Part 19
Wretyn at Canterburye, to Caleys warde on Tewesday and happe be, uppon Good Frydaye the xvj. daye off Apryll, Anno E. iiij^ti xiij^{o}.
Yowr,
J. P., K.
Item, the most parte off the sowdyors that went over with Sir Robert Green have leeff, and be comyn hom, the hyghe weye ffull; my cariage was behynd me ij. hours longer than I lokyd afftr, but I wysse I wende that I myght have etyn my parte on Good Frydaye all my garees [_finery_] and pryde had ben goon, but all was saffe. I pray yow iff W. Mylsent go ffroo yow, that he myght come to me at Caleys, I will have hym.
[Footnote 184-1: [From Fenn, ii. 130.]]
[Footnote 184-2: William, Lord Hastings.--F.]
[Footnote 184-3: John, Lord Zouch of Harringworth; he was attainted in the first year of Henry VII.--F.]
[Footnote 184-4: Mary, daughter and heir of Sir Thomas Hungerford; she afterwards married Edward, son and heir to William, Lord Hastings, who in her right became Lord Hungerford, her uncle’s attainder being reversed.--F.]
833
SIR JOHN PASTON TO JOHN PASTON[186-1]
_To John Paston, Esquyer, in Norwich._
[Sidenote: 1473 / MAY 18]
Ryght wershypfull brother, I recomand me to yow, &c.[186-2] . . . . . . . . . .
As for tydyngs, the Erle of Wylshyr[186-3] and the Lord Sudele[186-4] be ded, and it was seyd that Sir W. Stanle was deed, but nowe it is seyd naye, &c.
Item, as ffor your goyng to Seyn James,[186-5] I beleve it but atwyen ij., &c.
I herd seye that a man was thys daye examyned, and he confessed that he knewe greet tresor was sende to the Erle off Oxenfford, wheroff a m^le li. [£1000] sholde be conveyd by a Monke off Westminster, and some seye by a Monke off Chartrehows.
Item, that the same man schulde acuse C. gentylmen in Norffolk and Suffolk that have agreyd to assyst the seyd Erle at hys comynge thyder, whyche as itt is seyd, sholde be within viij. dayes afftr Seynt Donston, iff wynde and weddyr serffe hym--fflyeng tales. No mor at thys tyme, but God have yow in kepyng.
Wretyn at London on Seynt Donstones daye, xviij. daye of Maye, Anno E. iiij^ti xiij^{o}.
JOHN PASTON, K.
[Footnote 186-1: [From Fenn, ii. 136.]]
[Footnote 186-2: Then follow some orders concerning servants, debts, securities, etc.--F.]
[Footnote 186-3: John Stafford was created Earl of Wiltshire in 1470. He was uncle to Henry, Duke of Buckingham.]
[Footnote 186-4: . . . . . Butler, Lord Sudley.--F.]
[Footnote 186-5: Apparently John Paston had talked of making a pilgrimage to the shrine of St. James of Compostella in Spain.]
[[xviij. daye of Maye, Anno E. iiij^ti _be owt off syght_]]
834
SIR JOHN PASTON TO JOHN PASTON[187-1]
_To John Paston, Esqer, be thys delyveryd._
[Sidenote: 1473 / JUNE 3]
Ryght wyrshypfull brother, I comand me to yow, letyng yow weet that thys daye I was in very purpose to Caleys ward, all redy to have goon to the barge, saff I teryed ffor a yonge man that I thoght to have had with me thyddr, on that was with Rows, whyche is in the cowntre; and because I cowde not geet hym, and that I have no mor heer with me butt Pampyng, Edward, and Jak, therffor Pampyng remembryd me, that at Caleys he tolde me that he purposed to be with the Duchesse off Norffolk, my Lady and yowrs. And Edward is syke and semythe nott abydyng; he wolde see what shold falle off thys worlde; and so I am as he that seythe ‘Come hyddr John, my man.’ And as happe was yisterday, Juddy went affor to Caleysward; wherffor I am nowe ille purveyd, whyche ffor owte that I knowe yit is lyke to kepe me heer thys Wytsontyd.[187-2] Wherffor iff ye knowe any lykly men, and ffayr condycioned, and good archers, sende them to me, thowe it be iiij. and I wyll have them, and they shall have iiij. mrks by yer, and my levere [_livery_].
