Right worshipfull Sire and myn good maister, I recomaund me unto you, thankyng you of your gentilness chewed unto me; praying you of contenuance as myn full trust is. Furthermore, and it please you to be atte aleyser un Seynt Markis day next comyng and to be at Thetford, myn brodir Tyrell and I wole awayte uppon you ther for the matere ye woet of. And I praye you to hold me excused that I myght not kepe myn day in the Passion wike, for in good feight I was so occupied I myght not. And, Sire, yif this day may be hol . . I praye you sendith me woord that I myght send warnyng to the todir party. Also, Sire, I have warned your atteynt accordyng to your comawndment. Sir, the kyng hath sent unto me by Howard to be frendly to the lord Moleyns; not with stondyng myn service shall be redy at your comawndement in that matere er any othir by the grace of God, Who preserve you, body and sowle. Wreten at Melford, the furste day of Aprill. —Be youris, J. Clopton.
[258.1] [Add. MS. 34,888, f. 60.] The date of this letter must no doubt be referred to the year when the writer was Sheriff of Norfolk and Suffolk, which he was from November 1451 to 1452.
[210]
PROCLAMATION BY THE DUKE OF NORFOLK[258.2]
The Duc of Norffolk
1452
[APRIL]
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 be 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 governance 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 [contrary[259.1]]; 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.
[258.2] [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.
[259.1] Indicated by Fenn as illegible in MS.