The Paston Letters Volume Iv Part 12

Wherfore please my Lordis good lordship to supporte the seid Paston in kepyng of his right and possession till it be dispreved or knowe onlawfull, and the seid Paston will applye to such meanes as it pleasith my Lord to take wherby the right of the mater may be undirstond and determined.

And also that it like my lord to remembir that it is not behofefull for any prinse lightly to geve trust or to applye to the desires of any persones that have geve hym cause of mistrust.

[Footnote 62.1: [Add. MS. 34,889, f. 182.] This pet.i.tion must have been drawn up at the end of 1462 or in the beginning of 1463, which would be considered still 1462 in the old computation. It must have been fully three years after Fastolf's death, which took place on the 5th November 1459, and the imprisonment of Richard Calle in 1461 (_see_ No. 487) is referred to as having taken place 'at Michaelmas the year past.' The n.o.bleman to whom the pet.i.tion is addressed seems to be the Duke of Suffolk.]

[Footnote 63.1: William de la Pole, the unfortunate Duke of Suffolk, murdered in 1450. It is a piece of information which we do not meet with elsewhere, that Richard Calle entered the service of the Pastons by this duke's recommendation.]

535

[JOHN PASTON TO MARGARET PASTON][64.1]

[Sidenote: 1463(?) / JAN. 14]

I recomand me to yow and have reseyvid your lettir, which causith me to write in the lettir that I send to yow, Daubeney and Richard Calle, certeyn articles touchyng the rewle of myn hows and myn livelode, as ye shall undirstand whanne ye see hem. Also, I send yow in the same lettir a bille of all the malt that remaynd at Mighelmes. I suppose ye have non such of it. Nevirthelesse it had be convenient it had be had amongis your servauntis and yow. Also I woll that ze warne both Daubeney and Richard Calle that thei disclose nat what malt I have, ne what I shall selle, ne that on marchant knowe nat what an other hath, for ther is gret spies leid her at London for ingrosers of malt to heyghne the prise; hough be it myne is not but of myn owne growyng and my tenauntis.

Also I lete zow wete, I faile mony here and must nedys have up mony at this tyme for sped of my maters, so that it may come up savely whanne James Gresham and other attornes come up at the begynnyng of this terme, with whom Richard Calle may come the same tyme. And peraventure some trusty carier ... at this tyme; and with hym myght some mony come trussid in some fardell, not knowynge to the carier that it is no mony but some other clothe or vestement of silk or thyng of charge. Wherfore take avise of such as ye trust, and purvey that I may have up at this tyme j. c. _li._ of gold after the old coynage and xx_li._ in grotes.

Item, if I[65.1] myght have sur cariage, I wold have heder all the gylt plate that Richard Calle leyd up, he can tell wer and I trowe ye know also; and ij. potell pottis and a resting iron of silver (?) lyth at the same place, for it shuld[65.2] stand me in gret stoher if it mygth be do closly and suerly. Item, take trew men of yowr counsel.

Wret the morwe next after Sent Hillary.

Item leve a bill indorcid what ye take awey if ye take any.

Your own, &c.

[Footnote 64.1: [Add. MS. 34,889, f. 183.] The MS. of this letter is a rough draft in John Paston's hand, and there can be no doubt to whom it was addressed. As to the year in which it was written there is no positive evidence; but Daubeney and Calle were both with Margaret Paston in the beginning of 1463 (_see_ No. 536), and the only thing against that date is that Margaret, writing to her husband (then in London) on the 19th, acknowledges only a letter of the 9th. This, however, might well be owing to the disturbed state of the country, or it may be that the present letter, which is only a draft, was not really despatched.]

[Footnote 65.1: 'Item, I I,' MS.]

[Footnote 65.2: 'Shuld shul,' MS.]

536

MARGARET PASTON TO JOHN PASTON[65.3]

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

[Sidenote: 1463 / JAN. 19]

Right worchepfull hosbond, I recommand me to you. Please you to wete that I received a letter frome you on the Sonday[65.4] next after Twelfthe day, weche was sent be a prest of Seynt Gregorys paryche of Norwic; and wher as ye mervaylyd I sent you no wrytynggs of suche letters as ye sent me be for, I sent you a answer of the substauns of suche maters as ye have wretyn of me be for (be Playter), the weche he told me a sent hem to you to London. And as towchyng the erands that ye sent to me for to do to Richard Calle, I have do as ye command me to do, and callyd upon hym therfor, bothe be for your writyng and sithyn; he thar have non excuse for defaute of leyser, for he hathe be but ryght litill her syn ye departyd hens. He is owght at this tyme, and whan that he comythe home I shall make hym make yow a cler bylle of the receyt of your lyvelod, and Fastolf bothe; and I shale send yow a cler bylle of my receyts, and also of my payments owght thereof ageyn; and as for suche erands that shuld be do to Sir Thomas Howys, I have shewyd Richard Calle your writyng, and told hym your entent, as for suche thyngs as ye wold he shuld sey to hym on hys none heed. Also I have do your erands to my moder and to my cosyn Cler[66.1] after your writyng. Item, I have spoke to John Adam and to Playter of your entent of the last bylle that ye sent me, and they sey they wolle do after your entent as moche as they may, and ye shall have a answer therof in hast.

