Part 31
Your doughter of Sweynsthorpp and hyr sojornaunt E. Paston recomandyth hem to yow in ther most humble wyse, lowly besechyng yow of your blyssyng; and as for my brodyr, Edmund Sweynsthorpe, for none intrete that hys ostas your doughtyr, nor I koud intrete hym, myght not kepe hym, but that he wold have bene at home with you at Mautby on Sonday last past at nyght; and as he was departyng fro hens, had we word fro Frenshes wyf that, God yeld yow, modyr, ye had govyn hym leve to dysporte hym her with us for a vij. or viij. dayes; and so the drevyll lost hys thank of us, and yet abode nevyr the lesse.
Your doughtyr sendyth yow part of syche poore stuff as I sent hyr fro London, besechyng yow to take it in gree, though it be lytyll plente that she sendyth yow. But as for datys, I wyll sey trowthe, ye have not so many by ij. pownd as wer ment on to yow, for she thynkys at thys season datys ryght good mete. What so ever it menyth, I prey God send us good tydynges, Whom I beseche to preserve yow and yours, and so send yow your myst desyred joye.
At Sweynsthorp, on Ashe Wednysday.
Your sone and humble servaunt,
J. PASTON.
Modyr, pleasit yow to remember that ye had need to be at Norwyche v. or vj. dayes befor that Jamys Hubbart and your consayll shall be ther with yow, for to look up your evydence and all other thynges redy. Also if ye thynk that thys bylle that I send yow herwith be good i now to send to Doctore Pykenham, ye may close up the same, and send it sealyd to me ayen, and I shall convey it forthe to hym.
[Footnote 311-1: [From Paston MSS., B.M.] This letter appears from the contents to have been written after John Paston’s marriage, at a time when his wife was staying at Swainsthorpe. He also apologises to his mother for his wife having detained two pounds out of a certain quantity of dates that he himself had sent to her from London by way of Swainsthorpe, as Margery thought them ‘at this season right good meat,’ apparently referring to her approaching confinement.]
[Footnote 312-1: _i.e._ in his debt.]
927
WILLIAM BOTONER TO SIR JOHN PASTON[313-1]
_To the Ryght worshypfull sir, Sir John Paston ch’l’r logged at the signe of the George next to Poulys Wharf; or to lefe thys letter at a barbourys house ovyr the seyd George to delyver it to Sir John Paston._
[Sidenote: 1478 / MARCH 1]
Plese yor gode masterschyp to wete that I herd thys day how a man wend that a jugement ys passed ayenst your entent yn the ende of the last terme (hyt was not of verray certeyn tolde me, but as a dreme) yn the kynges Chauncerye. I coude gefe none aunswer therto. I prai God alle be well; hyt wold ease som of your frendes hertys yff they coude understand ony gode comfort. Sir, as for Robert,[314-1] I wold pray and requyre your maistershep that he may for his lernyng be abydyng with your cousyn of Lincoln Inne, as yt was promysed, and to be occupyed under drede of displesir under subjecion, wyth erly rysyng accustomed, for slouth ys the moder and norysher of all vices. He hath cost me moch goode and labour, and now he ys uppon hys makyng by vertues governance, or undoyng to the contrarye, and yn especyalle to be not conversant ne neere amongis women, as I was kept froo her [_their_] company xxx. yeres or ony suche were of my councelle, I thank God of yt. Sir, and ye write to me as ye lust, let no name be wythynne wryt whens yt com, and that yt be sent by sure comer to delyver yt me, for yt ys better brent then founde. Also your discrecion ought not loth (to take the cost and labour wolle not be gret, nether importune) for to send a man of purpose to my lord of [_sic_] Bysshop Waltham and to hys councell lerned, ye wete to whom, for redy serch to be made for the bill of half lefe of paper quantite of my hand I faythfully delyvered to Master T. Danvers for to ovyrsee, of the fyrst appoyntment ye wote off, that ye desyre so hertly to see as of othyr manyfolde wrytyngis belongyng to yow and to me. Yt ys seyd yne a vers: _Gutta cavat lapidem non vi set sepe cadendo_, &c.; to a slow man or a foryetefull or lothfull man must be importune callyng allway uppon hym tille he hafe hys entent, for now thys vacacion to spede or nevyr shall stand in yow no stede. I can no ferther then the walle.
