CCCXLVI. 10 août

Lettre de Henri V à la commune de Londres , pour faire apporter des vivres au siège de Rouen.

Archives de la mairie de Londres; reg. I, fol. 2if .

Littera missa majori et aldermanis et comunibus civitatis Londoniensis pro victualibus mittendis domino régi in obsidione civitatis Rothomagensis.

Righ trusty and welbeloved, we grete y on ofte tymes well, and forasmoche as in ye name of almighty God and in oure right, with hys grâce we hâve leyd the siège afore the cite of Roan , which is the most notable place in Frannce , save Parys; atte which siège us nedeth gretly refresshing for us and for our hoost , and we hâve fonnde you our trewe lièges and snbgitz of good wille at al tymes to do al thing that might do us worshipe and ese, wherof we can you right hertdy thank, and pray you effectuelly that in al the haste that ye may ye wilk do arme as manie soude vessels as ye may goodly witth vitaille, and nandy with drinke, for to corne Harfleu, and fro thennes as fer as they may up~ye river of Seyne to Roan ward with the said vitaille, for the refresching of us and our said hoost, as oure trust in to you. For the which vessels ther shal be ordeyned suffisant conduyt, with goddes grâce, wetyng well also that therrane ye may dou us right gret plesannce and refreshing for al our hoost above sayd, and yeve us cause to shewe yerfor to you ever the better lordship in tyme comynge, wyth the help of our saveour, the which we praye that he hâve you in hys sauf warde.

Teven under our signet, in our hoost, afore the sayd cite of Roan, the x day of August

To oure right traty and welbeloved the mair, aldennen and al the woriricommen of oor riteof

224 iv SIÈCLE.

CCCXLVI1. » uta M|g#

Réponse de la commune de Londres à la lettre de Henri V du 21 juillet dernier.

Archive» de là mairie de Londres; reg. I, fol. 815.

Responsio ejusdem littere.

Of aile erthely princes our inost dred soveraigne liège lord and noblest kynge, we recomannde us unto your soveraigne highnesse and rialle power, in as meke wyse and lowery maner, as any syrople officers and powere liège best may or can ymagine and divise unto ber most graciouse and most soveraigne kyng, tbankyng with aile our soûles your most soveraigne excellence and noble grâce of ye right gentelle, right graciouse, and right confortables letres which ye late liked to send us, fro your toun of Ponnt de l'Arche, which lettres with al lowenesse and révérence we , hâve mekly resceyved and understonde, bi which lettres, amonges al other blessed spede and graciouse tithinges in hem conteyned, for which we thanke hyly and ever shulle the lord almighty, ware we most rawardry conforted and rejoysed, whan we herde, the soveraigne helthe and parfit prospérité of your most excellent and graciouse personne, which we beseche God of hys grete grâce and noble pite ever te kepe and manteyne. And of the astate of your cite of London, y if it like your soveraign highnesse to hère and understonde , pesé it your bénigne grâce to conceyve thatin pesibler degré, tritaler (tretable) goveroannce, ne joyfuller rest, as ferforsth as absence of you yat ar our most soveraigne and excellent lord may suffre, was never erthly cite ne toun , y-blessed be God. Our most dred soveraigne liège lord and noblest kyng , we lowly besech ye kyng of kynges whos reaume shal endelessy last, your blessed soûle and noble body from either of ther enemys evermore to kepe and défend.

Writen at your sayd cite of London , the xn day of augst

The mair, shereves, aldermen and ail the comuners of your cite London.

To the kyng our most dred and most soveraigne lorde.

CCCXLVIII. g septembre 1418.

Réponse de la commune de Londres à la lettre de Henri V du 10 août.

Archives de la mairie de Londres ; reg. I, fol. 216.

