The Paston Letters Volume Iv Part 17

ABSTRACT[87.1]

[Sidenote: 1463 / DEC. 10]

Indenture, 10th Dec. 3 Edward IV., between Robert Wodlark, Provost of the College of St. Mary and St. Nicholas, Cambridge, and John Paston, Esq., witnessing a loan by Paston to the college of 100 marks till the octaves of St. Hilary, 1464 [_i.e._ 1464-5], upon certain plate.[87.2]

_Note below in a different hand:_-- 'Memorandum quod Mr. Alexander Lye erit apud Norwic.u.m in die Martis pro[ximo] post diem Carniprivii.'

[Footnote 87.1: [From Paston MSS., B.M.]]

[Footnote 87.2: The plate specified in this doc.u.ment is the same as that contained in the _second_ list in No. 561, at p. 98.]

555

JAMES GRESHAM TO JOHN PASTON[88.1]

_To my right worshipfull mayster, John Paston, at Castre, in Norfolk._

[Sidenote: 1464 / JAN. 26]

After due recomendacion hadde, please it your maistership to wytte that this day the plee by twene Ogan and yow was sore argued in the Kynggs Bench by your counsell, in lettyng of the jugement, and to morwe have they day to argue ageyn. And for lak of copies of the plee, I am fayn to sewe for newe copies therof for your counsell. Your counsell hopeth to do weel therin. These argued for yow, Maisters Grenefeld,[88.2]

Catesby,[88.3] Pygot,[88.4] Notyngham,[88.5] and Starky,[88.6] &c. And yesterday was the matier by twene Debenham and yow called by Geney[88.7]

for an answer. I have spoken onto Catesby, and delyvered hym your enfromacion, and to be advysed, and to commune with Maister Grenefeld, &c.

The two Chefe Juges[88.8] and Maister Lyttleton[88.9] arn awaytyng up on the Kyng, for the Kyng is purposed in to Gloucestreshire, &c.

It is seid that my Lord Chaunceller[89.1] shull be here on Saterday or on Moneday next comyng, as the maisteres of the Chauncerye sayn. I write to yow this by cause ye seid to me if ye wyst that my Lord Chaunceller shuld be here, thanne wolde ye come hidder, and ell[es] wolde ye not come here this terme.

As touchyng Rysyng, he hath his day, Utas[89.2] Purificationis, but I have that weye that his presence is recondet for al this terme.

Maister Clement[89.3] tellyth me that Wysseter hath put excepcion on to your wyttenesseres,[89.4] &c.

It is seid that the Kyng wold ride Suss.e.x, Kent, Ess.e.x, Suffolk, and Norffolk, and so to the Parlement, for he hath sent for alle his feed men to awayte up on hym in their best aray in al hast.

Wretyn at London, the Thursday in the morwe after Seynt Poule.

Your owen poure man,

JAMS GRESHAM.

[Footnote 88.1: [From Fenn, iv. 156.] The date of this letter is abundantly evident, first from the circ.u.mstance that the 26th of January (the morrow of St. Paul) was a Thursday, and secondly, from the mention of the King's going into Gloucestershire. In January 1464 Edward IV. was at Northampton, and on the 9th of February he was at Gloucester.]

[Footnote 88.2: John Greenfield. He and the two next named were made serjeants-at-law in November 1463.]

[Footnote 88.3: John Catesby. He was appointed Judge of the Common Pleas in 1481.]

[Footnote 88.4: Richard Pygot.]

[Footnote 88.5: William Nottingham. He was appointed Chief Baron of the Exchequer in 1479.]

[Footnote 88.6: Humphrey Starkey. He was made a serjeant in 1478.]

[Footnote 88.7: William Jenney was made a serjeant in 1463, and a Justice of the King's Bench in 1481.]

[Footnote 88.8: John Markham, Chief Justice of the King's Bench, and Robert Danby, Chief Justice of the Common Pleas, both appointed in 1461.]

[Footnote 88.9: Thomas Lyttelton, the famous lawyer, was created a serjeant in 1453, and appointed a Judge of the Common Pleas in 1466. He died in 1481, aged seventy-nine, as Fenn here tells us in a footnote; but Foss, in his _Judges of England_, says nothing of his age.]

[Footnote 89.1: George Neville, now Bishop of Exeter, but soon after the writing of this letter translated to York.]

[Footnote 89.2: The Utas or Octave of a feast is the seventh day after it.]

[Footnote 89.3: Clement Paston, brother to John Paston.]

[Footnote 89.4: This relates to the disputes concerning Sir John Fastolf's will.]

[[on Saterday or on Moneday next _text has "Saterday on on Moneday": corrected from Fenn_]]

556

HENRY BERRY TO JOHN PASTON[89.5]

_To my Rygth worsschipful cosyn, John Paston, Squyer, be this Letter delyveryd, &c._

[Sidenote: 1464 / JAN. 28]

Ryght worsschypfull and reverent cosyn, I recomaunde me on to you wyth al myn hert, as your feythful kynnesman and oratour, desyrynge to here of the goode prosperite and welfare of your worsschipfull modyr my Lady and cosyn, wyth your wyff, Sir John Paston, your brethern Wylliam and Clement, with all your sonys and doughters, to whom I beseche you hertely that I may be recomaundyd. G.o.d of His hyghe mercy preserve you all un to Hys mercy and grace, and save you from all adversite.

Worsschipfull cosyn, my speciall writynge and hertys desire afore rehersyd, nature naturaly so me compellyth,

Watt thou I be putt fer ought of conceyte and syght, I have you all in remembrance both day and nyght;

besechynge you, gentyll cosyn, to tender my writynge. I take G.o.d to my wyttnesse, I wold as fayn do that myght be un to your honor, worsschippe, and profit as any herthly man can thynke.

Worfor now late deyde the Abbot of our Monastery, and lefte us in grete ded [_debt_]; the brynger heroff is my speciall frende: the holdyst brother in our place never hard nor saw our chirche in that mysere that is now; we have cast the perellys amongys us, and there is nowne other helpe, b.u.t.t every brother that hath any worsschipfull kynne or frendys, every man to do his part to the well fare, socour, and releve of our monasteri; therfor, worsschipfull cosyn, I, a brother of that worsschipfull monastery, wer inne begoon the feyth of all thys lond, mekely besechyth you in the reverence of Allmygty G.o.d to render help, and socour us in our grete necessite; for in London lyth to wedde many ryche jowells of ouris, with other grete detts, wych my brother wyll enforme you of.

Plesyth your goodnesse, for G.o.dys sake, and all the Seyntts of evyn, and att my sympyll request, to have compa.s.sion upon us, ye havynge dooe swerte [_due surety_] both in obligacions and pleggs; in the reverens of All myghti G.o.d, do your allmesse and charite; hitt schall cause you to be prayed for, and all your kynne as long as the chirche stantt; and be this menys, I trust to All myghty G.o.d, to se my cosyn William, or Clement, to be stward of our londys, and so to have an intresse in Kentt, to the worsschippe of G.o.d and you all, wych ever have you in His kepynge. Amen.

Writyn at Caunterbiry in hast the xxviij^ti day of Januare.

Also I beseche you, schew the brynger of this letter sum humanite and worsschipe, that when he comyth home, he may reporte as he fyndeth.

[91.1][This is the cause every wele thi putt my kynne in my berd, seyinge, I am come of lordys, knygtes, and ladys. I wold they wer in your daunger a m^l. merke, that they mygte know you, &c.]

Be your cosyn and bedman,

HENRY BERRY.