Part 2
Also it is told me that my Lady of Suffolk hath promysed you here good will, if your bargayn of the mariage[11-1] holdyth, to do as largely as she shall be disired, or largelyer if there be any appoyntment takyn a twix you for any materes a twyx her and you. And [_i.e._ if] thei wuld avyse you to geve any money to here to make here refuse or disclayme here titill, me semyth ye may wele excuse you be the money that she had last, and be the wrongis that were don be here and here men in fellyng of wood and pullyng doune of your place and logge at Heylesdon, and takyn a wey of the shep and your faderis goodis, which were takyn a wey at the pullyn don of the seid place; wheche wele considered, she were wurthy to recompense you. And [_if_] the Kyng and the lordis were wele enformed thei wuld considere the redilyer your hurtis. It semyth this Sir William Yelverton hath comfort that he is so bold, for [he[11-2]] hath ryght prowde and fowle langage and ryght slaundrows to the tenauntis, as thei have reported to me. Therfor be ryght ware that ye bynde not your self nor mak non ensurance till ye be suer of a pesibill possession of your lande; for oftyn tyme rape rueth, and whan a man hath made such a covenante he must kepith it, he may not chese; there[fore[11-2]] be not to hasty till your londe be clere. And labore hastly a remedy for thes premysses, or ellis Sir John Fastolffis lyvelode, though ye entre it pesibilly, shall not be worth to ye a grote this yere with ought ye wull on do your tenauntis. I pray you remembre a kerchye of Cremyll for your suster Anne. Remembre to labore some remedy for your faderis will whill my Lord of Caunterbury[11-3] lyvyth, for he is an old man and he is now frendly to you and if he happed to dye, how [_who_] shuld come after hym ye wote never; and if he wer a nedy man, in asmych as your fader was noysed of so greet valew he wull be the mor straunge to entrete. And lete this be not for gete; for [if] ther were on [_one_] that aught us no good wyll he myght calle us up to make accounte of his goodis, and if we had not for to showe for us where by we have occupied, he myght send doun assentence to curse us in all the diosyse and to make us to delivere his goodis; which were to us a gret shame, and a rebuke. There fore purvey hastly and wyssely therfore whill he lyvyth, and do not as ye dede whill my Lord of York[12-1] was Chanceller make delays, for if ye had labored in his tyme as ye have do sith, ye had be thurgh in your materis; be ware be that, and lete slauth nomor take you in such diffaught; thynk of after clappes and have provysion in all your work, and ye shall do the better. God kepe you. Wretyn on Myd Lent Sonday in hast.
Be your moder,
M. P.
[Footnote 10-1: [Add. MS. 34,889, f. 202.] This letter must have been written in 1469, after the Duke of Norfolk and Sir William Yelverton had taken possession of Fastolf’s lands.]
[Footnote 10-2: _swemeful_, sorrowful.--Halliwell.]
[Footnote 11-1: With Anne Haute.]
[Footnote 11-2: Omitted in MS.]
[Footnote 11-3: Cardinal Bourchier.]
[Footnote 12-1: George Nevill, Archbishop of York. He surrendered the Great Seal on the 8th June 1467.]
