To the King our Sovereign Lord; Shewen meekly your true liege people, here by your authority royal in this present Parliament for the Commons of this your noble realm assembled; how that a sickness called the Pestilence, universally through this your realm runneth more commonly than hath been usual before this time, the which is an infirmity most infective; and the presence of such so infect most to be eschewed, as by noble physicians and wise philosophers before this time plainly it hath been determined and as experience daily sheweth. Wherefore we your poor liege people, above all earthly thing tendering and desiring the health and welfare of your most noble person, beseech your most noble grace, in conserving of your most noble person and in comfort of us all, in eschewing of any such infection to you to fall, which God defend, graciously to conceive how where that any of your said Commons, holding of you by Knight's service, oweth in doing you homage, by your gracious sufferance, to kiss you, to ordain and grant by the authority of this present Parliament, that every of your said lieges, in doing of their said homage, may omit the said kissing of you.... A NOBLEMAN REQUESTS A LICENCE FOR A SHIP TO CARRY PILGRIMS (1445). =Source.=--Ellis's _Original Letters_, Second Series, vol. i., pp. 110, 111. +To the King our Sovereign Lord.+ Please it unto your Royal Majesty of your grace especially to grant unto John Earl of Oxford, owner under God of a ship called the _Jesus of Orwell_, that the said ship, without any fine or fee to be paid unto you, may have licence, in the worship of God and of St. James, to make the first voyage unto St. James[12] with as many persons as therein would thitherward take their passage. Considering that by cause of the loss of another ship ... the said Earl hath done upon the said ship great cost to make it the more able to do you service and to withstand your enemies in time of need. _Endorsed_--Donné à n're Palais de Westm. le xxviij jour de Feverer, l'an etc xxiij. [February 28, 1445.] [12] The shrine of St. James of Compostella. THE DISCOMFORTS OF PILGRIMS AT SEA (_circa_ 1445). =Source.=--_Early Naval Ballads_, vol. ii., pp. 1-4. (Percy Society.) Man may leve all gamys, That saylen to Seynt Jamys; For many a man hit gramys,[13] When they begyn to sayle. For when they have take the sea, At Sandwyche or at Wynchylsee, At Brystow,[14] or where that hit bee, Theyr herts begyn to fayle. Anone the mastyr commaundeth fast To hys shyp-men in all the hast, To dresse hem soon about the mast Theyr takeling to make. With "howe! hissa!" then they cry, "What, howte! mate, thou stondyst too ny, Thy fellow may not hale the by;" Thus they begyn to crake. * * * * *