The Paston Letters Volume Ii Part 50

[Footnote 236.1: [From Paston MSS., B.M.] This letter has no address, but there can be no doubt from the contents it was intended for John Paston. It was evidently written about the same time as the last, while the Sessions was sitting at Walsingham, and Paston's suit against Lord Molyns was still pending.]

191

SIR JOHN HEVENINGHAM TO MARGARET PASTON[237.1]

_To my ryght worchipffull cosyn, Margarete Paston, be this letter delivered._

[Sidenote: 1451(?) / MAY 7]

Ryght worchipffull and welbeloved cosyn, I commaunde me to you as herteli as I can, thankyng you off your goode chere the last tyme I was with you. And, worchippffull cosyn, please that you to calle un to your remembrauns I wrote un to you for my cosyn Anneys Loveday to have ben in your service, and I reseyved from you a letter that your wyll was goode, but durst not to in to the tyme ye hadde spoke with my cosyn your husbonde.

Worchippffull cosyn, I have labored for hir in othir placez, but I can not have my entent as yet. Wherffor yff that hit please you to have hyr with you to in to the tyme that a mastris may be purveyeid for hir, I pray you ther off, and I shall contente you ffor hir boarde, that ye shal be wel pleased; for, cosyn, and I hadde a wyff, I wolde not care for hir. And ther as she is, she is not well at hir ease, for she is at Robert Lethum; and therfor I pray you herteli that ye wyll tendre this my writyng, and I beseche you that in cas be that ye wyll fulffylle hit that ye wel sende my cosyn Will Staunton for hir, and I shal kepe you trewe promys, as I have be for wretyn. And I beseche Almyghti Jesu preserve you. Wretyn at Hevenyngham, on the vij. day off May, &c.

Your oune cosyn,

JOHN HEVENYNGHAM, Knyght.

[Footnote 237.1: [From Fenn, iii. 144.] The date of this letter is doubtful, but it was evidently written at a time when John Paston had been for some considerable time absent from Norwich, which appears to have been the case in the beginning of May 1451. The writer of this letter died in July 1453.]

192

SIR THOMAS HOWYS TO SIR JOHN FASTOLF[238.1]

_To my reverent and worchepfull mayster, Sir John Fastolf, Knyght, be this lettre delyvered._

[Sidenote: 1451 / MAY 9]

Right reverent and worchipfull maister, I recomaunde me louly un to yow.

Please you to wete the Sonday next after the Fest of the Invencion of the Cros,[238.2] the ix. day of May, at Castre, I receyved a lettre from you by your clerk, W. Barker, the tenure wherof I shall do spede in all hast goodly. But for the more special cause of my wrytyng at this tyme is to gef you relacion of the un true demenyng of this oure determyner, by the parcialte of the Jugez of it; for whan the Counsell of the cite of Norwich, of the toun of Swafham, youres, my Maister Inglose,[238.3]

Pastons, and many other playntyfs had put in and declared, bothe by writyng and by woord by fore the Jugez, the lawfull excepcions in many wise, the Juges by ther wilfulnesse myght nat fynde in ther hert to gef, not als moche as a bek nor a twynclyng of ther eye toward, but toke it to deriscion, G.o.d reforme such parcialte; and by cause Prisot[238.4]

thought that yf the Sessions of the oyer determyner had be holden at Norwich as they bygonne, he supposed it shuld nat so fast pa.s.se to th'entent of Tudenham and Heydon and ther felawes, as it shuld do ell[es] in other place, but enjorned to Walsyngham, wher they have grettist rule, ther to be holden on Tuesday, iiij^te day of May.

This knowing, my Maister Yelverton,[238.5] Genney, and other myght weel conceyve how the governaunce of the oyer determyner shuld procede, for it was the most parcial place of alle the shire, and thedre wer cleped alle the frendez, knyghteys, and esquiers, and gentilmen that wolde in nowise do other wise than they wolde. And the seid Tudenham, Heydon, and other oppressours of ther set come doun theder, as I understand, with iiij^c. [400] hors and more; and consideryng how ther wellwillers wer ther a.s.sembled at ther instaunce, it had be right jowpertous and ferefull for any of the pleyntyfs to have be present, for ther was nat one of the pleyntyfs ner compleynuantez ther, but your right feithfull and trusty weel willer John Paston. And my Maister Yelverton seid full discretly, and countrolled the seid Prisot when he seid, sittyng, in the Guyhalle of Norwich, these wordys to the Meyre and Commonalte, 'A, Sir Meyre and your brethren, as to the processe of youre compleyntez, we wole put them in contynuance, but in all other we wole procede;' which wordys Yelverton thought right parciall. And by side this the seid Prisot wolde suffre no man that was lerned to speke for the pleyntyfs, but took it as a venom, and took them by the nose at every thred woord whiche myght weel by knowe for open parcialte.

