The Paston Letters Volume Iii Part 66

[Footnote 286.1: [From Paston MSS., B.M.] From the reference to the coronation, it is quite evident that this letter must have been written in the first year of King Edward the Fourth.]

[Footnote 286.2: 12th July in 1461.]

[Footnote 286.3: Thomas Denys.]

[Footnote 286.4: Thomas Fastolf of Cowhaw.]

[Footnote 286.5: This would seem to be John Wyndham, but I find no mention of such a relationship between him and Fastolf.]

[Footnote 286.6: Interlined.]

466

MARGARET PASTON TO JOHN PASTON[287.1]

_To my ryth worchepfull hosbond, John Paston, be thys deliverid in hast._

[Sidenote: 1461 / JULY 9]

Right worchepful hosbond, I recommand me to yow. Please yow to wete that I have spoke with Thomas Denys wyffe, and she recommand hyr to your good masterchep, and she prayeth yow to be her good master, and prayet yow of your good masterchep, that ye wolle geve her your advice howe to be demenid for hyr person and hyr goodes. For as towchyng hyr owne person, she dare not goo home to hyr owne place, for she is thret if that she myght be take, she shuld be slayne or be put in ferfull place, in shortyng of hyr lyve dayes, and so she standyth in gret hevynes, G.o.d her helpe. Ferther more she is nowe put be her brother in Norwich with Awbry, and she thynkyth the place is right conversaunt of pupyll for hyr to abeyd in, for she kepyth hyr as close as she may for spyyng. Item, as I went to Seynt Levenard ward, I spake with Maister John Salet, and commonyd with hym of hyr, and me thowgt be hym that he howyth hyr ryght good wylle. And than I haskyd hym howe she myght be demenyd with hys[287.2] goodes and hyr. He cownseld me that she shuld get hyr a trosty frend, that war a good, trewe, poor man, that had not moche to lese, and wold be rewlyd after hyr, and to have a letter of ministracion; and so I told hyr. Than she seyd she wold have hyr broder advice therin. Item, she seyth ther be no mor feffes in hys londes but ye and Rokwood, and she prayeth yow that it please yow to speke to Rokwood that he make no relesse but be your advice, as she trostyth to yowr good masterchep. Item, the last tyme that I spake with hyr she mad suche a petows mone and seyd that she wost ner howe to do for mony, and so I lent vj_s._ viij_d._ Item, I sent my cosyn Barney the bylle that John Pampyng wrot be yowr commanddement to me, and he hath sent a letter of hys entent to yow and to Rokwod therof, and also but if it please yow to take better hed to hys mater than he can do hym self, I can thynk he shall ellis fare the wors for i' feyth he standyth daly in gret fere, for the false contrary party ageyns hym. Item, at the reverence of G.o.d, be ware howe ye ryd or go, for nowgty and evyll desposyd felacheps. I am put en fere dayly for myn abydyng here, and cownsellyd be my moder and be other good frendes, that I shuld not abeyd here but yf the world wher in mor quiete than it is. G.o.d for hys merci send us a good world, and send yow helthe in body and sowle, and good speed in all your maters.

Wreten in hast the Thursday next after Seynt Thomas.

By your,

M. P.

[Footnote 287.1: [From Paston MSS., B.M.] This letter clearly relates to the affairs of Thomas Denys's wife, after the murder of her husband in 1461. John Paston and William Rokewood were trustees of his lands, and Margaret's cousin, John Berney of Witchingham, it will be seen, wrote more than one letter to them about this time.]

[Footnote 287.2: _i.e._ her husband's.]

467

JOHN BERNEY TO JOHN PASTON AND WYLLIAM ROKEWODE[288.1]

_To the worshipfull John Paston and Wylliam Rokewode, Squyeris, and to everych of them._

[Sidenote: 1461 / JULY 10]

Right worshipfull cosynes, I rec.u.mmaund me to yow. And for as mech as I am credybilly informyd how that Sir Myles Stapylton knyght with other yll dysposed persones, defame and falsly noyse me in morderyng of Thomas Denys the Crowner, and how that I intend to make insurexyones contrari unto the law; and that the seyd Stapylton ferthermore noyseth me with gret robries; in whech defamacyones and fals noysyngs the seyd Stapylton, and in that his saying he is fals, that knowith G.o.d, &c. And for my playn acquitayll, yf he or any substancyall gentylman wyll say it, and avow it, I say to it contrari, and by lisens of the Kyng to make it good as a gentylman. And in this my playn exskeus, I pray yow to opyn it unto the Lords, that the seyd Stapylton, &c., makyn gret gaderyngs of the Kyngs rebelyones, lying in wayte to morder me. And in that I may make opyn proff. Wretyn in hast the x. day of July anno regni Regis E.

iiij. primo.

JOHN BERNEYE.

Remembre to take a wryht to chese crowneres in Norffolk.

