Of al erthely princes our moste high moste redoubted sovereyn lord and moste Christian kyng. We youre symple officers and feithfull humble lieges Mair and Aldermen of yor true citee and chambre of London recomande us unto yor most souvereyn excellence & noble grace in als humble and lowly wise as we moste hertly canne ymagine and devise humblely beseching yor moste noble grace to be enformed of þe full piteuous and lamentable tidings þat late have comen unto or knowliche bothe by writing in certeyn and credible reaporte made to us touching thynfortunate entrepruise late hadde upon yor towne of Sandewiche by yor enemyes and adversaires of France and Bretaigne whiche in a grete armee and with grete noumbre of shippes on Sondaie last passed aboute vj of the clok in þe mornyng arrived to lande at yr saide towne of Sandewiche. And there after diverse scarmysshes gate and entred þe towne and it have dispoiled and pilled unto thuttermoste they have also full cruelly slayne diverse and many of your people and taken prisoners þe moste parte of the þrifty men of þe same towne and also have taken & ladde awaie þe shippes in the haven þere aboute þe nombre of xxxij grete and smale diverse of theym charged with wolles and oþere marchandises of no litle estymacõn and value to þe grete hurt of all this your reaume, and suche othir shippes as they myght not with them wele convey from thens have broken fired and brent and many oþere grete and outrageous violences have there commytted and doon þat pitee is to hire like as in þe copies of ij lettres entre-closed within thise is made expresse mencõn. And thise doon yor saide enemeys with their vessels pillaige and prisoners withdrowe them unto the Downes where they dailie encrecen in gretter nombre both of people and vessels entending not as it is seide therby to ceasse of their cruell and malicious purpose but utterly to destroye þe navire of this yor land as it sheweth in open experience by that they have late also attempted and doon at yor towne and porte of Fowey and oþere places. And then to take an entrepruise upon this yor royalme þe whiche if it ne were þe sonner myghtly lette and manly withstonde by yor saide highnesse and myghti power myght of liklihode growe unto þe grete jeoparde of your saide reaume as god defende. In eschewing of whiche daungerous myschiefz and grete perils we yor said humble lieges wiþ grete & undelayed diligence have had rype comynycacõn with þe grete partie of yor comons of yor saide citee whom to þe pleasir of god and of you sovereyn lord and to þe defence and saufgarde of this yor reaume we fynde to their power full wele-willed and towardly disposed to take upon them the charge in hasty wise to vitaille manne and setteforthe diverse shippes heer beyng in yor ryver of Thamyse with þe nombre of mt mt persones or neer thereby they to be redy to attende & assist such armee and power as shall like yor highnesse by thavise of yor Counsell