The Paston Letters Volume Iv Part 25

_Unto my maystres, Margageret Paston, be thys letter delyveryd in hast, &c._

[Sidenote: 1465 / FEB. 7]

Ryght wyrshypfull maystres, I recomaund me un to your G.o.de maystresshyp.

Please it you to wyte that my mayster your hosbond, my maystres youre moder, my mayster Sir John, Mr. Wyllyam, Mr. Clement, and all ther men, wer in G.o.de helth, whon thys letter was wryten, thankyd be Jesu, and also ther maters be in a G.o.de wey, for my Lord Chaunseler ys ther syngeler G.o.de Lord in thys mater at thys tyme; and that it provyth, for he was yesterday in the Escheker, and ther he had a foren hym alle the Juges, all the Barons of the Escheker, and all the Shurgents, and ther argued wher that the Barons of the Escheker shold award any such Comyssyon or not, and uppon that the seyd Comyssyon shull be broght uppon Fryday unto the Chaunsery, and ther to be provyd, wher it be lafull or not, &c.

Item, and yf it please it you to gyve Daveney[127.2] knowlych that ther ys jugement gyven uppon the condempnacion a yenst Hall,[127.3] that he claymed for hys bond man, and the jugement ys gyven a yenst Daveney, Ric. Call, and Thomas Bon, and ther ys comen owte proces for to take ther bodys thys same day, and if thay or any of them be taken thay shull never gon oute of prison on to the tyme that they have satesfyed the party of viij^xx marc, and ther for lete them be ware. And the Holy Trinyte have you in Hys kypyng. Wryten at London, uppon Thursday next after the Purificacion of our Lady, &c.

By your Servaunt,

JOHN WYKS.

[Footnote 127.1: [From Fenn, iv. 134.] This letter must be later than the year 1463, as Sir John Paston does not appear to have been knighted so early as February in that year. But as John Paston, the father, was at Caister and not at London in the early part of the year 1464, it cannot be that year. Neither can we a.s.sign it to 1466, the last year of John Paston's life, as it appears by a letter written on the 17th February in that year that although John Paston was in London, his son Sir John could not have been there for some time before. We are therefore shut up to the year 1465 as the only possible date for this letter.]

[Footnote 127.2: So in Fenn, but the name ought certainly to be Daubeney, perhaps spelt Dabeney.]

[Footnote 127.3: Robert Hall. I find that he brought an action in Trinity term, 3 Edward IV., against John Daubeney of Norwich, gentleman, and Thomas Boon and Richard Call of Norwich, yeomen, for having, in conjunction with William Daubeney of Sharyngton, Norfolk, Esq., unlawfully imprisoned him at Norwich for three hours on the 20th February, 39 Hen. VI. (1461), until he gave them a bond of 100 for his ransom.]

[[Unto my maystres, Margageret Paston _text unchanged_]]

577

WILLIAM WORCESTER TO ----[128.1]

[Sidenote: 1465 / MARCH 31]

Please your maistershyp to wete that aftyr recomendacion that I sende Thomas More to myne oncle the parson[128.2] wyth certeyn credence to hafe aunsuer uppon by hym for myn acquytaille another day, yff onye thyng falle sinistrely only yn theyr deffaut, as G.o.d defend, not be my wille, for I hafe as feythfulle demesned me seth I rode to London thys terme, and hedertoo as anye maner creatur yn reson coude desyre me; and hafe demened me at London accordyng to the message sent me by the baylly of Drayton, and I vele but littille that my G.o.de wille ys allowed.[128.3] I hafe also, seth I came to Norwiche, enformed hym whate proffyt ease and avaylle I may help stand hem both yn my maister G.o.des and yn hys lyvelode; yff he or hys frendys set littlle by it, I may nat do wyth all. And the blessed Trinite be with yow, because ye wolle the wellfare off my maister, whoos soule G.o.d hafe pytie on and bryng hym owte of peyn, as the wellfare of the parties it meovyth me wryte to yow the rathyr. I enformyd yow for trouth, and as I wille prefe, that I was the princ.i.p.all doer and cause that both Maister Paston and myne oncle came fyrst yn the testament viij. yeer goon, to a G.o.de entent; and yff they wold wyrke ayenst me to minussh my power, theyr disposicion woll be construed ferther than they wille it were, and they not so avaylled as they weene yn all thynges. The blessed Trinete be wyth yow. Wryt on Pa.s.syon Sonday.

Your W. WYRCESTRE.

Memorandum to Thomas More that because ye myzt foryete myne erand to Maister Bernay, I pray you rede hym my bille, and that he wille take it to a G.o.de entent; for how so evyr I wryte I meene well, and so shall.

[Footnote 128.1: [From Paston MSS., B.M.] In this letter reference is made to a 'testament' drawn up by Sir John Fastolf eight years previously. This, however, cannot be his last will, as that would carry the date to a year after John Paston's death, who seems to be here spoken of as living. The settlement referred to is doubtless the testamentary declaration of 1457 mentioned in No.

541.]

[Footnote 128.2: Sir Thomas Howes.]

[Footnote 128.3: _i.e._ Little credit is given me for my good will.]

