The Paston Letters Volume Iii Part 67

470

JOHN BERNEY TO JOHN PASTON[291.3]

_To the worshipfull John Paston, and to my cosyn, Wylliam Rokewode, Squyer, with my Lord of Cantyrburi._

[Sidenote: 1461 / JULY 16]

Right worshipfull sir, I rec.u.mmaund me to yow, praying yow hertyli to labour for that the Kyng may wryte unto me, gevyng me thankyng of the good wyll and servyse that I haff doo unto hym, and in beyng with hym a yens his adversaries and rebelyones, as well in the North, as in this c.u.n.tre of Norffolk. And in that the Kyng shold please the Comynnes in this c.u.n.tre; for they grudge and sey, how that the Kyng resayvith sych of this c.u.n.tre, &c. as haff be his gret eanemyes, and opresseors of the Comynes; and sych as haff a.s.systyd his Hynes, be not rewardyt; and it is to be consederyd, or ellys it wyll hurt, as me semyth by reason. And in ayd of this chaungebyll rewle, it wer nessessary to move the good Lords Spiretuall and Temperall, by the whech that myght be reformyd, &c. And in cas that any of myn olde enemyes, Tudynham, Stapylton, and Heydon, with theyr affenyte labur the Kyng and Lords unto my hurt, I am and wylbe redy to come to my souverayn Lord for my exskeus, soo that I may come saff for unlawfull hurt, purveyed by my seyd ennemyes. No more at this tyme, but G.o.d preserve yow in gras. Wretyn at Wychyngham the xvj.

day in the moneth of July, anno regni Regis E. iiij^ti. primo.

JOHN BERNEYE.

Please it yow to move this unto my Lords Cauntyrburi, Ely, Norwych, &c.

[Footnote 291.3: [From Fenn, i. 238.]]

471

JOHN BERNEY TO JOHN PASTON[292.1]

_To the ryght worshipfull John Paston, Squyer, in hast._

[Sidenote: 1461 / JULY 17]

Sir, I recomaund me to zow, &c. And as for my playn dysposyssyon towards the Undyrshrewe, I wyll hym no bodyli hurt, nor shal not be hurt by me nor by noo man that I may rewle. But the Comynnes throw all the schyer be movyd agayn hym, for cause of his lyght demeanyng towards them for this elexsyon of knygtts of the shyer for the Parlement. And I suppose yf that he wyll, he may be hastyli easyd as thus:--lat hym make notys unto the seyd Comynnes that this theyr eleccyon shall stande, or ellys lat hym purchas a new wryt, and lat hym make wrytyng unto them what day they shall come, and they to make a new eleccyon acordyng unto the law.

And, sir, I pray zow, sey to hym that it is nott his oneste to lye upon too many men, noysyng them rebyliones of Norff[olk], and Berney theyr c ... No more to zow at this tyme, but I naff sent zow ij. letteris within this viij. dayes. Wretyn the xvij. day of July anno regni Regis E. iiij^ti. 1^mo.

JOHN BERNEY.

[Footnote 292.1: [From Fenn, iv. 28.]]

472

MARGARET PASTON TO JOHN PASTON[293.1]

_To my worchepful hosbonde, Jon Pastun, this letter be delyvered in hast._

[Sidenote: 1461 / JULY 18]

Ryth worchepful husbond, I recomawnd me to yow. Plesyt yow to wete that I am desyrid be Sir John Tatersale to wryte to yow for a comyssion or a noyr in termyner [_oyer and terminer_][293.2] for to be sent down in to this c.u.n.tre to sit uppon the parson of Snoryng, and on soche as was cause of Thomas Denyssys dethe, and for many and gret h.o.r.ebyl robryys; and as for the costs ther of the c.u.n.tre wele pay therfor, for they be sor aferd but [_i.e._ unless] the seyd dethe be chastysed, and the seyd robryys, they ar aferde that mo folks xal be servyd in lyke wyse.

As for the prest and vj. of hese men that be takyn, they be delyveryt to Twer [_Twyer_], and iiij. be with hem of the c.u.n.treys cost, for to be sent with to the Kyng; and yf they be browt up at the reverens of G.o.d, do yowr parte that they schape not, but that they may have the jugement of the lawe, and as they have deservyd, and be comytyt to prison, not to departe tyl they be inqueryd of her forseyd robery be soche a comyssion that ye can get, that the Keng and the Lords may hondyrstonde wat rewle they have be of, not hondely for the moderys and the robbryys, but as wele for the gret insurrexsin that they were lyke amade within the shyre. The preests of Castyr they be streytely take hede at be Roberd Harmerer and hoder, so that the seyde prestys may have no thyng out of ther owne, ne of hodyr menys, but they be ra.s.sakyt, and the plase ys watchyd bothe day and nyth. The prestys thynk ryth longe tyl they tydynggs fro yow. At the reverens of G.o.d, be ware hou ye goo and ryde, for that ys told me that ye thret of hem that be nowty felawys that hathe be inclynyng to them, that hathe be your hold adversarys.

The blyssyd Trenyte have yow in hys kepyng. Wretyn in hast, the Sat.u.r.day nex be fore Sent Margarete.