Item, Sir, I comyned wyth Doctor Yotton at Camebrygge late, because there ys no dyvyne service seyd yn the free chapelle at C.,[314-2] that he wold hafe a grete concience yn yt, and to depart wyth an honest preste called Sir John Brykkys that ys now duellyng wyth a ryzt lovyng kynnesman of yowres; the seyd Doctor gevyng me to aunsuer he wold comyn wyth yow by Pasch,[314-3] and the rather wyth your gode wylle wold depart to such one ye owe affeccion unto. Sir, I wold, as I dar tak uppon me to owen your affeccion to the seyd John Brickys, that he may wyth more help of your cellary hafe the better to lyve and serfe God there to abyde and do yow service also. I mene faythfullye, and soo I pray yow take yt; to remembre a thyng in seson ys gretely to commend, and of a spedy avantage. The blessed Trinite be wyth yow. Wret the fyrst day of Marche.
Your
W. BOTONERE.
To J. P. c.[315-1] at London.
Item, I had foryete to hafe remembred your maystershyp to hafe a bille to your baylly Pecok for to delyver my fermour of Tyrkbye C. or ii C. lawre and asshe, and than to plant yn my tenement at Thyrkbye, or foras many ye lust; for I lost the last waraunt that ye wrote me truly, and so I was not served.
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Item, yff ye wryte to me, hyt hath nede to be by a sure comer, for I had levyr a letter be brent then lost _ne forte videant Romani_ . . . and at reverence of Jhesu that my Robert lose no tyme, nether be idelle, for doubt of ymaginacions and temptacions. I trust wyth your principale help to be wyth the worshypfull gentleman that made promysse to yow, &c.
[Footnote 313-1: [Add. MS. 34,889, f. 152.] This letter would seem to be of the year 1478. It will be seen by No. 925 that in the beginning of that year Sir John Paston wished to arrange with Dr. Yotton to get a priest to sing in Caister.]
[Footnote 314-1: Is this Robert, son of Sir John’s brother Edmund, who is mentioned in Margaret Paston’s will? The will, dated 4th February 1482, will be found printed in the next volume.]
[Footnote 314-2: Caister.]
[Footnote 314-3: Easter.]
[Footnote 315-1: John Paston, Chevalier.]
[[Footnote 314-1, Gairdner’s addition: This suggestion is quite a mistake.--See ‘my Robert’ in the PS., p. 315.]]
928
CONSTANCE REYNFORTH TO SIR JOHN PASTON[315-2]
_[To Sir] John Paston, Chevalier, be this byll delyveryd in hast._
[Sidenote: 1478 / MARCH 21]
Ryth reverent and worchepful ser, I recomend me on to yowr masterschep, effectually desyryng to here of yowr welfare and contynual prosperite; and if it ples yow to here of my pour estat, I was in good hele at the makyng of this sympyll byll. Towchyng the cause of my wrytyng to yowr masterschep is, for as moche as I poyntyd with yow to a be with yow be the day that ye asynyd me of, the wheche, with outh yowr good supportacyon, I con not well have myn entent, withouth it ple yow to send oon of yowr men to me, and I psal provyd a letter in myn unkyll name, the wheche he psall delyver to my cosyn as he were myn unkyll masagear, and be this mene I wyll come at yowr request; for my cosyn wold I psuld not depart with hym, with outh it were to myn unkyll servyse; hoys and all others I refuse for yowres, yf my sympul servyse may be to yowr plesure. And of an answer herof I beseke yow be the brynger of my byll, and I wyll conforme me to yowr en tente, be the grace of Good, the Wheche mot preserve yow at all oures.
Wretyn at Cobham, the xxj. day of Marche.
By yowr woman and sevnt,
CONSTANS REYNFORTH.
[Footnote 315-2: [From Paston MSS., B.M.] The writer of this letter was Sir John Paston’s mistress, by whom he left a natural daughter. The date is ascertained by an endorsement in Sir John’s own hand, ‘Custaunce Raynford, anno xviij^{o}.’]
