The Paston Letters Volume Iv Part 53

The blissid Trynyte spede you in your mater, and send you the victory of your elmyse, to your herts eas and ther confusyon. Wretyn at Norwich, the Saterday next befor Relyke Sonday,[283.1] in hast.

I pray you remembre wele the maters that I wrote to you for in the letter that ye had be James Greshames man, and send me an answer ther of be the next man that comyth, &c.

Be your moder,

M. P.

[Footnote 282.1: [From Fenn, iv. 294.] This letter must have been written some time after Sir John Paston had obtained possession of Caister by virtue of the King's warrant of the 17th July 1466 (No. 641), and before the Duke of Norfolk laid claim to it again in 1469. Thus the date is certainly either 1467 or 1468. But in the latter year Sir John Paston and his brother were both in Flanders at the marriage of the Princess Margaret to the Duke of Burgundy; and Daubeney could not have been with them, as he was when this letter was written, for John Paston the younger says he had sent him five shillings by Calle's man. Thus 1467 appears to be the only year possible.]

[Footnote 283.1: Relic Sunday (the third Sunday after Midsummer Day) was the 12th July in 1467.]

672

DECLARATION OF SIR THOMAS HOWYS[284.1]

[Sidenote: 1467 / JULY 21]

Be it knowen to all men that this present wrytyng shall rede, see, or hyre. Forasmoche as I understande nowe late ther ys a newe contryved processe concernyng the variaunce uppon my maister Sir John Fastolf is testament and last will, whos soule G.o.d a.s.soyle, made by Sir John Paston, Knyght, and his counsell in the seyd Pastons name and myne, ayenste Sir William Yelverton, Knyght, and William Worcetter, that is exhibited and putte in my lordys courte of Audience be fore his auditoure, me unwetyng or a.s.sentyng, in the vigille of Seint John Baptiste; in wheche processe ys surmyttyd and made mencion that William Worcetter in his owne persone, and by others in his name, hathe promysed and gevyn money to corupte certayne wytnesse to depose untreuly in a processe exhibit in John Pastons lyf tyme by Sir William Yelverton, Knyght, the sayd William Wissetter ayenste John Paston decesed and me; and wheche witnesse were Stephan Scrope, Squier, Richard Fastolf, gentilman, Thomas Neve, gentilman, William Boswell, clerk, John Monke, Nicholas Churche, John Rugge, John Daunson, Richard Horne, Thomas Pykeryng, Harry Clerk, John Tobye, Thomas Hart, Thomas Neuton, John Gyrdyng, Thomas Spycer, and others, frome the moneth of August into the moneth of March, the yere of Cryst M^{il.}CCCClxv., yn Yermouthe, Castre, Fretenham, Bloofeld, Thetford, Brundale, Wroxham, Borough, Southetoune, Yermouthe, Gorleston, Suthewerk, Norwych, and London; so they to be corupted in all the forseyd named tounes wyth prayer, price, and money to hem promised and gevyn, be syd har expences, her costs, and her labours, to be conducted to depose with Sir William Yelverton and William Worcetter partye ayenste the seyd John Paston and mee: I the sayd Thomas Howys so made partye, and unwetyng and a.s.sentyng, a yenste the [said][284.2] Sir William Yelverton and William Worcestre, sey and afferme for trouth in this matyer to be knowen, that for declaracion of trouth in this processe and mater, and for the discharge of my conscience and the trewe acquietall to my sayd Master Fastolf that putte me in grettyst charge of hys testament, and for grete remorse I have in my soule of the untrewe forgyng and contryvyng certayne testamentes and last wyll by naked wordes in my sayd Maister Fastolf name aftyr he was desesyd; y, in the name of the seyd Sir William Yelverton and William Worcetter, required and prayed the sayd above named witnesse and alle other wytnesse produced in Sir William Yelverton and William Wyssetter name before that tyme, excepte the forsayd Stephan Scrope, Esquier, and Richard Fastolf, to come to London, and appere in my lords house of audience before his auditour, and there to say, depose, and witnesse the trouthe as they knewe in especiall, in the absense of John Russe, Sir Robert Cotiler, late vycar of Castre, Robert Botyler beyng oute of the chamber of Sir John Fastolf, Knyght, there he lay seke in his maner of Castre, the Saterdaye next before the seid Sir John Fastolf discesyd, namely, from viij. tylle xj. atte belle affore mydday, and present in other placez, where diverse of the sayd named wytnesse and diverse other witnesse sawe ham. And the sayd Worcestre nother promysed ne yave hem G.o.de, money, nother reward, neyther relessed no debtes, not soo nought payed not for har costes, nother dispenses by the wey comyng to London, taryeng, ne returnyng a yen, that lawe and reson wold understonde the sayd witnesse ought have for har costes and labours, weche was payed by my handes, I beyng present dayly and tymely diverse tymes most conversaunt at Jermuth wyth hem; and in especiall whan they taryed more than xxiiij. dayes in London or they coude be examyned; and I knowe well the sayd Sir William Yelverton, nouther the seyd William Worcestre promysed ne payed no maner money ne G.o.des worth, nouther relessyng har dutes, yf any they axed they knowe yt not, as the seyd named witnesse wylle sey and certyfye the trouth. And as for ij. witnesse called Bunch and Shave, lete hem be examynyd, yf the seyd Sir William or William Worcestre fyrst procured, moved, or excited hem at Yermouth, or any other place, to come to London to depose in the said maters, or promysed or payed hem ony money, or any man for ham promysed or payed; and yf they be of trewe disposicion, they woll discharge the seyd Sir William Yelverton and William Worcestre, for ther was none in especiall but I, that labored hem alle to come to London to my lordis audience yn the seyd Yelvertons and Worcestre names; but I prync.i.p.ally required them to depose treuly as they knewe, be the owte promyse, mede, rewarde, or money, yn the discharge of my conscience, and for the trouthe of the mater to be knowen to all the worlde, as I am redy to preve, whyle G.o.d lendeth me lyffe, and yn the same quarell to dye. And I evyr seth that I understode the seyd John Paston is untrewe demenyng in the contryvynge of my Maister Fastolf testament and last wille, and was compellyd to appere before my lord ys auditour at Lambyth, to be sworn atte my ffree will to declar the trouth of my seyd maister trewe testament and last wyll befor my seyd Lord of Canturbury is auditur of his courte of audience, I nevyr varyed ne held aftyr wyth John Paston, but alwey have ben stedfast wyth the processe that I have enfourmed my Lord of Canterbury, and divers others astates also in like wyse have declared to the sayd Sir William Yelverton and William Worcestre to precede, and soo evyr woll be stedfaste. And in witness for trouth, I sele this declaracion wyth my signet, and subscrybe it wyth my hand and name, in presence of Maister John Prentyse, Sir Edmond Hall, John Smyth, John Robynson, Thomas Hoore, John Bullok, and Richard Batilmewe, the xxj^th day of Jule the yer of Crist M^{il.}CCCC^mo lxvij.

