_To the King oure Soverayn Lord._
[Sidenote: 1450 / FEB. 7]
Sheweth and piteuously compleyneth youre humble trewe obeisantes Comunes
of this youre nobile reaume, in this youre present Parlement, by your
high autorite assembled for the seurte of your moste high and royall
persone, and the welfar of this your nobile reaume, and of your trewe
liege peple of the same, that William de la Pole, Duke of Suffolk, late
of Ewelme, in the counte of Oxenford, falsly and treyterously hath
ymagined, compassed, purposid, forethought, done, and commytted divers
high, grete, heynous, and horrible treasons ayenst your most roiale
persone, youre corones of your raumes of England and Fraunce, your
duchiee of Guyan and Normandie, and youre holde enheritaunce of your
countee of Anjoye and Mayne, the estate and dignite of the same, and the
universall wele and prosperite of all your trewe subgettes of raumes,
[duchies] and counte in maner and in forme ensewyng.
First, the seid Duke the xxti day of Juyll the xxv. yere[121.1] of youre
blissid regne, in youre citee of London, in the parich of Sepulcr, in
the ward of Faringdon infra, ymagynyng and purposing falsly and
treyterously to distroy your moste roiall persone, and this your seid
realme, thenne and ther trayterously excited, councelled, provoked,
and comforted the Erle of Donas[121.2] [bastard][121.3] of Orliaunce,
Bertrande, Lord Pressigny, Maister William Cusinet,[121.4] enemys to you
Soverayne Lord, and other your enemeys, subgettes and ambassiators to
Charles,[121.5] calling hem selfe king of Fraunce, your grettys
adversarie and enemey, to meve, councell, ster, and provoke the same
Charles to come in to this your realme, to leve, reise, and make open
werr ayenst you, Soverayne Lord, and alle this your reaume with a grete
puissaunce and arme to distroy your most roiall persone, and your trewe
subgettes of the same realme, to the entente to make John, sone of the
same Duke, [King] of this your seid realme, and to depose you of your
heigh regalie therof; the same Duke of Suffolk havyng thenne of your
graunte the ward and mariage of Margarete, doughter and heire to John,
the late Duke of Somerset, purposing here to marey to heis said sonne,
presuming and pretendyng her to be nexte enheritable to the Corone of
this your realme, for lak of issue of you Soverayn Lord, in
accomplishement of heis seid traytours purpose and entent, wheroppon the
same Duke of Suffolk, sith the tyme of heis areste, hath do the seid
Margarete to be maried to heis seid sonne.
Item, the seid Duke of Suffolk being most trostid with you, and prevyest
of your councell of fullong tyme, prepensing that your seid grete
enemeye and adversarie Charles schuld conquerr and gete be power and
myght your seid realme of Fraunce, duchies, and countee, the xx^ti day
of January the xvij. yer[122.1] of your regne, at Westminster, in the
shir of Middlesex, and divers othir tymes and places within your seid
realme of Engeland, falsly, trayterously, by sotel menes and
ymaginacyons, for grete corrupcion of good, taking of money, and other
excessyf promises to him made by Charles, Duke of Orliaunce,[122.2] your
enemye, councelled and stered of hym selfe only, your heighnesse to
enlarge and deliver out of prison the same Duke of Orliaunce, enemye to
you Soveren Lord, and to the most victorious noble prince of blyssid
memory, the king youre fadir, whom God assoile! takyn be hem prisonere,
to th’entent that the seid Charles, calling hym self king of Fraunce,
schuld recover, gete, and have be false conqueste, and other desayvabile
menes ayenst you, your heirz and successors, your seid realme of
Fraunce, duches and counte, be the wyle, subtill councell, might, and
ayde of the seid Duke of Orliaunce.
Notwithstanding that be the late wylle and ordinaunce of your seid
fadir, for divers thingis moveyng his grete wysdome, contrary ther of
was avysed and declared, by wiche councell and stering only of the seid
Duke of Suffolk the seid Duke of Orliaunce was soverd [_suffered_] at
his liberte to departe of this youre realme to the partee of Fraunce.
Afore wich departer the first day of May the seid xvij. yerr[122.1] of
your regne, at London, in the parich of Sent Martyne, in the ward of
Farindon infra, the same Duke of Suffolk, trayterously adherent to the
seid Charles, calling hym selfe kyng of Fraunce, then and ther falsly
and trayterously counseiled, coumforted, stered, and provoked the seid
Duke of Orlyaunce to excite and moeve the same Charles, calling hym
selfe kyng of Fraunce, your grete enemeye and adversarie, to make and
reyse open werr ayenst you in your seid realme of Fraunce and duchie of
Normandy, to conquer, and to opteyn falsly be force, myght, and other
menes ayenst you, your heiriz and successours, your seid realme of
Fraunce and duche of Normandy, Uppon wich adherence, councell, and
counfort of the seid Duke of Suffolk, the seid Charles calling hym selfe
kyng, hath made open werr a yenst you in your seid realme of Fraunce,
and hath it attrochid unto hym, and the most party of your duchie of
Normandy, and takyn prisonyrs the ful nobile Lordys and coragyouse
Knytys, the Erle of Schrouesbery[123.1] and the Lord Faconberge,[123.2]
with many othir nobles and people of your trewe leiges, to ther likly
fynall ondoing, your gretest disheritaunce, and oure grete lamentable
losse that ever comen a fore this to you, or ony of your ful noble
progenitors, or to your trewe subgettes.