And as for the Lord Scalys, ye knowe well what he is toward you, and namely for Hikelyng matter. Also to knowe som of your feynt frendes, at that tyme that my Lord Norffolk sat at Norwich up on the oyer determyner, Sir John Hevyngham myht nat fynde it in his hert to go iiij.

furlong from his duellyng place to the shirehouse, but now he cowd ryde from Norwich to Walsyngham to syt as one of the Commyssioners. As to the rule of other, that ye wolde have supposed your wellewillers, how they have byhavyd them at Walsyngham, I shall sende yow woord in all hast whan Bernay[239.1] come hom to Castr, for he is nat yet come from Walsyngham. But this I knowe well, that they founde none obstacle ner impedyment in ther consciens in all your matter; but how they have do with Norwich, Swafham, and Paston, I am nat yet clerly informed; I suppose they arn put in respite. I here sey Heydon seweth for an ende to be had with the cite of Norwich, and as to the namys of them that pa.s.sed on ther acquitaile ayenst yow, Broyn can weell informe yow.

I understand that Sir Robert Conyers, Calthorp, Mundford wer capteyns, and Maister Ric. Doget also.

Item, as for the ij. _venire facias_ ye sent to be retorned for your manorz of Bradwell and Beyton, I have do them to be retorned of suche namys as I have sent woord before, savyng sume be take, and except out.

Moreover, as for the mater of Sir John Sibton, Geney and Raulyns gef ful counsell that it shuld abyde tyl the mater of Bradwell myght procede, so that bothe maters myght take up on a day, for they sey it wold drawe xx.

marc to labour the Jure to London, and yet it wer hard to bryng about.

And they gef you counsell in all wise that ye labour to have Yelverton Juge at that tyme, and in all wise bothe in that materz and in all other, that ye be war that Prisot have not to have do in any wise, for than all wole be nought. Of alle other materz I shall send you woord in all hast goodly, for at thys tyme I had no leyser by cause of the hasty comyng up of Hug Fen, whom I beseche yow to fele of the demenyng of the oyer determyner, for he can telle yow moche and [_i.e._ if] he wole; whether he wole or nay, I can nat sey, for I know wele he was at Walsyngham. And I beseche All myghty Jesu have yow in his mercyfull governaunce. Wrete at Castre, the Sonday, ix. day of May anno xxix Regis Henrici vj^ti.

_On the back of the letter is written--_

I prey yow be nowth displesed thow I have nowt subscribed my name withinne forth, for it is of neclygens, quoth Howys, Parson of Castlecomb.

[Footnote 238.1: [From Fenn, iii. 116.]]

[Footnote 238.2: The 3rd of May.]

[Footnote 238.3: Sir Harry Inglos.]

[Footnote 238.4: John Prisot, Chief Justice of the Common Pleas.]

[Footnote 238.5: William Yelverton, Justice of the King's Bench, afterwards knighted by Edward IV.]

[Footnote 239.1: Probably Philip Berney.]

193

JOHN OSBERN TO JOHN PASTON[241.1]

_To my ryght reverent and worchepful Master, John Paston, be this delyverid._

[Sidenote: 1451 / MAY 27]

Plese it your masterchep to wete that I have spoke wyth the Shereff[241.2] at hese placez, mevyng to hym, as for that that was left wyth hese Under shereff, it is your wyl he shuld send a man of hese for it; for thow it were more ye wold gladly he shuld take it; he thanked yow, and sayde hese Under shereff was at London, and hymselff had non deserved, and if he had he wold a take it. And whan I departyd from hym, I desyerid hym a yen to send therffore, and than he seyde it shuld abyde tyl ye come hom, wherby I conceyve he wold have it, and be gladde to take it. Moreover, I remembred hym of hese promyses made before to yow at London, when he took hese oth and charche, and that ye were wyth hym when he toke hese oth, and oder dyvers tymes; and for tho promyses made be hym to yow at that tyme, and other tymes at the oyer determyner at Lynne, ye proposed yow be the trust that ye have in hym for to atempte and rere accions that shuld be to the avayle of hym and of hese office.

