The Paston Letters Volume Vi Part 31

At Henyngham.

Be your brodyr,

WYLLIAM PASTON.

[_The Rebels' Proclamacion._]

To be knowyn to all the northe partes of England, to every lorde, knyght, esquyer, gentylman, and yeman that they schalbe redy in ther defensable aray, in the est parte, on Tuysday next comyng, on Aldyrton More, and in the west parte on Gateley More, the same day, upon peyne of losyng of ther goodes and bodyes, for to geynstonde suche persons as is abowtward for to dystroy oure suffereyn Lorde the Kynge and the Comowns of Engelond, for suche unlawfull poyntes as Seynt Thomas of Cauntyrbery dyed for; and thys to be fulfyllyd and kept by every ylke comenere upon peyn of dethe.

And thys is in the name of Mayster Hobbe Hyrste, Robyn G.o.dfelaws brodyr he is, as I trow.

[Footnote 129-2: [From Paston MSS., B.M.] It is evident that this letter was written shortly after the preceding, which is dated the 6th May. In that letter Paston is desired to be at Cambridge on the Tuesday following to do the King service, and here we find that it was intended by the King himself to have been there, leading an army against some Northern rebels in person. The expressions in the beginning of this letter leave very little doubt that the insurrection referred to was that in which the Earl of Northumberland was slain on the 28th April 1489.--_See_ Leland's _Collectanea_, iv. 246.]

[[howbeyt that Syr Emonde Bedyngfeld _"y" in "Bedvngfeld" either broken or misprinted as "v"_]]

1040

THE BISHOP OF DURHAM TO SIR JOHN PASTON[131-1]

_To the right worshypful sire, and my right trusty and right entierly wel beloffyd freynde, Sire John Paston, Knyght._

??S. ???.

[Sidenote: 1490 / JAN. 27]

Ryght wortchipful sire, and myne especial and of long tyme apprevyd, trusty and feythful frende, I in myne hertyeste wyse recommaunde me un to you. And for as myche as I hafe coles and odyr thynges in thise parties, and also ye hafe in those parties cornes, wyne, and wax, and as I am enfourmyd ye be noght evyl wyllyd to dele with me, no more than I am to dele with you in utteryng, and also in receyvyng of suche thynges, the whiche myght be to the profete of us bothe, I ther fore send un to you at thys tyme thys berer, William Walkere, gentylman usshere of my chamber, to commune with you herein, so that by delyberation suche a wey may be takyn in thys byhalfe as may be to the profete of either of us, and wher by our familiarite and frendeship may be encrescyd in tyme to c.u.m. Where un to for our old acquayntance to gedyr, ye shal fynde me ful redy after my powere, by the grace of our Lorde, Who ever kepe you, and send you myche worship and long prosperite.

Scribyllyd in the moste haste, at my castel or manoir of Aucland, the xxvij. day of January 1489.[132-1]

Your own trewe luffer and frende,

JOHN DURESME.[132-2]

[Footnote 131-1: [From Paston MSS., B.M.]]

[Footnote 132-1: 1490 according to the modern computation, beginning the year in January instead of on the 25th March.]

[Footnote 132-2: John Sherwood, Bishop of Durham. He was appointed to that see by the Pope in 1485 at the solicitation of King Richard III. He was a man of high character and learning, and one of the earliest Greek scholars in England.]

1041

LUMEN HARYSON TO [SIR JOHN PASTON][132-3]

[Sidenote: About 1490(?)]

Onerabyll and well be lovyd knythe, I commend me on to zour masterchepe and to my lady zowyr wyffe. I thanke zowyr mastyrchepe that ze have don for me. I sen my lady a lytyll pes of Renysch wyne of the best, of x.

gallons, and halfe a hondyrd orrygys. I schall send hyr mor a geyns Pencost that sche may have fresche. And Renold have not gyve me the to n.o.byls and xlj_d._, that ze told me off for the wyne. And my servys be nyzt and be day to zowr commawndment. Zyff zowyr mastyrchep wyll ony thyng wyth me, I xall be at Cley. No more than G.o.d be wyth zow.

Wrytyn up on the Tuysday aftyr Palme Sonday.

LUMEN HARYSON.

At zowyr comawndment.