578

MARGARET PASTON TO JOHN PASTON[129.1]

_To my ryght worchepfull hosbond, Jon Paston, be this deliveryd in hast._

[Sidenote: 1465 / APRIL 8]

Right worchepfull hosbond, I recomand me to you. Please you to wet that I send you a copy of the deed that Jon Edmonds of Taveram sent to me, be the menys of Dorlet. He told Dorlet that he had suche a deed as he supposyd, that wold don ease in prevyng of the tytyll that the Duk of Suffolk cleymythe in Drayton;

[Sidenote: Carte Drayton.]

for the same deed that he sent me, the seale of armys is lyke onto the copy that I send you, and noo thyng leke to the Duk of Suffolks auncesters.

Item, the seyd Edmond seythe, yf he may fynd any other thyng that may do yow ease in that mater he wolle do hys part therin.

[Sidenote: Heylisdon, Brythyeve, Barker, Porter.]

Item, Jon Russe sent me word that Barker and Herry Porter told hym in councell that the Duk of Suffolk hathe bowght one Brytyeff ryghte, the wyche makythe a cleyme on to Heylysdon, and the seyd Duke is proposyd to entere within shorte tyme after Esterne, for in so moche the seyd Russe felle be the seyd Barber and Porter that all the feffees wolle make a relees on to the Duk and helpe hym that they can in to her power, for to have hys good lorchep.

[Sidenote: Bracium.]

Item, yf it please you, me thynkythe it war ryght nessessary that ye send word howe that ye wolle your old malte be purveyed for; for and any hote weder come affter that it hathe leyne this wynter season, it shall be but lost but yf [_unless_] it be sold be tymys, for as for the pryse [_price_] here, it is sore falle. I have sold a C. comb of malt that came fro Guton, to Jamys Golbeter, clenefyed, and strek met, and non inmet (?), for ij_s._ ij_d._, the comb, and to be payed at Mydsomer and Lammes.

[Sidenote: Sirpi pro reparatione de Mautby.]

Item, ther be dyvers of your tenantrys at Mauteby that had gret ned for to be reparyd, at [? but] the tenaunts be so por that they ar not a power to repare hem; wherfor yf leke you, I wold that the marche that Bryge had myght be kept in your owne hand this yer, that the tenaunts myght have ruschis to repare with her howsys. And also ther is wynfall wod at the maner that is of noo gret valewe, that myght helpe hem with toward toward the reparacion, yf it leke you to late hem have it that hathe most need therof.

[Sidenote: Burgoys, Mareshs, Mauteby.]

I have spoke with Borges that he shuld heyne [_raise_] the price of the mershe, or ellis I told hym that he shuld no lenger have it, for ye myght [have][130.1] other fermors therto that wold geve therfor as it was late befor, and yf he wold geve therfor as moche as another man wold, ye wold that he shuld have it befor any other man; and he seyd he shuld geve me answer be a fortenyght after Esterne. I can get non other fermor therto yet.

Item, I understand be Jon Pampyng that ye wolle not that your sone be take in to your hows, nor holpe be you, tylle suche tyme of yere as he was put owt therof, the wiche shall be abowght Seynt Thomas messe.[131.1]

[Sidenote: Pro recuperatione Johannis Paston.]

For G.o.ds sake, sir, a pety on hym; remembre yow it hathe bed a long season syn he had owt of yow to helpe hym with, and he hathe obeyed hym to yow and wolle do at all tymis, and wolle do that he can or may to have your good faderood. And at the reverence of G.o.d be ye hys good fader, and have a faderly hert to hym; and I hope he shall ever knowe hymselff the better here after, and be the more ware to exchewe suche thyngs as shuld dysplease you, and for to take hed at that shuld please you. Pec.o.ke shalle telle you be mothe of more thyngs than I may write to you at this tyme. The blyssyd Trinite have you in Hys kepyng. Wretyn at Caster in hast, the Monday next after Palme Sonday.

Your M. P.

[Footnote 129.1: [From Paston MSS., B.M.] The claims laid by the Duke of Suffolk to Drayton and h.e.l.lesden occupy a prominent place in this correspondence during the year 1465, and I do not find them alluded to in any letter of an earlier date. Moreover, the purchase by virtue of which the Duke laid claim to the latter manor, which is reported here as a secret, is mentioned again as a piece of news in a letter undoubtedly written on the 10th May 1465. There can be little doubt therefore that this letter is of the same year. The apostyle, or set of marginal notes appended, is in the handwriting of John Paston.]

[Footnote 130.1: Omitted in MS.]

[Footnote 131.1: This might be the translation of St. Thomas the Martyr, 7th July, or St. Thomas Apostle's Day, 21st December; but most probably it means the day of St. Thomas a Becket, 29th December.]

[[for ij_s._ ij_d._, the comb _printed in roman (non-Italic) type_]]

[[that myght helpe hem with toward toward the reparacion _text unchanged_]]

579

MARGARET PASTON TO JOHN PASTON[131.2]

_To my ryght wyrshypfull husband, John Paston, be thys delyveryd in hast._

[Sidenote: 1465 / MAY 3]