The Paston Letters Volume Iii Part 65

[Footnote 281.4: Fenys.]

462

MARGARET PASTON TO JOHN PASTON[282.1]

_To my right worchepfull hosbond, John Paston, be this letter deliveryd in hast._

[Sidenote: 1461 / JUNE]

Right worchepfull hosbond, I recommand me to you. Please you to wete that thys day in the mornyng the parson of Snoryng came to Thomas Denys and fechyd hym owt of hys hows, and beryth hym a hand,[282.2] that he shuld a mad byllys agayns Twyer and hym, and hathe a leed hym ferthe with hem. Hys wyf hathe no knowlege of it. Ferther more the seid parson seythe that the seyd Thomas Denys shuld a take sowdyors owt of hys felachep whan he went to Seynt Albons;[282.3] that hys a nother of hys compleynts. Item, anothyr of hys compleynts ys, a beryth the seyd Thomas a hand,[282.2] that he had awey a hors of John Coppyng of Bryslee, and a nother of Kyng of Donham, the wyche hors were stole be the seyd ij.

personys. Wher for the seyd Thomas toke hem as a comyshaner and delyveryd hem to the exchetor, Frances Costard, and one of them he bowt of the seyd Fraunces. And the seyd parson hathe a wey the seyd hors, and seyth that he wolle the seyd thevys shuld be recompenst be Thomas Denys.

Thys I am enformyd of all thesse maters be hys wyffe, and sche prayythe yow in the reverence of G.o.d ye wolle be hyr good maister, and helpe that hyr hosbond may have sume remedy be your labor in thys mater, [for she]

seythe syn that hyr hosbond ys the Kyngs offycer, that they owt to spar hym the rather. But they that hathe hym take no ... ... told me that they hope to have a newe chonge in hast.

Item, Pers that was with my unkyll Barney[283.1] sent you a l[etter]

... ... er desyryng to have your good masterchep, and he woll fyynd sufficient suerte[283.2] for hym for to com ... ... whan som ever ye woll require hym. I' good feyth it ys told me hys leggs ar all ...

... [Send] me word, encas the suerte be sufficient, in what sum ye woll have hem bownd for hy ... ... te in bayle. Item, it ys told me that ther be many Freynche shyppys of se a geyns Yamothe, a[nd ...

... t]hey woll do harme on the coste. I pray yow hertely that ye woll send me word in hast howe that ye do with my [Lord] of Norffolk, and with your adversaryys. Item, I have do purveyed in thys wareyn xj.^xx.

[_eleven score_] rabets and sent up be the berer herof. The blyssyd Trinite have yow in Hys kepyng, and send yow the better of all your adversariis, and good sped in all your maters. Wretyn in hast, the same day that ye departyd hens.

Item, I pray yow that ye wolle remembre my unkyll Barneys mater tochyng the executyng of his wylle, and how ye wolle that we be demenyd for kepyng of hys yerday, and that it lekyth you to send me word be Mr. John Smy[th].

[Footnote 282.1: [From Paston MSS., B.M.] This letter appears from internal evidence to have been written some time after the second battle of St. Albans, which was fought in February 1461, and before the murder of Thomas Denys in July following. But to all appearance it was not very long before the latter date. The MS. is mutilated, and a few words are lost in eight consecutive lines.]

[Footnote 282.2: _i.e._ accuses him. _See_ vol. ii. p. 110, Note.]

[Footnote 282.3: Thomas Denys was at the second battle of St.

Albans in February 1461. _See_ No. 455.]

[Footnote 283.1: John Berney.]

[Footnote 283.2: _See_ Letter 424.]

463

THOMAS DENYES TO MARGARET PASTON[284.1]

_To my right n.o.ble and wurshipfull mastresse, my Mastresse Paston, or to William Paston if she be absent._

[Sidenote: 1461 / JULY]

Right n.o.ble and wurshipfull mastresse, I recomaund me to yow with my pouer servise. And for so moche as I here no thyng of my maister your husbonds comyng hastly home,--and though he cam or come not, it were expedient that the Kyng were infourmed of the demenyng of the shire,--therfore I send to yow a testymonyall, which is made by a greet a.s.sent of greet mult.i.tude of comons, to send to the Kyng. I pray you for the good spede therof that in all hast possible ye like to send it to my said maister, if he be with the Kyng; ellis fynde the meane to send it to the Kyng, thogh my maister be thens; beside forthe that ye vouchsauf to late diligent labour be made to a sufficient nombir to a.s.sele for my Maister Paston allone, for if bothe holde not, I wolde oon helde.

I pray yow that it lyke you to send for my Maister William Paston, and shew hym all thys, and that it were hastid; for on the adversaire parte Judas slepith not.