929
SIR JOHN PASTON TO JOHN PASTON[316-1]
_To John Paston, Esquier, ande to Osberne Berney, and to everyche off them, be thys letter delyveryd._
[Sidenote: 1478 / MAY 5]
I recomaunde me to yowe, and thanke yow off yowr labor that ye hadde at Heylesdon and Drayton in seyng the woodys there. And it is soo heer that Ric. Ferore seyde, that he repentyd hym that evyr he dalte with any woode theer, and iff I hadde sente hym but the leest chylde that I hadde to have warnyd hym to leve he wolde notte have dalte therwyth; and he ffonde noe comfforte in the Chancery, but that he is lyke to contente me for the harmes and hurte that is doone, and moore ovyr he hathe an instrucyon that he shall ffelle noo moore.
Item, wheer as he desyryd me to be freendly to hym, I dalte so with hym, that I trowe he wylle reporte that I seyde and dalte moore cortesly with hym than he demyd that I wolde doo. Yitt for alle in convenyences that myght ffalle, I wolde be gladde to have a weell stomakyd felawe that wolde for my sake everye daye see the seyde woodes of Heylesdon and Drayton, and to knowe iff any weer fellyd heer afftre; and iffe there be any fellyd syns that Whetley was theer, and I can preve it by wytnesse, I sholde have better recompence for every tree than iiij. trees weer worthe.
Item, it is so that he hathe answeryd to my bille, wheryn he seythe that he never knywe byfor the subpena delyveryd hym that I hadde any clayme or entrest in the maner off Heylesdon, but that it was peasyble my Lordys off Suffolk. Wherffor I suppose that there be many men in Norwyche that comonyd with hym off the byenge off that woode ere evyr he made hys fulle bergayne, and per aventure some freendys off hys gave hym warnyng theroff, and off myn entrest. Iff any suche credyble mane that hadde hadde any suche langage to hym, or in hys companye, or than he bargayned, or any man that he laboryd to be halffe marchant or byer with hym, ar any man that refusyd to bye the seyd wood bycawse off myn entrest in the presence of Feror, any suche credyble man maye, iff he wyll, wytnesse ther in with me, or that dare avowe it, sholde be to me a remedy off alle that is fellyd. I praye yow, if ye can here any suche, that ye will in the presence off them make a bylle of remembraunce theroff, and off ther sayng, so that they maye her afftre wytnesse in the mater. Neverthelesse, trowthe it is that he hadde knowleche ther off i nowe, and soo hadde every man off hys havore [_substance_] in Norwych, I dowt nott; and as for hym, I am sure he hadde knowleche, for so moche as he desyryd at hys bargayn to have a sywerte to be savyd harmeles ageyn me, whyche was grawntyd hym butt nott executyd. No mor, butt I hope with Goddys grace to have hastely goode remedy for the hole maner, and off Drayton therto, and alle the remenaunte.
Wretyn a London, the v. daye off Maye, anno E. iiij^ti xviij^{o}.
[Footnote 316-1: [From Paston MSS., B.M.]]
930
SIR JOHN PASTON TO MARGARET PASTON[318-1]
_To my ryght worshypfull modre, Margret Paston, be thys delyvered._
[Sidenote: 1478 / MAY 13]
Please it yow to weete, that wher as I entendyd to have ben at home thys Mydsomer, and purposyd with yowr goode helpe to have bygonne uppon my ffadrys tombe, so that it myght have ben endyd thys somyr; it is soo, that ffor suche cawsys as ar nowe bygunne by twyen my Lorde off Suffolk and me, ffor the manerys off Heylesdon, Drayton, &c., for whyche materis I most nedys be heer thys nexte terme; therffor I deme it woll be afftr Mydsomer, er than I can see yow.
Please it yow also to weete that I comonyd with Master Pykenham to weete iff he wolde bye the clothe off golde, for soo moche as he desyryd ons to have bowte it, and he offryd me ons xx. marke therffor, neverthelesse it coste me xxiiij_li._; yit nowe, when that I spake to hym ther off, he refusyd to bye it, and seyde that he hadde nowe so many chargys that he maye nott. Butt it is soo that the Kynge dothe mak sertayne copys and vestymentys off like clothe, whyche he entendyth to gyve to the Coledge at Foodryngdre, wher my lorde hys ffadre is nowe buryed, and he byethe at a grete pryce.
