Page:The histories of Launceston and Dunheved, in the county of Cornwall.djvu/119

LETTERS PATENT OF THE BLACK PRINCE. 101 Letters Patent, Sealed with our Privy Seal. Given at Plympton the 20th day of August, in the 29th year of the reign of our most dear lord and father the King of England, and of France the 16th (1356) The Prince's seal is appended. We copy it. We give a translation from the Norman-French of another document which we have found at Dunheved. It is without date, but is nearly contemporaneous with the preceding Charter of the Black Prince : To the mo'st noble and honorable Monseigneur Edward, the illustrious son of the most noble King of England and of France, Duke of Cornwaille, Prince of Wales, and Earl of Chester, and to his good council : Thomas Lanrac, his burgess of Launceveton in Cornwaille, showeth and complaineth That, as he was going towards Sotton (Plymouth) from the said town of Launceveton with his merchandise, on the morrow next before the feast of the Ascension in this year, there came Richard Mewy, with force and arms — that is to say, with spear and buckler, in the King's highway, and pulled the said Thomas from his horse, and beat and mauled and left him, so that he was nigh unto death, and every man despaired of [his] life, and he took, together with the horse of the said Thomas, his load of twelve half-pound weights, and one bundle of tanned leather, took also one half-pound weight, with his bell and his hat, took also forty pence, all taken against his mind and his will, and ever since detained. Wherefore, most honored lord, the said Thomas prays redress for these trespasses, for the sake of God, and of the souls of. your forefathers : And in witness of the truth of this complaint, the Commonalty of your said borough of Launceveton to this Bill set their own Seal. [The Seal has been removed.] Latin Deed 1365 : We John Spenser, Mayor of the Commonalty of the borough of Dounheved, and the eight Aldermen of the