The Paston Letters Volume V Part 31

_To my ryght trusty ffrend John Carenton, Baylye of Maldon._

[Sidenote: 1472 / SEPT. 20]

Ryght trusty frend, I comand me to yow, preying yow to call to your mynd that, lyek as ye and I comonyd of, it were necessary for my Lady and you all, hyr servaunts and tenaunts, to have thys Parlement as for one of the burgeys of the towne of Maldon, syche a man of worchep and of wytt as wer towardys my seyd Lady; and also syche on as is in favor of the Kyng and of the Lords of hys consayll nyghe abought hys persone.

Sertyfying yow, that my seid Lady for hyr parte, and syche as be of hyr consayll be most agreeabyll, that bothe ye, and all syche as be hyr fermors and tenauntys, and wellwyllers, shold geve your voyse to a worchepfull knyght, and one of my Ladys consayll, Sir John Paston, whyche standys gretly in favore with my Lord Chamberleyn; and what my seyd Lord Chamberleyn may do with the Kyng and with all the Lordys of Inglond, I trowe it be not unknowyn to you most of eny on man alyve.

Wherefor, by the meenys of the seyd Sir John Paston to my seyd Lord Chamberleyn, bothe my Lady and ye of the towne kowd not have a meeter man to be for yow in the Perlement, to have your needys sped at all seasons. Wherfor, I prey yow labor all syche as be my Ladys servauntts, tenaunts, and wellwyllers, to geve ther voyseys to the seyd Sir John Paston, and that ye fayle not to sped my Ladys intent in thys mater, as ye entend to do hyr as gret a plesur, as if ye gave hyr an C_li._ And G.o.d have yow in Hys keping.

Wretyn at Fysheley, the xx. day of Septembyr.

J. ARBLASTER.

I prey yow be redy with all the acomptanttys belongyng to my Lady, at the ferthest within viij. dayes next aftyr Perdon Sonday, for then I shall be with yow with G.o.ds Grace, Who have yow in keepyng.

[Footnote 148-2: [From Fenn, ii. 98.] The date of this letter is ascertained by the reference made to it in that which immediately follows it.]

809

JOHN PASTON TO SIR JOHN PASTON[149-1]

_To my ryght worchepfull brodyr, Sir John Paston, Knyght._

[Sidenote: 1472 / SEPT. 21]

Ryght worchepfull sir, I recomand me to yow, letyng yow wet that your desyer as for the Knyghts of the Shyer was an impos...o...b..l to be browght abowght; ffor my Lord of Norffolk and my Lord of Suffolk wer agreid i mor then a fortnyght go to have Sir Robert Wyngfeld, and Sir Rychard Harcort, and that knew I not tyll it was Fryday last past. I had sent or I rod to Framlynham, to warne as many of your frends to be at Norwyche as thys Monday, to serve your entent as I koud; but when I cam to Framlynham, and knew the apoyntment that was taken for the ij. knyghts, I sent warnyng ayen to as many I myght to tery at hom; and yet ther cam to Norwyche thys day as many as ther costs dreave to ix_s._ i_d._ ob., payid and reknyd by Pekok and R. Cap.r.o.n, and yet they dyd but brak ther fest and depertyd. And I thankyd hem in your name, and told them that ye wold have noo voyse as thys day, for ye supposyd not to be in Inglond when the Perlement shold be, and so they cam not at the sherhous [_shire-house_]; for if they had, it was thought by syche as be your frends here, that your adversarys wold have reportyd that ye had mad labor to have ben one, and that ye koud not bryng your purpose abowght.

I sent to Yermowthe, and they have promysyd also to Doctor Aleyn and John Russe to be mor then iij. wekys goo.

Jamys Arblaster hathe wretyn a lettyr to the Bayle of Maldon, in Ess.e.x, to have yow a bergeys ther; howe Jwde shall sped, let hym tell yow, when ye spek to gedyr.

