Syon, and there confermed the eleccions of dame Jhone North abbesse, and of sire Thomas Fyschburne, my welbelovyd cousyn, confessour of youre seyd Hows; and that same day I blessyd and stallyd the forseyd abbesse; the whiche persones I truste, by Goddys grace, schal moche profite in that place in that holy company bothe of men and of women, the whiche God of his mercy graunte. And graciouse lige Lord like it to youre seyd Highnesse to lete me wete youre graciouse will, by sum that cometh hyder, touchyng my goyng, to the whiche will I schal alwey with Goddys grace lowly obbeye. Right excellent and most Cristene Prince and graciouse lige Lord, the holy Trinite have yow ever in his kepyng, and sende yow alwey gloriouse victory of alle youre enemys. Wryten in hast at London the xxth, day of May. Youre symple preest and bedeman, RICHARD Bysshop of London. also at the Bataille of Agingcourt, and after at the takyng of the Carrakes on the See, there with a gadde of yren his plates smyten in sondre, and sore hurt, maymed, and wounded; by meane whereof he being sore febeled and debrused, now falle to greet age and poverty; gretly endetted; and may not helpe himself; havyng not wherewith to be susteyned ne releved but of menes a gracious almesse; and being for his said service never yit recompensed ne rewarded, it plese your high and excellent Grace, the premises tenderly considered, of your benigne pitee and grace, to releve and refresh your said pouere Oratour, as it shal plese you, with your most gratious Almesse at the reverence of God and in werk of charitee; and he shal devoutly pray for the soules of your said noble Progenitours, and for your moost noble and high estate. LETTER XXXI. Sir Thomas Rokeby to Humphry Duke of Gloucester, A. D. 1423. respecting his Covenant of military Service with King Henry the Fifth. [MS. DONAT. BRIT, MUS. 4603. art. 121.] Written Indentures of military Service are of frequent occurrence in the reign of Henry the Fifth; and show the manner in which an Army was raised and kept together for a foreign expedition. a mens. Contracts were made by the Keeper of the Privy Seal with different Lords and Gentlemen, who bound themselves to serve with so many men at arms and so many archers for a year, reckoning from the day on which they first mustered in the field. The pay, or security for its amount, was directed to be delivered to the contracting parties a quarter of a year in advance: and if all was not actually paid at the beginning of the fourth quarter, the engagement was to cease. From the Letter here copied, it should seem that upon the part of the Crown, in Henry the Fifth's reign, the latter portion of the covenant was not always rigidly fulfilled. To the hyghe and myghty Prince the Duk of Glouc. Protectour of Ynglond, and the right wyse and discrete Counseyl of our Lord the Kyng. BESECHETH your humble servaunt Thomas Rokeby knyght, that ther he has ben withholde and of retenue for a yere wyt the full worthy and noble Kyng Henry, fader to our soveraigne liege Lord that nowe ys, in his viage into hys Realme of France & Normandie, the yer of his regne the iiijth. als it, be a hys endenture made, betwix the forsayd noble Kyng and the forsayd Thomas Rokeby, pleinli appiers; and his forsayd retenu for the yer forsayd pleinly execute and fulfellid, and so forth be comandement of the forsayd ful noble Kyng his service and devure continued fro yere to yer, unto four yer was nere spendid and passid, als it be certeins endentures made also betwix the forsayd Kyng and the forsayd Thomas Rokeby pleinly ap VOL. I. SER. 2. a by. H |