He wold a know what the accions shuld be. I sayde I coude not telle hym, and than he seyde he wold do for yow that he may, excepte for the aquitell of the Lord Molyns men, in so meche as the Kyng hath wrete to hym for to shewe favour to the Lord Moleyns and hese men, and as he seyth the indytement longyth to the Kyng, and not to yow, and the Lord Molyns a gret lord. Also, as he seyth, now late the Lord Molyns hath sent hym a letter, and my Lord of Norffolk anoder, for to shew favour in these indytements, he darnot abide the joporte of that, that he shuld offende the Kinges commaundment. He know not how the Kyng may be informed of hym, and what shal be seyde to hym.

And than I sayde as for any joporte that he shuld abyde in any thing that he doth for yow, or be your desyre, you have offered hym, and wol performet, sufficient sewerte for to sawe hym harmeles, and therfore I supposid ther wold non resonable man thynk but that he myght do for yow wyth owte any joporte. And then he seyde he myth non sewerte take that pa.s.sid C_li._; and the Lord Molyns is a gret lord, he myght soon cause hym to lese that, and meche mo. Than I sayde, be that meane, in defawte of a Shereff, every man may be put from hese lyvelod; and thann he seyde iff it were for the lyvelode, men wold take hem the nerer for to abyde a joporte; but be hese feyth, as he swore, if the Kyng wryte ayan to hym he wol no lenger abyde the joporte of the Kyngges wrytyng, but he trustyth to G.o.dde to inpanell seche men as shuln to hise knowleche be indeferent, and non comon jurors. As me semyth it wold do goode and [_if_] ye wolde gett a comaundment of the Kyng to the Shereff for to shew yow favour, and to inpanell jantelmen, and not for to favour non seche riotts, &c.; for he seyde that he sent yow the letter that the Kyng sent hym, and ye seyde a man shuld gete seche on for a n.o.ble.

Item, I remembred hym of the promyses that he hath made to Temperley, and that if he wold make yow very trew promys, ye wold rewarde hym as meche as he wold desire, or any other resonable man for him, and asmoche and mor then any adverserry ye have wold gef hym; than he seyde he toke never no mony of non of hem alle. There was proferid hym at Walsyngham for the Lord Molyns xx. n.o.bles, he had not a peny; moreover, I proferid hym, if he wold make yow promys that ye myght veryly trust upon hym, ye wold geff hym in hande as he wold desire, or to leve a summe if he wold a named it in a mene mannys hand, and seche as he hath trust to. And then he seyde, if he myght do for yow, or if he do any thyng for yow, then he wol take yowre mony wyth a good wyl; and other promys I coude not have of hym, but that he wol do for yow all that he may, excepte for the inditements. I conceyve veryly he hath made promys to do hese part that they shul be a quytte, but I suppose he hath made non other promys ayens yow for the lyvelode; but he lokyth aftyr a gret brybe, but it is not for to trust hym veryly wyth owte that he may not chese. I suppose he had no wrytyng fro my Lord of Norffolk as he seyde.

I was at Framyngham for to a spoke wyth Tymperley, Debnam, or Berry, and they were all ought. My Lord, as he came from London, he was at Yepysweche on Moneday, and when he wythowth the town toward Framyngham, he had all hese men ryde forth afore a gret pase, for he wolde felwe softely; and when hese men were owte of syght, he rode wyth v. men to a squieris place of hese therby, and on Tewsday, rodde my Lady to hym; and so I dede nought at Framyngham. No more at thys tyme, but All myghty Jesu spede yow, and have yow in hese kepyng. Wrete at Norwiche, the Thursday next aftyr Sent Austyn, &c.

Be your servunt,

JOHN OSBERN.

[Footnote 241.1: [From Fenn, iii. 308.] At the date of this letter Lord Molyns had probably been acquitted, but the action against his men was still pending. The year must therefore be 1451. The date 'Thursday next after St. Austin' is understood by Fenn to be after the Feast of St. Austin, or Augustine, Bishop of Hippo, which was celebrated on the 28th of August; but the dates of the preceding letters make it more probable that the writer means St. Augustine, the apostle of England, whose day was the 26th of May.]

[Footnote 241.2: John Jermyn. --_See_ page 183, Note 2.]

194

AGNES PASTON TO JOHN PASTON[243.1]

_To [Herry][243.2] Barker of Synt Clements Parys, in Norwych, to delyver to my Master John Paston, in haste_.

[Sidenote: 1451 or later]