Syr, I have ben twyis at Framlyngham sythe your departyng, but now, the last time the consayll was ther, I sye [_saw_] yow lettyr whyche was bettyr then well endyghtyd. R. C.[150-1] was not at Framlyngham when the consayll was ther, but I took myn owne avyse, and delyvered it to the consayll with a propocysion ther with, as well as I kowd spek it, and my wordys wer well takyn, but your lett[yr] a thousand fold bettyr. When they had red it, they shewd it to my Lady.[150-2] Aftyr that my Lady had sen it, I spok with my Lady offryng to my Lord and her your servyse, and besyd that, ye to do my Lord a plesur[150-3] and hyr a bettyr, so as ye myght depert wyth ought eny some specyfyid. She wold not tell in that mater, but remyttyd me ayen to the consayll, for she seyd, and she speke in it, tyll my Lord and the consayll wer agreed, they wold ley the wyght [_blame_] of all the mater on hyr, whyche shold be reportyd to hyr shame; but thys she promyseid to be helpyng, so it wer fyrst mevyd by the consayll. Then I went to the consayll, and offyrd befor them your servyse to my Lord, and to do hym a plesure, for the haveing ayen of your place and londys in Caster, xl_li._ not spekyng of your stuff nor thyng ellys. So they answerd me your offyr was more then resonabyll; and if the mater wer thers, they seyd, they wyst what conscyence wold dryve hem to. They seyd they wold meve my Lord with it, and so they dyd, but then the tempest aros, and he gave hem syche an answer that non of hem all wold tell it me; but when I axid an answer of them, they seyd, and [_if_] som Lordys or gretter men mevyd my Lord with it, the mater wer your (kepe consaile), and with thys answer I depertyd. But Syr W.

Brandon, Sothewell, Tymperley, Herry Wentworthe, W. Gornay, and all other of consayll, undyrstand that ye have wronge, insomyche that they mevyd me that ye shold take a recompence of other lond to the valew; but they wold not avowe the offyr, for I anserd hem that if they had ryght they wold have ofred no recompence. Dyscovyr not thys, but in my reason, and [_i.e._ if] my Lord Chamberleyn[151-1] wold send my Lady a letter with some privy tokyn betwyx theym, and allso to meve my Lord of Norffolk when he comyth to the Parlement, serteynly Caster is yours.

If ye mysse to be burgeys of Maldon, and my Lord Chamberleyn wyll, ye may be in a nother plase; ther be a doseyn townys in Inglond that chesse no bergeys, whyche ought to do, and ye may be set in for one of those townys, and ye be frendyd. Also in no wyse forget not in all hast to get some goodly ryng, pryse of xx_s._, or som praty flowyr of the same pryse, and not undyr, to geve to Jane Rodon, for she hathe ben the most specyall laborer in your mater, and hathe promysyd hyr good wyll foorthe, and she doeth all with hyr mastresse. And my Lord Chamberleyn wyll, he may cause my Lord of Norffolk to com up soner to the Parlement then he shold do, and then he may apoynt with hym for yow, or the ferm corn[151-2] be gadryd. I profyrd but xl_li._, and if my Lord Chamberleyn profyr my Lady the remenaunt, I can thynk it shall be taken. My Lady must have somwhat to bye hyr kovercheff[151-3] besyd my Lord. A soper that I payd for, wher all the consayll was at Framlyngham, ij_s._ iij_d._, and my costs at Framlyngham twyis lying ther by viii. dayis, with ix_s._ i_d._ ob., for costs of the contre at Norwyche drawyth abowght xx_s._, I trowe more: by our Lady, if it be lesse, stand to your harmys, and _sic remanet_ v_li._ xiij_s._ iii_d._

I axe no more G.o.ds of you for all the servyse that I shall do yow whyll the world standyth, but a gosshawke,[152-1] if eny of my Lord Chamberleyns men or yours goo to Kaleys, or if eny be to get in London; that is, a mewyd hawk, for she may make yow sporte when ye com into Inglond a doseyn yer hens, and to call upon yow owyrly, nyghtly, dayly, dyner, soper, for thys hawk. I pray noo more but my brother E., J. Pampyng, Thyrston, J. Myryel, W. Pytte, T. Plattyng Jwde, lityll Jak, Mastyr Botoner, and W. Wood to boote, to whyche persons I prey yow to comand me; and if all thes lyst to spek to yow of thys mater when Sir George Browne, W. Knyvett, R. Hyd, or eny folk of worchepp and of my aqweyntanse be in your compeny, so that they may helpe forthe, for all is lytyll i nowe, and ye be not very well wyllyng, I shall so pervey for hem, and ever ye com to Norwyche, and they with yow, that they shall have as deynte vytayll and as gret plente therof for i_d._ as they shall have of the tresorer of Caleys for xv_d._, and ye, peraventure, a pye of Wymondham to boote. Now thynk on me, good Lord, for if I have not an hawke, I shall wax fatt for default of labor, and ded for default of company by my trowthe. No more, but I pray G.o.d send you all your desyrs, and me my mwyd gosshawk in hast, or rather then fayle, a sowyr hawke.