He maye com to me hyddr to the Gott [_Goat_], or yit to Caleys with a riall[187-3] iff he be wyse, whyche iff nede bee, I wolde that Berker toke hym to come uppe with, iff it be suche one as ye tryst.
Item, I suppose bothe Pytte and Kothye Plattyng shall goo ffrom me in hast; I wyll never cherysshe knaves soo as I have don, ffor ther sakys.
Item, I praye yow sende me a newe vestment off whyght damaske ffor a dekyne, whyche is among myn other geer at Norwiche, ffor he shall ther too as ye woot off: I wyll make an armyng doblett off it, thow I sholde an other tyme gyff a longe gown of velvett ffor another vestment, and send it in all hast to Hoxon to send me.
I hopyd to have been verry mery at Caleys thys Whytsontyde, and am weell apparayled and apoyntyd, saff that thes ffolks ffayle me soo, and I have mater ther to make off ryght excellent. Som man wolde have hastyd hym to Caleys thowe he had hadd no better erand, and som men thynke it wysdom and profyght to be theer now weell owt off the weye.
Item, as ffor the Bysshop[188-1] and I, we bee nerrer to a poynt than we weer, so that my part is nowe all the londes in Flegge Holly, the maner off Heylesdon, Tolthorpe, and tenements in Norwyche and Erlham, excepte Fayrechylds, but ffarweell Drayton; the Devyll do ytt them.
Item, large and fferr comynycacion hathe ben bytwyen Sir John Fogge, Ric. Haulte, ffor ther suster and me, byffor Doctor Wyntborne and ellys wher, so that I am in better hope than I was, by Seynt Lawrens[188-2] that I shall have a delyveraunce.
Item, as ffor tydyngs heer, I trow ye have herde yowr parte, howe that the Erle off Oxenfford landyd by Seynt Osyes in Essexe, the xxviij. daye off Maye, saff he teryed nott longe, ffor iff he had, the Erle of Essexe[188-3] rod to hym wardys, and the Lords Denham and Durasse, and other mor, whyche by lyklyod sholde have dystrussyd hym; but yit hys comyng savyd Hogan hys hed, and hys profesye is the mor belevyd ffor he seyde that thys troble sholde begyn in Maye, and that the Kynge sholde northwards, and that the Scotts sholde make us werke and hym batayle.
Men loke afftr they wot not what, but men by harneys ffast; the Kyngs menyall men and the Duke off Claraunces, ar many in thys town; the Lord Ryverse[188-4] com to daye, men seye to purveye in lyke wyse.
Item, how that the Cowntesse off Warwyk[188-5] is now owt off Beweley Seyntwarye, and Sir James Tyrell conveyth hyr northwarde, men seye by the Kynges assent, wherto som men seye that the Duke off Clarance is not agreyd.
Item, men seye that the Erle off Oxenfford is abowt the Ilde off Tenett hoveryng, som seye wyth grett companye, and som seye, with ffewe.
No mor, but God kepe yow.
Wretyn at London the iij. daye off June, Anno E. iiij^ti xiij^{o}.
JOHN PASTON, K.
[Footnote 187-1: [From Fenn, ii. 138.]]
[Footnote 187-2: Whitsunday fell on the 6th June in 1473.]
[Footnote 187-3: A royal, a gold coin of 10_s._ value.]
[Footnote 188-1: Waynflete, Bishop of Winchester.]
[Footnote 188-2: 10th of August.]
[Footnote 188-3: Henry Bourchier, Earl of Essex, Lord Treasurer.]
[Footnote 188-4: Anthony Woodville, Earl Rivers, beheaded at Pontefract, 1483.]
[Footnote 188-5: Anne, widow of Richard Neville, the great Earl of Warwick, sister and heir to Henry Beauchamp, Duke of Warwick, and mother of Isabel, the wife of George, Duke of Clarence.]
