_The Erlys of Marche, Warwyke, and Salysbury._
[Sidenote: 1460 / JULY 23]
Ryght welbeloved, we grete you wele; and wher, for the tendre love that
we have to the concervacion of the Kyngs peas, lawes, and justice in
this his realme of Englonde, we have comaunded the Kyngs peeple in his
name, be oure letters and diverse writyngs, that no man shulde robbe or
dispoile Sir Thomas Todenham, Knyght, John Heyden, John Wyndham, Herry
Todenham, and John Andrws, and other weche have sued to us for oure
seide letters; we, wolyng to eschewe that any person shulde have colour
be oure seide letters to noyse us, or any of us, that the seide Sir
Thomas, John Heyden, John Wyndham, Herry, and John Andrws, or any other
of suspecte fame, be accorded with us, or any of us, for suche wrongs as
they, or any of ham, have do to us, our servaunts and tenants or
wellwellers, or that we shulde hafe hem in tendrenesse or favour to
discorage trewe people to swe a yen hem be the lawe; We therfore notyfie
to yow, as we woll that it be notyfid to all people, that we, ne noon of
us, intende not to favour or tendre hem, or any other of suspecte fame,
but rather to corecte suche be the lawe, for we made our seid letters
soly for kepyng of the pease and justice, and not for favour of suspecte
condicione. And the Holy Trynyte kepe yow.
Wreten at London the xxiij^ti. day of Jule.
To all Meyers, Sceryves, Balyfys, Constables, and all the Kynges
Offecers and Ministres in Norffolk, and eche on of hem.
[Footnote 221.1: [From Fenn, iii. 244.] This manifesto must have
been issued in July 1460, after the battle of Northampton, when
the King was in the hands of the confederate Lords. It certainly
was not, as Fenn supposes, in 1455, after the battle of St.
Albans, when the Earl of March was only thirteen years old and
the Duke of York, his father, was made Protector. York had not
come over from Ireland in July 1460, and is consequently not
named in this document.]
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