Part 25

[Footnote 247-2: This child was Ann, who soon after was betrothed to Richard Plantagenet, Duke of York, the second son of King Edward. She died very young, and the Duke was, as it is supposed, smothered in the Tower by the command of his uncle Richard III.--F.]

884

SIR JOHN PASTON TO JOHN PASTON[248-1]

_To John Paston, Esquier, at Norwyche, be thys delyveryd._

[Sidenote: 1476 / JAN. 27]

I recomaunde me to yow, letyng yow weete that I was infformyd by Ric. Radle, that on Scarlett, that was undrescheryff to Hastyngs,[248-2] wolde sywe to me on yowr behalff, ffor that ye weer dyspleasyd with a returne off Nichill[248-3] uppon yow in the seyde Hastyngs tyme; wherffor Ric. Radle thoghte that the seyde Scarlett wolde be gladde to gyff yow a noble or a riall ffor a sadell to amends, so that ye wolde sease and stoppe the bylle, whyche ye entende to putt into the corte ageyn hys Master Hastyngs.

Wherffor the seyde Scarlett com to me, and prayed me to helpe in the same, and so I have don my devoir to ffeele off hym the most that he can ffynde in hys stomake to depart with to please yow; and in conclusyon I trowe, he shall gyff yow a doblett clothe off sylke, price xx_s._ or therabout; whyche uppon suche answeer as I heer ffrom yowe, I deme that Bysshop the atornye shall, iff I conclude with hym on yowr behalve, paye in mony or otherwyse, to whom that ye woll assynge heer.

I shall by the means of Raddele weet at whoys sywte it was takyn owte; I deme it som thynge doon by craffte, by the means off them that have entresse in your lond, to th’entent to noyse itt therys, or to make yow past shame off the sellyng theroff.

Item, I have receyvyd a letter ffrom yowe wretyn on Tywesdaye last.

Item, wher that som towards my Lady of Norffolk noyse that I dyd onkyndely to sende so hastely to Caster as I dyd; there is no dyscrete person that so thynkyth, ffor iff my lorde hade ben as kynde to me as he myght have ben, and acordyng to suche hert and servyce as my grauntffadr, my ffadr, yowr selff, and I, have owght and doon to my Lords of Norffolk that ded ben, and yitt iff I hadde weddyd hys dowghtr, yitt most I have doon as I dydde.

And moor ovyr, iff I had hadde any demyng off my lordys dethe iiij. howrs or he dyed, I most neds, but iff I wolde be knowyn a ffoole, have entryd it the howr byffor hys dycesse; but in effecte, theygh that in that mater have alweys ment onkyndely to me, they ffeyne that rumor ageyn me; but ther is noon that ment truly to hym that dede is, that wolde be sory that I hadde itt, and in especiall suche as love hys sowle.

Item, wher it is demyd that my lady wolde herafftr be the rather myn hevy lady ffor that delyng, I thynke that she is to resonable so to be, ffor I did it nott onwyst to hyr cowncell; there was no man thoght that I sholde doo otherwysse; an as to seye, that I myght have hadde my ladyes advyce or lyve [_leave_], I myght have teryed yitt, or I cowde have speken with hyr, or yitt have hadde any body to have mevyd hyr there on my behalve, as ye wote I dydde what I cowde. Moreovyr I taryed by the advyce off Sir Robert Wyngffelde iij. dayes there, ffor that he putte me in comffirt that the Lord Howard,[249-1] and hys brother Sir John, sholde have comen to Norwyche, att whoys comyng he dowtyd nott but that I sholde have a goode dyrection takyn ffor me in that mater, they leyhe to me onkyndenesse ffor ovyrkyndenesse.

Item, as ffor my mater heer, itt was thys daye beffoor alle the lordes off the cowncelle, and amonge them all, it was nott thowght, that in my sendyng off Whetley thyddr, in mediately afftr the dycesse off the Duke, that I dalt onkyndly or onfyttyngly, but that I was moor onresonably dalte with; wherffor, late men deme what they wylle, grettest clerkys are nott alweye wysest men; but I hope hastely to have on weye in it or other.

Item, I wende [_expected_] to have ffownde a gowne off myn heer, but it come home the same daye that I come owte, browght by Herry Berker, loder [_carrier_]. I wolde in alle hast possible have that same gowne off puke ffurryd with whyght lambe.

