The Paston Letters Volume Iii Part 54

FRATER J. B., Minorum minimus.

[Footnote 229.1: [Add. MS. 34,888, f. 158.] This letter appears to be holograph. If we are right that it was written just before No. 418, we may place it early in October 1460.]

[Footnote 229.2: _See_ p. 213.]

[Footnote 230.1: Eccles. xix. 4.]

[Footnote 230.2: _Ibid._ x.x.xvii. 9 (8).]

[Footnote 230.3: Prov. xxi. 30.]

[Footnote 230.4: Luke xxiii. 31.]

418

FRIAR BRACKLEY TO JOHN PASTON[231.1]

_Venerando suo magistro, Johanni Paston._

_Jesus, &c._

[Sidenote: 1460]

Reverende domine, &c. Propter Deum caveatis a confidentia in illo nigro Hibernico[231.2] oculis obliquo et lusco, qui utinam corde, ore et opere non esset obliquior; qui heri misit literam Colino Gallico; de quibus dicitur quod singuli caccant uno ano. Et parvus Adam hodie portavit (?) magistro suo responsum. Idem enim luscus dicit vos esse cupidissimum, quia multum afflixistis debitores patris vestri, persequendo eos c.u.m omni rigore, &c. Item dicit quod c.u.m pater vester fuerit judex ditissimus, quasi nihil fecistis pro eo in distribuendo elemosinam pro anima ejus, et c.u.m nihil feceritis pro patre vestro, quomodo pro magistro Fastolf aliquid facietis? Item dicit 'Utinam fuissem in morte magistri mei, quia in me ultra omnes homines mundi maxime confisus est,'

&c. Item dicit quod in hora qua obiit magister suus, obviavit sibi unus albus bubo, qui eodem tempore juxta unam ecclesiam continuo clamavit mirabiliter et volavit saepius iteratis vicibus sub equo suo inter tibias equi sui &c. Item dixit cuidam fratri conventus mei, 'Magister Brakle accipit super se magnum regimen, &c., et certe, si pecunia legata in ultima voluntate suis servientibus non fuerit in larga habundancia distributa, erit ad magnum dedecus et verecundiam personae meae,' &c.

Utinam caveritis ita bene de eo sicut ego cavebo, quia c.u.m sit filius Hibernicus, ego de eo semper minus curabo. Ipse vellet habere bona ex parte sua, &c. Deo teste non fecit (?)[232.1] vos magistri sui, &c. Haec omnia et plura dixit idem miser magistro Clementi, a quo haec omnia et plura didici &c. Item dicit quod vos timetis adire loc.u.m parliament quia non vultis praestare pecunias Regi nec Reginae et aliis; et ideo pigritia vestra in hoc pa.s.su erit bonis mortui satis nociva, &c. Ego tot et tanta audivi de illo quod, per Deum, nunquam confidam in illo, &c.; est enim miser multum malencolicus et in toto colericus, et, salva patientia vestra, reddat compotum de singulis antequam capiat onus testamenti, &c.

Judex[232.2] cras venturus est, &c., et sicut se hic gerit vestra caritas not.i.tiam habebit, &c. Rogo detis mihi licentiam recedendi ad conventum Norwici, ad mutandum vestimenta mea propter sudores, &c., et ad studendum pro sermone, &c., ad honorem Dei, &c., qui vos vestros et vestra salvet in saecula. Amen.

Vester orator,

FRATER J. B.

_On the back:_--Item dixit magistro Clementi quod ipse non vult esse Frere, veni mec.u.m, nec canta sec.u.m, nec Dac.o.k, nec fac.o.k, nec Frater, lava pedes, &c. Item dicit vos instruxisse magistrum suum contra eum de auferendo evidencias, &c., et ipse plures labores habuit pro eo quam vos vel aliquis alius, &c. Custodite literam ultimo a me vobis missam, &c.

Utinam Upton et ipse essent extra loc.u.m, &c., quia hic fiunt consumptiones maximae, &c.

_Endorsed in a 16th century hand:_-- A lettre much dispraising W. Wircester, from Doctor Brakley.

[Footnote 231.1: [From Paston MSS., B.M.] This letter appears by the contents to have been written about the beginning of the Parliament of 1460, to which it would seem Paston did not immediately repair to take his place, thus giving occasion to an insinuation that he did not wish to be called upon to vote money for the King and Queen.]

[Footnote 231.2: _See_ p. 213.]