835
ABSTRACT[189-1]
[Sidenote: 1473 / JUNE 13]
Norf. and Suff. Deeds, No. 67. ‘Relaxatio Willielmi Paston facta Will. Wainflet et aliis de toto jure suo in manerio vocat’ Caldecots, Akethorp, Spitlings, Habland, Broweston, etc. Jun. 13, Edw. IV. 13.’
[Footnote 189-1: [From MS. Index in Magd. Coll., Oxford.]]
836
SIR JOHN PASTON TO EDMUND PASTON[189-2]
_A Edmond Paston, Esquyer, a Caleys soyt donne._
[Sidenote: 1473 / JULY 5]
Brother Edmond, I grete yow weell, letyng yow weete that abowt thys daye vij. nyght I sende yow a letter by Nycholas Bardeslee a sowdyer, whyche is wont woute[189-3] to be at border [_brother_] Perauntys,[189-4] and also an hoseclothe[189-5] off blak ffor yow. I wende that ye sholde have hadde itt within ij. dayes, but I am afferde that he deseyved me.
Item, I lete yow weet that Plattyng is comen hyddr, and he seythe that ye gaffe hym leve to ffetche hys geer and Pittys, and that is hys erande hyddr and noon other, ner he thowt never to goo ffro me, ner he wyll nott goo ffro me as he seythe, wherffor, I praye yow sende me worde off hys condycions, and whyghe ye thynke that he sholde never do me worshypp.
He seythe also that he and Pytte weer at the takyng off the Esterlyngs, and that he was in the _Pakker_, and Pytte in the _Crystoffre_. I praye yow sende me worde howe bothe he and Pytte quytte them, by the report off some indyfferent trewe man that was ther, iff they quytte them weell, I wolde love them the better, wherffor the next daye afftr the syte of thys letter, I praye yow wryght ageyn, and sende it by the next passage.
Item, I sende a lytell praty boxe herwith, whyche I wolde that Juddy sholde delyver to the woman that he wetyth off, and praye hyr to take it to the man that she wetyth off; that is to seye, as moche as ye knowe all well i now, but ye maye nott make yow wyse in no wyse.
Item, I praye yow sende me worde as ye wer wont to do off heer wellffar, and whether I weer owt and other inne or nott; and whether she shall fforsake Caleys as sone as ye sende me worde off or nott.
By God I wolde be with yow as ffayne as yowr selff, and shall be in hast with Godds grace.
Item, as ffor my brother John, I hope within thys monyth to see hym in Caleys, ffor by lyklyhod to morowe or ellys the next daye he takyth shyppe at Yarmothe, and goothe to Seynt James[190-1] warde, and he hathe wretyn to me that he wyll come homwarde by Caleys.
Item, I suppose that James Songer shall come with me to Caleys, the rather ffor yowr sake.
Item, Mestresse Elysabett ffareth well, but as yit Songer knoweth nott so perffytly all that ye wolde weet, that he woll nott wryght to yow off thees ij. dayes tyll he knowe moor, but iff she hadde ben bolde, and durst have abydyn styll at hyr gate, and spoken with me, so God helpe me, she had hadd thys same that I sende nowe wher ye woot off, whyche ye shall see woryn heer afftr, itt is a praty ryban with praty agletts[190-2] and goodlye.
Make yow not wyse to Juddy, nowther not that ye wolde weet any thynge, ffor I maye sey to yowe at hys comyng ovr, he browt goodly geer reasonablye.
Item, as ffor my byll[191-1] that is gylt, I wolde it weer taken head too; ther is one in the town, that can glaser weell i nowe, as I herde seye. Also, ther is on comythe every markett daye ffro Seynt Omerys to Caleys and he bryngethe dagers, and ffetchyth also, he may have it with hym, and brynge it ageyn the next markett daye ffor xij_d._ or xvj_d._ at the most, and ellys late it be weel oylyd and kepte tyll I come. No more.
Wretyn at London the v. daye of Julle, Anno E. iiij^ti xiij^{o}.
