No. 20.

Letter from the City to Henry VI, touching the capture of Sandwich by the French. Dated 3 Sept. [1457].

Letter Book K, fo. 292.

Of al erthely princes our moste high moste redoubted sovereyn lord and moste Christian kyng. We youre symple officers and feithfull humble lieges Mair and Aldermen of yo^r true citee and chambre of London recomande us unto yo^r most souvereyn excellence & noble grace in als humble and lowly wise as we moste hertly canne ymagine and devise humblely beseching yo^r moste noble grace to be enformed of þe full piteuous and lamentable tidings þat late have comen unto o^r knowliche bothe by writing in certeyn and credible reaporte made to us touching thynfortunate entrepruise late hadde upon yo^r towne of Sandewiche by yor enemyes and adversaires of France and Bretaigne whiche in a grete armee and with grete noumbre of shippes on Sondaie last passed aboute vj of the clok in þe mornyng arrived to lande at y^r saide towne of Sandewiche. And there after diverse scarmysshes gate and entred þe towne and it have dispoiled and pilled unto thuttermoste they have also full cruelly slayne diverse and many of your people and taken prisoners þe moste parte of the þrifty men of þe same towne and also have taken & ladde awaie þe shippes in the haven þere aboute þe nombre of xxxij grete and smale diverse of theym charged with wolles and oþere marchandises of no litle estymacõn and value to þe grete hurt of all this your reaume, and suche othir shippes as they myght not with them wele convey from thens have broken fired and brent and many oþere grete and outrageous violences have there commytted and doon þat pitee is to hire like as in þe copies of ij lettres entre-closed within thise is made expresse mencõn. And thise doon yo^r saide enemeys with their vessels pillaige and prisoners withdrowe them unto the Downes where they dailie encrecen in gretter nombre both of people and vessels entending not as it is seide therby to ceasse of their cruell and malicious purpose but utterly to destroye þe navire of this yo^r land as it sheweth in open experience by that they have late also attempted and doon at yo^r towne and porte of Fowey and oþere places. And then to take an entrepruise upon this yo^r royalme þe whiche if it ne were þe sonner myghtly lette and manly withstonde by yo^r saide highnesse and myghti power myght of liklihode growe unto þe grete jeoparde of your saide reaume as god defende. In eschewing of whiche daungerous myschiefz and grete perils we yo^r said humble lieges wiþ grete & undelayed diligence have had rype comynycacõn with þe grete partie of yo^r comons of yo^r saide citee whom to þe pleasir of god and of you sovereyn lord and to þe defence and saufgarde of this yo^r reaume we fynde to their power full wele-willed and towardly disposed to take upon them the charge in hasty wise to vitaille manne and setteforthe diverse shippes heer beyng in yo^r ryver of Thamyse with þe nombre of m^t m^t persones or neer thereby they to be redy to attende & assist such armee and power as shall like yo^r highnesse by thavise of yo^r Counsell to provide and ordeyne to þe resistence recountre and rebuke of yo^r saide enemyes by goddis mercy. So þat it may like yo^r moste high and noble grace to comaunde them so to doo. And þeruppon to yeove them sufficient auchorite undre yo^r grete seal. And to open and declare þe premisses unto your saide higenesse more at large. We send towardes þe same at this tyme o^r broþer Thomas Cook, alderman pleynly instruct of o^r entent in this behalve. To whom in moste humble wise we besiche yo^r said highnesse to give full feith & credence in the premisses Moste high moste redoubted sovereyn lorde and most Christian kyng we devoutly besiche þe kyng of all kynges whos reaume shall endelesly last and endure your blessed soule and noble body from either of þeir enemyes evermore to protect kepe and defende þat ye mowe in þis world upon us and alle yo^r oþer lieges wiþ reporte of worldly joye and victorie long tyme regne & endure to þe singuler conforte of us all. Written at yo^r saide citee of London þe third daie of Septembre.