The Paston Letters Volume Iii Part 32

Castre, 3 July 37 Hen. VI.

Would like Paston and Hue at Fenne to see a speedier mean for the recovery of the 300 marks adjudged to Fastolf to be received of the Lady Fulthorp for the ward of Thomas Fastolf.

[Footnote 142.1: [From MS. Phillipps, 9735, No. 250.]]

[[142.1: missing close-bracket]]

381

JOHN, LORD LOVEL, TO VISCOUNT BEAUMONT[143.1]

_To my right worshipfull, and my moost best beloved Lord Fadre, my Lord Beaumont._

[Sidenote: Between 1454 and 1459]

Right worshipfull and my moost best beloved Lord Fadre, I recomaunde me unto youre good Lordship. Please it yow to wit, I have consayvid your writyng right well; and for asmoche as ye desure the stiwardship of Baggeworth for youre wilbeloved Thomas Everyngham, which y trowe verely be right a good and a feithfull gentilman. How be it, my Lord, youre desure shall be had in all that is in me; and at the instaunce of your Lordship, y by th'avise of my counceill, shall gyf it hym in writyng undre suche fourme as shall please yow, wheryn y wold be glad to doo that at might please youre good Lordship, prayng yow right hertly ye wold be myn especiall good lord and fadre in all suche [matters] as ye can thynk shuld growe to my worship or profite in any wise, as my synguler trust is moost in yow. And y alwey redy to doo yowe servyse with G.o.ddes grace, who have yow, my right worshipfull and my moost best beloved Lord Fadre, ever in His blessid kepyng.

Written at Rotherfild Gray, the xxiiij. day of Juyle, &c.

Furthermore, my Lord, and it like yow, my Lady my modre recommaundid her unto your good Lordship, yn whom her moost feith and trust is in, prayng yow, ye woll be good brother unto her, for she hath taken yow for her chief counceill, &c.

JOHN, LORD LOVELL.

[Footnote 143.1: [From Fenn, i. 128.] The writer of this succeeded to the barony of Lovel in 1454, and married Jane, the daughter of John, first Viscount Beaumont, the person addressed.

As Beaumont was slain at the battle of Northampton on the 10th July 1460, this letter cannot be later than 1459, but may be some years earlier.]

382

ELIANOR, d.u.c.h.eSS OF NORFOLK, TO VISCOUNT BEAUMONT[143.2]

_To my right worshipfull and right entierly welbelovid cousin, the Viscount Beaumont._

[Sidenote: 1444-1460]

Right worshipfull and right entierly welbelovid cousin, I comaunde me to you with alle my herte, desiring to here, and verile to knowe of your worshipfull estate, profite, hele and good prosperite, the whiche I beseche our Lord Jesu ever to mayntene and preserve in alle worship, to his plesaunce, and to your herts ease.

Please it you, cousin, to witte that your welbelovid servaunt, Roger Hunt, and a servaunt of my moost dred Lord my husbond, on William, yoman of his ewry,[144.1] have comend to gedre, and been fully thorgh and agreed that the said William shall have his office, if it may please your good Lordship. Wherfore, cousin, I pray you, as my speciale truste is in you, that ye will, at th'instaunce of my proier and writing, graunte by your lettres patents to the said William the forsaid office, with suche wages and fees as Roger your said servaunt hath it of you; trustyng verile that ye shall fynde the said William a faithfull servaunt to you, and can and may do you right good service in that office.

And, cousin, in th'acompleshment of my desire in this mater, ye may do me a right good pleaser, as G.o.d knowith, whom I beseche for His merci to have you ever in His blessed gouvernaunce, and send you good lyfe and long, with muche good worship.

Writen at Framlynham, the viij^th day of Marche.

ELIANORE, the d.u.c.h.ess of Norfolk.

[Footnote 143.2: [From Fenn, i. 194.] Here we have another letter, of uncertain date, addressed to the same person as the last. The year when it was written is quite immaterial, but must have been between 1444, when John Mowbray, the writer's husband, was confirmed in the dignity of Duke of Norfolk (which had belonged to his grandfather in the time of Richard II.), and 1460, when Viscount Beaumont was slain at the battle of Northampton.]

[Footnote 144.1: An officer who had charge of the table linen, etc.]

383

FRIAR BRACKLEY TO JOHN PASTON[144.2]

_To my Mayster, Jon Pastone, Esqwyer, be this letter presentid._

_Jesu mercy._

[Sidenote: 1459]

Ryte reverent mayster, &c., as sone as ze may goodly, comyth to Castre, and Zelverton[144.3] with zow, and ze think it to be done; and sendyth home zowr men and hors, tyl ze haf do here, &c. And by grace of G.o.d and zour polityk wisdham, ze schal conclude more effectually in gret matyers of substans, to my maysterys[144.4] and zour worschip and profyte. It is hey tyme; he drawyt fast home ward, and is ryte lowe browt, and sore weykid [_weakened_] and feblyd, &c. And ze must bryng with zow a forme of a supplicacyon made at London in what maner wyse Mr. R. Popy, a cunnyng and a crafty man, schal presentyn and purposyn to the Kyng for the inmorteysing of Castre to Seynt Benet, &c., which he promittyd up [_promised upon_] a certeyn mony, &c., and undirtoke it, &c., and fond that tyme no bonys in the matere, &c. And now he seyth he wil labour and ryde and do hise part, &c. And he wold haf me to help hym, &c., quod non fiet, &c., or elles a man of credens of my masterys, &c., quod dubito fieri, &c. G.o.d bryng zow sone hidyr, &c., for I am weri tyl ze come.

