Part 17
Ryght worchepfull syr, I recomand me to yow, thankyng yow most hertly of your dylygence and cost whyche ye had in gettyng of the hawk, whyche ye sent me, for well I wot your labore and trowbyll in that mater was as myche as thow she had ben the best of the world; but, so God help me, as ferforthe as the most conyng estragers [_falconers_] that ever I spak with can imagyn, she shall never serve but to ley eggys, for she is bothe a mwer de haye, and also she hathe ben so brooseid with cariage of fewle that she is as good as lame in boothe hyr leggys, as every man may se at iee. Wherfor all syche folk as have seen hyr avyse me to cast hyr in to some wood, wher as I wyll have hyr to eyer [_lay eggs_]; but I wyll do ther in as ye wyll, whedyr ye wyll I send hyr yow ayen, or cast hyr in Thorpe wood and a tarsell with hyr, for I weit wher on is. But now I dar no more put yow to the cost of an hawke, but, for Godes sake, and ther be eny tersell or good chep goshawk that myght be gotyn, that the berer herof may have hyr to bryng me, and I ensuer yow be my trowthe ye shall have Dollys and Browne bonde to paye yow at Kandyllmas the pryse of the hawke. Now, and ye have as many ladyse as ye wer wont to have, I reqwere yow for hyr sake that ye best love of theym all, onys trowbyll yowr syllf for me in thys mater, and be owght of my clamor.
Item, as for the ryng, it is delyverd, but I had as gret peyn to make hyr take it as ever I had in syche a mater; but I have promyseid yow to be hyr knyght, and she hathe promyseid me to be more at your comandment then at eny knyghtes in Inglond, my Lord reservyd; and that ye shall well undyrstand, if ye have owght to do, wherin she may be an helper; for ther was never knyght dyd so myche cost on hyr as ye have doon.
I mervyall that I her no woord of the lettyrs that my Lord Chamberleyn shold send to my Lord and my Lady for Caster. It is best that my Lord Chamberleyn wryght to my Lady by som prevy tokyn betwyx theym, and let a man of hys com with the lettrys. My Lord Chamberleyn may speed with my Lady what maters he wyll, savyng the gret mater; and if ye inbyll me for a solysitor, I shal be _a vouster comandment a touz jours_.
Item, me thynkyth that ye do evyll that ye go not thorewgh with my Lady of Suffolk for Heylysdon and Drayton; for ther shold growe mony to you, whyche wold qwyte yow ayenst R. T. and all other, and set yow befor for ever.
I prey yow for your ease, and all others to you ward, plye thes maters. As for alle other thynges, I shall send yow an answer, when I com to Norwyche, whyche shall be on Thorsday, with Godes grace. I have teryd her at Framlyngham thys sevennyght, for [my] Lady took not hyr chambyr tyll yersterday. Adewe.
Wretyn on Seynt Kateryns Evyn.
J. P.
[166-1]I sye the pye, and herd it spek; and, be God, it is not worthe a crowe; it is fer wers then ye wend; be God, it wer shame to kep it in a cage.
[Footnote 165-1: [From Paston MSS., B.M.] At the foot of this letter is written, in a different but contemporary hand, ‘A^o E. iiij^ti xij^{o}.’ The date is besides abundantly evident from other circumstances.]
[Footnote 166-1: This _P.S._ is written on the back of the letter.]
818
ABSTRACT[166-2]
[Sidenote: 1472 / NOV. 26]
‘Soutwerk cum membris,’ No. 17a.--‘Literæ patentes concessæ a Rege ad petitionem Domini Fundatoris pro ponte fiendo in vico vocato le Bermoseystret. Dat. 26 Novembris anno regni Regis Ed. IV. 12^{o}.’
[Footnote 166-2: [From MS. Index in Magd. Coll., Oxford.]]
819
JOHN OSBERN TO SIR JOHN PASTON[167-1]
_To the right worshepfull my master, Sir John Paston, Knyght._
A^o xij. E. R. quarti.