[Footnote 288.1: [From Fenn, i. 236.]]

468

JOHN PASTON TO MARGARET PASTON[289.1]

_To my cosyn, Margaret Paston._

[Sidenote: 1461 / JULY 12]

I recomaund me to yow, letyng yow wete tha the Undershreve doughtyth hym of John Berney; wherfore I pray yow bryng hem to gedyr, and set hem acord, if ye can, so that the seyd Ondershreve be sure that he shall not be hurt be hym, ner of hys c.u.n.trymen. And eyf he woll not, lete hym verely understonde that he shall be compellyd to fynd hym suerte of the pes to agry in thys heed, and that shall nowther be profitabyll, ner worchepful. And lete hym wete that there have be many compleynts of hym be that knavyssh knyght, Sir Miles Stapilton, as I sent yow word before; but he shall come to hys excuse wele inow, so he have a mannys hert, and the seyd Stapylton shall ben ondyrstand as he ys, a fals shrewe. And he and hys wyfe and other have blaveryd here of my kynred in hedermoder;[290.1] but, be that tyme we have rekned of old dayes and late dayes, myn shall be found more worchepfull thanne hys and hys wyfes, or ellys I woll not for hys gilt gypcer.

Also telle the seyd Berney that the Shreve ys in a dought whedyr he shall make a newe eleccion of knyghts of the shyre, be cause of hym and Grey; where in it were bettyr for hym to have the Shreves good wyll.

Item, me thynkyth for quiete of the c.u.n.tre it were most worchepfull that as wele Berney as Grey shuld get a record of all suche that myght spend xl_s._ ayere, that were at the day of eleccon, whech of them that had fewest to geve it up as reson wold. Wretyn at London, on Relyk Sonday.

Item, that ye send abought for sylver acordyng to the old bylle that I sent yow from Lynne.

JOHN PASTON.

[Footnote 289.1: [From Fenn, iv. 20.] This letter and the next, which is an answer to it, are evidently of the same year as No.

471. Relic Sunday (the third Sunday after Midsummer Day) was the 12th July in 1461.]

[Footnote 290.1: In hugger-mugger, _i.e._ clandestinely.]

469

MARGARET PASTON TO JOHN PASTON[290.2]

[Sidenote: 1461 / JULY 15]

I recomand me to yow. Please yow to wete that I have sent to my cosyn Barney, acordyng to your desyr in the letter that ye deed wright on Relec Sonday to me, wheropon he hathe wreten a letter to yow and anothyr bylle to me, the wyche I send yow. He tolde the masanger that I sent to hym that the Undershereve nedyth not to fer hym nor non of hys; for he seyd, after the aleccion was doo, he spak with hym at the Grey Fryers, and prayyd hym of hys good masterchep, and seyd to hym that he feryd no man of bodely harme, but only Twyer and hys felachep.

Item, Sir John Tatersalle and the baly of Walsynsham and the constabyll hathe take the parson of Snoryng and iiij. of hys men, and sete hem fast in the stokkys on Monday at nyght; and, as it is seyd, they shuld be carryyd up to the Kyng in hast. G.o.d defend yt but they be shastysyd as the lawe wolle. Twyer and hys felachep beryth a gret wyght of Thomas Denys dethe in this contry abowght Walsynham; and it is seyd ther yf John Osberne hade owght hym as good wylle, as he deed befor that he was acqueyntyd with Twyer, he shuld not adyyd [_have died_] for he myght rewlyd al Walsynham as he had lyst, as it ys seyd.

Item, Will Lynys, that was with Master Fastolf, and swyche other as he is with hym, goo fast abowght in the contr, and ber men a hand,[291.1]

prests and others, they be Skotts, and take brybys of hem and let hem goo ageyn. He toke the last wek the parson of Freton, and but for my cosyn Jarnyngham the younger,[291.2] ther wold a led hem forthe with hem; and he told hem pleynly yf they mad any suche doyngs ther, but [_i.e._ unless] they had the letter to schewe for hem, they shuld aley on her bodyys. It wer welle do that they wer met with be tymys. It is told me that the seyd Will reportyth of yow as shamfully as he can in dyvers place. Jesu have yow in Hys kepyng. Wreten in hast, the Wednysday after Relec Sonday.

Yf the Undershereve come home, I woll a say to do for hym as ye desyryd me in your letter. As for mony, I have sent abowght, and I can get non but xiij_s._ iiij_d._ syn ye went owght. I wolle do my parte to get mor as hastely as ye may.

By yowr,

M. P.

[Footnote 290.2: [From Fenn, iv. 24.] See note to preceding letter, p. 289, Note 1.]

[Footnote 291.1: That is to say, make imputations against them.

_See_ vol. ii. p. 110, Note 1.]

[Footnote 291.2: John Jerningham, junior, son of John Jerningham, senior, of Somerleyton, Suffolk.]