Item, I wolde have my longe russett gowne off the Frenshe russett in alle hast, ffor I have no gowne to goo in here.

Item, I praye yow recomande me to my moodr, and lat us alle prey God sende my Lady off Norffolk a soone, for uppon that restythe moche mater; ffor if the Kyngys soone[250-1] mary my lords dowghtr, the Kynge wolde that hys soone sholde have a ffayr place in Norffolk, thowhe he sholde gyffe me ij. tymes the valywe in other londe, as I am doon to weete. I praye yow sende me worde off my ladyes spede as soone as ye kan.

Item, as ffor Bowen I shall ffele hym, and sholde have doon, thowghe ye hadde nott sente.

Item, ther is offryd me a goode marriage for my suster Anne Skypwithys sone and heyr off Lynkolneshyre, a man v. or vj. mrke by year. No mor.

Wretyn at London, the xxvij. daye off Janyver, anno E. iiij^ti xv^{o}.

Item, my Lady off Excester[250-2] is ded, and it was seyde that bothe the olde Dywchesse off Norffolk,[251-1] and the Cowntesse off Oxenfforde[251-2] weer ded, but it is nott soo yitt.

Item, I shall remembr Caleyse bothe for horse and alle, &c.

[Footnote 248-1: [From Fenn, ii. 190.]]

[Footnote 248-2: John Hastyngs was Sheriff of Norfolk the preceding year.--F.]

[Footnote 248-3: Nihils, or Nichils, are issues which the sheriff that is apposed in the Exchequer says are _nothing worth_ and illeviable, through the insufficiency of the parties from whom due.--F.]

[Footnote 249-1: Afterwards Duke of Norfolk.--F.]

[Footnote 250-1: Richard, Duke of York, second son of King Edward IV., in or before January 1478, married Anne, sole daughter and heir of John Mowbray, late Duke of Norfolk.--_Rolls of Parliament_, vi. 168. She was at that time only in her sixth year, and she died early.]

[Footnote 250-2: Anne, daughter of Richard, Duke of York, sister of Edward IV., and widow of Henry Holland, the last Duke of Exeter, her first husband; she died 14th of January 1475, and lies buried with Sir Thomas Saint Leger, Knight, her second husband, in a private chapel at Windsor.--F.]

[Footnote 251-1: Ellenor, only daughter of William Bourchier, Earl of Ewe, in Normandy, and widow of John Mowbray, Duke of Norfolk.--F.]

[Footnote 251-2: Margaret, daughter of Richard Nevile, Earl of Salisbury, and wife of John de Vere, Earl of Oxford, now a prisoner in the Castle of Hammes, in Picardy; or it may refer to Elizabeth, widow of the late Earl of Oxford, and daughter and heir of Sir John Howard, Knight.--F.]

885

JOHN PASTON TO SIR JOHN PASTON[251-3]

_To Sir John Paston, Knyght, at the George, by Powlys Wharf, in London._

[Sidenote: 1476 / FEB. 3]