[Footnote 232.1: The word is 'ft' in the MS. And to make sense of the pa.s.sage, I must suppose another word to be omitted. 'Non fecit vos _amic.u.m_ magistri sui,' _i.e._ he did not make you out to be any friend of his master.]

[Footnote 232.2: William Yelverton.]

419

CHRISTOPHER HANSSON TO JOHN PASTON[233.1]

_To the right worshipfull Sir and Maister, John Paston, Escuier, at Norwiche, be this delyvered in hast._

[Sidenote: 1460 / OCT. 12]

Right worschipfull Sir and Maister, I recomaund me un to you. Please you to wete, the Monday after oure Lady Day[233.2] there come hider to my maister ys place,[233.3] my Maister Bowser, Sir Harry Ratford, John Clay, and the Harbyger of my Lord of Marche, desyryng that my Lady of York[233.4] myght lye here untylle the comyng of my Lord of York and hir tw sonnys, my Lorde George[233.5] and my Lorde Richard,[233.6] and my Lady Margarete[233.7] hir dawztyr, whiche y graunt hem in youre name to ly here untylle Mychelmas. And she had not ley here ij. dayes but sche had tythyng of the londyng of my Lord at Chestre. The Tewesday next after, my Lord sent for hir that sche shuld come to hym to Harford [_Hereford_], and theder sche is gone. And sythe[233.8] y left here bothe the sunys and the dowztyr, and the Lord of Marche comyth every day to se them.

Item, my Lord of York hath dyvers straunge commissions fro the Kyng for to sitte in dyvers townys comyng homward; that is for to sey, in Ludlow, Schrrofysbury, Herford, Leycetre, Coventre, and in other dyvers townys, to punych them by the fawtes to the Kyngs lawys.

As for tythyngs here, the Kyng is way at Eltham and at Grenewych to hunt and to sport hym there, bydyng the Parlement, and the Quene and the Prynce byth in Walys alway. And is with hir the Duc of Excestre and other, with a fewe mayne, as men seythe here.

And the Duc of Somerset he is in Depe [_Dieppe_]; withe hym Maister John Ormound, Wyttyngham, Andrew Trollyp, and other dyvers of the garyson of Gyanys, under the Kyng of Fraunce safcondyte, and they seythe here, he porpose hym to go to Walys to the Quene. And the Erle of Wyltschyre[234.1] is stylle in pece at Otryght at the Frerys [_Friars_], whiche is seyntwary.

Item, Colbyne ys come home to my maister is place, and seyth that, at your departyng[234.2] ouzt of London, ze send hym word that he schuld come hedder to the place, and be here un tylle your comyng a zene; and so he is here it, and seith he wolle take no maister but be your avyce, nether the leese [_nevertheless_] awaytythe uppon Maister Oldhall the most parte at Redre[234.3] at his place.

Item, Maister Ponyngs hathe enteret on an two or iij. placys uppon the Erle of Northomberlond, and he stondyth in good grace of the Kyng, my Lord of Marche, my Lord Warwyk, and my Lord of Salysbury. Most parte of the contre abought his lyflod hold aythe withe hym. And my maisteras your sister[234.4] is not delyverd as yet; G.o.d yef hir G.o.d delyveraunce.

No more to you at this tyme, but and ze wolle comaund me any servyce y may doo, it is redy. And Jesu have you in his blessid kepyng; and I beseche you this letter may comaund me to my maisteras your moder, and my maisteras your wyfe, and alle your houshold.

Wreten at London the xij. day of Octobre.

Your owne Servaunt,

CHRISTOFER HANSSON.

[Footnote 233.1: [From Fenn, i. 198.] This letter must have been written in the year 1460, when the Duke of York came over from Ireland, his party having been victorious at the battle of Northampton, and gained possession of the King's person.]

[Footnote 233.2: The Nativity of Our Lady is on the 8th September. The Monday following was in this year the 15th.]

[Footnote 233.3: Probably Sir John Fastolf's place in Southwark.]

[Footnote 233.4: Cecily, d.u.c.h.ess of York.]

[Footnote 233.5: Afterwards Duke of Clarence.]

[Footnote 233.6: Afterwards Richard III.]

[Footnote 233.7: Afterwards d.u.c.h.ess of Burgundy.]

[Footnote 233.8: The modern version in Fenn reads: 'And she hath left here.']

[Footnote 234.1: James Butler, Earl of Wiltshire and Ormond.]

[Footnote 234.2: Paston must have left London and gone to Norwich not long before the Parliament, which began on the 7th October; and, as we have already observed, he did not return in time for its commencement.]

[Footnote 234.3: Redriff or Rotherhithe.]