I comonyd with the vestment maker ffor to helpe me fforthe with xij. yerds, and he hathe grauntyd me to doo, as Whetleye can telle yow; wherffor, iff it please yow that it be bystowyd ffor to make a towmbe ffor my ffadre at Bromholme, iff ye lyke to sende it hyddr, iffe it be solde I undretake or Mychelmesse, that ther shalle be a tombe, and somwhatt ellys ovyr my ffadris grave, on whoys sowle God have mersye, that ther shall noone be lyke it in Norffolk; and as ye shalle be gladde herafftr to see it; and God sende me leyser that I maye come home, and iff I doo not, yit the monye shall be putte to noon other use, butt kepyd by some that ye trust, tylle that it may be bystowyd acordyng as is above wretyn, and ellys I gyve yow cawse nevyr to truste me whylle ye and I lyve. When I was last with yow, ye grauntyd that the seyde clothe of golde sholde be bywaryd [_spent_] abowte thys werke, that is above wretyn, whyche iff ye wylle perfforme, I undretake that ther shalle be suche a towmbe as ye shalle be pleasyd at, thowgh it cost me xx. marke off myn owne purse besyde, iff I ons sette uppon it.
No mor, but I beseche Goode have yow in Hys kepyng.
Wretyn at London, the Wednysdaye in Whyghtsonweke, anno E. iiij^ti xviij^{o}.
Please it yow to sende me worde by Whatley off yowr plesyr her in.
By your Sone,
JOHN PASTON, K.
[Footnote 318-1: [From Fenn, ii. 260.]]
931
WALTER PASTON TO MARGARET PASTON[319-1]
_To his worchypfull moder, Margaret Paston, dwellyng in Mawtby, be this letter delyveryd in hast._
[Sidenote: 1478 / MAY 19]
Rytgh reverent and worchypfull moder, I recomaund me on to yowr good moderchypp, besechyng yow to geve me yowr dayly benediccyon, desyeryng hartyly to heer of yowr prosperyte, whych God preserve to Hys plesure, and to yowr hartys desyyr, &c. I marvel soor that yow sent me noo word of the letter wych I sent to yow by Master Wylliam Brown at Ester. I sent yow word that tym that I xold send yow myn exspenses partyculerly; but as at thys tym the berar her of had a letter sodenly that he xold come home, and there fore I kowd have no leysur to send them yow on that wys; and there fore I xall wryt to yow in thys letter the hool som of my exspenses sythyns I was with yow tyll Ester last paste, and also the reseytys, rekenyng the xx_s._ that I had of yow to Oxon wardys with the Buschopys fyndyng.
The hool some of reseytys ys v_li._ xvij_s._ vj_d._, and the holl some of exspenses ys vj_li._ v_s._ v_d._ ob. qua., and that comth over the reseytys in my exspenses I have borowd of Master Edmund, and yt drawyth to viij_s._ And yet I recone none exspenses sythyns Ester. But as for them, they be non grete; and therfor I besech yow to send me mony by Syr Richard Cotman, brynger of thys letter, or ellys by the next masenger that yow kan have to me.
I besech yow that he that I sent by thys letter to yow may have good scher, yf he brynge yt hym selfe, as he telth me that he woll, for he ys a good lover of myn. Master Edmund Alyard recomaund hym specyaly to yow, and to all my brodyrn and systyrs, and to all yowr howshold; and I besech yow that I may be recomaundyd to all them also, and specyaly to my brodyr John the yonger. No more to yow at thys tym, but Allmythy Jhesus have yow in Hys kepyng. Amen.
Wretyn at Oxonforth, on Seynt Dunstonys Day and the xix. day of May.
By your sonn and scoler,
WALTER PASTON.
[Footnote 319-1: [From Paston MSS., B.M.] This letter is printed in Fenn’s fifth volume, and dated by him in 1478. I do not know on what evidence he assigns this particular year to it, except that, as he tells us elsewhere, Walter Paston took a degree at Oxford, and died in 1479.]
[[Rytgh reverent and worchypfull moder _spelling unchanged_]]
932
J. WHETLEY TO SIR JOHN PASTON[320-1]
_To the ryght worsh[yp]full Sir John Paston, Knyght, loged at the sygne off the George at Powlys Wharff, in London, be thys delyvered in hast._
[Sidenote: 1478 / MAY 20]
Pleas it your meastershep to understond the dealyng of every thyng, the wych I was charged with at my departyng frome your measterchep.
Fyrst, your suppena to Denton was delyvered by me on Trenite Sondaye, in hys parych cherch, at Matens tyme, be ffor the substans of the parych; and as for Drayton wod, it is not all down yet, but it drawes fast toward. I have the names of all the mynestres off and in that wod, and more schall know or I come, yf ther be any more dealyng, &c.