Sir Thomas the parson, zowr owne most trewe, &c., be myn trewthe, and I zour bedeman and zowrs at zour comaundement, in zour letter haf no more towchid of the mater, &c., to my mayster, &c. Every day this v. dayes he seyth, 'G.o.d send me sone my good cosyn Paston, for I holde hym a feythful man, and ever on man.' Cui ego, 'That is soth,' &c. Et ille, 'Schew me not the mete, schew me the man.' Haec verba replicat saepius c.u.m magno stomacho, &c. Colinus Gallicus dicit in Jernemuta et aliis locis se esse executorem, &c. Dixit etiam heri coram pluribus, si semel fuerit London' nunquam vult videre Norfolchiam, &c. Dicit etiam, ubi executores credunt se habituros claves, &c., post mortem alii habebunt claves, ita bene sicut illi, &c. Falsissimus est, et ego bene dixi in partem suam inter ipsum et me, &c. Propter Deum, faciatis Spirlyng venire juxta promissum in f'cu [_factum ?_], &c. Gallicus ipse maxime odit rectorem et vellet supplantare eum, &c. Item, valde desiderat suum, quietus est quia absit, &c.

Henricus Todyham continue aspirat post mortem magistri c.u.m mille habeat oculos nocendi, &c., si quorum duos deperderit, nullus caeteros timeret, &c.

[Footnote 144.2: [From Fenn, iii. 342.] No signature appears to be attached to this letter as Fenn has printed it, but the style is unmistakably that of Brackley, to whom he attributes it. The original was endorsed in an ancient hand, according to Fenn, 'Littera fratris Doctoris Brackley per quam patet Jo. Fastolf valde desidera.s.se presentiam consanguinei sui Jo. Paston.' The date seems to be shortly before Sir John Fastolf's death, which happened on the 5th November 1459.]

[Footnote 144.3: William Yelverton.]

[Footnote 144.4: Sir John Fastolf.]

384

WILLIAM JENNEY TO JOHN PASTON[146.1]

_To my worshipful and right G.o.de mayster, John Paston, Squyer._

[Sidenote: 1459(?) / AUG. [22]]

Wurshipful sire, and my right G.o.de mayster, I recomaunde me to zou, and hertely I thanke zour G.o.de maystership that ze liked to sende my mayster zour sone to Sporle with suych felaship as ze dede, for which I am ever bounde to doo zou service, prayeng zou of zour G.o.de contenuaunce.

Sire, the cause why I kam not was this: I was falle seek with an axez [_ague_], and truly that caused me that I and my felaship taryed; and so be cause theroffe I caused my lady to wryte a specyall lettre to my Lord Scales. But for al that Blake hath hoom the corn in my Lady of Suffolkys name. And the cause why I sent no wurd of my seknes was, that I wuld not myn enmy shuld be rejoysed be the knowlych of my seknesse. So G.o.d help me, the felaship that was redy to goo was right sory that thei myght not goo furth with me; and my lordes and my ladyes wyl was that thei shuld have goon further. But if I had been heil and not seek, there shuld have kome a wurshipful felaship out of Suffolk of so litel warnyng; but truly I lay seek at Ipeswych of the axcez bothe Sunday and Monday. But, sire, syn ze have shewed me so kyndely zour G.o.de maystership, I praye zou I may have your felaship redy at a nothir tyme to help to execute a commyssion touchyng Blake, and that thei may be redy withinne ij. dayez after ze have warnyng. And, sire, my service is redy to zou at alle tymys, as ze shewe me gret cause to doo zou service. Wreten at Thelton,[147.1] the Wednysday next before Seynt Bertilmew Day in haste.

Your servaunt,

WILLIAM JENNEY.

[Footnote 146.1: [From Fenn, iv. 38.] This letter is referred by Fenn to the beginning of Edward IV.'s reign, but on a careful examination I think it must be earlier, as William Jenney's proceedings, even in the first year of Edward IV., were by no means friendly to John Paston. The Lord Scales here mentioned must therefore be the Lord Scales of Henry VI.'s time, who was murdered in July 1460, and the letter, having been written in August, cannot be later than 1459. In that year, as will be seen by Letter 377, John Paston's eldest son had already begun active life, and I am inclined to think that it is the precise year in which the present letter was written. John Paston, the second, was at that time not more than nineteen years of age, and we hear nothing of his doings earlier. The manor of Sporle was inherited by John Paston, senior, from his father the judge.]

[Footnote 147.1: Thelveton, near Diss, in Norfolk.]

[[The sections headed First Draft and Second Draft were printed in facing columns. They are shown here in separate blocks. Unlabeled paragraphs belong to the First Draft. Asterisks and brackets are in the original, as explained in the first Footnote. Missing or misplaced brackets have been left as printed.]]

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