Letter from York, Warwick and Salisbury to Henry VI 21 May 1455

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Their letter to the Archbishop having failed, York, Warwick and Salisbury tried again, this time with a more direct approach. This is a short letter, and enclosed copies of previous letters, declarations and articles, including the one sent to London the previous day. Again they stress their loyalty, their concerns about their enemies and explain why they're heading towards the king with a stout and well armed band behind them.

It was transcribed and taken by William Williflete, York's confessor and secretary, to the earl of Devon at Watford for delivery to the king. It was delivered in the early hours of the morning. York, Warwick and Salisbury were making their way to St Albans as Williflete was on his way to Watford.

Moste Christen Kyng, ryght hygh and myghty Prince, and our mooste redoubted souverayn Lord, we recomaunde us as humblye as we suffice unto your hygh excellence, where unto pleast it to wete that for so moche as we hyre and understand to our grettyst sorowe erthlye that our ennemyes of approuved experience, such as abyde and kepe them sylf under the whyng of your Magestee Royall, have throwen unto the same ryght stedyousely and ryght fraudulentlye manye ambyguytees and doubtes of the fayth, lygeaunce, and dewtee that, God knowyth, we beere unto your Hyghnesse, and have put theym yn as grete devoyr as they coude to enstraunge us from your mooste noble presonce and from the favour of your goode grace; whych goode grace to us ys and owe to be our singuler and moost desyred yoie and consolacion: We at thys tyme be comyng with grace as your true and humble liege men, toward your syed Hygh Excellence to declare and shew therto at large owr sayd fayth and ligeaunce, entendyng wyth the mercye of Jesu yn the seyd comyng, to put us yn as diligent and hertye devoyr and dewtee as onye your lyete men on lyve to that at may avaune or preferre the honnour and wellfare off the sayd Mageste Royalle and the seurte of the sayd most notable person; the whych [we] beseche our blessed Creature to prosper [in] as grete honnor, yoie, and felicitie as ever had onye prince erthlye, and to your sayd Hyghnesse so to take, accept, and repute us, and not to plese to geve trust or confidence unto the sinistrez, maliciouse, and fraudulent laboures and rapportes of our sayd ennemyes unto our comyng to your sayd moste noble presence; where unto we beseche humblye that we may be admitted as your liege men, to thentent to show us the same; whereoff yerstenday we wrote our lettres of our entent to the ryght reverent fadre yn God, the Archebysshop of Caunterburye, your Chauncellr of England, to be shewed to your sayd Highnesse, whereoff, forsomoch as we be note acerteyned whethyr our sayd entent be by hys fadrehode shewed unto your seyd goode grace or not, we sende thereoff unto thys closed a copy of our said lettres of our disposicion toward your sayd Hygh Excellence and the honnour and weele of the land, whereynne we woll persevere wyth the grade of our Lorde.

The First Battle of St.Albans 1455