[Footnote 189-2: [From Fenn, ii. 146.]]
[Footnote 189-3: So in Fenn.]
[Footnote 189-4: Fenn suggests a fanciful explanation of the expression ‘border Perauntys,’ presuming the latter word not to be a proper name; but see page 163.]
[[_page 163 = near end of Letter 815_]]
[Footnote 189-5: Cloth for hosen.]
[Footnote 190-1: _See_ page 186, Note 5.]
[Footnote 190-2: Pendant ornaments of metal, like tags or points, etc.--F.]
[Footnote 191-1: A warlike instrument of offence.--F.]
[[Footnote 190-1 Note 5. _text has “Note. 5.”_]]
837
SIR JOHN PASTON TO MARGARET PASTON[191-2]
_To my ryght wyrshypful moodre, Margret Paston._
[Sidenote: 1473 / JULY 30]
Ryght wyrshypfull and my ryght tendre modre, I recommaunde me to yow, besechyng yow of yowr dayly blessyng. Please it yow to weet that I herde not from yow off longe tyme, whyche cawsythe me to be ryght hevye; ner at the last tyme that I sende to yow in wryghtyng I hadde from yowr selffe noo wryghtyng ner answer ageyne, saff by Playter one tyme and by my brother one other tyme; whyche answer off Playter was noo thyng acordyng but contraryaunt to other wryghtyng more comfortable that he hadde sent me nott longe byffore that on yowr behalve, as he wrott, whyche God amende. Neverthelesse to my more hevynesse, I herde seye that ye sholde have been passhyng hevy for my sake, and in cheffe for that I was lyke to late goo the maner off Sporle, wherin I was pytte in comfort to have had relyffe by the meanes off yow; and syns it was tolde me that iff I leete it goo that ye wold therfore dysavauntage me more lond in tyme to come, off syche as by poscybylyte myght come to mee of yowris. Uppon whyche corage my grauntdame[192-1] and myn oncle[192-2] togedre gaffe me an answer on hyr part moche lyke, and so my fadre, God have hys sowle, leffte me scant xl_li._ londe in reste, and ye leffe me as pleasythe yow, and my grauntdame at hyr plesur; thus may I have lyttel hope off the worlde. Neverthelesse I beseche yow to be my good moodre, how so ever ye do with yowr londe; for I feell weell that iff I have one losse I am lyffe [_q._ like?] therfor to have three. But as for Sporle, it shall nott goo iff I maye, ner by my wyll; and iff ther hadde been performed me as largelye as was promysed me by Playter, I were sewre it sholde nott have goon, nor yit sholde nat goo. Neverthelesse iff ye and all my frendys and yowris in Norffolk myght have lende me so moche monye and to have takyn it uppe in v. yere, I suppose they sholde peraventure have ben payed ageyn in a yer or ij. iff I had solde any woode. Neverthelesse, plese yow to weet that I have provyd my fadres wyll and testement, wherin I maye nowt dele on to the tyme that all the executoris have reffused; wherffor ther most be sende sitatacions (_sic_) to yow and alle other that weer namyd my fadris executoris. Wherin iff ye list not to take admynystracion, as I woot well ye woll nott off olde, ye most than make a proctor that must, on yowr behalve, byffor my Lorde of Canterbury, with a sufficiaunt warant and autoryte, undre a notarys syngne ther in the corte, reffuse to take admynestracion. And this instrument and aultoryte I beseche yow maye be redy and att London by the fyrst daye of the terme; and iff yow be not aqueynted with none suche at London, iff it please yowe to take and avowe for your proctor and sende hym auctoryte, on [_one_] Master John Halsnothe whyche was a clerke off Master Robert Centis[192-3] and was so trusty to my fadre, God have hys sowle, and to sende me a letter off yowre wylle ther in, I undertake that he shall not do but as ye sende me worde. Plese it yow to gyff credence to Juddy herin. No more to you att thys tyme, but Jhesu have yow in Hys kepyng. Wretyn att Caleys, the last daye saff one off Julle.--Yowr sone,
J. P., K.
[Footnote 191-2: [Add. 34,889, f. 125.] This letter appears to be of the year 1473, as in that year Sir John Paston writes on the 5th July that he hopes to be in Calais within a month (No. 836). Later in the year (22 Nov.) he writes that the citations here referred to were not ready (No. 842, p. 199). The date is further confirmed by what is said of the manor of Sporle (comp. pp. 181, 182).]
