The Paston Letters Volume Iv Part 41

Ryght wyrshypfull and my especyall G.o.de mayster, I recomaund me unto your G.o.de maystershyp, letyng you wyte that the berour herof told me that ye had grete mervyll that I send to you no word ne letter of awnswer of the letters that ye had send to me to London. As for on letter ye send to me by Rychard Playtorys man, and therof I send you an awnswer in a letter by a man of the Prior of Bromholm; and as for other letters, ther com no more to me but that on.

Item, Mayster Flemmyng lokyth dayly for hys hors, and at every tyme that I mete with hym, he askyth of me when hys hors shuld com, and when I here any word from you. Wherfore I pray you send me word in a letter how he shall be awnswerd, and yf the hors shall com, lette me knowe when; for and he had not trustyd theruppon, he wold have purveyd hym in a nother place, &c.

Item, John Oter ys not yet payd, but as I suppose it shall not be long to tyll he have it, for he hath spoken to my mayster your fader a yer therfor; and as for Gylmyn, he hath not spoken to my mayster as yet, &c.

Item, I truste he wylbe your G.o.de fader, for John Say hath told hym playnly of hys demenyng ayenst you, and told hym that he had the la.s.se favour for your sake, &c.

Item, the Erle of Arundell ys[217.1] son hath weddyd the Quyne ys suster.

Item, the Lord Lovell ys son[217.2] hath weddyd my Lady Fytzhugh ys doghter, &c.

Item, Jenney desyryth a trety with my mayster, and spake to my mayster therof hym sylf in Westminster Hall.

Item, all felaws in the Kyngs hows fareid well, and wold have you ther.

No more to you at thys tyme, but the Holy Trynyte have you [in] kepyng.

Wryten at London, the Monday next after Seynt Volentyn.

Your servant,

JOHN WYKYS.

[Footnote 216.2: [From Fenn, iv. 246.] As this letter was written after Edward IV.'s marriage, and before the death of John Paston the father, the date must be either 1465 or 1466. Fenn a.s.signs it to the latter year, and I think he is right, though he does not state his reasons. I find that John, Lord Lovel, died on the 9th January 1465, leaving his son and heir, Francis, only nine years old, so that even if we date this letter 1466, the young lad was married at the early age of ten. This was probably owing to his wardship having been obtained by Lord Fitzhugh, or some person interested; but as the inquisition on his father's death (_Inq.

p. m._, 4 Edw. IV., No. 27) was not taken till October 1465, there seems no ground for believing that he could have been forced into wedlock a month after he was left an orphan.]

[Footnote 217.1: Thomas Fitz Alan, Lord Maltravers, eldest son of William Fitz Alan, Earl of Arundel, married Margaret, second daughter of Richard Widville, Earl Rivers, and sister to Elizabeth, Queen of Edward IV. He succeeded his father as Earl of Arundel in 1487, 3 Hen. VII., and died in 1524, 16 Hen. VIII.--F.]

[Footnote 217.2: Francis Lovel, son and heir to John, Lord Lovel, married Anne, daughter of Henry, Lord Fitz Hugh. It is curious that she is here called 'Lady Fitz Hugh's daughter,' when her father was alive.]

[[be thys letter delyveryd _text has "delyverya" (italic a for d)_]]

627

CLEMENT PASTON TO JOHN PASTON[217.3]

_To hys rythe worchypfwll mayster, John Paston, Sqwyer._

[Sidenote: 1466 / MARCH 18]

Rythe worchypfwll broder, I recomawnde me to zow. And as for zour letter to my Lorde Chawnceler I have not delyveryd it; for I askyd avysse there in, and I was aunsweryd there in that sythen he was takyn to baylle, the Chawncelerer[217.4] cowde not compelle the swertes to bryng hym in befor hys day. Also me thowte zour letter was not most plesauntly wrytyn to take to swyche a lorde. And as for the tresorer, hys name is Sir John Fooge, but he is not in London nor wythe the Kyng, so I kan [not] have the letter sent hym but if I hyeryd a man to bere it. And as for zour question of the patentes, Grenfeld and Catesby and Sterkey holdyn it a good question, for the statute is, _Patentes dez tenements dount null t.i.till est trouve pur le roy de recorde sount voydez_, anno xviij.

