LETTER XI.

To my right worshipful Coufin, Coufin, John Pafton, of Norwich, Efquire.

R

IGHT worshipful Sir, I recommend me unto you in

the moft goodly wife that I can; and for as much as ye defired of me to fend you word of divers matters here, which have been opened in the Parliament openly, I fend you of them fuch as I can.

First most especial, that for very truth upon Saturday that last was, the Duke of 'Suffolk was taken in the Sea, and there he was beheaded, and his body with the appurtenance fet at land at Dover; and all the Folks that he had with him were fet to land, and had none harm, &c.

Also the King hath somewhat granted to have the refumption again, in fome but not in all, &c.

2

Alfo if ye purpose to come hither to put up your bills, ye may come now in a good time, for now every man that hath any, they put them in, and fo may ye if ye come, with God's Grace to your pleasure.

Furthermore upon the 4th day of this Month, the Earl of › Devonshire came hither with 300 men well befeen, &c. and

Thomas Courtney Earl of Devonfhire was taken at the battle of Towton, in 1461, and afterwards beheaded, by order of Edward IV. he having revolted from Edward to Henry VI.

* A fine body of men well arrayed and accoutred.

upon

And upon the morow aft' my Lord of 5 Warrewyke w' iiije and moo, &c.

Also as hyt ys noysed here Calys fhal be byfeged w'ynne this vij dayes, &c.

God fave the Kyng and fende us pees, &c.

Other tithyngs be ther noon here, but Almyghty God have yow in his kepyng,

Writen at Leyceftr the vj day of May.

Richard Neville, Earl of Warwick, was killed in the battle of Barnet, in 1471,

most furiously fighting against Edward IV.

upon the morrow after, my Lord of Warwick, with 400 and more, &c.

Also as it is noised here, Calais fhall be befieged within this feven days, &c.

God fave the King, and fend us peace, &c.

Other tidings be there none here, but Almighty God have you in his keeping.

Written at Leicester, the 6th day of May.

Your Coufin,

"JOHN CRANE.

Leicester,

Wednesday, 6th of May,

1450, 28 H. VI.

• The Cranes were a good family, flourishing at this time in the Counties of Norfolk and Suffolk, and the writer of this Letter belonged to the Court. Pl. 111. N° 29. The Seal on this Letter is defaced, but it has a neat braid of twine round it. Pl.xiv. No 3

Some

Some Obfervations on the two preceding Letters to the worshipful John Pafton, Efquire, at Norwich, the first dated from London on the 5th, and the other from Leicester on the 6th of May, 1450, 28 H. VI.

THE Murder of William de la Pole, Duke of Suffolk, is, by our Hiftorians, variously related; fome informing us, in general terms, that it was committed by the contrivance of the Party then in oppofition to the Queen; others, that it was done by order of the Party then in the Duke of York's Intereft; and others, that a Captain Nicholas, of a Ship belonging to the Tower, or a Captain of a Ship called the Nicholas, met him on the Sea, and there took and murdered him, but whether in confequence of being employed for that purpose, or on his own authority does not fufficiently appear.

A Short Sketch of the Proceedings of the Parliament, and of the Duke of Suffolk's fituation previous to his leaving the Kingdom, are neceffary to the clearly understanding of the following account.

Upon the Meeting of the Parliament at Westminster, in November 1449, the Commons prefented to the Lords feveral Articles of Impeachment against the Duke of Suffolk. The Queen, fearing the confequences of these, perfuaded the King to fend the Duke to the Tower, hoping by this ftep to fatisfy the Commons.

After this, by her address, the Parliament was adjourned to Leicester, to meet in April 1450, where the Duke, being releafed from his imprisonment, appeared, with the King and Queen, as Prime Minister.

This Proceeding extremely offending the Commons; they presented a Petition to the King, praying that all, who had been concerned in the delivery of Normandy to the French, might be punished.

The Queen's Fears were now renewed, and fhe prevailed upon the King inftantly to banish the Duke for five years, which he did; and the Duke very foon embarked with an intention of going to France, where his Friend the Duke of Somerset was Regent.

From the plain State of this hiftorical Fact, delivered down to us in thefe, Letters, the following obfervations are deduced, firft premifing that, in 1447, the Duke of Suffolk, in conjunction with the Queen and her Ministry, had been one of the principal Agents in the Murder of the Duke of Gloucester; an Event which, in all human probability, was the immediate occafion of the Duke of York's Thoughts of afferting his Claim to the Crown, a Claim, in which he could have had little hopes of fuccefs, during the life of a Prince, the Uncle of the reigning King, and the Brother, and Son of the two preceding Sovereigns.

A Prince likewife well beloved by the People, and endowed with abilities which would have adorned a Throne.

The Duke of York at this time most certainly had a perfonal hatred to the Duke of Suffolk, as by him he had been not long before difmiffed from the Regency of France, and was very lately fent into Ireland, to quell a Rebellion with a Force inadequate to the to the purpose.

The Duke of Suffolk's undoubted attachment to the House of Lancaster, must be, at all times, a great impediment to the taking of many neceffary steps by the York Party, towards carrying this meditated Claim into execution; the having him therefore put to Death, must be a very defireable circumftance to the Duke of York and his Friends.

The Arrival of the Earls of Devonshire and Warwick, at this critical time at Leicester, with fuch large Retinues of Men "well byfeen," furnishes very fufficient reafons for thinking, that the Murder of the

Duke

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