March 18.
Lichfield. |
To Edward, the king's son. The king understands what Edward has
answered by his letters, and that he remembers what he was charged by the
king concerning his not marrying without the king and concerning other
matters, and what he said to the king at his departure from Dovre, and
that he would always obey the king's orders and pleasure with all his
power. If he do so, he will do wisely and will do his duty, and will have
the grace of God, the king, and of all men; if he do not, he cannot avoid
great dishonour and damage to God and all men, and the king's wrath and
indignation: the king therefore charges him, to the best of his power, and
under pain of forfeiting (meffaire) all he may to the king, to remember
well the matters aforesaid, and that he do not marry, or suffer himself to be
married, without the king's assent, or before he have returned to the king,
and that he do nothing else that may [be] to the king's damage, in anger of
heart. Regarding what he has informed the king, that it seems to him
that he cannot come to the king so speedily as the king has ordered him by
reason of his mother, who is, as he says, in great uneasiness of heart, and
that he cannot leave her until she be in such point, out of affection and to do
his duty, . . . . . to leave [her] in such unhappiness for long; he knows how
the king has loved and cherished her, and, truly, if she had conducted herself
towards the king as she ought to have done towards her lord, the king would
be much harassed to learn of her grief or unhappiness, but as she feigns a
reason to withdraw from the king by reason of his dear and faithful nephew
H. le Despenser, who has always served the king well and faithfully,
Edward can see and everybody can see that she openly, notoriously, and
knowingly, contrary to her duty and the estate of the king's crown, which
she is bound to love and maintain, draws to her and retains in her company
of her council the Mortimer, the king's traitor and mortal enemy, approved,
attainted, and adjudged in full parliament, and keeps his company within
and without house, in despite of the king and of his crown and of the
rights of his realm, which Mortimer the king of France had banished from
his power as the king's enemy at the king's request at another time, and
now she does worse, if possible, when she has delivered Edward to the
company of the king's said enemy, and makes [him] Edward's councillor,
and causes Edward to adhere to him openly and notoriously in the sight of
everybody, to the great dishonour and villainy of the king and of Edward,
and in prejudice of the king's crown and of the laws and usages of the realm
of England, which Edward is bound to save and maintain before all things.
For these and many other reasons Edward's stay in those parts, which is so
shameful and may be perilous and damaging to him in many ways, does not
please the king, and ought not to please Edward, either for his mother or
for any one else. The king therefore orders and charges him to come to
him as speedily as possible, notwithstanding the above or any other excuses,
since his mother has written to the king that she will not disturb his
returning if he wish to return, and the king does not think that the
king of France will detain him contrary to his safe-conduct. He is enjoined
not to omit coming to the king speedily, either for his mother or for any
other reason, or for going into the duchy [of Aquitaine], concerning which
the king will soon make ordinance for Edward's honour, or for any other
cause or excuse, if he wish to escape the king's anger and indignation and
forfeiture of what he can forfeit to the king; so that the king may make
ordinance concerning him and his estate, as well in the duchy as in other
lands that Edward has on this side. If John de Bretaigne and John de
Crombwell wish to come in his company, they will do their duty. He is
enjoined not to transgress the king's orders, because the king is much
troubled that he has done what he ought not to have done. [Ibid.] |
March 18.
Lichfield. |
To the king's brother [the king of France]. The king understands well
the letters of the king of France, whereby he signifies that he has spoken
to his sister concerning the reasons and matters that the king [desired], and
that she has said that she greatly wished to be with the king and in his
company, as a good wife ought to be with her lord, and that the semblances
of friendship between her and the king's dear and faithful nephew H. le
Despenser were merely feigned, and this she perceived clearly, but that it
was necessary for her to keep them up to pass the time and to escape worse.
Truly, if she loved the king, she would desire to be in his company, as she
has said; she, who ought to be the mediatrix between the king of France and
the king, ought not to seek ways of new dissension, which would be undesirable and she did not leave the king, as she says, under colour of nourishing peace and love between the king of France and the king, which matters
the king intended in good faith, and for which he sent her to the king of
France, and she then thought in her heart that she would so withdraw
herself from the king by feigned reason, as the king has testified to the king
of France at another time, however she may tell him the contrary and not the
truth, since at no time whilst she was with the king did she receive evil or
villainy from the king or from any one else, and the king would not suffer
her to do so for anything, and [it was] not [necessary] for her to seek
out feigned reason to pass the time and to avoid worse, because no
evil was done to her at any time, and there is no evident reason why she
has said so, for, since she left the king and came to the king of France, she
sent to le Despenser letters of as great and especial friendship as she might
from time to time. Now at last, when the king sent to seek her, she then
showed the feigned matter for the first time, which was never heard or
suspected by any one, unless by her; wherefore, the matters being considered,
one ought not to give faith to such feigned invention against the truth. But,
indeed, the king fully perceives, as the king of France and everybody may,
that she does not love the king as she ought to love her lord, and that the
matter that she speaks of the king's said nephew, for which she withdraws
herself from the king, is feigned and is not certain, but the king thinks it
must be of inordinate will when she, so openly and notoriously, knowingly,
against her duty and the estate of the king's crown, which she is bound to
love, has drawn to her and retains in her company of her council the king's
traitor and mortal enemy the Mortimer, and others of his conspiracy, and
keeps his company in and out of house, which evildoer the king of France
banished from his power at another time as the king's enemy, by virtue of
the alliances between his and the king's ancestors. The king of France
ought to will that she refrain from such misprisions and conduct herself as
she ought to do, for the honour of all those to whom she is related. Concerning the king's son, whom his mother causes to accompany the king's
said traitor and enemy, and to counsel him, and to prolong his stay in despite
of the king, these actions displease the king, whether [done] for his mother or
for any one else. The king therefore prays the king of France, as the king
has given to his son the duchy [of Aquitaine] to please the king of France
and of his great reliance in the natural affection and good faith of the king
of France, and without disputing concerning his son's safe-conduct, and has
sent him to the king of France, and he is of such tender age that he cannot
and knows not how to govern himself, that he will send the king's son back
with all haste, so that the king may ordain concerning him and his estate
and his affairs, and to render to him his lands in the duchy, which the king of
France holds, as good faith requires, however some will understand the words
of the accord in too hard a manner to the king's disinheritance. The king
of France is requested to inform the king of his will by the bearer hereof
according to reason, good faith, and fraternal affection, without having
regard to the wilful pleasure of woman. French. [Ibid.] |