Aftyr all dwtes of recomendacyon, lyeketh yow to wete, that with in thys owyr past, I receyd your letter wretyn the xxvij. day of Januar, by whyche I undyrstand that Scarlet wold have an end with me; but lesse then xl_s._ is to lytyll, for iff I wold do the uttermost to hym, I shold recover by the statwte, I trow xl_li._ or more, but lesse then xxxiij_s._ iiij_d._ I wyll in no wyse; and ye may sey that ye of your owne hed wyll geve hym the ode nobyll of xl_s._, and if ye have the v. noblys I prey yow let Parker of Flett stret have therof xxx_s._ and lete Pytte and Rychard and Edward drynk the xl_d._ As for your gownys, they shalbe sent yow in as hasty wyse as is possybyll. Thys must be consayll:--It is promysyd my lady by my Lord Chamberleyn that the _diem clausit extremum_ for my lord shall not be delyverd tyll she be of power to labore hyr sylff her most avauntage in that mater, wherfor ye ned not to dele over largely with thexchetoures. Also consayll:--Robard Brandon and Colevyle have by meanys enformyd my lady that ye wold have gotyn Caster fro hyr by stronge hand, now thys frost whyll the mote is frosyn, in so myche that she was porposed to have sent thedyr R. Brandon and other to have kept the place tyll syche tyme as she made axe me the questyon whedyr ye entendet that wey or not, and I avysed hyr that she shold rather sofyr R. Brandon and hys retenew to lye in Norwyche of hys owne cost then to lye at the taverne at Yermouthe on hyr cost, for I lete hyr have knowlage that ye never entendyd non entre in to that place, but by hyr assent and knowlage I wast well. Syr, for Godes sake, in as hasty wyse as is possybyll, send me woord how ye feele my Lord Chamberleyn and Bowen dysposed to me wardes, for I shall never be in hertes ease tyll I undyrstand ther tweys dysposysyon. Also, I prey yow, let Symond Dame have knowlage as soone as ye have red thys lettyr that I wold in eny wyse that he swe forthe the axions a yenst Darby and other for Byskley, notwithstandyng the bylle that I sent hym to the contrary by Edmund Jeney, for Darby and I are brokyn of, of our entrete whyche was apoyntyd at Thettford. God sped yow in thes maters, and in all other. Ye send me woord of a good maryage for my syster Anne. I prey yow aspye some old thryffty draff wyff in London for me. Thomas Brampton at the Blak Fryers in London wyth syche other as he and I apoyntyd wyll helpe yow to aspye on for me on ther part. I prey yow that I may be recomandyd to hym, and prey hym that he wyll, in as hasty wyse as he can, comforte me with on letter fro hym, and fro the other persone that he and I comond of, and I prey yow as ye se hym at the parvyse[252-1] and ellys where, calle on hym for the same letter and telle hym that ye most nedys have on to me, and when ye have it breke it and ye lyst or ye send it me.

_Endorsed_--iij. Februarij, anno xv^{o}.

[Footnote 251-3: [From Paston MSS., B.M.]]

[Footnote 252-1: The church porch. In London it commonly meant the portico of St. Paul’s Cathedral, which is doubtless the place here intended.]

[[ye ned not to dele over largely _“e” in “over” invisible_]]

886

JOHN PASTON TO LORD HASTINGS[253-1]

_To my Lord._

[Sidenote: 1476 / MARCH 2]

My most doughtyd and singular good lord, aftyr most humble and dew recomendacyon, please it your good lordshepp to have knowlage that, accordyng to your comandement, in my wey homeward, I remembred me of a persone whyche to my thynkyng is meetly to be clerk of your kechyn, whyche persone is now in servyse with Master Fitzwater, and was befor that with Whethyll at Gwynes, and purveyor for hys house, and at syche tyme as the Kynges grace was ther last in hys vyage towardes France. Thys man is meane of stature, yonge inough, well wittyd, well manerd, a goodly yong man on horse and foote. He is well spokyn in Inglyshe, metly well in Frenshe, and verry perfite in Flemyshe. He can wryght and reed. Hys name is Rychard Stratton; hys modyr is Mastress Grame of Caleys. And when I had shewyd hym myn intent, he was agreable and verry glad if that it myght please your lordshepp to accept hym in to your servyse; wherto I promysed hym my poore helpe, as ferforthe as I durst meve your good lordshepp for hym, trustyng that I shold have knowelage of your plesure her in, or I departed towardes your lordshep ought of this contrey. Wherfor I advysed hym to be redy with in xiiij. dayes of Marche at the ferthest, that if it pleasyd your lordsheppe to accept hym or to have a syght of hym be for your departyng to Caleys, that ther shold be no slaughthe in hym.

He desyred me to meve Master Fitzwater to be good mastyr to hym in thys behalve, and so I dyd; and he was verry glad and agreable ther to, seying if hys sone had ben of age, and all the servauntis he hathe myght be in eny wyse acceptabell to your lordshepp, that they all, and hym silff in lyek wyse, shall be at your comandment, whyll he leveth.

And at my comyng home to my poore house, I sent for Robart Bernard, and shewid on to hym that I had mevyd your lordshepp for hym; and he in lyek forme is agreable to be redy by the xiiij. day of Marche to awayte on your lordshepp, be it to Caleys or ellys where, and fro that day so foorthe for ever, whyll hys lyff wyll last, with ought grugeing or contraying your comandement and plesure, in eny wyse that is in hym possibyll t’accomplishe.