Berney promised to a' sent, but for our Lords love trust not that; for I se his slouthe and sely labour, which is no labour. And I wold ful fayn speke with yow, &c.

My maister your husbond wole peraventure blame us all, if this mater be not applied; for he may not of reson do so largely heryn by his myght, be cause he is elyted, as the Comons myght wisely do with help of his favour, if it wer wisely wrought. If my Maister William Paston ride hastly from a x. daies to London, I wole with hym, if he send me word.

The Holy Trinite preserve yow. Wretyn rudely in hast the Sunday, &c.

Men sey, send a wiseman on thy erand, and sey litell to hym, wherfor I write brefly and litell.

THOMAS DENYES.

[Footnote 284.1: [From Fenn, iv. 18.] This letter speaks of the county of Norfolk as being in an unquiet state, and of John Paston as having been elected knight of the shire. It will be seen by No. 458 that writs for an election were expected as early as the 5th of June in 1461, and as I find that the writer of this letter was murdered on the 4th of July following, the date is probably about the very beginning of that month. From what is said at the beginning of the letter about Paston's absence from home, it was evidently some time after the last, which was written on the very day of his departure.]

464

RICHARD CALL TO MARGARET PASTON[285.1]

_To my most reverent and worshipfull mastresse, my Mastresse Margaret Paston, this be delyuered._

[Sidenote: 1461 / JULY 3]

Plesith it your mastresseship that my mastre[285.2] wolde that ye alowe the berer hereof for hes costs, in asmoch as he come hether for that matre, and for non other; but ye must lete Thomas Denys wif be prevy therto, for my mastre wol that she bere the cost, for it is her matre; and that ye make her goode cheere, and if ye wol have her hom to you for a seacon, unto the tyme sche be out of her trouble, my mastre is agreed.

And if sche sende to my mastre for any matre, let her sende her owne man upon her owne coste, thowe ye paye the money for a secon, unto the tyme that sche may pay you a yein, mastre holdeth hym content. My right wurshipful mastresse, Almyghti Jesu kepe you. Wreten at London the iij.

day of Jul.

Your poore seruaunt and bedman,

RIC. CALL.

On the back of this letter is the following memorandum:-- 'Memorandum of j. comb whete, whereof was mad iiij.^xx. and x.

[_fourscore and ten_] brown lovis and iiij.^xx. and xvj. white lovis, after vj. j.^d. price the ... .'

[Footnote 285.1: [From Paston MSS., B.M.] This letter seems to have been written in 1461, just before Thomas Denys was murdered, in consequence of the occurrences mentioned in No.

462.]

[Footnote 285.2: John Paston.]

465

WILLIAM LOMNER TO JOHN PASTON[286.1]

_To the right worchipfull and my good maister John Paston._

[Sidenote: 1461 / JULY 6]

Ryght worchipfull and my good mayster I recomaunde me to yow. And, sir, yf the Coronacion had be on Relik Sunday,[286.2] as it was apoyntyd, I shuld have waytid on yow. And as for my Lord of Norffolks mene, I told my mastres your wyfe, here disposission as I coude know, the wheche I sopose she told yow, as I can espye some of his meny was grette cause of T. D.[286.3] deth, &c. Also ye have knowlych how Fastolff[286.4] is com yn to my Lord of Norffolks hous, for ij. causez, as I understande; on is to enfors my Lords entre yn Castre be his cleym; an other is to helpe his fader yn lawe[286.5] ayens Felbrigge, &c. For love of Good take good awayte to your person, for the word [_world_] is right wilde, and have be sythyn Heydonz sauffe gard was proclamyd at Walsyngham; for yn good feyth I trow, but if [_i.e._ unless] he be ponysshid the countre wille rise and doo moche harme, and also for the comyssion Sir Miles Stapilton and Calthorp, that arn among the comunes ought of conseite and reputid the Kyngs enmez, as the brenger of this bille can telle yow, to whom I beseche yow to be good mayster, for he hath doo the Kyng good servyse as ony pore man of our contre, and yet is he callid traitor be sweche as he can telle yow, soportid be Roger Bolwer and Aleyn Roos, Heidonz owyn men [chif constablez].[286.6] And it plese yow that John Yve and John Brigge myght have your warentez for cheffe constable, &c., for they ocupye yn Kyng Herris name. Forther, sire, I am gretly yn your danger and dette for my pension, for it is told me ye have paied, and at your comyng I shalle make amendez with your good maistreship, and suche servyse as lith yn my pore powere is, and shalbe, redy at alle tymez with G.o.dds grace, how have yow yn His kepyng. Wretyn yn hast at Dallyng, on Sent Thomas Even, &c.

Be your Servaunt,

L.