The Paston Letters Volume V Part 4

[Sidenote: 1469 / APRIL 10]

Ryght trusty and welbelovyd, I grete you well. And for asmoch as a maryage ys fully concluded bytwyx Sir John Paston and my ryght nere kynneswoman Hawte, I will that ye and all other my servaunts and tenants understand that my Lord, my fader,[19-3] and I must of nature and reason shewe unto hym our G.o.de a.s.systens and favour in such maters as he shall have a doo. Wherfor I pray you hertely that ye will take the labour to come to Norwych, to comen with William Paston, and to yeve credens unto hym in such maters as he shall enforme you of myne entent, and of sertayn persones with whom ye shall comen by th'avyse of the seyd William Paston, of such maters as touch the sayd Sir John Paston; prayng you to tendre thys mater as ye wolde do myne owne.

Fro Westmynstre, the x. day of Aprill.

[Footnote 19-2: [From Fenn, iv. 324.] _See_ preliminary note to the last letter (p. 18, Note 1).]

[Footnote 19-3: _See_ Note 1, _supra_.]

[[Sidenote: 1469 / APRIL 10 _sidenote missing in original: date supplied from body of letter_]]

708

ABSTRACT[20-1]

[Sidenote: 1469 / MAY 5]

Citation by Thomas, Cardinal Archbishop of Canterbury, to William [Waynflete], Bishop of Winchester, and John Beauchamp, Knight, Lord Beauchamp, to appear before the Archbishop in fifteen days after being summoned, and take upon them the charge of the execution of Sir John Fastolf's will, if they so will to do.

Lambeth, 5th May 1469, in the 15th year of the Archbishop's translation.

[The MS. belongs to the Castle Combe Collection.]

[Footnote 20-1: [Add. Charter, 18,249, B.M.]]

709

ARCHBISHOP NEVILL TO SIR JOHN PASTON[20-2]

_To my right trusty and welbeloved Sir John Paston._

Ih's.

[Sidenote: 1469(?) / MAY 7]

Right trusty and welbeloved, I grete you hertely well, and sende you by Thomas your childe xx.^li., prayng you to spare me as for eny more at this tyme, and to hold you content with thessame, as my singlr truste is in you; and I shalle within bref tyme ordeigne and purveye for you such as shalbe unto your pleasir, with the grace of Almightty G.o.d, who have you in His proteccion and keping.

Writen in the manoir of the Mor[20-3] the vij^th daye of Maye.

G. EBORAC.

[Footnote 20-2: [From Fenn, ii. 34.] This letter was almost certainly written between the years 1467 and 1469, and is not unlikely to be of the latter year, before the Nevills and the Archbishop had come to be regarded as open enemies of Edward IV.]

[Footnote 20-3: The Moor in Hertfordshire, a seat of Archbishop Nevill.]

710

JOHN PASTON TO SIR JOHN PASTON[21-1]

[Sidenote: 1469 / [MAY]]

Syr, plesyth it to undyrstand, that I conceyve, by your lettyr whyche that ye sent me by Jwde, that ye have herd of R. C.[21-2] labor whyche he makyth by our ungracyous sustyrs[21-3] a.s.sent; but wher as they wryet that they have my good wyll ther in, savyng your reverence, they falsly lye of it, for they never spake to me of that mater, ner non othyr body in ther name. Lovell axyd me onys a qwestyon whedyr that I undyrstood how it was betwyx R. C. and my suster. I can thynk that it was by Callys menys, for when I axyd hym whedyr C. desyird hym to meve me that qwestyon or not, he wold have gotyn it aweye by humys and by hays, but I wold not so be answeryd; wherfor at the lest he told me that hys oldest sone desyird hym to spere [_inquire_] whedyr that R. C. wes swyr of hyr or nowt, for he seyd that he knew a good maryage for hyr, but I wot he lyeyd, for he is hole with R. Cale in that mater. Wherfor to the entent that he nor they sholl pyck no comfort of me, I answerd hym, that and my fadyr, whom G.o.d asoyle, wer a lyve, and had consentyd ther to, and my modyr, and ye bothe, he shold never have my good wyll for to make my sustyr to selle kandyll and mustard in Framlyngham; and thus, wythe mor whyche wer to longe to wryet to you, we departyd.

And wher as it plesythe you in your lettyr to crye me mercy for that ye sent me not syche ger as I sent yow mony for, I crye yow mercy that I was so lewde [_bold_] to encomber yow with eny so sympyll a mater, consyderyng the grette maters and weyghty that ye have to doo; but need compellyd me, for in thys contre is no syche stuffe as I sent to yow for.

