The Paston Letters Volume Iii Part 69

[Footnote 302.1: Henry Bourchier, Earl of Ess.e.x.]

478

CLEMENT PASTON TO JOHN PASTON[303.1]

_To hys rythe reverent and worchypfwll broder, John Paston._

[Sidenote: 1461 / AUG. 25]

Rythe reverent and worchypfwll broder, I recomawnde me to yowr good broderhood, desieryng to herre of zour welfar and good prosperite, the gwyche I pray G.o.d encresse to His pleswr and zowr herts hesse [_heart's ease_]; certyfyyng zow that I have spok with John Rwsse, and Playter spok with him bothe, on Fryday be for Seynt Barthelmw. He tolde us of Howards gydyng, gwyche mad us rythe sory tyl we herde the conclusion that ze hadde non harme.

Also I understond by W. Pekok that my nevew hadde knowleche ther of also up on Saterday nexst be for Seynt Barthelmwe, in the Kyngs howse. Not with standyng, up on the same day Playter and I wryte letters on to him, rehersyng al the mater, for cause if ther wer ony questionys mevyd to hym ther of, that he xwlde telle the trowthe, in cas that the qwestions wer mevyd by ony worchypfwll man, and namyd my Lord Bowcher,[304.1] for my Lord Bowcher was with the Kyng at that tyme.

I fele by W. Pekok that my nevew is not zet verily aqweyntyd in the Kyngs howse, nor with the officers of the Kyngs howse he is not takyn as non of that howse; for the c.o.ks [_cooks_] be not charged to serve hym, nor the sewer[304.2] to gyve hym no dyche, for the sewer wyll not tak no men no dyschys till they be comawndyd by the cownterroller. Also he is not aqweyntyd with no body but with Weks;[304.3] and Weks ad told hym that he wold bryng hym to the Kyng, but he hathe not zet do soo. Wherfor it were best for hym to tak hys leve and c.u.m hom, til ze hadd spok with swm body to helpe hym forthe, for he is not bold y now to put forthe hym selfe. But than I consyderyd that if he xwld now c.u.m hom, the Kyng wold thyng [_think_] that wan he xwld doo hym ony servie som wer, that than ze wold have hym hom, the qwyche xwld cause hym not to be hadde in favor; and also men wold thynke that he wer put owte of servic. Also W.

Pekok tellythe me that his mony is spent, and not ryotesly, but wysly and discretly, for the costs is gretter in the Kyngs howse qwen he rydythe than ze wend it hadde be, as Wyllam Pekok can tell zow; and therof wee must gett hym jC_s._ at the lest, as by Wyllam Pekoks seyyng, and zet that will be to lytill, and I wot well we kan not get xl_d._ of Christifyr Hanswm. So I xall be fayn to lend it hym of myn owne silver.

If I knew verily zour entent wer that he xwld c.u.m hom, I wold send hym non. Ther I wyll doo as me thynkithe ze xwld be best plesyd, and that me thynkythe is to send him the silver. Ther for I pray zow hastely as ze may send me azen v. mark, and the remnawnte, I trow, I xall get up on Christofir Hanswm and Lwket. I pray zow send me it as hastely as ze may, for I xall leve my selfe rythe bare; and I pray zow send me a letter how ze woll that he xull be demenyd. Wrytyn on Twsday after Seynt Barthelmwe, &c. Christus vos conservet!

CLEMENT PASTON.

[Footnote 303.1: [From Fenn, iv. 52.] The references to Howard's conduct, and to John Paston the son being with the King, prove this letter to be of the year 1461. Compare the last paragraph of the letter immediately preceding with the first of this.]

[Footnote 304.1: Henry, Viscount Bourchier, who had been created Earl of Ess.e.x on the 30th June preceding. The writer had forgotten his new dignity.]

[Footnote 304.2: An officer who had the ordering of the dishes, etc.]

[Footnote 304.3: John Wykes was an usher of the King's chamber, and a friend and cousin of J. Paston's.--F.]

