The Paston Letters Volume Ii Part 37

THOMAS DENYES.

This day I deme thei come beforn us. If ye help not now, Tudenham and Heydon shal achieve in their desese the conquest that thei coude never achieve in their prosperite.

[Footnote 173.1: [Add. MS. 34,888, f. 45.] This is evidently the same year as No. 142, in which William Wayte writes to Paston that Denyes ought to withdraw his garrison from Roydon. The MS.

is slightly mutilated at the top in the right-hand corner.]

[Footnote 173.2: The Earl of Oxford.]

142

WILLIAM WAYTE TO JOHN PASTON[174.1]

_To my mayster, John Paston, in ryght gret hast._

[Sidenote: 1450 / OCT. 6]

Syr, and it plese, I was in my Lord of Yorks[174.2] howse, and I herde meche thynge more thanne my mayster[174.3] wrytyth un to yow of; I herde meche thynge in Fletestrede. But, Sir, my Lord was with the Kynge, and he vesaged so the mater that alle the Kynges howshold was and is aferd ryght sore; and my seyd Lord hayth putte a bille to the Kynge, and desyryd meche thynge, qwych is meche after the Comouns desyre, and all is up on justice, and to putte all thos that ben indyted under arest with owte suerte or maynpryce, and to be tryed be lawe as lawe wyll; in so meche that on Monday Sir William Oldhall was with the Kynge atte Westminster more thanne to houres, and hadde of the Kynge good cher. And the Kynge desyryd of Sir William Oldhall that he shuld speke to hese cosyn York, that he wold be good Lord to John Penyc.o.c.k, and that my Lord of York shuld wryte un to hese tenance that they wold suffyr Peny c.o.c.ks officers go and gader up hys rents fermes with inne the seyd Dukes lordsheps. And Sir William Oldhall answherd ayen to the Kynge, and preyed hym to hold my Lord escusyd, for thow my Lord wrotte under hese seale of hys armes hys tenantez wyll not obeyet; in someche that whanne Sir Thomas Hoo mette with my Lord of Zork be yon Sent Albons, the Western men felle upon hym, and wold a slayne hym, hadde [not?] Sir William Oldhall abe [_have been_], and therfor wold the Westerne men affalle up on the seyd Sir William, and akyllyd hym. And so he tolde the Kynge.

Sir Borle Jonge and Josse labour sore for Heydon and Tudenham to Sir Wilem Oldhall, and profyr more thanne to thowsand pownde for to have hese good Lordshep; and therfor it is noon other remedye but late Swhafham men be warned to mete with my seyd Lord on Fryday nest comyng atte Pykenham on horssebak in the most goodly wyse, and putte sum bylle un to my Lord of Sir Thomas Tudenham, Heydon, and Prentys, and crye owte on hem, and that all the women of the same town be there also, and crye owte on hem also, and calle hem extorcionners, and pray my Lord that he wyll do sharp execucyons up on hem. And my mayster counceyll yow that ze shuld meve the Meyer and all the Aldermen with all her Comoners to ryde ayens my Lord, and that ther ben madde byllez, and putte them up to my Lord, and late all the towne cry owte on Heydon, Todenham, Wyndham, and Prentys, and of all here fals mayntenours, and telle my Lord how meche hurte thei have don to the cetye, and late that be don in the most lamentabyl wyse; for, Sir, but yf [_unless_] my Lord here sum fowle tales of hem, and sum hyddows noys and crye, by my feyth thei arne ellys lyke to come to grace. And therfor, Sir, remember yow of all these maters.

Sir, also I spake with William Norwych, and asked hym after the Lord Moleyns how he stod to my Lord ward; and he told me he was sor owte of grace, and that my Lord of York lovyth hym nought. William Norwych tolde me that he durste undertake for to brynge yow un to my Lord, and make hym your ryght good Lord; and, Sir, my mayster counceyllyd yow that ze shuld not spare, but gete yow hese good Lordshep.

Sir, be war of Heydon, for he wold destroyed yow be my feyth. The Lord Scales and Sir William Oldhall arne made frendys.