H. VI. ca. vj. But I trowe in zour cas that be ther opiniounis the Acte of the Parlement is a tytyll of recorde. It is said to the contrary intent, thow the londs be forfetyd of record, yet ther is no certificacion of recorde qwat londes they be, nor wer [_where_] nor in qwat place they lye; but and thys clawse be in the patents, _Non obstante quod nulla inquisicio pro n.o.bis inde est inventa_, by Grenfelde is consayle the patents xwld be clerly goode. But me semythe that amendyt not the mater, for be for the makyng of the statute above sayde, patents graunttyd of londs be fore inquisicion were goode and effectuell and the statute is generall:-- _Patents dount null tytill, &c. sount voydez_. Thanne it folowyt well if the Acte of Parlement be no tytyll for the Kyng thann is ther no tytyll for the Kyng of recorde, for that clawse in the patente is no tytyll; than if ther [be] no tytyll, ergo the patents voyde.

My suster[218.1] standythe in the same ca.s.se with my Lord of Kent.

Broder, I pray zow send mor mony for my nevew John, for he mwst ellys com hom azen; for the Kyng gothe into Scotlonde, and he is nowther horsyd nor harneysyd, for his grett hors is lykly to dye; and if ze wyll sende it to me or to Christofyr Hanyngton it xall be save for hym.

I send zow a letter from hym closyde herin. And I pray spek to my moder that my hors faylle not on Pa.s.syon Swnday,[218.2] for thann xall I be redy and thanne xall ower redyng be don. Wrytyn on Twesday nexst after Seynt Gregory is Day.

Zowr broder,

CLEMENT PASTON.

_On the back._--The man wold not tak my letter but I wa.s.s fayen to gyve hym ij_d._ for the beryng.

[Footnote 217.3: [From Paston Letters, B.M.] The reference to the dispute between Elizabeth Poynings and the Earl of Kent, which is alluded to in a subsequent letter, proves this letter to have been written in the year 1466. The earl in question was only so created on the 3rd of May 1465, and John Paston, to whom the letter is addressed, died in May 1466.]

[Footnote 217.4: So in MS.]

[Footnote 218.1: Elizabeth, widow of Robert Poynings.]

[Footnote 218.2: 23rd March.]

[[gyve hym ij_d._ for the beryng _printed in roman (non-Italic) type_]]

628

FRIAR JOHN MOWTH TO JOHN PASTON[219.1]

_To my worchepful mayster, John Paston the holdest, be this letter delyveryd in hast._

[Sidenote: 1466 / MAY 12]

Ryth reverent and worchepful sire, I hartyly recomende me on to your reverens, thankyng yow for the gret cher and comfortabyll words that ye yovyn on to me wat tyme that I was last yn yowr presens; desyryng ful specyaly of Almity G.o.d, owt of al your wordly tribulacyonys and adversyte, gracyowus delyverans, and yn al vertuows prosperite, good encres and contynuans. If yt like your maysterchep to know the cause of this wrytyng, it ys thys; it is nowth unknow[219.2] on to yow that Mayster Brakle (Cryst rest hys sowle!), delyveryd to Wyllam Paston, your broder, certayn oblygacyonys, of the weche the dute xuld grow to my convent yn Norwyche. I have spoke on to Wyllam Paston her of, and he excuseth hym and seyth on this wyse; that be the wyl of Mayster Brakle, wat tyme that Sire Tomas Todenham,[219.3] Knyth, xuld be put on to hys deth, he delyveryd hem on to hys confessor; the weche, as he seth, xuld a be Grey fryer, hows name he knowyth nowt; also he seyth that after the deth of the forseyd Knyt, he spake with the Fryer, confessor on to the Knyth, and hasked hym aftyr the forseyd oblygacyonys, and as he seyth, the Fryer seyd on to hym that he had delyveryd hem on to [the] Knyth Marchall. Werfor I beseche you, as specyaly as I may, that, now wyl your broder is at London, that ye of your grace wyl know the trowthe in this mater, for the comfort of the dede, and profyth of my convent. Nomor at this tyme, but that I be seche Almyty G.o.d in Trinyte conserve your, and kepe yow in all vertuows prosperite. Amen.