Item, wher the seid Duke of Suffolk late was on of your ambassitours
with othir to youre seid adversarie Charles, calling hem self kyng of
Fraunce, he, above heis instruccion and power to hym be you committyng,
promised to Reyner,[123.3] King of Cesile, and Charles Daungers,[123.4]
heis brothir, your grete enemeys, the deliveraunce of Maunce and Mayne,
without the assent andvyse or knowyng of other your seid ambassitours
with him thenne accompanyd; and theroppon after heis comyng in to this
realme from the same ambassiate, in performing of heis seid promyse, he
falsly and trayterously, for grette rewardes and lucre of good to hym
yeven by your enemes, caused the said Reyner and Charles Daungers to
have deliveraunce of Maunce and Mayne aforeseid, to your over grete
disheritaunce and loss irreparable, enforsing and enrychyng of your seid
enemes, and grettest mene of the losse of your seid duche of Normandye;
and so was the seid Duke of Suffolk falsly and trayterously adherent,
aidant, and confortant to your grete enemeys and adversaries.
Item, the seid Duke of Suffolk being reteyned with you in your wages of
werr in your seid realme of Fraunche and duchie of Normandye, and therby
strostid be you and alle your councellers to knowe the privite of your
councell ther, and the purviaunce of your armes, the defence and keping
of your townes, forteresses, and places, sieges, purveaunce, and
ordinaunce of werr in the same parties for you to be mad, knowyng all
[such] privite, and being adherent to your seid grete enemeye, calling
hem self kyng of Fraunce, hath eften and many divers tymes falsly and
trayterously discoverd and openned to hym, and to heis capytaynes and
conductors of heis werr, your enemes, the privite, ordinaunce, and
provision of your seid councell, purveaunces of armes, defence keping,
townes, forteresses, places, syeges, and ordinaunce, werby your grete
adversarie and enemeys have geton and takyn, be the menes of this is
treason and falshode, ful many lordchepes, townnes, casteles, fortesses,
and places within your seid realme of Fraunce and duchie of Normandie,
and letted your capitaynes of your werres to conquer, keppe, and acheve
your rithfull enheritaunce ther.
Item, the seid Duke of Suffolk beyng of your grete Privey Councell, and
with you best trostid, knowyng the secrenesse therof and of this your
realme, the xvj. day of Juyll the xxv^ti yerr[124.1] of your regne,
at London, in the parich of Sent Laueraunce Pulteney, in the ward of
Sandewyke [_Candewyke_] Strette, and at othir divers tymes and places,
falsly and trayterously beyng adherent and aidant to the seid Charles,
calling hem selfe king of Fraunce, your grete enemeys, the seid xvj.
day, and in the parich of Sent Laurence aforeseid, openned, declarid,
and discovered to the seid Erle of Danas, Bastard of Orlyaunce,
Bertrand, Lord Presigni, Maister William Cosinet, your enemeys,
subgettes, ambassiatours and conncellours to the seid Charles, calling
hem self king of Fraunce, the privitees of your councell, aswell of this
your realme for the comyn wele of the same, as for the governauns and
ordinaunce for the conquest, conservacion, saufgard, tuycyon of your
seid realme of Fraunche and duchie of Normandy; [whereby the great part
of your said realm of France and duchy of Normandy][125.1] at that tyme
being in your in handys, as [_should be_, is] be the seid Charles,
calling hem selfe kyng of Fraunce, and [his] armes goton and takyn out
of your handes.
Item, suth the matier first moeved of the convencyon of trewes and pees
by twenne you and your seid grette enemeye Charlys, callyng hem selfe
kyng of Fraunche, wheroppon by grete diberacyon ye, by the advyse of
your Councell, have send many solempne ambassatours to the same Charles
for the god of pees to be hadde be twyn you and this your realme, and
your subjettes in your realme of Fraunche, duchie of Normandye, and
othir places under your obeysauns, and the same Charles and heis
subgettes, the seid Duke of Suffolk being next and grettest of your
Councell, havyng knowlach of the power and auctorite comytted to alle
your ambassiatours send in this be half, hath deseyvabely and
trayterously by heis lettres and messages discovered and opened to your
seid grete enemeye Charlys, calling hym self kyng of Fraunce, alle
ynstrucciouns and informaciouns yeven to your seid ambassatours afore
their comyng in to Fraunce, werby the effectuale concord and trewes that
schuld have folowed of suche ambassiat by tywnne both the seid realmes
and subgettes, have take non effectualle conclusyon, but by his fals,
fraudelent, traiterous werkes, dedes, and deceyvable yma gynacyons, your
grete enheritaunce, seygnyouries, lordshippis, townes, castell,
forteresses, and possessions in your seid realme of Fraunche and duchie
of Normandye, by cause of heis false messages, sendyngs, and wrytyngys
have be takyn by reft, and gotten fro you be your seid enemeys.