Sir, labour ze for [to] be knyth of the shire, and speke to my Mayster Stapulton[176.1] also that he be yt; Sir, all Swafham, and they be warned, wyll zeve yow here voyses. Sir, speke with Thomas Denys, and take hese good avys therin. Sir, speke to Denys that he avoyde hys garyson atte Rydon, for there is non other remedy but deth for Danyell, and for all thos that arne indyted. Sir, labour ze to the Meyer that John Dam[176.2] or Will Jenney be burgeys for the cetye of Norwych, telle them that he may be yt as well as Yonge is of Brystow, or the Recordor is of London, and as the Recordour of Coventre is for the cite of Coventre, and it so in many places in Ingland. Also, Sir, thynk on Yernemouth that ze ordeyne that John Jenney, or Limnour, or sum good man be burgeys for Yernemouth. Ordeyne ze that Jenneys mown ben in the Parlement, for they kun seye well.

Sir, it wore wysdam that my Lord of Oxenford wayte on my Lord of Yorke.

In good feyth, good Sir, thynke on all these maters; meche more I hadde to wryte on to yow, yf I kowde a remembryd me, but I hadde no leyser be my fyth. Hold me escused of my lewde rude wrytyng. Late John Dam be ware for the Lorde Moleyns; and, Sir, late the cetye be ware, for he wyll do hem a velony, but yf he may have hese men; and, Sir, yf he come to Norwych, look there be redy to wayte up on the Mayer a good fellawshep, for it is seyd her that they arne but bestys.

Sir, my mayster bad me wryte un to yow that ze shuld store the Mayer and alle the Alderman to crye on my Lord that they mown have justyce of these men that be indyted, and that my Lorde wyll speke un to the Kynge therof. And, Sir, in divers partes in the town there [_where_] my Lord comyth, there wolde be ordeyned many porcions of Comeners to crye on my Lord for justice of these men that arne indyted, and telle her nammes, in speciall Todenham, Heydon, Wyndham, Prentys. Sir, I cende yow a copy of the bylle[177.1] that my Lord of Yorke putte un to the Kynge; and, Sir, late copyes go abowte the cetye i now, for the love of G.o.d, wy[c]he have yow in hese kepyng.

Wretyn on Seynt Feyth daye, in hast.

Be your Servaunt,

W. WAYTE.

[Footnote 174.1: [From Fenn, iii. 154.] This letter must have been written just after the Duke of York came over from Ireland in 1450, when he demanded that justice should be fairly administered against persons accused. A Parliament was summoned, which met on the 6th November, and Sir William Oldhall was chosen as Speaker.]

[Footnote 174.2: Richard, Duke of York, afterwards Protector, the father of King Edward IV.]

[Footnote 174.3: The writer was clerk to Judge Yelverton.]

[Footnote 176.1: Sir Miles Stapleton.]

[Footnote 176.2: John Dam actually was returned to Parliament for the city of Norwich in November 1450.]

[Footnote 177.1: _See_ next No.]

143

RICHARD, DUKE OF YORK, TO KING HENRY VI[177.2]

_Richard, Duke of York, his Peticion to Kyng Henry for the punyshement of Treytors, &c._

[Sidenote: 1450]

Please it your Hyghnes tendirly to consider the grett grutchyng and romer that is universaly in this your reame of that justice is nouth dewly ministred to such as trespas and offende a yens your lawes, and in special of them that ben endited of treson, and other beyng openly noysed of the same; wherfore for gret inconveniens that have fallen, and grett is lyke to fallen her after in your seid reame, which G.o.d defende, but if [_unless_] be your Hyghnesse provysion convenable be mad for dew reformacion and punyshment in this behalf; Wherfore I, your humble suget and lyge man, Richard, Duke of York, w.i.l.l.yng as effectually as I kan, and desiryng suerte and prosperite of your most roiall person, and welfare of this your n.o.ble reame, councel and advertyse your excellent, for the conversacion [_conservation_] of good tranquillite and pesable rewle among all trew sogetts, for to ordeyn and provyde that dewe justice be had a yenst all such that ben so endited or openly so noysed: wher inne I offre, and wol put me in devour for to execute your comaundements in thes premises of such offenders, and redresse of the seid mysrewlers to my myth and power. And for the hasty execucion herof, lyke it your Hyghnes to dresse your letteres of prevy seale and writts to your officers and ministres to do take, and areste all soch persons so noysed or endited, of what astatte, degre, or condicion so ever thei be, and them to comytte to your Tour of London, or to other your prisons, there to abyde with outen bayle or maynprice on to the tyme that they be utterly tryed and declared, after the cours of your lawe.