Wretyn at Heylysdon in gret hast, the xij. day of May, in your maner aftyr mete. The cause wy the mayster delyveryd hem to hym mor than to yow, was, as he seyd on to me, for as meche as ye had so many maters yn hand for yowr self, and also for the dede, that he durst not attempt yow with all; and al so be cause he had lesse for to do hys hope was that he xuld asped yt mor redyly.

Fr[e]re Willam Thorp dwellyng at Salisbury.

By yowr pore orator and bedman,

FRIER JAN MOWTH.

[Footnote 219.1: [From Fenn, i. 256.] Friar Brackley, who is here mentioned as dead, is spoken of in John Paston's deposition of December 1465, without any indication that he was at that time deceased (_see_ No. 606). We may presume, therefore, that he died between that time and May 1466, in which month and year died John Paston, to whom this letter is addressed.]

[Footnote 219.2: _Nowth unknow._ I believe this to be the true reading of the original MS. Fenn prints it 'nowthn know.']

[Footnote 219.3: He was beheaded on Tower Hill in February 1462.]

629

MARGARET PASTON TO SIR JOHN PASTON[220.1]

[Sidenote: 1466(?) / NOV. 13 (?)]

I grete you wele and send you G.o.ddis blissyng and myn; letyng you wete that I send you be the berer herof xl_li._ of Ryall which I have chevysshed and borwed for you, be cause I wuld not take that was leyd ought for you at Norwich; for, as I am enformed be Mayster John Smyth, the Chaunceller, and other that we ben all a cursed that we have thus mynystred the dedis G.o.des with ought licence or auctorite, and I wene we spede all the wers there fore. At the reverence of G.o.d, gete you a licens of my Lord of Caunterbery in dyschargyng of my conscyens and yowris, to mynystre a certeyn summe of iij. or iiij^c marcs, enfourmyng hym how that your lyffelod hath stond this ij. yer in such trobill that ye myght right nought have of it, ner yet can take of it with ought ye shuld hurt your tenauntis, thei have so ben vexid be on trew meanes before this tymes, And ye have many grete materis on hand and may not have to bere them ought, ner to save your ryght, withaught ye myght for a tyme takyn of your faderis G.o.des. And this I hope shall discharge owr conscyens of that we have mynystred and spend be fore. For we have nomor to acquite this xl_li._ and bere all other charges but the xlvii_li._ that your unkyll and ye is privy to, that was leyd up at Norwich. I wuld ye were ware of large theftis and rewardis gevyng, as otheris folkis avyse you to do, for though ye have nede thei wull not be right redy to help you of ther owyn; and that ye may understand be that that thei have taken a wey from you be for this tyme. I wuld not in no wyse ye shuld put your self in no daunger to hym but as litill as ye may; for if ye do, it shall be right wele remembred you her after. And be ware how ye ben bownd in any obligacion to any creature but if it be leyd in endifferent handis and trosty for yowr part. And remembre to gete the obligacion that ye mad to the d.u.c.h.esse of Suffolk; for though it be in my Lord Chancelleris hande it is jepartows, be cause of perell of deth.

Item, understand wele the poyntis that ben in my cosyn Arblasteris letter that arn wretyn in yowrs, and purvey redily ther for for your owyn a vayll. Item, send me home answeris of sueche materis as arn now sent you bethen (_sic_) mowth and wrytyng at this tyme as hastly as ye can, or ells it shall hurt yow mor than ye or I can yet understand.

Item, me semyth, if ye shall not comyn home this Crystmesse, or if ye shuld be at my Lady of Suffolk, it [were[221.1]] necessary to have Playter there with you if ye shuld engroos any appoyntementis with here at that tyme. For she is sotill and hath sotill councell with here; and therfore it were wele do ye shuld have summe with you that shuld be of your councell. If John Paston be with you at London desire hym to take hede to yowris materis and in what case thei ben left at your departyng, that if nede be he may help you to labore for such causes as Wykes shall telle yow be mowth; and if he be not with yow, and ye wull I shall send hym to you. Item, spare of[221.2] the xl_li._ as mych as ye may that ye may perfourme by the mony that the d.u.c.h.esse of Suffolk shuld have, in cas that it may not be gadered of the lyvelode. Send home Wykes a sone as ye can, and how ye will that I do in your materis and lyvelode at home. G.o.d have you in His kepyng. Wretyn the Thursday next Sent Martyn.