Ther is a grosser dwellyng ryght over ayenst the well with ij. boketts a lytyll fro Seynt Elens, hathe evyr hawkys to sell.

Wretyn at Norwyche the xxj. day of September, Anno E. iiij^ti xij^o.

J. P.

Rather then faylle, a ta.r.s.ell provyd wyll occupy the tyme tyll I com to Caleys.

[Footnote 149-1: [From Fenn, ii. 102.]]

[Footnote 150-1: Richard Calle.]

[Footnote 150-2: Elizabeth, d.u.c.h.ess of Norfolk.]

[Footnote 150-3: Make him a present.--F.]

[Footnote 151-1: William, Lord Hastings.]

[Footnote 151-2: Corn paid in part of rent.--F.]

[Footnote 151-3: A head-dress, or handkerchief.--F.]

[Footnote 152-1: From the anxiety here expressed for a hawk, we may judge of the attention which was paid to the diversion of hawking. Latham, in his book of Falconry, says that a goshawk is the first and most esteemed kind of hawk; that a sore hawk is from the first taking of her from the eyry till she hath mewed her feathers. The ta.s.sel, or tiercel, is the male of the goshawk, so called because it is a tierce or third less than the female; it appears here, that a 'grosser,' or dealer in foreign fruits, etc., sold hawks.--F.]

[[by our Lady, if it be lesse _text reads "i it": corrected from Fenn_

T. Plattyng, Jwde _comma missing or invisible_ _there is no comma in Fenn, but the name "Plattyng" occurs several times_]]

810

JOHN PASTON TO SIR JOHN PASTON[153-1]

_A Monsieur J. Paston, Chevaller._

[Sidenote: 1472 / OCT. 16]

Ryght worchepfull sir, I comand me to yow, sertyfying yow that Pekok hath receyvyd of Sir John Stylle by a bylle all suche stuff as he had of your. And as for Kendallys mater, he hathe doon as myche in it as can be doon: but as for Richard Calle, he hathe gevyn hym a pleyn answer that he wyll not seale to the lease that ye have mad to Kendalle, for he seyth he wottyth not whether it be your wylle or not, notwithstandyng he sye yore sealle up on it. I wold be sory to delyver hym a subpena and ye sent it me.

I send you herwith the endenture betwyx yow and Townesend. My modyr hathe herd of that mater by the reporte of old Wayte, whyche rennyth on it with opyn mowthe in hys werst wyse. My modyr wepyth and takyth on mervaylously, for she seythe she wotyth well it shall never be pledgyd ought; wherfor she seythe that she wyll purvey for hyr lond that ye shall none selle of it, for she thynkys ye wold and it cam to yowr hand.

As for hyr wyll and all syche maters as wer in hand at your last being here, they thynk that it shall not lye in all oure porys to let it in on poynt.

Sir Jamys is evyr choppyng at me, when my modyr is present, with syche wordys as he thynkys wrathe me, and also cause my modyr to be dyspleased with me, evyn as who seyth he wold I wyst that he settyth not by the best of us; and when he hathe most unfyttyng woordys to me, I smylle a lytyll and tell hym it is good heryng of thes old talys. Sir Jamys is parson of Stokysby by J. Bernays gyft. I trowe he beryth hym the hyeer.

Item, ye must sende in haste to W. Barker a warrant to pay John Kook x.x.x_s._, and to the woman of Yermothe for otys xx., and Syr John Styll hys money, for they call dayly up on it.

Item, I prey yow send me some tydynges howgh the world gothe, and whether ye have sent eny of your folk to Caleys. Me thynkes it costyth yow to myche money for to kepe hem all in London at your charge.

Item, whethyr ye have eny thyng spokyn of my going to Caleys.

Item, as for a goshawk or a terssell, I wend to have had on of yours in kepyng or thys tyme, but fere [_far_] fro iee fer fro hert; by my trowthe I dye for defawlt of labore. And it may be by eny meane possybyll, for G.o.des sake let on be sent me in all hast; for if it be not had by Halowmess, the seson shall pa.s.se a non, _Memento mei_, and in feythe ye shall not loose on it. Nor yet myche wyne on it by G.o.d, Who preserve yow.

Wretyn on Seynt Mych.e.l.l Day, in Monte Tomba.[154-1]

J. P.

[Footnote 153-1: [From Paston MSS., B.M.] The date of this letter is shown by a contemporaneous endors.e.m.e.nt 'Anno E. iiij^ti xij^o,'

as well as by the repet.i.tion of the writer's request for a goshawk.]

[Footnote 154-1: The feast of St. Michael in Monte Tumba was the 16th October.]