> as lemmas

?a1400 (a1338) R. Mannyng Chron. (Petyt) ii. 258 Þis letter of credance þei schewed.

1461 W. Paston in Paston Lett. & Papers (2004) I. 165 Suche tydyngys as my lady of York hath by a lettre of credens.

1548 Hall's Vnion: Edward IV f. ccxviii He deliuered to the kynge, letters of credence..which willed the kyng to geue credite and perfait faith to the duke.

1596 W. Warner Albions Eng. (rev. ed.) xi. lxv. 279 With Letters then of Credence for himselfe, and Marte for them, He puts to Sea for England.

1634 T. Herbert Relation Some Yeares Trauaile 123 Sir Robert Sherley had the Kings Letter of Credence or Firman, to testifie the truth of it.

1711 London Gaz. No. 4821/3 He [sc. an envoy] carries Letters of Credence with him.

1760 A. Mitchell Let. 31 July (1850) II. xii. 182 Baron Edelsheim had..no letter of credence, but only a letter from Minister to Minister, in which even a blank was left for the inserting of his name.

1860 J. L. Motley Hist. Netherlands (1868) I. viii. 493 Grafigori then asked for a written letter of credence.

1944 D. Cooper Diary 18 Nov. (2005) 337 At 9.45..I set forth with all my civilian staff to present my letters of credence.

1998 Times 25 June 26/1 His Excellency Monsieur Ibrahima Sylla was received in audience by The Queen today and presented the Letters of Recall of his predecessor and his own Letters of Credence as Ambassador.