T. HOWYS.

[Footnote 284.1: [From a MS. in the tower of Magd. Coll., Oxford.]]

[Footnote 284.2: Omitted in MS.]

673

JOHN PASTON TO HIS MOTHER[287.1]

[Sidenote: 1467(?)]

Ryght worchepfull modyr, I recomand me onto you, lowly besechyng yow of your blyssyng. Plesyt yow to we [_sic_] that my brodyr and I be in good hele, blyssyd be G.o.d, and all our felawshep; and as for me I tryst to G.o.d to ... yow by Halowmes or within iiij. dayes aftyr at the ferthest; at whyche tyme I tryst to fynd the menys ... dyscharge yow of syche folk as ye kepe of my brodyrs, and that must I do by myn owne menys; for as for my brodyr, by my trowthe he is not of power to do it; for this I ensure yow, so G.o.d help me, he hathe at thys season not a peny in hys purs, nor wotys not wher to get eny. And as for Bekham I warant, and ye wyll send the plate whych ye and I comond of for to helpe to paye hys dettis, and for to swe forthe for hys jwgement thys terme, it sholl neythyr be morgagyd nor sold. Wherfor, modyr, I and he bothe beseche yow that ye wyll send hym the plate by Jwde; or ellys, so G.o.d help me, I wot not how he shall do; for by the feythe that I ow to G.o.d he lokyth every day to be arestyd, and so I wene he sholl, so G.o.d helpe me. Jwde had ned to be sped hastyly lest syche arestys falle in the tyme. And as for my Lord of Norffolk, it is promysed me to have hys good lordshep, but I must tery a whylle, as my Lady told yow, for the maners sake. And as for tydynges her, so G.o.d help, neythyr the Kyng nor the Lordis can as yet undyrstand no serteynte, whedyr they shall go togedyr ayen by the werre or not. When I here the serteynte I shall send yow word. Ye may send mony by Jwde for my sustyr Annys hood and for the tepet of sersenet, viij_s._ a yerd of damask and v_s._ for sa.r.s.enet; hyr hood wyll take iij. quarters. No mor for lak of leyser, but I pray G.o.d send yow your hertis desyir and othyr pore folys thers.

