The Paston Letters Volume Ii Part 42

J. FASTOLF.

(_On the back_)--Item, I have sende ij. lettres to my Lord Erle of Oxford, the ton by Robson ys man, a squyer of my Lordys. And the grete substaunce of the lettre ys that the issues forfeted may be sent upp be tyme to my Lord Tresorer; for there shall be none a.s.signment made, ne may not, till it com yn wrytyng; it be don, had it be sent. Grete sute ys made to pardon it, but the Kynges Councell woll not suffre it. The ij. lettre Nicholas Bokkyng beryth for excuse of my cosyn Inglose, because grete labor hath be made to my Lord York ayenst my cosyn Inglose and Seggeford, that they shuld endyte the Priour of Walsyngham tenaunt yn Salle. Wheruppon my Lord York, unadvertised of the trouth, sent a lettre to my Lord Oxford to support the Pryor ys tenaunt ayenst Seggeford namely.

Item, I desyre that and John Berney or onye man can mete wyth Dallyng, that fals undre eschetor, in onye place proviable, that he may by force brought to Castre without damage of hys bodye, and there to be kept yn hold, that he may confesse the trouth of the fals office he forged off my maner of Tychewell.

Item, forasmoche as ye shall have to doon at Lynne for my maters there as for Tychewell and othyr, therfor I wolle that yee doo purvey of G.o.de frendys as be aboute Flegg that pa.s.sen yn jureez, that they may wayt uppon yow there at Lynne, and other suche trusty men that ye can ghete to spede my processe. And that ye do hem goode chier and cost uppon hem after that the case shall requyre. I commyt thys mater to be ruled by your wysdom, that it be net forzeten.

[Footnote 195.2: [From Paston MSS., B.M., and MS. Phillipps, 9735, No. 248.] The original of this letter has been torn in two, and the first portion is now among the Paston MSS. in the British Museum, while the latter part is in the library of Sir Thomas Phillipps at Cheltenham.]

[Footnote 195.3: Tuddenham and Heydon.]

[Footnote 196.1: 'Forbear to execute' doubtless was intended.]

[Footnote 197.1: Most publicly known.]

[Footnote 198.1: A knight's fee was an amount of land sufficient to maintain a knight, and held subject to a knight's service.]

[Footnote 198.2: _See_ p. 152, Note 3.]

[Footnote 198.3: Here begins the portion in the Phillipps MS.]

[Footnote 199.1: Three words indistinct.]

[Footnote 199.2: _See_ p. 188, Note 2.]

163

THE EARL OF OXFORD TO JOHN PASTON[201.1]

_To our welbeloved John Paston._

Th'erl of Oxenford.

[Sidenote: 1450 / DEC. 23]

Right trusty and welbeloved, we grete you well. And for as moche as the qwene and my Lord of York have writyn to us for a matier that is depending betwix the toun of Salle and on [_one_] Sechforth of the same toune, we pray yow that at such tyme as we purpose yow to be with us now this Cristemesse at Wynche that ye lete the sayd Sechforth have wetyng ther of, and that he may be with us that same tyme, for diverse matiers wich that we have to speke with hym; and that ye fayle not, as we trust yow. Wretyn in owr manor of Wynche, the xxiij^ti. day of Decembre.

[Footnote 201.1: [Add. MS. 34,888, f. 168.] The subject of this letter is evidently referred to in the postscript of the last.]

164

ABSTRACT[201.2]

SIR JOHN FASTOLF TO JOHN BERNEY AND SIR THOMAS HOWYS.

[Sidenote: 1450 / DEC. 27]

Begs them to have heed to his matters to be sped on Tuesday after the Twelfth, especially 'to labor the jury that was supposed to 'a past in the office found for Tychewell,[201.3] that they may appear at Lynne, and there make a certificate before my Lord of Oxford, and the Justice William Yelverton, that they were never privy nor consenting to such an office-finding.' On this an action may be founded against Dallyng, 'the false harlot.' Would like Berney rewarded for his labor, if it were secretly done, and Dynne also. 'Ye wete what I mean. I pray you see well forth, for _Mitte sapientem_, &c.'

