Right welbeloved cosyn, I recomaund me to you, latyng you wite such tidings as we have.
Blessed be God, the Kyng is wel amended, and hath ben syn Cristemesday, and on Seint Jones day[13.2] comaunded his awmener [almoner] to ride to Caunterbury wyth his offryng, and comaunded the secretarie to offre at Seint Edwards.
And on the Moneday after noon the Queen came to him, and brought my Lord Prynce with her. And then he askid what the Princes name was, and the Queen told him Edward; and than he hild up his hands and thankid God therof. And he seid he never knew til that tyme, nor wist not what was seid to him, nor wist not where he had be whils he hath be seke til now. And he askid who was godfaders, and the Queen told him, and he was wel apaid.
And she told him that the Cardinal[13.3] was dede, and he seid he knew never therof til that tyme; and he seid oon of the wisist Lords in this land was dede.
And my Lord of Wynchestr[13.4] and my Lord of Seint Jones[13.5] were with him on the morow after Tweltheday, and he speke to hem as well as ever he did; and when thei come out thei wept for joye.
And he seith he is in charitee with all the world, and so he wold all the Lords were. And now he seith matyns of Our Lady and evesong, and herith his Masse devoutly; and Richard shall tell yow more tidings by mouth.
I pray yow recomaund me to my Lady Morley,[14.1] and to Maister Prior,[14.2] and to my Lady Felbrigge,[14.3] and to my Lady Hevenyngham,[14.4] and to my cosyn your moder, and to my cosyn your wife.
Wreten at Grenewich on Thursday after Twelftheday. Be your cosyn, Edmund Clere.
[13.1] [From Fenn, i. 80.] There is no doubt about the date of this letter. The King fell ill at Clarendon in the autumn of 1453, and remained in a state of utter imbecility during the greater part of the year 1454, so that in March a deputation from the House of Peers, sent to communicate with him on the death of his Chancellor, Cardinal Kemp, was obliged to report that they had been utterly unable to obtain from him any answer or sign that he understood the least thing said to him. It appears from this letter that his recovery was about Christmas, when he heard for the first time of the birth of his son fourteen months before, and of the death of Cardinal Kemp nine months before.
[13.2] Dec. 27.