XII. 4 August 1285

Edward, by the grace of God, King of England, Lord of Ireland, Duke of Aquitaine, to his beloved servant in Christ, the Abbot of Faversham — Greeting. We have learnt by the complaint of our Barons of Faversham that you, according to a certain composition formerly made between you and them, ought to find one man, on your behalf, for the custody of our prison there at your cost, together with a certain other man to be found for the same purpose by the Barons aforesaid : You unjustly, to the great damage of those Barons and contrary to the aforesaid agreement, now refuse to find any man for that purpose, as you formerly did : We, considering that for lack of guard of this kind danger might be likely to accrue in the future, command you, as we have several times commanded, firmly enjoining you, that you cause to be provided the aforesaid man to guard the prison aforesaid on your behalf, as you ought and have been accustomed to do according to the aforesaid composi tion, and according to the tenor of our mandates aforesaid frequently directed to you on that behalf : So that we need not deservedly punish your fault in this matter, or that you yourselves come before us wherever we may then be in England within 15 days from the feast of Saint Michael to reply to the aforenamed Barons why you be not bound to provide one man for the custody of the prison aforesaid, and to us why you have disdained to obey our mandates so frequently directed to you on that behalf, and that you have there this writ.

Witness myself, at Wolvemere, the fourth day of August in the thirteenth year of our reign.