[Footnote 132-3: [From Paston MSS., B.M.] This letter was printed in volume v. of the original edition, p. 380. I do not know Sir John Fenn's reason for considering it to have been written 'about 1490,' but as I see nothing to the contrary, I keep it under his date. The writer was probably one of the German merchants of the Hanse, and the name with which he signs the letter seems to have been a little Anglicised. It is endorsed by Sir John, 'Lumen Henrikson.']

1042

SIR JOHN PASTON TO [LORD FITZWALTER][133-1]

[Sidenote: About 1490(?)]

Humbly besecheth your good lordshepe, your dayly servaunt and beedman, John Paston, more kayteff than knyght, that it may please you of your specyall grace to dyrect ought your lettres, sygned with your hand and sealid with your seall, to the dreedfull man, Jamys Radcliff of Byllingforth, Sqwyer, fermour of your wareyn ther, ought of wheys wareyn no maner of man nor vermyn dare take on hym, for dought of your seyd dredfull [man], to take or carye awey eny of your game ther, for fere [of being] hangyd up among other mysdoers and forfaytours, as wesellis, lobsters [_stoats_], polkattys, bosartys [_hawks_], and mayne currys,--that the seyd Jamys shall, upon the syght of your seyd wryghtyng, delyver, or cause to be delyverd, to your seyd besecher or to hys depute, delyverer of your seyd lettres, at hys fyrst syght of the same, vj. coupyll blake conyes or rennyng rabbettys, or some blake and some whyght to the seyd nombre, to store with a newe grownd of your seyd besechers at Oxenhed, more lyeke a pynnefold than a parke. And your seyd besecher shall daylye prey to G.o.d for the preservacyon of your n.o.ble estate longe t'endure.

[Footnote 133-1: [From Paston MSS., B.M.] This humorous pet.i.tion, though it bears no address, was certainly drawn up for presentation to Sir John Radcliff, Lord Fitzwalter, the writer of Letters 1024 and 1025, for he was lord of the manor of Billingford in Norfolk, and James Radcliff, the farmer of his warren, was evidently his kinsman. The date is probably, as Fenn suggests, 'about 1490,' certainly before 1495, when Lord Fitzwalter was beheaded. The MS. is a rough draft in Paston's hand.]

1043

THE EARL OF SURREY TO SIR JOHN PASTON[134-1]

_To my right worshipfull cousine, Sir John Paston, Knyght._

[Sidenote: 1490, or later]

Right worshipfull cousine, in right harty wyse I commaunde me unto you.

And where I understand by Thomas Hartforde, a bower of Norwiche, berer herof, hath been putt to grete vexacion and trouble by oon Thomas Hogan, scomaker, of Norwiche, and that I perceyve ye have harde the matier depending in travers bitwixt the saide parties; I therfore desire you that, in the right of the forsayd Thomas Hartford, ye wolbe unto hym G.o.de maistir, and the bettir for this myn instaunce, as my singler trust is in you.

And where I conceyve also that the same Thomas is noysed in Norffolk for a Scotesman borne, ye shall understande that I perceyve wele, by suche honest folkes as I have hard speke within the citie of York, that the saide Thomas was borne their, and his fathir there inhabityng, and his G.o.d fathirs and mothers, the which bee right honest persones; and for that this is true, and not feyned, ye shall understand the Maiour of the citie of York and his brethern hath made grete instaunce unto me to writ for the saide Thomas, for whom I must nedes do, because thaye arre my nye neighbours, as our Lord knoweth, Who have you in His blissid saufegard.

Written in the castell of Shirefhoton, the xxiiij^th day of Aprill.

Your lovyng cousin,

THOMAS SURREY.

[Footnote 134-1: [From Paston MSS., B.M.] Thomas Howard, Earl of Surrey, the writer of this letter, fought for Richard III. at the battle of Bosworth, and was taken prisoner. He was, however, after some years' confinement, liberated from the Tower, and taken into favour. In 1489 the King sent him into the North to put down the rebellion in which the Earl of Northumberland was slain, and afterwards made him his lieutenant-general north of Trent; and for ten years he resided continually in those parts. The date of this letter, therefore, cannot be earlier than 1490, though it may be several years later.]

1044

THE EARL OF SURREY TO SIR JOHN PASTON[135-1]

_To my right worshipfull Cousin, Sir John Paston._