[Footnote 177.2: [From Fenn, i. 64.] The MS. from which this was printed by Fenn was doubtless the copy of my Lord of York's 'bill' which William Wayte sent to John Paston, as mentioned in the end of the last letter.]

144

SIR JOHN FASTOLF TO SIR THOMAS HOWYS AND WILLIAM BARKER[178.1]

_To my ryght trusty freende, Sir Thomas Howys, Parson of Castellcombe, beyng at Castre, and William Barker, in haste, at Castre Yn, by Jermuth._

[Sidenote: 1450 / OCT. 15]

Ryght trusty and welbelovyd freende, I grete you well. And as for Hygham place to be sold, as ye avysen me to bye it at the some of C. mark or wythynne, and reserve yn the said payment myne oune dewtee, and pay the remenant in wolle to the said Hygham credytes as your lettre makyth mencion; I hafe undrestand that William Jenney shall be her thys wek, and I shall veele hym how neere it may be sold; for yff the wydow wolle sylle it after xiiij. yeer or xv. yeere that it may be leten, sendyth me utterly word, for I wolle not melle of it ellys thus avysed. And sende ye me word how mech more yn value yn a stoon shall I syle my wolle, and how [much?] anothyr chapman wole gefe me for the place when I hafe bought it; but after xiiij. yeer I wold by the place.

Wretyn at London, the xv. day of October anno xxix. regni Regis Henrici VI.

J. FASTOLF.

[Footnote 178.1: [From Fenn, iii. 92.]]

145

ANONYMOUS TO JOHN PASTON[179.1]

_To my cosyn, John Paston._

[Sidenote: 1450 / OCT. (?)]

I recomawnde me un to yow the best wyse I kan. Whanne I cam to Ware, ther herd I furst tydynges that the Lord Moleyns shuld come in to Norfolk in hast with grette pupyll, and, as on of hys men seyd ther, with the vij^xx [_sevenscore_]. Also a man of the Lady Morles[179.2] cam thedyr owte of Wyllshire ther thanne, and seyd that the seyd Lord was comyng thedyrward with grette pupyll. And atte London a man of hys hedde large langage, and seyd that my Lord shuld come to Norffolk, and do meche thyng agayns hem that hadde do indite hym and hys men, and also for the personyng of hys men atte Norwych. This is sopposyd verely to be Heydons werke that wyll sette hym verely to do the utterest ayens yow and John Dam in the werst wyse that he can. Ze have both lordshep and frendshep in your countre, and also good inow to reciste hym yf he wyll do yow wronge, and peraventur that shuld brynge thys matier nyer and ende thanne it is now. Whedder it be to done or not, I remitte that to youre counceyll.

Also, my Lord[179.3] shall be atte Walsyngham on Sonday nest comynge, a from thens he shall go to Norwych. For any thynge in the werd [_world_] meve my Lord of Oxenford and my cosyn Sir Miles Stapulton that they awayte up on my seyd Lord in the most wurchepfull wyse that they kun, and do hym as good attendaunce and plesaunce as they mown. And ye do the same also; and that the cyte of Norwych mete with hym in the best wyse also; and also that they and ze also cherse and wirchep well Sir William Oldhalle. And ther be good informacion made ayens T. T. and H.,[180.1] for they wyll spend m^l. m^l. _li._ [2000] for to come in ther, and that were petye. Spende sum what of your good now, and gette yow lordshep and frendshep ther, _quia ibi pendet tota lex et prophetae_.

And send som man to aspye of the governaunce, and of the comyng of the Lord Moleyns, and take hed to your self. And byd John Dam be war of hym self. Sum men suppose that my Lord of York cherse not meche the seyd Lord Moleyns. And send sum men hedyr often to London that mown he them here and brynge yow tydynges. And I pray G.o.d spede yow in alle youre werkes.

Youre Cosyn,

NAMELES ATTE THIS TYME.