Be yours,

M. P.

[Footnote 293.1: [From Fenn, iv. 30.] The date of this letter is certain, as it refers to the murder of Thomas Denys.]

[Footnote 293.2: _See_ vol. ii. p. 161, Note 3.]

473

GRANT FROM THE CROWN[294.1]

_Pro Johanne Paston._

[Sidenote: 1461 / JULY 27]

Rex omnibus ad quos &c. salutem. c.u.m Nos indebitati sumus Johanni Paston armigero et Thomae Hows clerico in septingentis marcis legalis monetae regni nostri Angliae eisdem Johanni et Thomae solvendis juxta formam cujusdam billae manu nostra signatae cujus tenor sequitur in haec verba:--

Edward, Kyng of Inglond and of Frauns, Lord of Irlond, recorde and knoweleych that we have receyvyd of John Paston, Squyer, and Thomas Hows, clerk, be the a.s.sent of oure trusty and welbelovyd cosyn Thomas Archebysshop of Caunterbury, [and?] Mayster John Stokys, clerk, an nowche of gold with a gret poynted diamaunt set upon a rose enamellid white, and a nowche of gold in facion of a ragged staff with ij. ymages of man and woman garnysshed with a ruby, a dyamaunt and a gret perle, which were leyd to plegge by oure fader, whom Crist a.s.soyle, to Sir John Fastolff, knyght, for CCCC. x.x.xlvij_li._; and also an obligacion wherby oure seid fader was bound to the seid Sir John Fastolff in an C. marc; for which we graunt and promitt in the word of a kyng to pay to the seid John Paston and Thomas Hows, clerk, or to her a.s.signez, D.CC. mark of lawfull money of Englond at days underwritte, that is to sey; att the Fest of All Seyntes than next folowyng after the date of thys bille CC.

mark, and other CC. mark at the Fest of All Seyntis than next folowyng, and other CC. mark at the Fest of All Seyntes than next folowyng, and an C. mark at the Fest of All Seyntys thanne next folowyng. And also we graunte that the seid John Paston and Thomas Hows shall have a signement sufficient to hem aggreabill for the seid payment. And if it fortune that the same John and Thomas be unpayd by the seid a.s.signement of any of the seid paymentis at any of the seid Festis, thanne we graunt upon notice made to us therof by the same John or Thomas to pay hem or her a.s.signez that payment so behynd onpaid oute of oure cofirs withoute delay. In witnesse werof we have signed this bill with oure hand the xij. day of Jule the first yere of [our] reign.

Nos solutionem summae illius praefatis Johanni et Thomae fieri et haberi volentes, ut tenemur, concessimus et per praesentes concedimus eisdem Johanni Paston et Thomae Hows septingentas marcas monetae praedictae percipiendas modo et forma subsequentibus, videlicet, centum marcas inde annuatim percipiendas de primis denariis provenientibus et crescentibus de feodi firma civitatis nostrae Norwici et de omnibus aliis firmis, exitibus, proficuis et reventionibus de eadem civitate provenientibus per ma.n.u.s majoris, custodis, vicecomitum, civium seu ballivorum ejusdem civitatis pro tempore existentium aut aliorum receptorum, firmariorum seu appruatorum eorundem feodi firmarum, exituum, proficuorum et reventionum dictae civitatis pro tempore existentium, et centum marcas inde annuatim percipiendas de firmis, redditibus, exitibus, proficuis et aliis commoditatibus quibusc.u.mque de comitatibus nostris Norff' et Suff'

provenientibus per ma.n.u.s vicecomitum eorumdem comitatuum pro tempore existentium quousque septingentae marcae eisdem Johanni Paston et Thomae Hows plenarie persolutae fuerint. In cujus &c. Teste Rege apud Westmonasterium, xxvij. die Julii.

_Per ipsum Regem oretenus._

[Footnote 294.1: [From _Patent Roll_, 1 Edw. IV., Part 3, No.

13.]]

474

THOMAS PLAYTER TO JOHN PASTON[296.1]

_To maister John Paston Esquyer in hast._

[Sidenote: 1461 / AUG. 1 (?)]

Please your maistership wete that Danyell of Grayes In enfourmed me that Kyng of Dounham whiche slewe Thomas Denys is arested and in hold at Wysbyche and had ben delyvered nor had Fraunceys Costard a taken suerte of pees of hym; and so he is kept in by non other meane but al onely by suerte of pees. And as I felt by the said Danyell if he be craftyly handeled he woll accuse many other; but Danyell is loth to name hem, but I suppose he ment by Twyer and yet other mo, right sufficient, and kalled of substans. Item, Haydon hath payed ccccc. marks and is delivered. Item it is talked the parlement schal be proroged tyl the iiij. day of Novembre and the kyng wol in to Scotland in al hast. Wretyn in hast uppon the day of the Advencion.[296.2]

Youris,

THOMAS PLAITER.

[Footnote 296.1: [Add. MS. 34,888, f. 181.] The year in which this letter was written is certain, not only from the reference to the murder of Thomas Denys, which was in July 1461, but also from the mention of the prorogation of Parliament to the 4th of November.]

[Footnote 296.2: Probably meaning the Feast of St. Peter ad Vincula (1st August).]