[Sidenote: 1472]
Please it your masterschep to knowe that Johon Shawe and I have goten a carpenter fro Walsyngham to Sporle to valewe your wod the[167-2] the wheche carpenter hese costis there Sondaye at nyght next before the Assencion off owre Lord Jesu Cryst, Mondaye, Tewesdaye, Wednesdaye, Assencion Daye, Frydaye and Saterdaye, and for hese labor iij_s._ iiij_d._ And upon the syte of your seid wode he hath valewid the launde wythin the dykes xij. fote inward fro the cop of the dyke and wythowte at liiij_li._ vij_s._ x_d._ And wythin the wode xij. fote wythin alle the dykes vj^xx._li._ vij_s._ viij_d._ the valewe of the dykes abowte the woode fro xij. fote fro wythin owtewardis arn prysid at x_li._ grete chepis the valew of the trees in the maner and in the closes azens the seid manor toward Swaffham xx. marc gret chepe; there off be ware and be not to hasty, &c., the cloos at the tow . . . toward Pykenham not valewid nor not spoken of, &c. The summa totall ix^xx._li._ & xviij_li._ ij_s._ viij_d._
And if ze shuld selle all this wode togedyr for redy sylver never lesse in the summa paste v. marc, if ze woll sell the wode . . . . . the lawnde wythin the dykes and the standardis thoo I shall wryte aftyr in this bille for to stande in any wyse less . . . . . . all the hole sum at the most paste x_li._ for who so ever shall by it he maye so leve and gete goode, &c.
The summa of your standardis for certeyn reconyd the Mondaye and the Tewsdaye whill I was at Sporle wyth in . . . . . and xij. fote wythin the dykes in forme above rehersid xj^xx. And iche standarde a zard [_yard_] above the grownde . . . . . abowte an . . lesser till we come xij. inche and viij. inche besyde all odyr smale that arn of lesse mesure . . . . . . growe the wheche arn many and resonabely sufficient, &c., the nowmber off the standardis wythin your . . . . . cowntid and summe be estimacion of the mesures and formes above rehersid CCCC^ma xxxvj^ti.
As for your undyrwode I can not fynde the meane to valewid to your avayle, be cause it were necessary to knowe the purpose off your fellyng, where off beware, &c.
As for the fensyng of your dykes, and ze shuld felle your bordorys off your wode the Suthsyde, viz., toward Pykenham fro the Wonges to Walsyngham Weye is lxxx. rodde at leste, the price of the rodde iiij_d._, dyggyng, plashyng, and heggyng. Summa, xxvj_s._ viij_d._
The Est syde toward Neyghton and Sparham vij^xx. rodde at the leste, Summa, xl_s._
The Northende toward Dunham lxxx. rodde, Summa, xxvj_s._ viij_d._
The West syde toward Sporle be the Loyes vj^xx. rodde, Summa, xl_s._
Summa, vj_li._ xiij_s._ iiij_d._
Where off sum is repayrid, sum maye be sperid, but at the lest it woll coste yow a vj. marc, &c.
If it please yow to take myn symple avyse in your wode sale, selle non in gret, but make fagottes and astell and lete alle your grete and goode tymber and trees stande, and ze shall make resonably mony to your worchep, and to your best avayle as John Shawe your servaunt shall telle yow, if I maye do zow any service in this c . . . . ze shall ffynde me redy, so that ze sende sufficient warant be the grace off Jesu, Who haue y[ow in His] kepyng. Wrete in hast, at Walsyngham, the Sundaye next aftyr the feest off the Assencion off owr [Lord] Jesu Cryste.
Be your
JOHN OSBERN.
I praye yow geff credens in alle these materes to Shawe, for he can telle yow more shortlyer then I shuld wryte, and I hold hym trewe to yow in hese menyng.
_Endorsed_--Per John Osbern, pro Sporl Wood.
[Footnote 167-1: [From Paston MSS., B.M.]]
[Footnote 167-2: _Sic_, _qu._ ‘there’?]
