KINGS AS LETTER WRITERS

Taranaki Daily News, 20 December 1933, Page 14

KINGS AS LETTER WRITERS

EDWARD THE SECOND. Edward II wrote several pathetic letlers to his young son, Edward Prince of Wales, afterwards Edward 111, when the boy was in France with his mother who refused to return to England. The Prince was about fourteen or fifteen, and his father longed to see him, being greatly afraid that he would be persuaded into some marriage by his mother. As a matter of fact, the boy had already formed a great attachment for Philippa of Hainault, who was the same age as himself, and for months he lived at her father’s court, where his father wrote to him thus:

“Edward, fair son, you are of tender age; take our commands tenderly to heart, and so rule your conduct with humility, as you would escape our reproach, our grief, and indignation, and advance your own interest and honour. Believe no counsel which is contrary to the will of your father, as the wise King Solomon instructs you. Understand certainly, that if you act contrary to our counsel and continue in wilful disobedience, you will feel it all the days of your life, and all other sons will take example to be disobedient to their lords and fathers.” . ' Edw.ard was fifteen when he . became King, and he married Philippa the same year, 1327. BORROWED TREASURE. But in 1338 this same Edward was at war with France, and obliged to borrow from the Abbot of Reading, to whom he wrote in acknowledgment of his debt: “We have received from our beloved b -other in Christ, Richard de Maurdyn, Abbot of the monastery of Reading, one chalice, with a paten of pure- gold, four pounds in weight and worth £54 9s and one casket of pure gold for. carrying reliques, in the form of a little shrine, garnished with sapphires, oriental pearls, sardonyxes, rubies, and various other stones, twenty pounds in weight, and two hundred pounds in value, which the said Abbot has lent us for the further-

ance of our affairs, and which we promise faithfully to return, or to pay the value thereof to the said Abbot.”

Our kings were frequently in “queer street” in those days, and often borrowed a diamond, a ruby, or even a salt cellar to carry on with for the time being! , ■ PROVENDER. Henry IV was greatly pressed for money when, in 1400, he wrote to his Council: “Right dear, and well-beloved, forasmuch as we are not yet, in the least, provided with wine, flour, grain, hay and oats, for the expense of our household and army which will be with. us in our journey towards the marches of Scotland, we will, by the advice of our council, hereby command you to cause our letters to be sent in due form to the mayor, sheriffs, and aidermen of our city of London, th§t they by sea cause to be brought to our port of Tynemouth and Shields without delay wine, flour, grain, hay and oats, in order to refresh us and our army.” He.promised to repay the Mayor when he could, asked if he could borrow money qn_ his jewels, and finished by saying: “Keep ye very secret until ye be honoured. with another despatch.” One feels the King’s anxiety deeply in this letter. It was his personal duty to find a bundle of hay for his horse, and literally he did not know where‘the next loaf of bread was coming from or how he could feed his soldiers!