[[ride with speris and launyegays _text unchanged; expected form is “launzegays” (launȝegays)_]]
702
CARDINAL BOURCHIER’S DECLARATION[12-2]
[Sidenote: 1469]
To all cristen men to whom this present writyng shall come, Thomas, by the providence of God, Preeste Cardinall Archiebisshopp of Caunterbury, Primat of all Inglond and Legat of the Appostallic See, gretyng. Where now late Alice, Duchesse of Suffolk, come to us and desirid of us to dismysse us of oure estate and to enseall a deed of a relees of the maner of Haylysdon with the appurtenaunce in the counte of Norffolk; which we denyed, in as myche as wee stode infeoffyd in the seid maner with othirs to the use of Sir John Paston knyght, sone and heire to John Paston sqwyer; to the whiche the seid Duchesse replied, seying and affermyng that she was accordyd and agreed with the seid Sir John Paston by the meane of the ryght Reverent fader in God, George Archebysshop of York, and that the seid Sir John Paston was fully assented and agreed that the seid Duchesse shuld have the seid manere wyth th’appurtenaunce to hir, hir heyris and assignes for ever more, and that all the feoffees enfeoffid and seisid in the seid manere wyth the appurtenaunce shuld relees and make astate to hir or such as shee wolde assigne of the seid manere wyth th’appurtenaunce; the wehych we answerde and seid upon condicion that the seid Sir John Paston weere so agreed we wold relees wyth a goodwyll, and els not; and yff so were that we cowde understand hereafter by the seid Right reverent Fadir in God, George Archebisshop of York, or by the seid Sir John Paston, that ther ware noon such accorde made by twex the seid Duchesse and the seid Sir John, that than oure deed and relees by us so ensealed off the seid maner wyth th’appurtenaunce shuld stond as voyd, and of no force nor effecte; to the wehyche the seid Duches agreed, and prayd us that we wold sealle hir a deed of the same maner, wyche shee had theere redy, uppon the same condicion and uppon noone other. And wee than, at hir specyall request upon the condicion aforeseyd rehersid, sealid the seyd deed and delyvered it; and the seid Duchesse at the same tyme promitted us that she wold use and kepe the seid writyng noo notherwise, nor to noon othir use but uppon the same condicion as is aforeseid. In witnesse whereoff, to this oure present writyng we have sette oure seall.
[Footnote 12-2: [Add. MS. 34,889, f. 127.] From what Margaret Paston writes to her son Sir John in the end of the last letter about his father’s will, and also from what she says a little later about the Duchess of Suffolk (_see_ page 15), we may assign this document with great probability to the year 1469.]
[[_page 15 = Letter 704_]]
703
SIR JOHN PASTON TO JOHN PASTON[13-1]
_To myght’ well belovyd brother, John Paston, or to John Dawbeney, in his absence._
[Sidenote: 1469 / MARCH 17]
Ryght worschypful and well belovyd brother, I comand me to yow, letyng you wete that Sir Thomas Howes hadde a free chapell at Castr, wher of the gyfte longyth to me, whyche chapell, as I understande, scholde be in the olde tyme, er the place at Caster wer bylte, with in the motte, wherfor I ame but the better pleased; and soo it is now that at the speciall request of the Qwen and other especiall good Lordes of myn, I have gevyn it to the berer her of, callyd Master John Yotton, a chapleyn of the Qwenys. Neverthelle[ss] in tyme passyd I proposyd that the master of the colegg scholde have hadd it, and so er longe to I hope he schall, wherfor I thynke he most take possession, and that is the cawse of hys comyng. Wherfor I pray yow make hym good cher. He is informyd that it scholde be worthe C_s._ be yer, whyche I belyve not; I thynke it der jnow xl_s._ by yeer. He most have it as it was hadde befor.
Item, thys daye I understonde that ther be comen letteris from my moder and yow, and Dawbeney, wherin I schall sende yow answer when I have seyn them.
No mor at this tyme, for within this iij. dayes I shall lette yow have kneleche of other maters.
Wretyn the xviij. day of Marche.
Whether he nedyth indoccion, or institucion, or non, I wot not; if it nede, brother, ye may seale any suche thynge as well as I. Master Stevyn kan tell all suche thynges.
JOHN PASTON, K.
[Footnote 13-1: [From Fenn, iv. 308.] Sir Thomas Howes appears to have died in the latter part of the year 1468. Before the end of that year his living of Pulham was vacant, and his death is alluded to in a letter of Margaret Paston’s, written on the 30th September 1469, as having occurred ‘within this twelvemonth.’ It would appear by the following extract, quoted by Fenn, from the Institution Books of the Bishop of Norwich, that Sir John’s presentation referred to in this letter was not allowed, or was not made out in time, and that the Bishop presented by a lapse:--
‘Cantaria in Cayster-hall.
‘Lib. xi. p. 170, 21 March 1468. Mr. Joh’es Yetton, S.T.P. ad col. Ep’i. per laps’.’]
[[Sidenote: 1469 / MARCH 17 _printed as shown, but text of letter says “xviij” (18)_]]
704
MARGARET PASTON TO SIR JOHN PASTON[14-1]
_To Sir John Paston._
[Sidenote: 1469 / APRIL 3]
I grete you wele, and send you Godds blissyng and myn, thankyng you for my seall that ye sent me; but I am right sory that ye dede so grete cost ther up on, for on of xl_d._ should have served me right wele. Send me ward what it cost you, and I shall send you money therfor. I send you a letter be a man of Yarmoth; send me word if ye have it, for I marveyll ye sent me non answer ther of be Juddy.
