The Paston Letters Volume Iv Part 55

683

EDWARD IV. TO SIR JOHN PASTON[296.1]

_To our trusty and welbeloved Sir John Paston, Knight._

BY THE KING.

[Sidenote: 1468 / APRIL 18]

Trusty and welbeloved, we greet yow well. And where it is accorded betwixt us and our cozen the Duke of Burgundye that he shall wedde our derrest sister, Margaret, and that in shorte while we intende to sende her into the parts of Flanders for the accomplishment and solempnizacion of the marriage so concluded; at the which time it behoveth her to be accompanied with great n.o.bility of this realme, for the honour thereof, of us and our said sister: We therefore, wele understanding and remembering the good affection ye bere towards us all, our pleasure is, and our said sister, whereupon we greatly trust, desire and pray yow right effectuously that, every excuse or delaye laide aparte, ye will dispose yourselfe to the saide intent and purpose against the first day of June next cominge, according to your honour and degree, and that ye faile not so to doe, as we singularly trust yow, and as ye intend to do us justys, pleas^{s}.[297.1] Yeven under our signet at our mannor of Greenwich, the xviij. day of Aprill.

[Footnote 296.1: This letter is reprinted from Mr. Worship's article on Sandford's genealogy of the Paston family in the _Norfolk Archaeology_. The original was transcribed by Sandford, but is not now to be found. Margaret, sister of Edward IV., was married to Charles the Bold, Duke of Burgundy, at Bruges, on the 3rd July 1468.]

[Footnote 297.1: So, as printed in the _Norfolk Archaeology_.]

684

JOHN PASTON THE YOUNGER TO MARGARET PASTON[297.2]

_To my ryght reverend and worchepfull modyr, Margaret Paston, dwellyng at Caster, be thys delyveryed in hast._

[Sidenote: 1468 / JULY 8]

Ryth reverend and worchepfull modyr, I recomaund me on to you as humbylly as I can thynk, desyryng most hertly to her of your welfare and herts ese, whyche I pray G.o.d send yow as hastyly as my hert can thynk.

Ples yt yow to wete, that at the makyng of thys byll, my brodyr and I, and all our felawshep, wer in good h.e.l.le, blyssyd be G.o.d. As for the gydyng her in thys contre, it is as worchepfull as all the world can devyse it, and ther wer never Englyshe men had so good cher owt of Inglong that ever I herd of.

As for tydyngs her, but if it be of the fest, I can non send yow; savyng my Lady Margaret[297.3] was maryd on Sonday[297.4] last past, at a towne that is callyd the Dame, iij. myle owt of Brugys, at v. of the clok in the mornyng; and sche was browt the same day to Bruggys to hyr dener; and ther sche was receyvyd as worchepfully as all the world cowd devyse, as with presession with ladys and lordys, best beseyn of eny pepyll, that ever I sye or herd of. Many pagentys wer pleyed in hyr wey in Bryggys to hyr welcomyng, the best that ever I sye. And the same Sonday my Lord the b.a.s.t.a.r.d,[298.1] took upon hym to answere xxiiij. knyts and gentylmen, with in viij. dayes at jostys of pese; and when that they wer answeryd, they xxiiij. and hym selve schold torney with othyr xxv. the next day aftyr, whyche is on Monday next comyng; and they that have jostyd with hym into thys day, have ben as rychely beseyn, and hymselve also, as clothe of gold, and sylk and sylvyr, and goldsmyths werk, myght mak hem; for of syche ger, and gold, and perle, and stanys, they of the Dwkys coort, neythyr gentylmen nor gentylwomen, they want non; for with owt that they have it by wyshys, by my trowthe, I herd nevyr of so gret plente as ther is.

Thys day my Lord Scalys[298.2] justyd with a Lord of thys contre, but not with the b.a.s.t.a.r.d; for they mad promyse at London that non of them bothe shold never dele with othyr in armys; but the b.a.s.t.a.r.d was one of the Lords that browt the Lord Scalys in to the feld, and of mysfortwne an horse strake my Lord b.a.s.t.a.r.d on the lege, and hathe hurt hym so sore, that I can thynk he shalbe of no power to acomplyshe up hys armys; and that is gret pete, for by my trowthe I trow G.o.d mad never a mor worchepfull knyt.