In proof of the wich treson the seid Duke of Suffolk, sittyng in your
Councell in the Stere Chambre, in your pales of Westminster, seid and
declarid openly be for the Lordis of your Councell ther being, that he
had his place in the Councell hows of the French kyng as he had ther,
and was ther as wel strostid as he was here, and couth remeve from the
seid French kynge the prevyest man of heis Councell yf he wold.
Item, whan in this your roialme ful oftyn tymes provicyon hath be mad
for divers armes to be sent in to your seid realme of Fraunche, duches
of Normandy and Gyand, the seid Duke of Suffolk, by the instaunce and
meenes mad to hym be your seid enemeys and adversareys for grette
outeragyous yeftes and rewardes of them takyn, trayterously hath
restrayned, and utterly lettyd the passage of such armees in favour and
supporte of your seid enemeys.
Item, the seid Duke of Suffolk, as your ambassatours by twene you and
Charles, callyng hym self kyng of Fraunche, in fortefyeng of hem and
enchresing of his myght, hath not comprised in trewes, taken in your
party the Kyng of Arregon,[126.1] your old allye and frend, nother the
Duke of Breten,[126.2] but sufferd and causid the seid Duke of Bretayne
to be compremysid of the party of the seid Charles as his subget,
frende, and allye, wherby ye have ben estraunged from the god loffe and
assistence of the seid King of Arregon, and therby and be othir on trewe
and falce conjectours of the seid Duke of Suffolk, the seid Duke of
Breteyn is become your enemeye; and Gyles[126.3] of Breten, his brothir,
the wiche is, and of long tyme hath ben, your trewe and welvylled man
and servaunt, put in gret dures of pricon, and likely to be potte to the
dethe or distroid for his trewe feith and welle that he hath to you.
And of alle tresons and offensys in alle theis seid arteculys specyfied
and conteyned, we your seid Comens accuse and empeche the seid William
de la Pole, Duke of Suffolk, and pray that this be enacte in this your
High Courte of Parlement, and theroppon to precede in this your High
Courte of Parlement, as the mater and caas aforseid requireth for the
surete and welfar of your most roiale person, and savacyon of this your
realme, &c.
[Footnote 120.5: [From Fenn, iii. 62.] These are the articles of
impeachment exhibited against the Duke of Suffolk, as printed by
Fenn from a contemporaneous copy among the Paston MSS., endorsed
‘Coumpleyntys ayens the Dewke of Suffolk.’ Another copy will be
found in the _Rolls of Parliament_, v. 177. The day of the
Duke’s impeachment was the 7th February 1450.]
[Footnote 121.1: A.D. 1447.]
[Footnote 121.2: John, Count of Dunois, one of the most renowned
warriors of the times. He was a grandson of Charles V. of
France, a natural son of Louis, Duke of Orleans, and
half-brother of Charles, Duke of Orleans, who was prisoner in
England.]
[Footnote 121.3: Blank in Fenn.]
[Footnote 121.4: Cousinot.]
[Footnote 121.5: Charles VII.]
[Footnote 122.1: A.D. 1439.]
[Footnote 122.2: Charles, Duke of Orleans. --_See_ p. 46, Note
3.]
[Footnote 123.1: John Talbot, first Earl of Shrewsbury, the
great hero of the French wars, slain at Castillon in 1453.]
[Footnote 123.2: William Nevill, Lord Fauconberg.]
[Footnote 123.3: René, Duke of Anjou, father of Queen Margaret.]
[Footnote 123.4: Charles of Anjou, Count of Maine.]
[Footnote 124.1: A.D. 1447.]
[Footnote 125.1: These words are omitted in Fenn, and are
supplied from the _Rolls of Parliament_.]
[Footnote 126.1: Alfonso V., King of Arragon.]
[Footnote 126.2: Francis I., Duke of Brittany.]
[Footnote 126.3: Giles of Brittany, the duke’s brother, who was
murdered in April 1450, after having been kept four years in
prison by the duke.]
[[your duchiee of Guyan and Normandie ... your countee of Anjoye
and Mayne _text unchanged (correct if “Guyenne and Normandy” and
“Anjou and Maine” were each a single unit)_]]
102