The Paston Letters Volume Iv Part 33

Also the seid John Russe writyth in his lettir that rather thanne he shuld fayle this mony that I wold lend hym asmoch to pay ayen at Cristema.s.se; wherfore, if he leve his bargeyn I woll ye lend hym asmoch mony over his dewte as shall make up xx_li._, takyng of hym suerte to pay ayen at Cristema.s.se, as he writyth; in case be that he will kepe stille his bargeyn, thanne ye may answere hym it is no reason that he shuld aske me any part of that mony ayen, for he owyth that and moch more.

Item, the seyd John Rus sent me heder a man for this mater only with in thes ij. daijs. Wherfor let him know an ansue letyng (?) for I fel well (?) he hath mad agret bargen but late, wherfor he hath mor nede of mony now, and I wol do for hym that I may resonably. Nevertheles his wryting merveylith me that he askith thes mony as dewte, wheche he toke me for parte of my payment. I deme it comith not all of his owne disposicion.

Inquier ye that ye can what it menith. G.o.d kepe yow. Wret the Wednisday nex Lammes.

Yowr JOHN PASTON.

In cas ye han Drayton in any quiete take sewertie of yowr tenants for paiment as I have wret befor.

[Footnote 174.1: [From Paston MSS., B.M.] This is evidently the letter referred to in the beginning of the last.]

602

JOHN ESTGATE TO ----[177.1]

[Sidenote: 1465]

Ser, ze sent to me a letter conteynyng the substaunce of the processe off Mr. Robert Ippyswell for the mater off the codicill of Nicholas Pykeryng, &c. Me mervelyt gretly off the certificat off Mr. Robert in that be halve, for this is the truthe as forth forth as I kan remembre me. The codicill had nether day nor place lymyte, qwer or qwan it xuld a ben mad; qwerfor to a reprovyd that that nether was qualifyid with day nor place it had be gret foly, &c. Therfor I askyd off the juge hys accounts, and specyally the deposicionys and attestacionys off the wytteness that wer swor in the seyd codicill, &c.; by the qwyche it mowth appere clerly qwan and qwere this codicill xuld a be made and wrete. And this sen I mad protestacion to for the seyde Mr. Robert that I wolde impugne the mater as lawe requiryd. The qwych peticion I made diverse tyme to fore moche recorde, judicialy syttyng the seyde M. R.,[177.2] &c. The qwyche peticion he wold not her, but seyde expresse that nether Will. Pykeryng nor non other man xuld sen his accounts nor knowe qwat the deposicion wer in that parte; this mater was comownyd to for Mr. John Selet and my mayster and yours diverse tymys, and ever he seyde we xuld not sen the seyde deposicions. And so qwat sum ever he hath certyfyid, this is the truthe, G.o.d to wetenesse and all Seynts, qwo preserve zow evermore.

And I pray zow to declare this to my mayster and zours; and comende me hertly to hys good maysterchep. And G.o.d sende hym victorye off all hys elmyes, and so pray all hys well wyllers at Norwich.

JOHN ESTGATE.

[Footnote 177.1: [From Paston MSS., B.M.] The writer of this letter is reported to be dead in No. 604, which was written on the 18th August 1465. We have little doubt, however, that this belongs to the same year, as the names of Robert Ippeswell and John Salet occur in the correspondence more than once about this time.]

[Footnote 177.2: Master of the Rolls.]