[[_Sporle, 181-82: item i. in Letter 831_]]
[Footnote 192-1: Agnes Paston.]
[Footnote 192-2: William Paston.]
[Footnote 192-3: Robert Kent, who had been John Paston the father’s proctor in the Court of Archers. _See_ vol. iv. pp. 243, 244.]
838
MARTIN RONDELLE TO SIR JOHN PASTON[193-1]
_Monseigneur Jehan Paston, chevalier d’ Engleterre._
[Sidenote: 1473 / AUG. 28]
Mon treschier et honnore seigneur, je me recomande a vous outant que je puis ne scay. Et vous plaise savoir que je ay oy novelles de vous par ung de vo marchans de Calais touchant unne armura de unna sella que je vous doy, et de una barbuta, laquelle est en diferansce entre vous et moy, de laquelle je vous ay aultre foix dist que je estoie contant de fere toute rexon [_raison_], et en quore le vous dige prexentement que je suis prest de fer tout chou qu’il apartient en tout rexon, set [_c’est_] asavoir de la barbute et de l’armura de sella. D’aultre chiox ne vous suis en riens tenut, forque en toute les chiox que me seroint posible de faire pour l’amour de vous a vostre honneur et a vostre profit, je suis tout jour prest a vostre comendement.
Item, en houltre, je ay entendut que vous voulles avoir unng harnax complet. Com je prins vostra mexure dernierement quant vous fustes en ceste ville de Bruges, saichies que je ay en quor vostre mexure de toutes lez piesces; pour quoy, se il vous plaist que je la vous fasa, je la vous faray de bon ceur, et tout cella que il vous plaira avoir fait; et au regard du pris, je faray tellement que vous seres content de moy pour tant quant il vous plaira lesiem savoir queles piesses que vous voles avoir, et la faisson et le jour que vous la voles avoir par quelcun aqui je puis in chauder en nom de vous, et qui me ballia argant de sus, je feray si bien que se Dieu plaist vous vous loeres de moy. Aultre chiox ne vous say que mander pour le prexent, senon que je prie a Dieu que il vous doint ce que vostre ceur desir.
Escript a Bruges, le xxviij. jour de Ahoust, l’an lxxiij.
Le tout vostre serviteur, MARTIN RONDELLE, Armurier de Monsire le Bastart de Bourgogne.
_Endorsed_--Par Martyne Rowndell, armorer de Bruggys. Anno E. iiij^ti xiij^{o}.
[Footnote 193-1: [From Paston MSS., B.M.]]
839
LORD HASTINGS TO SIR JOHN OF MIDDLETON AND SIR JOHN PASTON[194-1]
_To my right hertily beloved frends and felaws, Sir John of Middelton, and Sir John Paston, Knights._
[Sidenote: 1473 / SEPT. 16]
After herty recommendacion, I thank you of the gode attendance that ye yeve unto the Kings counsail at Calais; and the gode and effectuelle devoires that ye putte you in to assiste my depute Sir John Scot, in alle suche things as mowe concerne the saufgarde of my charge there. Leting you wite, that if ther be any thing that I can and may do for you, I shal with right gode wil performe it to my power.
And I preye you to recommaunde me to my Lady Howard,[194-2] my Lady Bourgchier,[194-3] and all othre ladies and gentilwomen of the saide towne. And in likewise to the Mayre, Lieutenant, and felaship of the staple; my felaws the souldeours, and all othre suche as ye shal seme gode. And oure Lord sende you your desirs.
Writen at Notyngham, the xvj. day of Septembre.
Sir Joh Paston, I pray you to yeve credens to suche thing as my depute shall shew you fro me, and conforme you to the same.
