The Paston Letters Volume Vi Part 32

[Sidenote: 1490, or later]

Cousin Paston, in my most herty wyse I recomaund me unto you, and thank you for many kindnesses of tyme past, and also for that ye have bene so good maister unto my sarvaunt William May, and now at his comyng to me ye have at your greate coste sent him to me dressed in suche wise as is veray necessary for me to have men appareled; for the whiche your kindnesse I think myselfe right muche beholden to do you pleasure and it moght lye in my power, which I wuld right gladly do, as knoweth our Lord, whom I beseche to send you moche harte pleasure. Wreten at Sherifhoton, the vj^th day of July, with the hand of

Your lovyng Cousin,

THOMAS SU[RREY].[135-2]

[Footnote 135-1: [MS. in Pembroke College, Cambridge.] This letter may well follow the last as being probably of the same year. At all events it lies within much the same range of date.]

[Footnote 135-2: Mutilated. Below is written in a later hand, and also mutilated: 'Thomas Howard, Earl of Surrey, the ... . of Scots at Flodden.' The letter is indorsed 'Litt. Com. Surrey.']

1045

THE EARL OF OXFORD TO SIR JOHN PASTON[135-3]

_To the right worshipfull and my right intierly welbelovyd counsellour, Sir John Paston, Knyght._

[Sidenote: 1491(?) / MARCH 27]

Right worshipfull and right intierly welbelovyd councellour, I commaund me hertely to you. And forasmoche as for certayne especiall causes moving, there be sessions appoynted to be holden at Gyppiswiche, the Friday sevenyght aftre Estre, which shall be the xv. day of Aprile, where I purpose then certaynly to be, and to have aswell the matere by twene Sir Edmounde Benyngfeld[136-1] and Yelverton[136-2] there to be harde and commenyd, as diverse othre grete maters in that contrey necessary to be had in comynycacion; I therfor desire and pray you that ye fayle nat to be there the same day, bryngyng with you the forseide Yelverton, trusting that then suche direccion shall be takyn in that matere as can be thought resonable, and to the weale of the parties; nat doubting but that Sir Edmound Benyngfeld shall be there in like wise.

And Almyghty G.o.d kepe you.

Wretin at my castell of Hedingham, the xxvij. day of Marche.

OXYNFORD.

[Footnote 135-3: [From Paston MSS., B.M.] As 'Friday se'nnight after Easter' was the 15th April, Easter Day must have fallen on the 3rd in the year in which this letter was written. This would suit either 1491 or 1496.]

[Footnote 136-1: Bedingfield.]

[Footnote 136-2: William Yelverton, Sir John Paston's brother-in-law, grandson of the Judge.]

1046

HENRY VII. TO THE EARL OF OXFORD[136-3]

[Sidenote: 1491 / APRIL 6]

Ryght trusty and ryght welbelovyd cousyn, we grete yow well, &c. In that we desyer all the dogers [_fishing smacks_] of thos partes schuld have our licens to departe in the viage towardes Islond, as they have ben accustommyd to do yerly in tyme pa.s.syd, and that ye woll undertak they shall have with them no more quant.i.tes of graynes then woll only suffice for ther vitallyng and expensis; we late yow witte that owr fully interly belovyd cousyn the Kyng of Demarke hath showyd and compleynyd un to us by dyverse his letters, that when our subjectes come to the seid Islelond, beyng in hys obeissiance, they stelle, robbe, and exstorte his subjectes ther ageynse ryght and conciens. Wherfore, the seyd doggeres fyndyng sufficient surte be forne yow, such as ye will answer unto us, that they shall not have with them no graynes mo then shall only suffice for ther vitallyng, nor odyr thyng woth them that ys for bedyn, and that also they shall not in goyng, comyng, nor in ther beyng at the seyd Islond, take noo thyng but that they treuly pay or agre for, and frendly entrete our seyd cousyns subjectes withowth eny robbyng or exstartyng them in there bodyes ner goodys; we be content the seyd doggeres make ther viages thedyr at ther libertes, eny our wrytyng or comandment mad in to the contrary nat withstandyng; and ellys we woll that our restraynte of ther thedyr goyng stond styll in his strenthe and vertu.

Yovyn ondir our signet, at our maner of Shene, the vj^th day of Aprile.