603

WILL OF NICHOLAS PICKERING[178.1]

[Sidenote: 1465]

To alle trewe Cristen pepill the wiche these present letteres schall se or here, Roberd Banyngham, confessour to Nicholas Pekeryng of Filby, Alson the wyfe of the seide Nicholas, Roger Silveryn, John Herte of Cowteshall, Robarde Yoxsale, Richarde Hawe, Robarde Manufrac (?), John Case, servaunt of the forseid Nicholas, and Henry Becham, servaunt of the seide Nicholas, and Thomas Page of Beston, sende gretyng in oure Lorde. Where it is merytory nedefull to bere wytenesse of troughthe, alle ye mot knowe us that we herde the forseide Nicholas Pekeryng seyn, lying on his dede bedde, these wordes folwyng, as we willen answere before G.o.d, that whanne William Pekeryng, sone of the seide Nicholas rekenyd with his fadir for xx. quarteres barly that the seid William cleymed of his faderys yifte to his mariage; and for vij. dayes cariage of corne in hervest, and for als a thousande waltyle that his fadir had fro ye seide Williams wyfes place, the wiche reknyng greved the seide Nicholas his fadir, and seide, 'Thou comyst in with many bak rekenyngges. Remembre the that thou hast be the costlyest childe that evere I hadde, and how that I yaf ye x. acres of fre londe, and[178.2]

a place in mariage, and many othir thyngges that is muche better than all thi bak rekinyngges. And I have now yove ye other x. acres of fre londe aftir my discesse; and me thynketh be the thou heldest the not lowest, but woldest have all. But on thyng I shall sey to the; if thou trouble John, thy brother, or ony of myn executores, or cleyme ony more londes or goodys that evere were myne, I shal yeve ye G.o.ddys curse and myn, for thou hast be ever frowarde to me.' In witnesse and recorde herof we have sette oure sealys.

To alle trewe Cristen pepill the qwiche these presente letters shal see or here, John Herte of Couteshale, Roberd Yoxhale, Roger Silveryn, Thomas Dawes, and Thomas Drye, sende gretyng in oure Lorde. Where it is merytory, nedefull and medefull to bere witnesse of trought, all ye mot knowe us, that we herde William Pekeryng, sone of Nicholas Pekeryng, seyn that his fadir wolde he shulde have but x. acres of fre londe aftir his decesse be syde other x. acres of fre londe that he yaf hym in maryage. In wittenesse and recorde heer of we have setto oure seales.

_Endorsed:_ A Testymonyall.

[Footnote 178.1: [From Paston MSS., B.M.] From the contents of the preceding letter it is probable that this doc.u.ment was drawn up in 1465. Blomefield, indeed, states (vol. ii. p. 221) that Nicholas Pickering was buried in the steeple of Filby church in 1466. But the date may be an error, for he certainly seems to have been dead in or before 1465.]

[Footnote 178.2: _and_ repeated in MS.]

604

MARGARET PASTON TO JOHN PASTON[179.1]

_To my ryght wyrshypfull mayster, John Paston, be thys letter delyveryd in haste._

[Sidenote: 1465 / AUG. 18]

Ryght wyrshypfull husbond, I recomaund me to you. Please it you to wyte that the cause that I wrote to you non er [_earlier_] than I dyde after the sessyons was by cause that Yelverton held sessyons at Dyrham and Walsyngham the next wyke after the a.s.syses, and to have knowlech what labour that was made ther, and to have send yow werd therof. Ther was grete labours made by the bayly of Coshay and other for to have endytyd your men both at Dyrham and at Walsyngham, but I purvayd a mene that her [_their_] purpose was lettyd at thos ij. tymes.

Hugh a Fen ys in Flegge. Richard Call spake with hym thys wyke, and he sayd to Richard that he and his wyff wold be with me here thys wyke toward a place of hys that he hath purchasyd of G.o.dehreds. Yf he come I shall make hym G.o.de chyre, for it ys told me of dyvers folks that have spoke with hym sythen he com in to Norffolk as thay fele by hys sayng that he awyth you ryght G.o.de wyle.

Item, as for my comyng to you, yf it please you that I come, y hope I shull purvey so for al thyngs or I com that it shull be sayff y nogh by the grace of G.o.d tyll I com ayen; but at the reverens of G.o.d, yf ye may purvey a mene that ye may com hom your sylf; for that shall be most profortabell to you, for men cut large thongs here of other mens lether.

I shull wryte to you ayen as hastely as I may. G.o.d have you in Hys kypyng. Wryten in haste at Haylesdon, the Sonday next after the a.s.sumpsyon of our Lady.

