and many oþer tounes castelles & stronge chirches god hath sent hem in to þobbeissaunce of oure sovereing lord blessed most god be somme yolden to oure grace somme to our wil somme wonne be assault & somme oþer wyse þe nombre of whiche is more þan xl And so þanked be god þer comyth in dayly places to þobbeissaunce to þe Recovering of which we þenke to do all diligence as we behold with out sparyng of labour or pein. And for our gret & singler comfort We pray you oft tymes to signifie us be wryting of youre Welfare. And þat we may fynd your faveur and Frendship in alle þinges þat we have or shal have to don in oure absence and so to continue your good frendship like as hit liked yow to do what tyme we were þer present. For which we thanke yow and hold us muche behold to do for yow what we can or may to which we wol ever be redy with al our power. And þe holie trinite have yow always in his blessed keping. Writen at Yenvile the v day of Septembre.
Item we do you to wite that seth the wryting of þis we have had tydinges frome our brother Sire Richard Haukeford whome we had sent to Ride afore þe toune and castel of Meun sur leyre[845] þat blessed be god he hath do so good diligence that he hath goten þe sayd toune castel & peuple yolden to þobbeissaunce of oure soverein lord Which toune & castell ben ryght notable & hugely fourneshed of peuple and vitaile yuoughe blessed be god for alle þe kyngis puissaunce here a good while. And to þe sayd toune is a faire brigge overe þe gret River of leyre which ys bot v leges oute of þe cite of Orliens.
[A schedule of 38 towns follows]