820
RICHARD CALLE TO MARGARET PASTON[168-1]
_To the ryght reverent and worshipffull my mastres, Margaret Paston, in haste._
[Sidenote: 1472 / NOV. 27]
Plesith it you to wete that I have receyved your letter, wherin I conceyve ye wolde undrestonde how I do with the sale of Sporle Wode. It is so that I have begonne to felle asshe at the townes ende for to sette the contre on werke, and be that I shall undrestonde how the remnaunt wol doo. I have sette suche a classe [_glass_] before here ien [_their eyes_] ther, that they are madde upon it, so that I truste be Ester to make of money, what with the barke and with the asshe, at the leest l. marke for to retayle the wode our selfe, and be Cristemas next after that, other l. marke, and so yerely l. marke at Cristemesse as longe as the wode lasteth, to the some that I tolde you, and I truste more; and to this I durste be bound. Nevertheles, I am a bowte to selle it all a grete and to brynge it to all moste to as goode proffe as thowe we retayled it oure silffe, for it is so that ther is a man of Carbroke, they calle hym Saunders, I may have of hym for all the wode and barke that is in Sporle xj^xx. marke, to paye at suche dayes a fore reherseyd, we to bere the costes of the fense and of the tithe; but we are not throw yet, nor nought shal be tille I have worde from you a yene, weche I must have be Sonday come sevenyte at the fertheste, for on the Wednesdaye nexte after that we shal mete a yene at Sporle. Wherfore I beseche you sende me your avice how ye thynke herein, and I shal doo that in me is be Godes grace; if I can do better with hym I shall. It shal be harde werke, but if I haunse hym som what, for ther is moche money be twix us, and therfore spare not to sende my master, Sir John, worde to take suche dayes of payment as is a bove wreten, for it shalbe performed what wey som ever we take be Godes grace.
Item, mastres, as for your write [_wright_] ye may not have hym tille after Cristemas, for he had taken an howse to make while I was with you, it wolbe this iij. wekes yet or then he make an ende, &c.
Item, I mette with Robert at Heythe of Matelaske at Norwiche, when I come from you. I felle on hande with hym for Matelaske Kerre, I myght have had of hym for that vij. marke and xx_d._ Dele nogh as ye thynke.
Item, as for money of the fermour of Sporle, he telles me he is bounde to Tounesende to pay hym at this Candelmesse. And he seythe if he may be discharged a yenst hym your money shalbe redy at hys daye, be Godes grace, Who have you in His blissed kepyng.
Wreten at Sporle, the Friday next after Seint Edmund the Kynge.
Your servaunt,
R. CALLE.
[Footnote 168-1: [From Paston MSS., B.M.] It is evident that this letter must have been written some time after the preceding, but very probably in the same year.]
821
JOHN PASTON TO SIR JOHN PASTON[169-1]
_To Sir John Paston, Knyght._
[Sidenote: 1472 / NOV. or DEC.]
Syme recomandyth hym to your good mastyrshep, and preyeth yow that ye wyll not forget, though he be a boye, to let hym were the same lyvere that your men do; and if it pleased yow to lete hys gowne clothe be sent hym home, that it myght be mad ayenst your comeing in to thys contre, he wold be as prowd as eny man ye have. Sir, as hertly as I can, I thank yow for the hatt, whyche is comyng, as I undyrstand by your wrytyng, sent by John, the Abottys man of Seynt Benet.
My modyr sendys you Godes blyssyng and hyrs, and preyes yow to get a new lycence of my Lord of Norwyche that she may have the sacrement in hyr chapell. I gat a lycence of hym for a yere, and it is nyghe woryn ought. Ye may get it for the Byshoppys lyve, and ye wylle.
As for the lettyrs that Slyfeld shold get newe of the Kyng, whyche ye shold bryng to my Lord of Norffolk, it is myn avyse that ye shall come home your sylff as hasty ly as ye maye, so that ye may be at the crystenyng of the chyld that my Lady is with; it shall cause yow gret thank, and a gret fordell [_advantage_] in your mater. And as for the lettres, leve a man of yowr to awayte on Slyfeld to bryng theym after yow; of whyche lettres I avyse yow to have one dyrect fro the Kyng to yow, comandyng yow to be the messenger and brynger of the other lettres to my Lord, my Lady, and ther consayll, for your owne mater; and thys me thynkyth shall do well, for then shall the man shewe to my Lordes consayll the lettre dyrect to yow that ye have awtoryte to be your owne solycytour, and also it shall be thought that the Kyng tendryth yow and your mater, when he wryghtyth to your sylf for it.