Our most dred, most soveraigne lord and noblest kyng, to the soveragne highnesse of your kyngly mageste, with ail inaner of lowenesse and révérence, mekly we reoomende us nate only as we oughte and shulde but as we best can and may, with aile our hertes thankynge your soveraigne excellence of your gracious lettres , in makyng gladsom in understondyng and passyng, confortable in favoring of our povre degrees, which ye liked late to send us from your hoost afore the cite of Roan , in which lettres , after déclaration of your most noble entent for the resfresBbing of your hooste, ye recorde so highly the redinesse of our wille and power at aile tymes to your plesannce , and thankyn us therof so hertely, that treuly , save oonly our preier to hym that al good quiteth , never was it ne mighte it halfe be deserved ; and aftur suing in your forsaid gracious lettres ye praye us effenelly to do enarme as mani smale vessels as we may with vitaille and specially with drinke , for to corne up as fer as they

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may into tbe river of Seyne, and nat only this, but in the conclusion of yonr soveraigne lettres forsayd ye fede us so bonntenesly with behcst shewyng of your good lordship to us in tyme comyng, as ye hâve ever dou, that now and ever we sbulle be the joyfuller in this lyfe, whan we remeinbre us on so noble a grâce (vac) (1) how may the simplesse of povere liège» better or mor clerly conceyve the graciouse love and favorable tendresse of the kyng her soveraigne lord , than to hère how your inost excellent and noble persone, more worthi to us than aile wordly richesse or plente, in so thynne habondance of vitaill homly disposed, so graciously and goodly déclare and uctix unto us that ar your liège men and subgitz your plein luste and plesannce , as it is in your sayd nobles lettres worthily contcyned. Certein trewe liège man is ther non ne feithful subgit coude ther non ne durste carie or be lachesse in any wyse to the effectuell praier or comanndement of so soveraigne and high a lord, which is noble body peineth and knightly aventureth for te right and welfare of us aile (cat) (1).

Oure most dred, most soverangne lord and noblest kynd, plese it your soverangne highnesse to understonde how than your forsaid kyngly praier, as most strait charge and comanndament, we willyng in aile pointe obeie and exécute anou fro the resceit of your sayd gracious lettres, which was the xix day of august, nigh noue unto the makyng of thèse

symple lettres, what in getyng and enarmyng of as many smale vessels as we myght, doyng brewe bothe aie and bere, purveing wyne and other vitaille for to charge wyth the same wessels, we hâve don our besie diligence and cure, asgod wot, in which vessels, withoute gret plente of other vitails, that men of your cite Londone aventuren, for resfresshyng of your host , to the costes where your soveraigne présence is inné.

We lowely send with gladdest wille unto your soveraigne excellence and kyngly mageste , by Johan Gredy and Johan Combe , povre officers of your sayd cite, bringers of thés lettres. tritty (thirty) botes of swete wyne, that is to seye; ten of Tyre; ten of Romency, ten of Malvesey, and a thousand pipes of aie and bere, with thuo thousand and five hundred coppes for your boost to drinke , of which we besech your high excellence and noble grâce , for our aider comfort and gladnesse , benignely to resceyve and accepte , nat havyng reward to the litelhed or smale value of ihe yifte itself, which is simple, but to the goodwell and high désir that the povre yevers therof han to the good spede , worship, and welfare of your most soveraigne and excellent persone, of which spede and welfare, and al your other kyngly lustes and plesannces, ove désire highly be the sayd berers of thés lettres, or other whom your soveraigne highnesse shal like , fully to be lerned and enfourmed. Our moost dred, most soveraigne lord and noblest kyng, we lowely besech the kyng of heven, whos body refused nat for our savation wordly peyne gilteles to endure, that he your graciouse persone, which for our aider good and proflit so knythly laboureth, litel or noght chargyng bodily ease, in al worship and honure evermore to kepe and préserve.

Writen al Gravesende, under the seal of mayralte of your sayd cite Londone, on the day of the nativité of our Lady the blisful mayde.

To the kyng our most dred and molt soveraigne Lord.

(1) Ista clausula signum (vac) (at) pro diversis causis consideratis in emissione earumdem litterarum omittebatur,