I shewed on to hym that I had preyed Master Talbot to be a mean to your good lordshepp for hym, and if so wer that Mastyr Talbot thought that your lordshepp wer content to take hys servyse, then that it wold please Mr. Talbot to meve my Lady of Norffolkes grace to wryght or send to Bernard, puttyng hym in knowlage that hyr grace is content that he shall become your menyall servaunt. Wherof he was passyng well pleasyd; but, that notwithstandyng, as I enformed your lordshepp, he is not so reteyned, neyther by fee nor promess, but that he may let hym sylff loose to do your lordsheppe servyse when ye wyll receyve hym, and so wyll he do; but, your lordshepe so pleasid, leve wer bettyr. Rychard Stratton told me that whyll he was in servyse with Whethyll, John Redwe mocyond hym onys myche aftyr thys intent, but at that tyme Whethyll wold not be so good mastyr to hym as to meve your lordshepe for hym.

My lord, I trust that your lordshepe shall lyek bothe ther persones and ther condicyons; and as for ther trowthes, if it may please your good lordshepe to accept my poore woord with thers, I wyll depose largely for that. And as it pleasyth your good lordshepe to comand me in thes maters, and all other, if it may please your lordshepe to shewe the same to my brodyr Nessfeld, he knowith who shall sonest be with me to putt me in knowlage of your plesure, whyche I shall be at all seasons redy t’accomplyshe to my poore power, with Godes grace, Whom I beseche longe to contenue the prosperous astate of your good lordshepp.

Fro Norwyche, the seconde daye of Marche, with the hand of your most humble servaunt and beedman,

JOHN PASTON.

[Footnote 253-1: [From Paston MSS., B.M.] Although the lord to whom this letter was addressed is not named, it was undoubtedly intended for Lord Hastings, Lieutenant of Calais, who, as will be seen hereafter, was preparing to go over to Calais in March 1476.--_See_ No. 888.]

887

JOHN PASTON TO [MARGERY BREWS][255-1]

[Sidenote: 1476(?)]

Mastresse, thow so be that I, unaqweyntyd with yow as yet, tak up on me to be thus bold as to wryght on to yow with ought your knowlage and leve, yet, mastress, for syche pore servyse as I now in my mynd owe yow, purposyng, ye not dyspleasyd, duryng my lyff to contenu the same, I beseche yow to pardon my boldness, and not to dysdeyn, but to accepte thys sympyll byll to recomand me to yow in syche wyse as I best can or may imagyn to your most plesure. And, mastress, for sych report as I have herd of yow by many and dyverse persones, and specyally by my ryght trusty frend, Rychard Stratton, berer her of, to whom I beseche yow to geve credence in syche maters as he shall on my behalve comon with yow of, if it lyke you to lystyn hym, and that report causythe me to be the more bold to wryght on to yow, so as I do; for I have herd oft tymys Rychard Stratton sey that ye can and wyll take every thyng well that is well ment, whom I beleve and trust as myche as fewe men leveing, I ensuer yow by my trowthe. And, mastress, I beseche yow to thynk non other wyse in me but that I wyll and shall at all seasons be redy wythe Godes grace to accomplyshe all syche thynges as I have enformyd and desyerd the seyd Rychard on my behalve to geve yow knowlage of, but if [_unless_] it so be that a geyn my wyll it come of yow that I be cast off fro yowr servyse and not wyllyngly by my desert, and that I am and wylbe yours and at your comandmen in every wyse dwryng my lyff. Her I send yow thys bylle wretyn with my lewd hand and sealyd with my sygnet to remayn with yow for a wyttnesse ayenste me, and to my shame and dyshonour if I contrary it. And, mastress, I beseche yow, in easyng of the poore hert that somtyme was at my rewle, whyche now is at yours, that in as short tyme as can be that I may have knowlage of your entent and hough ye wyll have me demeanyd in thys mater, and I wylbe at all seasons redy to performe in thys mater and all others your plesure, as ferforth as lythe in my poore power to do or in all thers that ought wyll do for me, with Godes grace, Whom I beseche to send yow the accomplyshement of your most worchepfull desyers, myn owne fayer lady, for I wyll no ferther labore but to yow, on to the tyme ye geve me leve, and tyll I be suer that ye shall take no dysplesur with my ferther labore.

[Footnote 255-1: [From Paston MSS., B.M.] This letter is printed from a draft in the hand of John Paston the younger. I suppose it must have been written about the year 1476, and intended for Margery Brews, whom he afterwards married. It will be seen that Richard Stratton, whom in his last letter he recommended to Lord Hastings, is here the bearer of a confidential message to the lady.]

