of Ypres, June 10,
1470_

"DEAR FRIENDS:

"It has come to your knowledge how after the Duke of Clarence and
the Earl of Warwick were expelled from England on account of their
sedition and their ill deeds, they have declared themselves both
by words and deeds of aggression our enemies, and on _Vendredi
absolut_[12] went so far as to capture by fraud ships and property
belonging to our subjects, and have further done damage whenever
opportunity presented itself.

"In order to repel them we have ordered them to be attacked on
the sea. Moreover, at the same time we were advised that the same
Clarence and Warwick and their people, after they were routed at
sea by the troops of my honoured lord and brother, Edward, King of
England, retreated to the marches of Normandy and were honourably
received at Honfleur by the Admiral of France with all which they
had saved from the raid on our subjects after the defeat.

"All this was direct infringement of the treaties lately made
between Monseigneur the king and myself. Therefore, we wrote at
once to Monsgr. the king begging him not to favour or aid the said
Clarence and Warwick in his land of Normandy or elsewhere in his
realm, nor to permit them to sell or distribute the property of
our subjects, and to show his will by publishing such prohibitions
throughout Normandy and elsewhere where need is.

"Also we wrote to the court of parliament at Paris, and to the
council of my said seigneur at Rouen. The answer was that the king
meant to keep the treaty between him and us and had ordered his
subjects in Normandy not to retain the property belonging to our
subjects ... but we have since learned that, notwithstanding,
this same property has been distributed and ransoms have been
negotiated in the sight and knowledge of the Admiral of France and
his officers.

"Moreover, it is perfectly evident that by means of the aid
furnished by the king to the said Clarence and Warwick, the latter
are enabled to continue the war on our subjects and not on the
English, it being understood that they who were banished from
England are not strong enough to return by the force of arms but
must do so by friendship and favour.... On account of the above
and other depredations, we shall attack the said Warwick and
Clarence on the sea as pirates, and al