My Lady wayteth hyr tyme with in viij. dayes at the ferthest.
[Footnote 169-1: [From Paston MSS., B.M.] The date of this letter is shown by the reference to the situation of the Duchess of Norfolk. Compare Letter 817. There is an old, and nearly contemporary, endorsement, ‘Anno xv^o, mens. Novemb.,’ but this is clearly erroneous.]
822
ABSTRACT[170-1]
[Sidenote: 1472 / DEC. 7]
1472, 7 Dec.--‘Vigill of Concepcion of oure Lady,’ 12 Edw. IV. Indenture of agreement (in English) between Bp. Waynflete and William Worceter, by which the latter undertakes to deliver to the Bishop all deeds, charters, rolls of courts, and accounts, and all other muniments which are in his hands relating to the manors and lands of the late Sir John Fastolf, excepting lands, etc. in Norfolk, called Fairchilds, and two tenements and two gardens called Walles, in Suthwerk, of which he himself is seised; and also, as executor of the will of Sir Thomas Howes, to deliver up all money and goods of Fastolf, and obligations for property, etc., sold by the said Thomas, which he can recover, over the sum of £40 due to him, the said William Worceter, for his marriage, and also to assist the said Bishop and his College at Oxford in all matters relating to Fastolf’s lands; in return for which the Bishop covenants to pay him £100, and also an allowance upon all sums of money recovered by him.
[Footnote 170-1: This abstract is taken from Mr. Macray’s account of the MSS. in Magdalen College, Oxford, printed in the Fourth Report of the Historical MSS. Commission.]
823
JOHN PASTON TO SIR JOHN PASTON[171-1]
_To my Mastyr, Sir John Paston, Knyght, be thys delyveryd._
[Sidenote: 1472 / DEC. 18]
Ryght worchepfull Syr, I recomand me to yow, thankyng yow most hertly of your gret cost, whyche ye dyd on me at my last being with yow at London; whyche to my power I wyll recompence yow with the best servyse that lythe in me to do for your plesure, whyll my wytts be my owne.
Syr, as for the mater of Caster, it hathe be mevyd to my Ladys good grace by the Byshope of Wynchester, as well as he kowd imagyn to sey it, consederyng the lytyll leyser that he had with hyr; and he told me that he had ryght an agreabyll answer of hyr, but what hys answer was, he wold not tell me. Then I axyd hym what answer I should send yow, in as myche as ye mad me a solysyter to hys Lordship for that mater; then he bad me that undyr consayll I shold send you woord that hyr answer was more to your plesure than to the contrary, whych ye shall have more pleyn knowlage of thys next terme, att whyche tyme bothe my Lord and she shall be at London.
The Byshop cam to Framlyngham on Wednysday at nyght, and on Thursday by x. of the clok befor noon, my yong Lady was krystend, and namyd Anne. The Byshop crystend it and was godfader bothe, and with in ij. owyrs and lesse aftyr the crystenyng was do, my Lord of Wynchester departyd towards Waltham.[171-2] . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . And I let you pleynly weet, I am not the man I was, ffor I was never so roughe in my mastyrs conseyt as I am now, and that he told me hymselff before Rychard Sothewell, Tymperley, Sir W. Brandon, and twenty more, so that they that lowryd, nowgh[172-1] laughe upon me; no moor, but god look.
Wretyn at Framlyngham, the Fryday next aftyr that I depertyd fro yow. Thys day my Lord is towardys Walsyngham, and comandyd me to overtake hym to morow at the ferthest.
J. P.
[Footnote 171-1: [From Fenn, ii. 42.] Fenn informs us that this letter is dated on the back in a contemporaneous handwriting, ‘Anno x^o.,’ which seems to mean 10 Edw. IV. This date however, is certainly erroneous; for in the inquisitions taken on the death of the Duke of Norfolk, Anne, Lady Mowbray, his daughter and heir, was found to have been four years old on the 10th December 1476. She was born, therefore, on the 10th December 1472.]
[Footnote 171-2: Then follows the substance of a conversation between the Lady of Norfolk and Thomas Davers, wherein she promises to be a friend to Sir John Paston concerning Caister; but J. Davers swore J. Paston not to mention her goodwill to any person, except to Sir John.--F.]
