Add MS 38690

HISTORICAL documents, viz.: 1. A complaint made to King Henry the VI by [Humphrey] the Duke of Gloucester upon [Henry Beaufort] the Cardinal [Bishop] of Winchester, Jan.-Feb. 1440. Beg: "Thes bene in partie the poyntes and articles." These articles, which are also directed against John Kemp, here styled only Archbishop of York (but already created a Cardinal, afterwards, 1452, Archbishop of Canterbury), were laid before the Parliament that sat at Reading from 14 Jan. to 14 Feb. (see Cotton MS. Vitellius A. xvi, f. 1O2, printed by C. L. Kingsford, Chronicles of London, p. 153). For the question of the month see notes in Sir J. H. Ramsay's Lancaster and York, ii, p. 24, and R. Pauli, Geschichte von England (cont. of Lappenberg), v, p. 269 ; see also for this and the two following entries K. H. Vickers, Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester, pp. 260-267. Printed from Ashmole MS. 856 by J. Stevenson, Wars of the English in France during the reign of Henry VI (Rolls Series, no. 22), ii, p. 440; printed also, but with some change in the order of the articles, in Arnold's Chronicle (ed. 1811), p. 279, and in Hall's Chronicle (ed. 1809), p. 197. On f. i (a list of the beginnings of the various articles in the hand of Tho. Martin of Palgrave, who d. 1771) there is a note, repeated on f. 4 at the end of the present article, of an imperfect printed copy in the "London Chronicle." This refers to the second edition (1521 ?) of Richard Arnold's Chronicle, where, however, the version is complete (as in the later edition), the only omission of any note being the brief reference to Beaufort's nephew Swynford. f. 1.

2. Articles of advice and opinion of Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester, against the deliverance of Charles, Duke of Orleans (taken prisoner at Agincourt, 1415, released in 1440); 1440. Beg. "For asmuche as it liked my lord to committe certeyne lordes." Entered on the Patent Rolls, 2 June, 18 Hen. VI (Calendar of Patent Rolls, Henry VI, iii, p. 430). Printed in Rymer, Foedera (Hague ed.), tom. v, pt. i, p. 76 ; summarised in J. Speed, History of Great Britain (ed. 1650), p. 672. f. 4.

3. Declaration [by the Lords of the Council] of the causes that moved King Henry VI to the deliverance of the Duke of Orleans; 1440. Beg. "For as moche as it commen to þ^e kyngez knowlege." Printed from the Ashmole MS. by Stevenson, op. cit., ii, p. 451. f. 6.

4. "A fulle lementable Cronicle of þ^e deþ^e and fals murdre of Jamez Steward last kinge of Scottes [James I of Scotland, murdered 1437] nought long a goone prisonner in Englonde, þ^e tymez of Kinge Harri þ^e fifte and Harri þ^e sixte"; circ. 1440. Text beg. "Robert þ^e king of Scottes had twoo soonnez." There is another copy in Add. MS. 5467, f. 72 b, with a colophon on f. 84 b, stating that it was translated out of Latin by John Shirley (d. 1456), and the same MS. contains another work translated by Shirley in 1440 (f. 97). Printed by J. Pinkerton, History of Scotland, i, p. 462, separately at Glasgow in 1818, again by the Maitland Club in 1837 but in each case from Add. MS. 5467, from which a leaf had been torn out. f. 9.

5. "The answeris of Richard Plantaginet callyd commonly Duc of Yorke etc. to certeyne reassones and coloures allegid as it is saide ayeinst þe maner of his right and title etc." [to the crown] ; Oct. 1460. Text beg. "Fyrst where it is saide that it is þought." Printed in the Rolls of Parliament, v, p. 377. Other copies in Cotton MS. Titus E vi, f. 381, Harley MSS. 727, f. 350, 7075, f. 668 b, and Stowe MS. 353, f. 353 b (all copies of Parliament Rolls). f. 16.

6. Agreement between King Henry VI and Richard, Duke of York, whereby the Duke of York is declared heir to the crown; Oct. 1460. Beg. "Blissed be Jhesu in whos hande and bounte." Printed in the Rolls of Parliament, v, p. 378. Other copies in Cotton MS Tiberius E. viii, f. 214 b, Hargrave MS. 335, f. 287 (both imperfect), and in the copies of the Rolls (see above, art. 5). In the present MS. the text is preceded (cf. Tib. E. viii) by a copy of the writ in Latin to the sheriffs for its proclamation, and at the end, after the formula (Fr.) of the Commons' assent to the agreement, there is the attesting clause with the date, 8 Nov. 1460. The MS. having been originally put up in the form of a roll, the writ was transcribed in duplicate on a small slip (f. 17) in order to give room for the sewing together of the sheets. f. 18. Paper ; ff. i + 18. 17 in. x 11³/₄ in. Originally (excluding f. i, see art. 1 above) a roll 22 ft. 5 in.. in length. XV cont. Artt. 5 and 6 are in a different hand; the last is written on both sides of the sheet. Belonged to Tho. Martin of Palgrave; lot 596 in the sale (1866) of the MSS. of Sir John Fenn, editor of the Paston Letters (d. 1794). Phillipps MS. 26503 (sale-cat., May, 1913, lot 804).

includes:

• f. 1 Henry VI of England: Complaint to, by Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester, against Card. Beaufort: 1440; 15th cent.
• f. 1 Henry Beaufort, Cardinal; Bishop of Winchester 1404: Complaint by the Duke of Gloucester against: 1440.
• f. 1 John Kemp, Archbishop of York: Complaint by the Duke of Gloucester against: 1440.
• f. 1 Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester: Complaint by, against Card. Beaufort: 1440.
• f. 4 Charles Orléans, Duc d': Advice of Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester, against liberating: 1440.
• f. 4 Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester: Advice by, against liberating the Duke of Orleans: 1440.
• f. 4 Henry VI of England: Advice of Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester, against releasing the Duke of Orleans: 1440; 15th cent.
• f. 6 Charles Orléans, Duc d': Declaration of the King's reasons for liberating: 1440.
• f. 6 Henry VI of England: Declaration by the Council of the King's reasons for releasing the Duke of Orleans: 1440; 15th cent.
• f. 9 James I of Scotland: Chronicle of the death of: circ. 1440.
• f. 9 John Shirley: Chronicle of the murder of James I of Scotland transl. by: circ. 1440.
• f. 16 York, Richard, 3rd Duke of, d. 1460: Answers of, to reasons alleged against his title to the crown: 1460.
• f. 16 Henry VI of England: Answers of Richard, Duke of York, maintaining his claim to the crown: 1460.
• f. 18 Henry VI of England: Agreement with Richard, Duke of York, declaring him heir to the crown: 1460; 15th cent.
• f. 18 York, Richard, 3rd Duke of, d. 1460: Agreement with Henry V1 conc. his claim to the crown: 1460.