LETTERS, ETC. RICHARD III. I. LORD DYNHAM TO THE LORD CHANCELLOR. Lewis XI. My speciall good lord, I recommaunde [me] to your A.D. 1483. good lordship. Please it the same to knowe that I Sept. sent worde unto the kinges grace by Blanc-Rose of the Death of dethe of the Frenshe king within ij. houres after the thidinges come to me as I herd, howbeit I was not then in certain, as I am nowe. He died the xxvti day of August at after none; on whose soule I pray God have mercy. And what direccion shalbe take therupon his decease with the dolphyn1 and that realme, it is not yit knowen. This I here say, the lord Disquerdes is in the handes of the gret lordes of Fraunce, the duc of Orliaunce and other. I trust within few daies to knowe more; and as I here fro tyme to tyme I shall sende worde unto the kinges grace and to you, my lord, which I am sure ye will shewe unto my lordes of the counsell there. Also the duc of Austriche, &c. hathe wonne Utright Surrender by appoyntementes suche as your lordship may under- of Utrecht to Maximilian. Charles VIII. ✔VOL. IT. 2 Maximilian. A A.D. 1483. stand by a copie that I sende you herewith. Gaunt Sept. is afered as I here for certeyne, and suche as were the gret doyers in Burgis and the chieff laboure[r]s of the peax with Fraunce be goen with all their goodes to Gaunt for fere of the duc; and all the comons of the contre greitly rejoysshe therof. Ther is a gret brute in the dukes [lands]1 of that they will set upon Picardie to git it agane to enlarge their frountures, which I pray God sone may take effect. For in myn openione it shulid be gretly for the wele of this towne and marches, &c. Shall safe conducts men? Also, my lord, upon this departing of the Frenshe be granted king, how it shall stande with the kinges pleasure and to French- you my lordes of his counsell that we shalle deale for making of sauf conduits this fisshing season, if any be asked, I wold fayne understande, because the werre is open betwene bothe roialmes. I have moche ado to kepe men still in peax here, for they wold fayne be in hand with the Frenshemen; how beit I trust that mater shall not be attempted till the kinges pleasure be knowen there in, or unto the tyme occasion be geven by them by lande as it is daily seen by water. The king My lord, it is thought here that the king shuld should have a fleet have a navie upon the see, to shewe him selff as a in the Channel. king to rule and kepe his stremes betwixt this and Dover, and that suche folkes as shalbe sent unto the see may have a stract charge upon their lyves that they nether robbe ne spoille any of the kinges frendes, and namely, of the duc of Austriche contrees and Bretayne. For if they fall ennemys unto us, and no gretter suerte had betwixt the king our soverayn lord and theim, it shall not be good for this towne and marches, considered of likeliholde what poure the duc shalbe of nowe upon this victorie of Utright, which is thought a gret thing here. Om. MS. Also I here say that he is chosen king of Rome, and A.D. 1483, [the] emperour comen downe to Coloigne to croune him to thentent he shuld be emperour after him. Thise be all the tidinges that I here speke of or that I knowe for certaine, which I pray you to shewe unto the kinges grace, to whome I have not written at this passage. Also, that it may like your lordship to gif knowlege unto my good frende Mr. Piers Puissaunt1 of the same tydinges. DYNHAM. To my most speciall good lord, my lord Sept. II. EMBASSY FROM THE ARCHDUKE MAXIMILIAN. [MS. in Archives of Lille, Lettres Missives, vol. iii. f. 52.] INSTRUCTIONS de par mon tres redoubte seigneur A.D. 1484. monseigneur J'Archiduc d'Austrice, duc de Bourgoigne, de Brabant, &c. Premierement, apres la presentacion des lectres de mondit seigneur au Roy portans credence sur eulx, ilz, pour l'exposicion de leur credence, feront au Roy les recommandacions en tel cas requises et acoustu mees. TRANSLATION. INSTRUCTIONS on the part of my most redoubted lord, First, after presentation of the letters of my said lord to the king, bearing credence for them, they, for the declaration of their credence shall make to the king the recommendations in such case required and accustomed. Secretary to the Archduke. See f. 170, same MS. A. D. 1484. Richard has de to accept Apres, lui diront que par le raport fait a mondit seigneur par maistre Loys Conroy, son secretaire, de pieça retourne d'Angleterre, comme par Messieurs Thomas de Montgommeri et Monsieur le Docteur Cocq, mondit seigneur a entendu deux choses; l'une la bonne amour et affection que le Roy a demonstre et demonstre avoir a ly; et l'autre que sur l'advertissement a ly clared his sur ce fait par ledict maistre Loys, il s'est declaire willingness que se le duc de Bretaigne vouloit mectre en ses mains the Arch- ceulx du Royaume d'Angleterre qui se sont confuys a luy, ou les mectre en autre lieu dont dommage ne tween him-ly peult avenir, il seroit content que mondict seigneur self and the s'entremeist du differend d'entre ly et ledict duc de duke's mediation be Duke of Britanny, if the latter would de Bretaigne. Et au premier mercieront le Roy de sa bonne liver up the affection et voulente envers mondict seigneur, et par English les meilleurs et plus convenables termes qu'ilz adviserefugees. ront, luy declaireront que pour les tres grandes et tres excellentes vertuz qui sont en sa personne, il est cely Afterwards, they shall say to him that by the report made to my said lord by master Lewis Conroy, his secretary, some time since returned from England, as by Messrs. Thomas de Montgomery and Doctor Cook (?) my said lord has understood two things; first, the good love and affection which the king has shown and shows to him; and, second, that upon the advertisement made to him thereupon by the said master Lewis, he has declared that if the duke of Britanny would place in his hands those of the kingdom of England who fled to him, or bestow them in some other place by which no injury could arise to him, he would be content that the said lord should interfere in the dispute between him and the said duke of Britanny. And in the first place they shall thank the king for his good affection and will towards my said lord, and in the best and most suitable terms they can devise, shall declare to him that for the very great and excellent vir |