to be your liege man, and to behave towards you from this day
forward in good faith, as is his right; and to do that loyally he
offers to be bound by the faith of his body [his corporal oath],
and all the sacraments of Holy Church, in any manner which you
please graciously to ordain and appoint; and all his friends who
are at his will, under his subjection, or at his command under
his lordships, will promise the same by word of mouth. And for
greater security for the time to come, as well to your most noble
and sovereign Lordship as to your heirs and the crown of England,
during his life loyally to hold and accomplish the same, he
offers you his son and heir in pledge. May it please your most
high and gracious excellence, according to his promises
aforesaid, graciously to receive and accept him to your most
noble and abundant grace, for God's sake and in a work of
charity."

The petition is in French.--The answer in English is this: "Ye
King will that he come before his counsel, and find surety as it
may be found reasonable."

"For Macmourgh.--Offer to be sworn to the King, and to give
hostage thereupon."

The order of the council consequent upon this, in Latin, refers the
matter to the Lieutenant and council in Ireland.

* * * * *

Henry at this time appears to have had considerable intercourse with
the see of Rome. In a letter written to his resident ambassador in
that city, John Keterich, Bishop of Lichfield, he requires, in very
humble language, that his Holiness would not invade the rights of the
crown of England as settled by a concordat between Edward III. (p. 245)
and Gregory XI; that he would provide for the admission of Englishmen
only into the priories in England which the Conqueror had annexed to
Norman abbeys; and that he would send strict injunctions to the
bishops of Ireland that the people should be taught the English
tongue, and that none should be capable of any ecclesiastical
preferment who should be ignorant of it, since the best and greatest
part of that nation understood it, and experience had shown what
disorders and confusions arose from a diversity of languages.

It is impossible to read the documents of this time without being
struck by the evidence as well of the thraldom under which the Pope
held the sovereigns and people of Christendom, as of the spirit