I have non very knowleche of your ensuraunce [_engagement_], but if ye be ensured I pray God send you joy and wurchep to geder, and so I trost ye shull have, if it be as it is reported of her[15-1]; and a nemps God, ye arn as gretly bownd to her as ye were maried, and therfor I charge you up on my blissyng, that ye be as trew to her as she wer maried on to you in all degrees, and ye shall have the mor grace and the better spede in all other thyngs.
Also, I wuld that ye shuld not be to hasty to be maried til ye wer more suer of your lyvelode, for ye must remembr what charge ye shall have, and if ye have not to mayntene it, it wull be gret rebuke; and therfor labour that ye may have releses of the londs, and be in more suerte of your lond, or than ye be maried.
The Duchesse of Suffolk[15-2] is at Ewhelm, in Oxford shir, and it is thought be your frends her that it is do that she myght be ferr and ought of the wey, and the rather feyne excuse be cause of age or sikenesse, and if that the Kyng wuld send for her for your maters.
Your elmyse [_enemies_] be as bold her as thei wer befor, wherfor I can not thynk but that thei have sume comfort. I sent to Cayster that thei shuld be war in kepyng of the place, as ye dede wright to me. Hast you to spede your maters as spedily ye can, that ye may have lesse felesshep at Cayster, for the expences and costs be grete, and ye have no nede therof and [_if_] ye remembre you wele what charges ye have beside, and how your liffelode is dispoyled and wasted by your adversaries.
Also I wuld ye shuld purvey for your suster[15-3] to be with my Lady of Oxford,[16-1] or with my Lady of Bedford,[16-2] or in sume other wurchepfull place, wher as ye thynk best, and I wull help to her fyndyng, for we be eyther of us werye of other. I shall tell you more whan I speke with you. I pray you do your devyr her in as ye wull my comfort and welefar, and your wurchep, for diverse causes which ye shall understand afterward, &c.
I spake with the Lord Skales at Norwich, and thanked hym for the good lordshep that he had shewed to you, and desired his Lordship to be your contynuall good lord; and he swore be his trought he wold do that he myght do for you; and he told me that Yelverton the Justice had spoke to hym in your maters, but he told me not what; but I trow, and ye desired hym to telle you, he wuld. Ye ar be holdyng to my Lord of his good report of you in this contre, for he reported better of you than I trow ye deserve. I felt be hym that ther hath be profered hym large proferes on your adversaries parte ageyn you.
Send me word as hastly as ye may after the begynnyng of the terme, how ye have sped in all your maters, for I shall thynk right long till I her sume good tidyngs.
Item, I pray you recomaund me to the good mayster[16-3] that ye gaffe to the chapell of Cayster, and thank hym for the gret cost that he dede on me at Norwych; and if I wer a grette lady he shuld understand that he shuld far the better for me, for me semyth be his demenyng he shuld be right a good man.
Item, I send you the nowche[16-4] with the dyamaunch, be the berer herof. I pray yow forgate not to send me a kersche[16-5] of Cr’melle for nekkerchys for your syster Anne, for I am schente of the good lady that sche is with, be cawse she hathe non, and I can non gette in all thys towne.
I xuld wrythe mor to yow but for lakke of leyser. God have yow in Hys kepyng, and send yow good spede in alle your maters. Wryten in haste on Eestern Munday.
Be your Moder.
[Footnote 14-1: [From Fenn, iv. 312.] Allusion is made in this and the next letter to the expected visit of Edward IV. to Norfolk in 1469. Owing to the proposed marriage of Sir John Paston with his kinswoman, Anne Haute, Lord Scales appears at this time to have interested himself in Sir John’s behalf. On the back of this letter, as Fenn tells us, is a note: ‘The L. Scales is now frend to Sr. J. Paston.’ But the handwriting is not contemporaneous.]
[Footnote 15-1: The lady here referred to is Anne Haute.]
[Footnote 15-2: Alice, widow of William de la Pole, Duke of Suffolk.]