Item, my cosyn Elysabeth Clere ys at Ormesby and your moder purposyth to be at her place at Caster thys wyke, for the pestylens ys so fervent in Norwych that thay ther [_dare ?_] no lenger abyde ther, so G.o.d help; me thynkyth by my moder that she wold ryght fayn that ye dyde well and that ye myght spyde ryght well in your mater. And me thynkyth by my cosyn Clere that she wold fayn have youre G.o.de wyll, and that she hath sworyn ryght faythfully to me that ther shall no defaute be founde in her, nor noght hath be yf the trogh myght be understond, as she hopyth it shull be herafter. She sayth ther ys no man a lyff that she hath put her truste in so moch as she hath doon in you. She sayth she wote well such langage as hath be reportyd to you of her other wyse then she hath deservyd causyth you to be other wyse to her then ye shuld be. She had to me thys langage wypyng, and told me of dyvers other thyngs the whych ye shall have knowlych of herafter.

As for the hygh shyrf [_sheriff_] he demenyd hym ryght well her to me, and he sayd to me, as for replevyns he wold aske counseyll of lernyd men what he mygt doo therin, and as largely as he mygt do ther in, or in any other mater touchyng you, savyng hymsylf harmlys, he wold doo for you and for yours that he mygt do.

Item, I have do layd in [_caused to be laid in_] the presentacyon of Drayton, and have presentyd Sir Thomas Hakon, parson of Felthorp, the whych is hold ryght a G.o.de man and wel dysposyd, and the Duck of Suffolk hath layd in a nother; and ther shall be take an inquisicyon ther uppon, and Mr. Styven ys your a voked [_your advocate_] therin. Mr. John Estgade ys pa.s.syd to G.o.d on Thursday last pa.s.syd, whos sawle G.o.d a.s.soyle! Wherof in G.o.de feyth I am ryght sory, for I fynd hym ryght fayth full to you. They deyy ryght sore in Norwych.

John Rus sayth the profets that hath be take of the maner of Caister syn Sir John Fastolf deyd hath be take by Sir Thomas Howys and Jenney.

By yours, M. P.

I mervayll that ye had no tythyngs from me at that tyme that your letter was wryten, for I send you a letter by Chytockys son that ys prenteys in London, and the seyd letter was of the demenyng at the a.s.syes at Norwych and of divers other maters. I pray you send me word yf ye have it. As for the replevyns Richard Calle sayth he hath send you a awnswere of hem, and also the copys of them.

[Footnote 179.1: [From Fenn, iii. 370.] That this letter was written in the year 1465 appears clearly by the reference to the a.s.sizes held at Walsingham (_see_ No. 599), and the intention which the writer intimates of visiting her husband in London.

Moreover, the first sentence of the letter, and also the postscript, are evidently written in answer to her husband's complaint in No. 600, that she had not written to him what she had done at the a.s.sizes.]

605

NOTE

In the Introduction in Volume I., will be found a doc.u.ment ent.i.tled 'A remembrance of the worshipful kin and ancestry of Paston, born in Paston in Gemyngham Soken.' This paper, which was printed in the preface to vol. v. of the original edition, p. xliv., appears to have been composed during the lifetime of John Paston by some one who owed the family no good will, not unlikely by Sir William Yelverton. The contents agree very well with the imputation made on John Paston, for which he was imprisoned in 1465, that he was a bondman to the King. The original of this doc.u.ment I have not met with.

606

ABSTRACT[181.1]

EXAMINATIONS TOUCHING FASTOLF'S WILL

[Sidenote: 1465 / AUG.]

John Paston examined by a commission of Thomas, Archbishop of Canterbury, addressed to John Druell, LL.D., in the cause between Sir William Yelverton, Knight, and William Worcester, pretensed executors of Sir John Fastolf, and John Paston, Esq., and Thomas Howys, executors, as is said, dated 8 July 1465.