[Sidenote: 1489 / APRIL 22]
Right trusty and entierly beloved cousin, we grete you well. Inasmuch as
it hath liked God to sende us good tidinges oute of Bretayn, such as we
dought not but that ye be desirous to undrestonde, we wryte unto you of
them as thay be comen to our knowlage, and as foloueth.
The Lord Malpertuis, now late with us in ambassade from our dere
cousine, the Duchesse of Bretayne, shippid at our porte of Dortmouth,
and arrived at Saynt Powle de Lyon, in Bretayn, on Palme Sonday,[126-1]
at iiij. after noone, from whens he wrote us the disposicion and the
state of the countre there, and of the landyng and the demeanyng of oure
armee. We received his wrytyng on Monday last, at evynsong tyme; and be
cause he was of Bretayn borne, and favorable to that partie, we ne gave
such trust to his tidinges, as was thought to us surete to wryte to you
theruppon.
This daye, aftre High Masse, comyth unto us from oute of Bretayne
forsaid, and with a new ambassade from our said cousine, Fawcon, oon of
our pursivantes, that ratifieth the newes of the seid Lord Malpertuis,
which ben these.
After the garysson of Frenshmen in the towne of Gyngham[126-2] had
certeinte of the landyng of our armee, thei drewe downe the
fabours[126-3] of Gyngham, and made thayme mete to defende a siege; but
assone as thei undirstode that our said armee jornayned towardes theim,
thei left the same Gyngham, where our said armee arrived the Thursday
next before Palme Sonday, and was received with procession, logged and
received, refreshed in the town iiij. dayes. And goyng towardes the said
Duchesse, thei must passe to the castell and borugh of Monconter. In
that castell was also a garnisson of Frenshemen, which incontinently,
upon worde that our said armee drwe towardes theym, the Frenshmen did
cast downe gret parte of the walles, and fled from thens; in that
castell and borugh our seid armee kept thair Estre. The castell of
Chawson, adjoyning nere to the towne of Saynt Bryak, was also garnisond
with Frenshmen; that castell they set on fire, and soo fled in the
townes of Henebone and Vannes[126-4] were garnisond with Frenshmen,
which breke downe the walles of the townes, and putte them selff to
fligth. Th’inhabitantes a bought Brest have layd siege therunto, and
goten the Base Courte of the Frenshmen or the departyng of our said
pursivaunt. The garnson of the towne of Concarnewe, which is oon of the
grettest strenghes of all Bretayn, was besieged in like wyse, and drevyn
to that necessite that thei with in offerid, ar his said departyng, to
avoyde the towne with staffe in hande; how that is takyn, or what is
more done sithens, he cannot telle.
Oure said cousine, the Duchesse, is in her citee of Raynes; and our
right trusti knyght and counsellour, Sir Richard Eggecombe, there also,
havyng cheeff rule abowte her; and the Marchall of Bretayn arredieth hym
to joyne with them in alle haste with a gode band of men. Mony noble men
of that countree repair to our said armee to take their partie.
These premisses in substaunce we have be wrytyng, aswell from the cheff
capytaynes of our said armee, as from our comptrollour[127-1] forsaid.
And that our said armee, blessid be God, hath among theyme selfe kepte
such love and accorde, that no maner of fray or debate hath bene bitwene
theym sithens the tyme of thair departing out this our Reame. Yoven
under our signed, at our castell at Hartford, the xxij. day of Aprill.
Syr, thys is the copye of the lettyr that the Kynge sente my Lorde of
Oxynford of tydyynges owte of Breten.
Be yowre brodyr,