London, in haste, St. John's day in Christmas;[201.4] 'for he cam to Castre, and there seye myn evydence, and than made the office therby, and for Suffolk also, the fals offices found there in likewise, &c.' You must sue him to the utmost.

[The date of this letter is determined by the reference made in it to the Sessions held at Lynn, in the January following, before the Earl of Oxford and Justice Yelverton. --_See_ No. 167. At the foot of the original MS. is this inscription:-- 'Donum Rev. Fra. Blomefield, 10 Dec. 1735.']

[Footnote 201.2: [From MS. Phillipps, 9735, No. 237.]]

[Footnote 201.3: _See_ No. 153; also _PS._ to No. 162.]

[Footnote 201.4: This, which is written after the date, would appear to apply to Dallyng.]

165

ANONYMOUS TO ----[202.1]

[Sidenote: 1450]

I prey zu if ze have any old gownys for lynynges and old schetys and old schertys that may non lenger seven zu, I prey zu send hem hom in hast, for I must okupye seche thyngis in hast. Wyndham hath medyd the juryorys and yaf hem mony that xuld pa.s.se on the qwhest be twyn zour modyr and hym; if ther myt ben purveyd any mene that it myt ben dasched in cas wer that it xuld pa.s.se azens zour modyr, it wer a good sport; for than he wold ben wode. He sent with his men to the afray iij. gunnys in very trowth. I have inquiryd veryly ther after. He is wode wroth that Daniel is amrel, for it is told me that on of his men is indytyd in the amrellys cort sythyn that Danyel was made amerel. I pray zu bewar in qhat felaschep ze ryd qhan ze com homward, for ther gon many fals shrewys and thevys in this contre.

Thomas Skipping rod to Londonward on Friday last past in gret hast and purposyd hym for to ben at London on Sonday be none on erandys of his maysterrys: qhat the cawse is I wote nott. On sent me word her of that knowth it for trowth.

[Footnote 202.1: [Add. MS. 34,889, f. 150.] The date of this letter seems to be towards the close of the year 1450; for though I have not met with the date of Daniel's appointment as Admiral, which would prove the year, it will be seen by the last paragraph of No. 142 that Wyndham was indicted at that time along with Toddenham and Heydon, as one of the makers of disorder in Norfolk.]

166

SIR JOHN FASTOLF[203.1]

Item, that Sir John Ingelose and the Meyer be spoke to for here worship that the man weche that herd Heydon seye the langage upon wheche he is endyted, be sent heder; for that aught not to be kept prevye but oplyshed, seyng any thyng towchyng or sownyng to treson. And, on the other part, it is to grett necye (?) to noyse any man with ought cause, &c. Hit is not here worship this mater, if hit be trew, is so longe kept prevye with theym, &c.

J. FASTOLFE.

[Footnote 203.1: [From Paston MSS., B.M.] This is a mere fragment, containing nothing but the postscript of a letter, the date of which must be either towards the end of the year 1450, or the beginning of 1451. A pa.s.sage to the same effect will be found in a letter of Fastolf's, written on the 7th January 1451.]

167

THE EARL OF OXFORD TO JOHN JERMYN[203.2]

_To my ryght trusty and intierly welbeloved John Jermyn, Shirreve of Norffolk._

[Sidenote: 1451 / JAN. 2]

Right trusty and intierly welbeloved, I grete yow wele. And where late by the Kyngs comaundment in the tyme of his Parliament, holden now last at Westminster, I was in persone at Norwich, holdyng Sessions of oir determyner[203.3] with Yelverton, on of the Kyngs Juges, by greet s.p.a.ce and greet attendaunce, which for to a do with suych diligence in the Parliament tyme I wold a be right lothe, but for the pupplyk wele of all the shire.

It is also not oute of your remembraunce what indisposicion the Commons of bothe countes in the ende of somer last pa.s.sed wer of, and how the Kyng, by the hole advyse of all the greet Councell of Ingland, to sese their rumour, send hider his said Commission; and how I have do my part therynne, I reporte me to all the world. I here a gruggyng, neverthelesse, that trow favour in your office to the pople that hath compleyned by many and grete horible billes agayn certeyn persones shuld not be shewid at this next Sessions at Lenn, ne ferther in the said Comission, which, if it so were, as G.o.d defend, myght cause a latter errour wurs than the first.