[Footnote 15-3: This was most probably Margery Paston, with whom the whole family were, very soon after the writing of this letter, so much displeased for having without their consent contracted herself in marriage to Richard Calle.--F.]
[Footnote 16-1: Elizabeth, the daughter of Sir John Howard, Knight, and widow of John de Vere, Earl of Oxford, who was beheaded in 1461-2.--F.]
[Footnote 16-2: _See_ vol. iv. p. 188, Note 3.]
[Footnote 16-3: Dr. John Yotton. _See_ No. 703.]
[Footnote 16-4: An ouch is a collar of gold, formerly worn by women; a gold button, set with some jewel, is likewise so called, and that most probably was the ornament here mentioned to be sent to Sir John by his mother; we may suppose it was intended as a present to his betrothed bride.--F.]
[Footnote 16-5: A kersche of Cr’melle, perhaps means a kerchief of Cremell, crewel or worsted, to be made into neck-handkerchiefs for her daughter Anne, who appears to have been for education and board with some lady of consequence.--F.]
705
JOHN PASTON TO SIR JOHN PASTON[17-1]
_To Master Syr John Paston._
[Sidenote: 1469 / APRIL 7]
Syr, I pray yow recomand me to my Lord Scalys good lordshep, and to let hym weet that, in lyek wyse as hys Lordshep gave me in comandement, I have enqweryd what the gentyllmanys answer was that my Lord of Norffolk sent to to awayte up on hym at the Kyngs comyng in to thys contre. Hys answer was to my Lord of Norfolks messenger, that he had promysyd my Lord Scalys to awayte up on hym at the same seson, and in as myche as he had promysyd my Lord Scalys, he wold not false hys promesse for no man on lyve. I fond the menys that the seyd gentylemanys wyfe mevyd hyr husbend with the same mater as thow she had axyd hym of hyr awne hed, and he told hyr that he had gevyn thys answer. Thys gentylman is Sir William Calthorp;[17-2] but I pray yow tell my Lord Scalys that ye undyrstand not who it is, for he preyid me to be secret ther in.
I pray with all my hart, hye yow hom in hast, for we thynk longe tyll ye coome. And I pray yow send me woord whedyr ye shall be mad a Crysten man or ye com home, or nowt; and if so be that ye send eny man hom hastly, I pray yow send me an hat and a bonet by the same man, and let hym bryng the hat upon hys hid for mysfacyonyng of it. I have ned to bothe, for I may not ryd nor goo owt at the doorys with non that I have, they be so lewde [_shabby_]. A murry bonet, and a blak or a tawny hat. And God send yow your desyr. Wretyn at Caster, the viij. day of Apryll.
Your J. PASTON.
[Footnote 17-1: [From Fenn, iv. 318.] For the date of this letter see preliminary note to the last (p. 14, Note 1).]
[Footnote 17-2: Sir William Calthorpe, Knight, had been High Sheriff of Norfolk and Suffolk, both in this and the preceding reign, and died very old in 1494. His second wife was Elizabeth, daughter and co-heir of Sir Miles Stapleton, Knight, of Ingham.--F.]
[[Sidenote: 1469 / APRIL 7 _printed as shown, but text of letter says “viij” (8)_]]
706
LORD SCALES TO THE COUNCIL OF THE DUKE OF NORFOLK[18-1]
Ih’s.
[Sidenote: 1469 / APRIL 10]
Wyrshypfull and my ryght gode frend, I comaund me to you. And where as I am enformed that my Lorde of Norffolk pretendeth title to serteyn londys of Sir John Pastons whych were late of Sir John Fastolf, it is sayd that by the comaundement and supportacyon of my sayd Lord, sertayn hys servaunts felleth wode, maketh grete wast, and destrayned the tenants of the seyd lands, to the grete damage of the seyd Sir John Paston and hys sayd tenants; and also that my sayd Lord entendyth to entre sertayn places of the same. And for asmoch as maryage ys fully concluded by twyx the seyd Sir John Paston and on of my nerrest kynneswomen, I dout not that your reason wele conceyveth that nature must compelle me the rather to shewe my gode wylle, assystens, and favour unto the seyd Sir John in such thyngs as concerne hys enherytans. And because I am on of my said Lordys councayll, and must and will tendre hys honour, I hertely pray you that it may lyke you to advertyse and avyse my sayd Lord and yourys, that all such entres, fellyng of wode, destraynyngs of tenants, and all such maters lyke touchyng the sayd londes or any part of them, be cessyd unto such tyme as a resonabell meane may be founde by my sayd Lords counsayll, my Lord my faders[19-1] and other cousyns and frendes of my seyd kynneswoman thys next terme, as may be to my sayd Lordys honour, and to the savyng of the ryght tytle of the seyd Sir John Paston.