Also, wher as it plesyth yow to send to Rychard Calle to delyver me monye, so G.o.d help me, I wyll non axe hym for my sylfe, nor non had I of hym, nor of non othyr man but of myne owne, syne ye depertyd; but that lytyll that I myght forbere of myne owne, I have delyveryd to Dawbeney for howsold, and pay it for yow in menys wagys; and ther for who ever sendys yow word that I have spent yow eny mony syne ye went hens, they must geve yow an othyr reknyng, savyng in met and drynk, for I eete lyek an horse, of purpose to eete yow owte at the dorys. But that nedythe not, for ye com not within them; wherfor, so G.o.d help me, the felaushep her thynkys that ye have forgetyn us alle. Wherfor and eny thyng be ille rewlyd when ye come home, wyet it [_impute it to_] your selfe for defawt of oversyght.

Also, I undyrstand for verry se[r]teyn, and it is sent me so woord owt of my Lordys howse, that thys Pentcost is my Lordys consell at Framlyngham, and they purpose thys week and the next to hold coortys her at Caster, and at all othyr maners that wer Sir John F.,[22-1] and purchasyd of Yelverton and of Syr T. H.,[22-2] whom G.o.d asoyle, and how that my demenyng s...o...b.., it is to late to send to yow for avyse; wherfor, and I do well I axe no thank, and if I do ille, I pray yow leythe the defawt on over lytyll wyte, but I purpose to use the fyrst poynt of hawkyng, to hold fast and I maye; but so G.o.d help me, and they myght pulle downe the howse on our hedys, I wyet [_blame_] hem not, whyche I trust to G.o.d to help hem from; for by G.o.d that bowght me, the best Erle in Inglond wold not dele so with my Lord and my Lady as ye do, withowt makyng of some menys to them; so G.o.d help me, whoso ever avyse yow to do so, he is not your frend. And I may, I trust to G.o.d to se yow abowght Mydsomer or befor, for in good feythe I wene ye purpose yow that it shall be Estern er ye come hom, for all your servants her wen [_here ween_] that ye purpose ne more to dele with them, but to leve hem her [_here_] in ostage to my Lord of Norfolk.

Also, syr, I pray yow purvey what Ine that my brodyr Edmund shall be in, for he losythe sore hys tyme her, I promyse yow; I pray yow send me word by the next messenger that comyth, and I shall eythyr send hym or bryng hym up with me to London.

Also, syr, we pore _sanz deners_ of Castr have brook iij. or iiij.

stelle bowys; wherfor we beseche yow, and ther be eny maker of steele bowys in London whyche is very kunnyng, that ye wyll send me woord, and I shall send yow the bowys that be broken, whyche be your owne greet bowe, and Roberd Jacksonys bowe, and Johon Pampyngs bowe; thes iij. have kast so many calvys, that they shall never cast qwarellys[23-1] tyll they be new mad.

I praye yow fynd the menys that my Lord have some resonable meane profyrd, so that he and my Lady may undyrstand that ye desyr to have hys good lordshep. I promyse yow it shall do yow ease and your tenaunts bothe, and G.o.d preserve.

J. P.

[Footnote 21-1: [From Fenn, iv. 344.] This letter appears by the contents to have been written a little before Whitsuntide after the death of Sir Thomas Howes, and when the Duke of Norfolk was preparing to make good a claim to the manor of Caister, which, as we shall see, he regularly besieged and took in September 1469.

The date is therefore certain.]

[Footnote 21-2: Richard Calle's.]

[Footnote 21-3: Margery Paston.]

[Footnote 22-1: Fastolf's.]

[Footnote 22-2: Sir Thomas Howes.]

[Footnote 23-1: _See_ vol. ii. p. 101, Note 3.]

[[Footnote 21-2 Richard Calle's.

_final . missing or invisible_]]

711

ROBERT BROWNE TO SIR JOHN PASTON[23-2]

_To the right worshipful Sir John Paston knyght be this delivered._

[Sidenote: 1469]

Right worshipfull Sire, I recommaunde me to you, &c., certefying you for certeyn that the kyng sent a lettre unto my Lord of Norffolk for to contenue all maner of materes unto suche tyme as he sholl take a direction therin, as I am enformed by Master Haute, and by a messenger of his owne [it was sent[23-3]], &c. Acordyng to the same entent and the rehersall by estimacion by cause the Secretary of his Clerkes was with the Kyng the Quene hath sent a[24-1] lettre unto my Lady of Norffolk and a nother lettre unto my Lady of Suffolk the elder, desyeryng theym to common with my lordis that all such materis as the Kyng wrote unto them fore mabe kept so that no defaute be founden in them, as ye may understand by youre lettre sent frome the Quene, &c. Also Roger Ree the Shirereve of the Shire wilbe at Caster, as my Lord Tresourer told me, upon Tuesday or Wedynsday, to se that goode rule be kept. Also my Lord of York[24-2] sendis you a lettre, &c. My Lord Scalez is with the Kyng, &c. I take unto the brynger herof xx_s._ that is sufficaunt as he wille telle you, also the secretarye, vj_s._ viij_d._ As for all othere materes for haste I contenue unto that I may have leyser to write to you. I pray you to recommaunde me to my mastres your moder. At London upon Sonday in hast.

ROBERT BROWNE.