[Sidenote: 1467 / MAY 18]
Rygth trusty and enteerly beloved cousyn I comaunde me to you with all
myn herte. And lyke it you to wete that God hath vyset me with grete
infirmite and dissease, wherthurgh I neyther can nor may at this season
and comynge of the Bastard of Burgoyne attende to th’execucion off myn
offyce, as my wyll and duete were to, in myn owne persone. Wherfor of
verray necessite I must depute suche a person in all goodly hast to
ocupye as my deputee and to have my full power undere me at that season
as is bothe of byrthe honorable and one all other wyse lykly. How be it
that of long tyme contynnuynge I have ben enured of your stedfaste and
preved feythful good cosyngnage and tendyrnesse to me shewed unfeyned to
my gret refute[278.1] and hertes ease at all seasons. Wiche emboldeth me
to call uppon you now; and also remembrynge the honour of the offyce
doynge and the neighnesse of blode that ye be of to me, I thenke no
person so convenable to ocupye in myn absence as you. For myn excuse,
therfore, I specyally pray you, as my feythfull truste is holy in you,
to take the labour uppon you and to do theryn be your discrecion to the
most honour of the kynge, the realme, and be lyke as I am asured that ye
can and wyll, puttynge you in surete that I wull become tributary to
your costes and charges in that behalve. And as for all suche duteis as
schall belonge to me at that tyme by reason of myn offyce, I gyff theme
you for parcell of your said costes; and at such tyme as ye and I and
myn counsell mete next ye schal not fayle to be agreid with, to your
pleasure for the residue, by Goddis grace, Wiche ever preserve you. And,
cousyn, I sende you be the berer herof the double of this lettre,
praying that ye will subscribe it with your owne hande and send it me a
geyn be hym. Wryten under my signet the xviij. day of May.
_To my rigth trusty and rigth enteerly belovyd cousyn, Sir John
Howard, knygth._
And this letter is assigned with my lordes own hande.
[Footnote 277.2: [Add. MS. 34,889, f. 59.] The famous tournament
between Lord Scales and the Bastard of Burgundy took place at
Smithfield on the 11th and 12th June 1467. See _Excerpta
Historica_, 176. This paper is evidently a copy of the original
letter.]
[Footnote 278.1: _Sic_ in MS.]
[[Footnote 277.2: ... _Excerpta Historica_, 176.
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