And as for the Dwkys coort, as of lords, ladys and gentylwomen, knyts, sqwyers, and gentylmen, I hert never of non lyek to it, save Kyng Artourys cort. And by my trowthe, I have no wyt nor remembrans to wryte to yow, half the worchep that is her; but that lakyth, as it comyth to mynd I shall tell yow when I come home, whyche I tryst to G.o.d shal not be long to; for we depart owt of Brygys homward on Twysday next comyng, and all folk that cam with my Lady of Burgoyn owt of Inglond, except syche as shall abyd her styll with hyr, whyche I wot well shall be but fewe.

We depart the soner, for the Dwk[299.1] hathe word that the Frenshe Kyng[299.2] is purposyd to mak wer upon hym hastyly, and that he is with in iiij. or v. dayis jorney of Brugys, and the Dwk rydyth on Twysday next comyng, forward to met with hym; G.o.d geve hym good sped, and all hys; for by my trowthe they are the goodlyest felawshep the ever I cam among, and best can behave them, and most lyek gentylmen.

Othyr tydyngs have we non her, but that the Dwke of Somerset,[299.3] and all hys bands depertyd welbeseyn owt of Brugys a day befor that my Lady the Dwches cam thedyr, and they sey her, that he is to Qwen Margaret that was, and shal no more come her ayen, nor be holpyn by the Dwk. No more; but I beseche yow of your blyssyng as lowly as I can, whyche I beseche yow forget not to geve me ever day onys. And, modyr, I beseche yow that ye wolbe good mastras to my lytyll man, and to se that he go to scole.

I sent my cosyn Dawbeney v_s._ by Callys man, for to bye for hym syche ger as he nedyth; and, modyr, I pray yow thys byll may recomend me to my sustyrs bothe, and to the mastyr, my cosyn Dawbeney, Syr Jamys,[299.4]

Syr John Stylle, and to pray hym to be good mastyr to lytyll Jak, and to lerne hym well; and I pray yow that thys byll may recomand me to all your folkys, and my wellwyllers. And I pray G.o.d send yow your herts desyr.

Wretyn at Bruggys the Fryday next aftyr Seynt Thomas.

Your sone and humbyll servaunt,

J. PASTON, the yonger.

[Footnote 297.2: [From Fenn, ii. 2.] As this letter gives an account of the marriage of the Princess Margaret to Charles, Duke of Burgundy, there is no doubt of the year in which it was written.]

[Footnote 297.3: Margaret, sister of King Edward IV.]

[Footnote 297.4: 3rd July.]

[Footnote 298.1: Anthony, Count de la Roche, commonly called the b.a.s.t.a.r.d of Burgundy, a natural son of Duke Philip the Good.]

[Footnote 298.2: Anthony Woodville, Lord Scales, afterwards Earl Rivers.]

[Footnote 299.1: Charles the Bold, Duke of Burgundy.]

[Footnote 299.2: Lewis XI.]

[Footnote 299.3: Edmund Beaufort, Duke of Somerset.]

[Footnote 299.4: Sir James Gloys, a priest.]

685

ABSTRACT[299.5]

[Sidenote: 1468 / JULY 16]

General pardon to William Paston, son of the judge, for offences committed before the 15th April last. The grantee is described by different _aliases_, as William Paston of London, of Caster, of Norwich, and of Wymondham, gentleman. Westminster, 16th July, 8 Edw. IV. _Great Seal attached._

[Footnote 299.5: [From Add. Charter 17,248, B.M.]]

686

THE EARL OF OXFORD TO SIR JOHN PASTON[300.1]

_To Sir John Paston, Knyght._

[Sidenote: 1468(?) / JULY 18]

Right worshipfull, and my especiall true hertid frende, I commaunde me un to you, preying you to ordeyne me iij. horsse harneys as G.o.dely as ye and Genyn kan devyse, as it were for yourselfe; and that I may have thyme in all hast, ordere. Also Skerne saith ye wolde ordeyne ij.

standarde stavys; this I pray you to remembre, and my wife shalle deliver you silver,--and yit she most borowed it; vj. or vij_li._ I wold be stowe on a horsse harneys, and so Skerne tolde me I might have. The Lord Hastings had for the same price, but I wolde not myne were lik his; and I trust to G.o.d we shalle do right welle, who preserve you. Wreten at Canterbury in hast, the xviij. day of Juyll.

OXYNFORD.

[Footnote 300.1: [From Fenn, ii. 26.] The writer of this letter was committed to the Tower in November 1468, and though afterwards released, it was not long before he became a declared enemy of Edward IV.; so that, after the brief restoration of Henry VI. in 1470, he was obliged to leave the kingdom. The date of this letter, therefore, is not likely to be later than the present year, but it may be a year or two earlier.]

687

SIR JOHN PASTON TO MRS. ANNE[300.2]

_To Mastresse Annes._