Your sone and humbyll servant,

J. PASTON.

[Footnote 287.1: [Add. MS. 34,889, f. 196.] The date of this letter is difficult to fix, but from the two brothers being together (which was rather a rare occurrence), and both in good health, the summer of 1467 seems not improbable. (_See_ No. 671.) The date must at least be earlier than Nov. 1469, when Sir John Paston, as we shall hereafter find, actually executed an indenture for the sale of East Beckham. It seems quite impossible, moreover, that this letter can be of the year 1469.]

674

SIR JOHN PASTON TO LORD BEAUCHAMP[288.1]

_To the Lord Bechampe_[288.2]

And forasmuch as I am credibly enformed that my lord of Winchestre hath sent to you desiring that ye shold ensele dyvers writinges of graunt and relesse of your estat in alle such maners, londes and tenementes as late wer of J. Fastolf knyght, and wheryn ye togider with other be jointly enfeffed to th' use of the seid J. Fastolf, I, considering the honorable disposition and great sadnesse of my seid lord of Winchestre which[288.3] hath now taken upon [him][288.4] th' administracion of testament of the seid J. F., trusting veryly that my seid lord wol as conscience requireth consider my t.i.tle and interest in that behalf, praie you right hertely that not withstonding any labour or mocion on my part or for me in tyme pa.s.sed made to you to ensele any writyng of graunt or relesse of your seid estat to me or to myn use, that ye wol now ensele and perfourme the entent and desir of my seid lord of Winchestre now made unto you.

SIR JOHN PASTON, K.

_Indorsed:_ Dominus de Bewchamp.

[Footnote 288.1: [Add. MS. 35,251, f. 25, B.M.] This letter apparently was written in 1467, probably in August, just before No. 675. The original is a corrected draft.]

[Footnote 288.2: This address is written in the margin, with a note a little way below: 'To myn oncle Wylliam in lyke forme.']

[Footnote 288.3: Here occurs an interlineation of an incomplete clause: 'is feffe of the seid---- (_word crossed out_) and also therein and----.']

[Footnote 288.4: Omitted in MS.]

675

NOTE

The following is an extract from 'An Index to Deeds and Writings in the Tower, Magdalen College, Oxford':--

_Doc.u.ments relating to Norf. and Suffolk, No. 47._

[Sidenote: 1467 / AUG. 28]

'Thomas Archiep. Cant., Willielmus Episcopus Winton., et Johannes Beauchamp dominus de Beauchamp, juxta formam barganiae et effectum ultimae voluntatis Johannis Fastolf in curia Audientiae, &c., concedunt Johanni Paston militi totum jus in maneriis de Castre vocatis Vaux, Bosoms, et Redhams, Spensers in Heringby, Reggisley, Reps, c.u.m aliis terris in diversis villis; necnon in manerio de Guton c.u.m advocatione ecclesiae de Heinford in Saxthorp vocat. Loundhall, c.u.m aliis terris in diversis villis, et in manerio de Caldecots et Akethorp, Spitlings, Habeland, &c., habit, ex feoffamento Rad. dom. de Sudley et aliorum.

Aug. 28. Edw. IV. 7.'

676

ABSTRACT[289.1]

[Sidenote: 1467 / AUG. 31]

A small slip of paper close written on both sides with accounts of wages. In the margin on one side is the name John Braham, with the memorandum, 'Thys wrytynge, made the iiij^th yere of Kynge Edward the iiij^th, and in the monyth of Novembre, wytnessez of the wagez that my master payith to his men.' A blank seems to have been left below this at first, but it was afterwards filled up in a different hand: 'Memorandum that the v^e yer of Kyng Edward the iiij^e I rekenyd wyth my master at Stoke; and on the v. day of Aprylle for the yerys that I have be wyth my mastyr, whesche shal be at Hocke Monday next c.u.myng v^e yer and an halfe; for the whesche yerys I have reseyvyd at sondery tymeys v_li._ and iiij_s._, and thys seyd v. day I reseyvyd of my master v. marcs.'

On the other side, in the first hand, is an account extending from the 11th April, 5 Edw. IV. (1465) to the last day of August, 7 Edw. IV.

(1467), of payments to a female named Rose,[289.2] for wages by 'my master,' Braham and Thorpe. These sums vary from 3_s._ 4_d._ to 8_s._ 4_d._, at a time; but there are also two items for presents made to her, viz. for 4 ells of Holland cloth at 8_d._ the ell, 2_s._ 10_d._, and for a pair of hosen, 12_d._ On the 7th Oct. 6 Edw. IV. (1466) it is said, 'My master toke her for wages at Stoke, 5_s._'

[Footnote 289.1: [From Paston MSS., B.M.]]

[Footnote 289.2: It appears by other letters that she was a servant 'dwelling before Mrs. Paston's gate.']

677

NOTE