No. 30.

Letter from King Henry VII to the City announcing the betrothal of his daughter the Princess Mary to Prince Charles of Castile. Dated Richmond, 28 Dec. [1507].

Letter Book M, fo. 138.

By the king

Trusty and welbeloved we grete you well. And forasmoche as wee doubt not but yt is and shalbe to you and to all other our true subiectes right joyfull and confortable to here and understande from tyme to tyme specially of suche causes and matiers as redounde to the grete honour exaltacioun universall weal suertie and restfulnes of us this our realme and our subiectes of the same we signifie unto you that by o^r grete labour studie and police thys grete and honourable aliaunce and mariage betwixt the prince of Castile and o^r right dere doughter the lady Marie ys nowe o^r lorde bethanked betwixt o^r ambassadours and the oratours aswell of o^r brother and cousyn the king of Romans as of the seid yonge prince at o^r towne of Calays accorded aggreed concluded and finally determyned w^t a grete ample and large amitie and consideracioun to the suertie strenght defence and comfort aswell of us and of the seid prince as of either of our realmes contrayes dominions and subiectes and considering the noble lynage and blode whereof the seid yong prince ys descended whiche ys of the grettest kinges and princes in Cristendome remembring also the regions landes and contrays by rightfull enheritaunce he shall succede with the manyfolde commodities and goodenes that may folowe and ensue to us and this o^r realme aswell by the seid aliaunce and amitie as also by the free and sure entercourse of merchaundise that our and hys subiectees may and shall have in the regions and contrayes of us bothe specially being soo nye joyned togeder as they be we thinke verraly that thought the same shalbe right chargeable yet for the hono^r suertie weale and profite of this o^r seid reame noon so noble mariage can any where be founde. So that by meane therof and thother aliaunce whiche we have w^t o^r good son the King of Scottes [851] this o^r reame ys nowe environd and in maner closed on every side w^t suche myghti princes o^r good sonnes frendes confiderates and alies that by the helpe of o^r lorde the same ys and shalbe perpetually establisshed in rest and peace and welthy condicioun to o^r grete hono^r and pleaso^r the reioysing and comfort of all o^r loving frendes confiderates and alies, the feare and discomfort of o^r enmyes that wold entende or presume to attempt any thing to the contrary. The premisses therefore considered we do advertise you of the same to thentent that like as we doubt nat but ye and every of you wol take pleaso^r and comfort in hering thereof. So with convenient diligence uppon the sight of these o^r lettres ye wol cause demonstraciouns and tokens of reioysing and comfort to be made in sundry places w^t in o^r citie there aswell by making of ffyres in suche places as shall thinke convenient as otherwise in the best and confortable maner that ye can so that therby it may be evidently knowen what gladnesse and reioysing ys generally takyn and made by you and other o^r subiectes for perfecting of the seid hono^rable matiers like as we knowe right well that the subiectes of the seid yong prince for their parte have doon and wol semblably do accordingly lating you wite that we have directed o^r like lettres to diverse other cities and townes w^tin o^r seid reame semblably to do for theyr part. Yeuen under o^r Signet at our maner of Richemond the xxviij day of Decembre.