479

LORD BEAUCHAMP TO SIR THOMAS HOWES[305.1]

_To myn welbeloved frende, Sir Thomas Howys, Parson of Blofeld._

[Sidenote: 1461 / AUG. 28]

Welbeloved frende, I grete you well. And for as muche as I understonde that William Wurcester, late the servant unto Sir John Fastolf, Knyth, whois soule G.o.d a.s.soyle, ys not had in favour ne trust with my right welbeloved frende, John Paston, nether with you, as he seyth, namely in such maters and causes as concerneth the wylle and testament of the said Sir John Fastolf; and as I am informed the said William purposeth hym to go into his c.u.n.tre, for the whiche cause he hath desired me to wryte unto you that ye wolde ben a special good frend unto hym, for his said mastris sake, to have alle suche things as reason and consciens requireth, and that ye wolde be meane unto Paston for hym in this mater to schewe hym the more favour at thys tyme for this my writyng in doyng of eny truble to hym, trusting that he wole demeane hym in suche wyse that he shal have no cause unto hym, but to be his good master, as he seyth. And yf ther be eny thing that I can do for you, I wole be right glad to do it, and that knoweth Almyghty G.o.d, whiche have you in his keping. Wretin at Grenewyche, the xxviij^th day of August.

J. BEAUCHAMP.

[Footnote 305.1: [From Fenn, iv. 96.] This letter was probably written in the year 1461, if not in the year preceding. The disputes about Fastolf's will came before the Spiritual Court in the year 1465; but at the date of this letter they could not have proceeded very far.]

480

LORD HUNGERFORD AND ROBERT WHITYNGHAM TO MARGARET OF ANJOU[306.1]

_A la Reyne D'Engleterre [en] Escote._

[Sidenote: 1461 / AUG. 30]

Madam, please it yowr G.o.de G.o.d, we have sith our comyng hider, writen to your Highnes thryes. The last we sent by Bruges, to be sent to you by the first vessell that went into Scotland; the oder ij. letters we sent from Depe, the ton by the Carvell in the whiche we came, and the oder in a noder vessell. But, ma dam, all was oon thyng in substance, of puttyng you in knolege of the Kyng your uncles[306.2] deth, whom G.o.d a.s.soyll, and howe we sta[n]de arest [_arrested_], and doo yet; but on Tuysday next we trust and understande, we shall up to the Kyng, your cosyn germayn.[306.3] His Comyssaries, at the first of our tarrying, toke all our letters and writyngs, and bere theym up to the Kyng, levyng my Lord of Somerset in kepyng atte Castell of Arkes,[306.4] and my felowe Whityngham and me, for we had sauff conduct, in the town of Depe, where we ar yete. But on Tyysday next we understand, that it pleaseth the said Kyngs Highnes that we shall come to hys presence, and ar charged to bring us up, Monsieur de Cressell, nowe Baillyf of Canse, and Monsieur de la Mot.

Ma dam, ferth [_fear_] you not, but be of G.o.de comfort, and beware that ye aventure not your person, ne my Lord the Prynce,[307.1] by the See, till ye have oder word from us, in less than your person cannot be sure there as ye ar, [and] that extreme necessite dryfe you thens; and for G.o.d sake the Kyngs Highnes be advysed the same. For as we be enformed, Th'erll of March[307.2] is into Wales by land, and hath sent his navy thider by see; and, Ma dame, thynketh verily, we shall not soner be delyvered, but that we woll come streght to you, withaut deth take us by the wey, the which we trust he woll not, till we see the Kyng and you peissible ayene in your Reame; the which we besech G.o.d soon to see, and to send you that your Highnes desireth. Writen at Depe the x.x.x^ti dey of August.

Your true Subgettes and Liege men.

HUNGERFORD.

WHITYNGHAM.

_At the bottom of the Copy of the Letter is added:_--

These ar the names of those men that ar in Scotland with the Quene. The Kyng Herry is at Kirkhowbre with iiij. men and a childe.

Quene Margaret is at Edenburgh and hir son.

The Lord Roos and his son.

John Ormond.

William Taylboys.

Sir John Fortescu.

Sir Thomas Fyndern.

Waynesford of London.

Thomas Thompson of Guynes.

Thomas Brampton of Guynes.

John Audeley of Guynes.

Langheyn of Irland.

Thomas Philip of G[i]ppeswich.

Sir Edmund Hampden.

Sir Henry Roos.

John Courteney.

Myrfyn of Kent.

Dauson.

Thomas Burnby.

Borret of Suss.e.x.

Sir John Welpdalle.

Mr. Roger Clerk, of London.

John Retford, late Coubitt.

Giles Senctlowe.

John Hawt.

[Footnote 306.1: [From Fenn, i. 246.] That this letter was written in the year 1461 is sufficiently evident from its contents. The MS. from which it was printed by Fenn was a copy in the handwriting of Henry Windsor, and was manifestly the enclosure referred to in his letter No. 483. It bore the same paper-mark as that letter.]

[Footnote 306.2: Charles VII. of France. He died on the 22nd July 1461.]

[Footnote 306.3: Lewis XI., son of Charles VII.]