Over thys I pray you that ye wille enforme my gode frend James Hobard of the premysses, that he may advertyse my seyd Lord in lyke wyse; and that ye will yeve credens unto William Paston, and I shal be welwilled to do that may be to your plesur, with Godds mercy.
Fro Westmynstre, the x. day of Apryll.
[Footnote 18-1: [From Fenn, iv. 322.] This and the following letter were printed by Fenn from contemporaneous copies, written on the same paper without signature or address. On the back, however, is the following memorandum:--‘Copea litērz Dñi de Scales;’ to which has been added in a later handwriting: ‘ad Conciliū Duc’ Norff’ et aliis (_sic_) in favore J. Paston mil. eo quod maritaret cognatā suam Annā Hawte.’ The date is clearly in the year 1469, when the Duke of Norfolk laid claim to Caister.]
[Footnote 19-1: Richard Woodville, Earl Rivers.]
707
LORD SCALES TO ----[19-2]
[Sidenote: 1469 / APRIL 10]
Ryght trusty and welbelovyd, I grete you well. And for asmoch as a maryage ys fully concluded bytwyx Sir John Paston and my ryght nere kynneswoman Hawte, I will that ye and all other my servaunts and tenants understand that my Lord, my fader,[19-3] and I must of nature and reason shewe unto hym our gode assystens and favour in such maters as he shall have a doo. Wherfor I pray you hertely that ye will take the labour to come to Norwych, to comen with William Paston, and to yeve credens unto hym in such maters as he shall enforme you of myne entent, and of sertayn persones with whom ye shall comen by th’avyse of the seyd William Paston, of such maters as touch the sayd Sir John Paston; prayng you to tendre thys mater as ye wolde do myne owne.
Fro Westmynstre, the x. day of Aprill.
[Footnote 19-2: [From Fenn, iv. 324.] _See_ preliminary note to the last letter (p. 18, Note 1).]
[Footnote 19-3: _See_ Note 1, _supra_.]
[[Sidenote: 1469 / APRIL 10 _sidenote missing in original: date supplied from body of letter_]]
708
ABSTRACT[20-1]
[Sidenote: 1469 / MAY 5]
Citation by Thomas, Cardinal Archbishop of Canterbury, to William [Waynflete], Bishop of Winchester, and John Beauchamp, Knight, Lord Beauchamp, to appear before the Archbishop in fifteen days after being summoned, and take upon them the charge of the execution of Sir John Fastolf’s will, if they so will to do.
Lambeth, 5th May 1469, in the 15th year of the Archbishop’s translation.
[The MS. belongs to the Castle Combe Collection.]
[Footnote 20-1: [Add. Charter, 18,249, B.M.]]
709
ARCHBISHOP NEVILL TO SIR JOHN PASTON[20-2]
_To my right trusty and welbeloved Sir John Paston._
Ih’s.
[Sidenote: 1469(?) / MAY 7]
Right trusty and welbeloved, I grete you hertely well, and sende you by Thomas your childe xx.^li., prayng you to spare me as for eny more at this tyme, and to hold you content with thessame, as my singlr truste is in you; and I shalle within bref tyme ordeigne and purveye for you such as shalbe unto your pleasir, with the grace of Almightty God, who have you in His proteccion and keping.
Writen in the manoir of the Mor[20-3] the vij^th daye of Maye.
G. EBORAC.
[Footnote 20-2: [From Fenn, ii. 34.] This letter was almost certainly written between the years 1467 and 1469, and is not unlikely to be of the latter year, before the Nevills and the Archbishop had come to be regarded as open enemies of Edward IV.]
[Footnote 20-3: The Moor in Hertfordshire, a seat of Archbishop Nevill.]
710
JOHN PASTON TO SIR JOHN PASTON[21-1]
[Sidenote: 1469 / [MAY]]