888

SIR JOHN PASTON TO JOHN PASTON[256-1]

_To John Paston, Esquier, or to Mestresse Margrett Paston, hys moodre, in Norfolk._

[Sidenote: 1476 / MARCH 12]

I recomande me to yow, letyng yow wete that, blessyd be God, uppon Saterdaye last past my lorde[256-2] and wee toke the see, and come to Caleyes the same daye, and as thys daye my lorde come to Guynesse, and theer was receyvyd honourablye with owt any obstaklys; wheer as I fownde Master Fytzwalter and othre, whyche wer ryght hevye for the dethe of the noble man thatt was theer to foor, itt happyd soo that my seyd Master Fytzwalter axid me ryght hertely for yow, and I lete hym weete that I demyd ye wolde be heer in haste, wheroffe he seyde he was ryght soory, for soo moche that he entendyth to come in to Englonde, and as I conceyve he wyll come to Attylborogh, and brynge my mestresse hys wyffe with hym, and theer to stablysshe hys howse contynuall. Wherffor he thynketh that he sholde have as grete a lakke off yow as off any one man in that contre, willyng me to wryght on to yowe, and to late yow weete off hys comynge. He also hathe tolde me moche off hys stomake and tendre faver that he owythe to yow; wherffor I asserteyn yow that he is your verry especiall goode master, and iffe ye weer abydynge in thatt contre, whylse he weer theer, he is dysposyd to doo largely for yowe in dyverse wyse, whyche weer to longe to wryght, in so moche that I feele by hym that he thynkyth that itt sholde be longe er he scholde be wery of yowr expences of horse or man. Now I remytte alle thynge to your dyscresion; ye woote best what is for yow.

As for my lorde, I undrestande nott yitt whethyr he wylle in to Ingelonde the weke to foor Esterne, or ellys aftre.

I pray yow recomande me to my moodre. I wolde have wretyn to hyr, but in trowthe I ame somewhatt crased, what with the see and what wythe thys dyet heer.

No moor to yow, but wretyn at Gynes, the xij. daye off Marche, anno E. xvj.

By JOHN PASTON, K.

[Footnote 256-1: [From Paston MSS., B.M.]]

[Footnote 256-2: Hastings.]

889

SIR JOHN PASTON TO MARGARET PASTON[257-1]

_To Mestresse Margrete Paston, at Norwyche, or hyr sone, John Paston, Esquyer, and to everych off them._

[Sidenote: 1476 / MARCH 21]

I recomande me to yowe. Like it yow to weete that I am nott sertayne yitt whether my lorde[257-2] and I shall come into Ingelonde the weke byffoor Est[er]ne, or ellys the weke afftr Est[er]ne; wherffor, moodr, I beseche yow to take noo dysplesyr with me ffor my longe tarynge, ffor I most doo noon otherwyse ffor dysplesyng off my lorde. I was noo thynge gladde off thys jornaye, iff I myght goodely have chosen; neverthelesse, savyng that ye have cawse to be dyspleasyd with me ffor the mater off Kokett, I am ellys ryght gladde, ffor I hope that I ame fferre moor in ffavor with my lorde then I was to ffoor.

Item, I sende yow, brother John, a letter herwith, whyche was browte hyddr to Caleys, ffrom the George at Powles Wharff; I deme it comethe ffrom my brother Water.

Item, iff ye entende hyddrewarde, itt weer weell doon that ye hygthed yowe, ffor I suppose that my lorde wille take the vywe off alle hys retynywe heer, nowe byffoor hys departyng; and I thynke that he woolde be better contente with yowr comyng nowe, than an other tyme; doo as ye thynke best, and as ye maye.

Item, wher Master Fytzwalter made me to wryght to yowe to advyse yow to tarye, I remytte thatt to yowr dyscretion.

As ffor tydyngs heer, we her ffrom alle the worlde; ffyrst, the Lorde Ryverse was at Roome right weell and honorably, and other Lords off Ynglonde, as the Lord Hurmonde,[258-1] and the Lord Scrope,[258-2] and at ther departyng xij. myle on thyse-halff Roome, the Lorde Ryverse was robbyd off alle hys jowelles and plate, whyche was worthe m^le. marke or better, and is retornyd to Rome ffor a remedy.