[Footnote 172-1: In the modern version Fenn reads, ‘so that they that _loved not_, laugh upon me.’]
824
JOHN PASTON TO THE DUKE OF NORFOLK[172-2]
_To the right hyghe and myghty Prince, and my right good and gracious Lord, my Lord the Dwke of Norffolk._
[Sidenote: 1472]
Mekly besechyth your hyghness, your poore and trew contynuall servaunt and oratour, John Paston, the yonger, that it myght please your good grace to call on to your most discret and notabyll remembrance that lateward, at the cost and charge of my brodyr, John Paston, Knyght, whyche most entendith to do that myght please your hyghness, the ryght nobyll Lord, the Bysshop of Wynchester entretyd so, and compouned with your Lordshepp, that it liekyd the same to be so good and gracious Lord to my seyd brodyr, that by forsse of serteyn dedys, relessis, and lettrys of attorney selyd with the sealys of your good grace, and of other serteyn personys infeoffyd to your use in the maner of Caster, late John Fastolffes, Knyght, in the conte of Norffolk, my seyd brodyr and I, with other enfeoffyd to my seyd brodyrs use in the seyd maner, wer peasably possessyd of and in the same tyll syche tyme as serteyn personys, servaunts on to your good grace, entred in to the seyd maner, and therof have takyn the issuses and profitys in the name of your seyd hyghnesse by the space of thre yer and more, to the gret hurt of my seyd brodyr and me your seyd servuantes and oratour: wherfor, as I have oft tymys befor thys, I beseche your good grace, at the reverence of God, and in the wey of charyte, that my seyd brodyr may by your hyghness be ayen restoryd in to the possessyon of the sey[d] maner, acordyng to the lawe and good conscyence; and wee shall prey to God for the preservacyon of your most nobyll estate.
[Footnote 172-2: [From Paston MSS., B.M.] This petition is shown by internal evidence to have been drawn up towards the end of the year 1472, as it sets forth that the Duke had been more than three years in possession of Caister, which was surrendered to him in September 1469. There can be no doubt therefore that it was presented or prepared for presentation at the time of John Paston’s visit to Framlingham.]
825
MARGARET PASTON TO SIR JAMES GLOYS(?)[173-1]
[Sidenote: 1473 / JAN. 18]
I recomaund me to you, and thanke you hertyly of your letteris, and delygente labour that ye have had in thoes materis that ye have wretyn to me of, and in all other, to my profette and worschep, and in esspeciall atte this sesons towchyng the mater that I sent you the indenture of. Ye have lyghtyd myne hert therin by a pound, for I was in fere that it wold not have bene doo so hastyly with oute danger. And as for the letters that Thom Holler son schuld have brought me, I see nother hym ne the letters that he schuld have brought; wherefor, I pray you hertely, yeve it be no dysese to you, that ye will take the labour to bryng Walter theyr he schuld be, and to purvaye for hym that he may be sette in good and sad rewle. For I were loth to lese hym, for I trust to have more joye of hym than I have of them that bene owlder; though it be more coste to me to send you forth with hym, I hold me plesed, for I wote wele ye schall best purvaye for hym, and for suche thynges as is necessar to hym, than another shuld doo, after myne intent. And as for ane hors to lede hys gere, me thynke it were best porvaye one atte Camberage, lesse than [_unless_] ye canne gytte onye carreours from thens to Oxynforth more hastyly; and I mervell that the letters come not to me, and whether I may laye the defaute to the fauder or to the son therof. And I wold Water schuld be copilet with a better than Holler son is, there as he schalbe; howe be it I wold not that he schuld make never the lesse of hym, by cause he is his contre man and neghbour. And also I pray you wryte a letter in my name to Watere, after that ye have knowne myne entent by fore this to hym ward; so that he doo welle, lerne well, and be of good rewle and disposycion, ther shall nothyng faylle hym that I may helpe with, so that it be nessessare to hym; and bydde hym that he be not to hasty of takyng of orderes that schuld bynd hym, till that he be of xxiiij. yeere of agee or more, thoff he be consaled the contrare, for oftyn rape [_haste_] rewith. I will love hym better to be a good secular man than to be a lewit prest.