And as for Haylysdon, my Lord of Suffolk was ther on Wedensday in Whytson Weke, and ther dined, and drew a stew and toke gret plente of fych; yet hath he left you a pyke or ij., agayn ye come, the wych wold be gret comford to all your frendes, and dyscomford to your enmys; for at hys beyng ther that daye ther was never no man that playd Herrod in Corpus Crysty[321-1] play better and more agreable to hys pageaunt then he dud. But ye schall understond that it was after none, and the weder hot, and he so feble for sekenes that hys legges wold not bere hyme, but ther was ij. men had gret payn to kepe hym on hys fete; and ther ye were juged. Som sayd ‘Sley;’ some sayd ‘Put hym in preson.’ And forth com my lord, and he wold met you with a spere, and have none other mendes for the troble at ye have put hym to but your hart blod, and that will be gayt with hys owen handes; for and ye have Haylesdon and Dreton, ye schall have hys lyff with it. And so he comford your enmys with that word that thay have dealed and dealeth with the wod, and most pryncepall nowe is Nycolesse Ovye. For as for Ferrer,[321-2] the Meare, he delys not with owt it be under covert; for it is sayd that he be soght my lord that he myght have other sygnementes for hys money that he had payd, for playnly he wold deall no mor with the wod. And so my lord hath set in the Bayly of Cossay, and all is doon in hys name; and as for hys servauntes, thay dayly thret my measter your brother and me to slay for comyng of ther lordes ground, and thay say that we made an entre; and thay beth answerd as ye comaunded me, for many a gret chalaunge make thay to Mester John, both Measter Wodhowse, Wysman, with other dyveres that I know not ther names; but he holdeth hys own that thay gayt no grownd of hym. And thys he lettes thaym knowe that if thay bete hym or any of hys, thay schall aby vj. for on, and so thay deall not but with ther tonges; and as yet, syth Ferrer was at London, there passes not iij. acres of wod down but thay cary fast for fere of rayn, &c.
Also, sir, I trust to bryng or send hastely the cloth off gold, for it hath ben largely tempted; but as yet I have none playn answer, but put in hope. Also I have spoken with Popy for your money, and delyvered hym your letter, the wych, as he sayth, is a straunge thyng to hym, for, as I understond, he that owght thys deute was uncle to thys yong man, and he sayth that hys fader was never exsecutor to hym, nor never mynestred; and I told hym howe that hys fader was bound for the same deute, in so mech and my measter wold have forgevyn part of the same deute, he wold have payed it; and so he will be at London thys terme, and speke with you, and thys is hys answer.
Morover Wyllyam Worsestre, mevyd unto me of onne Sir Wylliam Bokkyng, exsecutor and brother to John Bokkyng, the whych was one of Sir John Fastolf hys clerkes, the whych mater I knewe not, nor had no comaundement be you to deall therin, and so I told hym. Never the lesse he sayd that ye promysed hym to have sent your will to have bene done in that mater by me, and so he troweth that it was owt of your mynd at my departyng. Yff so be that ye will any thyng to be doon by me or I come to yow in that mater, let me have knowlege schortly, for I thynk to be with yow in the weke folowyng aftyr thys wryten, with owt I may have more comford of money then I have yet.
And as for my meastres, your moder hath ben gretly deseased and so seke that she wened to have dyed, and hath made her wyll,[322-1] the wyche ye shall understond more when I come, for ther is every man for hym selff. I know not the sercomstance of every thyng as yet, and therfor I writ no more to you therin, but I am promysed to know or I depart from thens.
Also I spake with William Barker, and he sayth that I shall have the stuff or I depart, or els the monye agayn that he hade of Wylliam Pecoke.
Also, sir, as for your lond be syd Bromholm that ye had of Bakton, it hath layn un ocupyed syth ye were ther.
Moreover, my Lord of Suffolk[323-1] is remevyd in to Suffolk the morow after that he had bene at Haylesdon, and my lady purposed to remeff after on thys day, Corpus Crysty Evyn, by the grace of Jesu, Who preserve yow ever in worchep.
Wryten at Norwych, on Wedensday Corpus Crysty Evyn, anno E. iiij^ti xviij^{o}.
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