Richard de Clare to Andre l'Ecrivain

[Richard de Clare]

To Andre l'Ecrivain, called Dwym Bwydo by some we know, Richard, Earl of Hertford, sends an invitation.

I hope that this letter finds you well and fit to travel. Word may well have reached the Marches by now of the death of Henry Curtmantle and the imminent accession of his son, Richard, Duke of Aquitaine. It is true that your father will need to come to Westminster to pay homage to our king and would in normal circumstances suffice to demonstrate the loyalty of your house, word of which I shall be sending him personally, but your services will be required as well due to a rather strange circumstance, which I will now relate.

Some days ago, the Bishop of Ely, sometime Chancellor of our Kingdom, as you may recall, took it upon himself to travel to the King's side while he was in his distress. This came as a surprise to no one, considering the long time which the bishop had served the King, and it seemed strange only that the Bishop of Durham should not have likewise accompanied him, but the vagaries of travel being what they are... In any case, the bishop made his submission to Richard just after the King's passing, as indeed did many of the king's closest servants. None of them, however, succumbed to death's cold sickle not three days later, on their return journey through Normandy.

All this is to say that with the Chancellor gone, we may well be living in interesting times, particularly where money is concerned, and it might do for a lord to have a trustworthy accountant who knows his way around legalities close at hand. Fortunately, I happened to know where my lord d'Agnatu had one squirreled away. So I shall be expecting you in your father's train, but I may have further news between now and then. Events are moving apace.

Take care of yourself,
Hertford.

[Andre l'Ecrivain]

To the Right Honorable Earl of Hetford, his loyal servant, Andre l'Ecrivain sends greetings; as the Psalmist says, may the Lord bless you and keep you!

I grieve, of course, to learn of the death of the Lord Chancellor, God rest him, and I have prayed for his soul and will again, however much it may avail for such a man as I am to do so. He was a good servant to the late king--God have mercy on him!--and upright with the Lord.

Your lordship is doubtless correct that there will be need of certainty in many matters as the new King--God save him!--is crowned and sets in order the affairs of the realm. It is tradition, of course, that a new king will examine the laws of the kingdom and reaffirm them or amend them as the times and their situations may provide needful. I have had the good fortune to come into possession of a number of older law codes, extracts from which I have long worked to compile, that the vagaries of happenstance in this fallen world not remove from human knowledge the wisdom of days gone by. It will be my pleasure to have them to hand in Westminster and to provide them to your lordship, should he feel the need therefore. I doubt not that your lordship will find certain materials from the laws of old, reaffirmed even by the glorious William I upon his assumption of his right, and reaffirmed by the kings since, to be of some interest.

I shall, of course, look for your lordship's word, whether by message or from your mouth to my ear, when I shall attend upon your lordship.

[Richard de Clare]

To l'Ecrivain the Loquacious, Richard, Earl of Hertford, sends greetings,

I appreciated your reply, as I am sure Ridel's soul appreciated your prayers, and acknowledge that some handle on the law may well be in our interest. If you could particularly lay your hands on and bring as much material as you can on succession law, particularly wherein a lady (or suite of ladies) may be left sole heiress of a branch of a family, that would be most helpful. It has come to my understanding that the lands of our cousin Strongbow are not the only territories thus imperiled to their original owners, and allies may be gained if they owe their holdings to a clever legal intervention--presented at the right time, of course.

Richard and his party are making all haste for England, and Eleanor his mother has been released from her cell by the Marshal, so it shan't be terribly long now, perhaps as early as the first few days of September.

Peace with you,
Hertford