JOHN VER, Erle of Oxynford, Gret Chambyrleyn and Admirall of Ynglond, Viscount Bulbek, and Lord Skalys, to all them that this present writyng shall see or here, gretyng. And for asmuch as I late have recevyd the Kyng our Sovereyn Lords letters, beryng date the vj^th day of this monyth of Aprile, accordyng to a copy of the same, signyd with myn hand, wiche my ritht trusty servant, John Rowe, Marchall of my Admyralite, hath for to showe;

Know ye that I, the seyd Erle and Admirall, have a.s.sygned and deputyd my seyd servant to see our seyd Sovereyn Lordes lettyrs pleynly executyd acordyng to the tenure of the same, and by thys present wrytyng have yevyn to hym full autoryte and pouer to put undyr arest all such doggeres as be dysposyd to mak the viage towardes Islond, to such tyme as they have fownd surte afor me, accordyng to owr seyd Sovereyn Lordys comandment, for ther demenyng in the seyd viagys.

Yovyn under myn signett and signee manuell the x^th day of Aprile the vj. yere of the reygne of our seyd Sovereyn Lord Kyng Hery the vij^{th}.

[Footnote 136-3: [From Paston MSS., B.M.]]

[[our seyd Sovereyn Lord Kyng Hery the vij^{th}.

_final . missing or invisible_]]

1047

THE EARL OF OXFORD TO SIR JOHN PASTON[138-1]

_To the right worshipfull and my right welbeloved Sir John Paston, Knyght._

[Sidenote: 1491(?) / JULY 31]

Right worshipfull and right welbeloved, I comaunde me to you. And where as I late receyved your wrytyng, beryng date the xxvj. day of this present monthe, by the whiche I understand that one Richard Calle toke certeyne men of werre robbyng upon the coste there; and in somoche as I understand that they be under the obeissaunce of the Kyng of Denmarke, I wolle and desyre you that ye delyver theym unto the seid Richard Calle to take his avauntage of theym as prisoners, seyng my dutee reserved in every thyng, as my trust is in you. And Almyghty G.o.d kepe you.

Writen at my castell of Hedyngham, the last day of Jule.

OXYNFORD.

[Footnote 138-1: [From Paston MSS., B.M.] The date of this letter is uncertain, but, as Fenn suggests, it is not unlikely to have been written in the year 1491, when it may be supposed that Danish sailors endeavoured to requite the injuries inflicted by the English in Iceland, of which mention is made in the last letter.]

1048

THE OLD AND NEW BAILIFFS OF YARMOUTH TO SIR JOHN PASTON[138-2]

_To oure right reverent and worshipfull and special good maister, Maister Paston._

[Sidenote: 1491 / [SEPT.]]

Right reverent and worshipfull sir, and oure veray lovyng and curteys good mayster, we recomaund us on to you in as feythefull wyse as on oure part aperteynith; and hertely we thanke you for your labour and letter, whiche ye sent to us be your servaunt, be the whiche we wer a.s.serteynid of the Kynges pleasure, and to acomplyshe the same, we with the a.s.sistens of youre maistirship wyll put us in oure devoir.

We were at your manoir of Castir to have sen your maistirshyp, but ye were departyd as well from Yermouth yistirday, as this day from Castre.

We wold have ben joyous to have seen your maistirship, if our fortune so had ben.

Sir, we be enfourmyd that ore old special good Lord of Oxford, in whom we founde as gret favour be the mediacion of your maystirship, as ever we had of any creature, as we have wryting to shewe, in rec.u.mpens of whiche at all tymes sethyn hise lordshyp hathe had our preyeris; and now we wold have waytid upon hise lordshyp, but your maystirship knowith well we may not be absent on Mychilmesse Day for dyverse consederacions.

Wherfore we beseke your good maystirshyp, ye lyke of your jentilnesse, to recomaund us unto our seyd good lord, and to make our exkuse to hym, and to do hyse lordshyp [to be] presentyd with a porpeyse, whiche we send yow be the brynger of thys; and if we had any othyr deyntes to do hym a pleasure, we wold, that knowyth G.o.d, Whom we beseke of Hyse infenit mercy to preserve the Kyng our Soverayn Lord, and oure seyd good lord, and you, and all the frutys of you from all adversite.

Youre loveres and bedmen, the old Baliffes of Yermouth, and the newe Balyffes that now shalbe.

[Footnote 138-2: [From Paston MSS., B.M.] 'Several ordinances,'

says Fenn, 'respecting corporation business, made by the men of Yarmouth, through Sir John Paston and Lord Oxford's attention to them, received the King's a.s.sent by his Attorney-General in 1491.

It was for their activity in those matters, I presume, that this letter of thanks, etc. was addressed to Sir John.' The time of year appears by the letter itself to be about Michaelmas.]