Your felaw,
HASTYNGS.
[Footnote 194-1: [From Fenn, ii. 152.] This letter, Fenn tells us, is endorsed in a hand of the time, ‘E. (?) Hastyngs, Anno xiij^{o.},’ showing that it was written in the thirteenth year of Edward IV.]
[Footnote 194-2: Margaret, wife of Sir John Howard, Lord Howard, and afterwards Duke of Norfolk. She was daughter of Sir John Chedworth, Knight, and died in 1490, 5 Hen. VII.]
[Footnote 194-3: Lady Bourchier was probably the wife of a son of Sir John Bourchier, Lord Berners.]
840
NOTE
[Sidenote: 1473 / NOV. 1]
On the Close Roll 13 Edw. IV. m. 5, is an indenture tripartite bearing date 1 Nov., 13 Edw. IV., between Thomas Byllyng, Chief-Justice, and others, including William Paston on the one part; Jane Ingaldesthorp, late wife of Edmund Ingaldesthorp, Knight, William Norys, Knt., and Isabel, Marquesse Montague, his wife, of the second part; and William Parker, citizen and tailor, London, of the third part.
841
SIR JOHN PASTON TO JOHN PASTON[195-1]
_To John Paston, Esquier, at Norwych, be thys delyvered._
[Sidenote: 1473 / NOV. 6]
Wyrshypfull and well belovyd brother, I comand me to yow, letyng yow weet that the worlde semyth qweysye heer; ffor the most part that be abowt the Kyng have sende hyddr ffor ther harneys, and it [is] seyd ffor serteyn, that the Duke off Clarance makyth hym bygge in that he kan, schewyng as he wolde but dele with the Duke of Glowcester; but the Kyng ententyth, in eschyewying all inconvenyents, to be as bygge as they bothe, and to be a styffeler atweyn them; and som men thynke that undre thys ther sholde be som other thynge entendyd, and som treason conspyred; so what shall falle, can I nott seye.
Item, it is seyde that yisterdaye ij. passagers off Dovr wer takyn; I ffer that iff Juddy had noon hasty passage, so that iff he passyd nott on Sondaye or Mondaye, that he is taken, and som geer off myn, that I wolde not for xx_li._
I hope and purpose to goo to Caleys warde on Sondaye or Mondaye or nyghe bye, ffor I am nott accompanyed to do any servyse heer; wherffor it wer better ffor me to be owt off syght.[196-1]
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Item, Sprynge, that wayten on my ffadre when he was in Jowel hous [_gaol house_], whom my ffadre at hys dyeng besett xl_s._ he cryethe evyr on me ffor it, and in weye off almess, and he wolde be easyd, thow it wer but xx_s._ or x_s._; wherffor he hathe wretyn to my modr, and most have an answer ageyn; I wolde that my moodr sende hym, as thoghe she lende hym som whatt, and he woll be pleasyd, and ellys he can seye as shrewdely as any man in Ingelonde.
Item, the Kynge hathe sent ffor hys Great Seall; some seye we shall have a newe Chauncelor, but som thynke that the Kynge dothe as he dyde at the last ffeldys, he wyll have the Seall with hym; but thys daye Doctor Morton, Master off the Rollys, rydethe to the Kynge, and berythe the Sease [_Seals_] with hym.
Item, I had never mor nede off mony than now; wherffor Fastolffes v. mrks and the mony off Master John Smythe wolde make me holl, &c.
Wretyn on Seynt Lenards Daye, Anno R. R. E. iiij^ti xiij^{o}.
Item, sende me my vestment acordyng to the letter I sent yow by Symond Dam, in all hast.
J. P., K.
[Footnote 195-1: [From Fenn, ii. 126.] This letter is misdated in Fenn as of the 15th April. St. Leonard’s Day is the 6th November.]
[Footnote 196-1: Here follow some money transactions relative to a Doctor Pykenham, his mother, and others.]
842
SIR JOHN PASTON TO JOHN PASTON[196-2]
_To John Paston, Esquyer, be thys delyvered._
[Sidenote: 1473 / NOV. 22]