Item, Sir Robert Coniors dinid with me this day, and shuyd me a letter that came frome the Kyng to hym, desyryng hym that he shuld a wayt upon hys welle be lovyd broder the Duke of Suffolk, at Norwiche, on Monday next comyng, for to be at the alection of knyghts of the chyer [_shire_]; and he told me that every jentylman of Norffolk and Suffolk that arne of any repetacion hathe writyng from the Kyng in lyke wyse as he had. I felle hym be his seyyng that he ys right welle disposyd to you ward; he seythe ther shall no man make hym to be a geyns you in no mater. Skypwith shall telle you suche tydyngs as bethe in this contre, and of Thomas Gornay and of his man; hym self is clerk convicte, and hys man is hangyn; ye shall here her after what they and oder wer purposyd to a do to her master.

I thank you hertely of your writyng to me be for that John Paston came home, for G.o.d knowith I thowght right longe tyle I hard frome you; I shalle send word in writyng of suche tydings as we have her on Monday in hast. Daubeney deseyryht to wet what tyme that it please you that he shuld come ageyn to you.

My moder and many other folkys makyth moche of your son John, the elder, and right glad of hys comyng hom, and lekyth reght welle hys demenyng.

Heydon[67.1] son hathe bor owght the syyd stowtly her this Critstemes, and whan that he rydyth, he hathe iiij. or v. men with hym in a clothyng; but he hathe but lytyl fafor in this contre but yf [_unless_]

it be of the Bischop[67.2] and of the Prior of Norwic.[67.3] The seyd prior hathe grauntyd hym the stewerdchep that hys feder had ... .

... he hathe it under the Covent Seals, and Spylman,[67.4] his tutor, to lerne hym howe he shuld be demenyd ... ... . it is seyd abowght Bakynstorp that Herry Heydon shuld a seyd that it wer welle do that men of the ... ... shuld make redy her [_their_] bald batts[67.5] and her clot shon[67.6] and go feche hom her knygts of chyer [_shire_] ...

... . . Barney; and it is promysyd hym that he shall be met with be cause of hys langage ... ... ... us a good world and a pesybyll.

I shall purvey for all thyngs that ye have sent to me for, so that I ween ye shal be pleasyd. The blyssyd Trinite have you in Hys kepyng.

Wretyn in hast, the Wednysday next ... . Seynt Agnet.

Your,

M. P.

[Footnote 65.3: [From Fenn, iv. 150.] This letter refers to a coming election of knights of the shire, which seems to be for the Parliament which met on the 29th April 1463. No other general election of Edward IV.'s time will suit the date, and it is quite certain that it was written during Edward's reign.]

[Footnote 65.4: 9th January.]

[Footnote 66.1: Elizabeth, widow of Robert Clere of Ormesby.]

[Footnote 67.1: This must be Henry, son of John Heydon, Esq., Recorder of Norwich.--F.]

[Footnote 67.2: Walter Lyhert, Bishop from 1445 to 1472.--F.]

[Footnote 67.3: John Molet or Mowth, Prior from 1453 to 1471.--F.]

[Footnote 67.4: Henry Spilman, afterwards Recorder of Norwich; he was the founder of the Spilmans of Narborough, by marrying Ela, daughter and heir of William de Narborough.--F.]

[Footnote 67.5: _Bald batts_ seem to mean here ball bats, or bats to play at ball with.--F.]

[Footnote 67.6: _Clot shon_, clouted shoes--shoes shod with thin plates of iron.--F.]

537

ABSTRACT[67.7]

THOMAS PLAYTER TO JOHN PASTON

[Sidenote: 1463 / JAN.]

Please your maistership wete, that as for my Lord of Norwich cosyns deth, Thomas Gurneys man hath confessed that he slewe hym by commaundment of his maister, and confessed over that the same dager he slewe hym with, he kest it in a sege [_a jakes_] whiche is founden and taken up al to-bowyd [_bent together_], for he cowde not breke it, and in prison is bothe he and his maister.

Also on Thursday next after Cristema.s.se was a man slayn, by whom no man woot, nor what he is that was slayn no man knowe, his face is so mangled.

[Footnote 67.7: These extracts are quoted by Fenn from a letter now lost, in reference to what is said in the last letter about Thomas Gurney and his man.]

538

RICHARD CALLE TO JOHN PASTON[68.1]