The Paston Letters
Chapter 2 : The Castell of Bakuile.The Castell of Bellacombyr.The Castell of Douyle.The Castell of L

The Castell of Bakuile.

The Castell of Bellacombyr.

The Castell of Douyle.

The Castell of Likone.

The Castell of Ankyrvile.

The Abbey of Seint Katerinz.

These er the gates names of Roon, and how the lordys lay in sege, and to fore what gate, and also the derth of vitailes withyn the forseyd Cytee of Roon.

_Le Port Causches._ To fore thys gate, lay my Lord of Clarense[8.1] vnto riversyde of Seyne with mykyl of hys howsold and a grete market; and then fro that gate upward lay my Lord of Urmound,[8.2] my maistre Corwayle[8.3] with the Lord Talbotts meyne. _Le Port de Castell._ At thys gate my Lord Marchall,[8.4] the Lord of Haryngton. _Le Port de Bewvoisyn._ At thys gate lay my Lord of Excester. _Le Port de Vowdelagate._ To fore thys gate lay the Lord Roos, the Lord Wylleby, the Lord Fyhew,[8.5] Sir John Gray, and Sir William Porter. _Le Port Seint Yllare._ To fore thys gate lay the kyng and my Lord of Glowcestyr. _Le Port de Martynvile._ To fore thys lay my Lord of Warwyk and Sir Phelip Leche. _Le Port debut de Pount._ To fore thys gate lay my Lord of Huntyngdon, my Lord of Sawlisbyry, my maistre Nevile, and my mayster Umphirvile. _Le Port de Vicount._ Thys ys the chefe Watergate of the town, and at thys gate cometh in al maner marchawndys and vitailes.

Furthyrmore as towchyng to the derth of vytayles withyn this forseyd Cytee, j. [_one_] Busch.e.l.l of Whete was worth v. scutys, j. lofe j.

frank, j. dog j. frank, j. kat ij_s._ sterlinges, j. rat vj_d._ sterlinges. And as towchyng all other vitailes, it was spendit or that we com in to the Cytee.

Urbis Rotomagi Wulstano captio claret, Quam Rex Henricus Quintus s.e.xto capit anno.

[Footnote 5.1: [From Paston MSS., B.M.]]

[Footnote 5.2: Parchment mutilated.]

[Footnote 8.1: Thomas, Duke of Clarence, the King's brother.]

[Footnote 8.2: James Butler, Earl of Ormond.]

[Footnote 8.3: Sir John Cornwall, afterwards Lord Fanhope.]

[Footnote 8.4: John Mowbray, Earl Marshal, afterwards Duke of Norfolk.]

[Footnote 8.5: Fitz-Hugh.]

2

AMYE BOWET TO ----[9.1]

[Sidenote: 1417-9]

Trescher et mon tresfiable amy je vous salue tressouvent de tout mon cuer, desirant pur savoir et oier bons noveles de vous, et que vous soiez en prosperitee. Et, mon tresfiable amy, vous face a.s.savoir que monsieur mon baron covient sey apparailler et ordenyier envers le Roy ore en y ceste proschein viage en la presence oue le Duc de Excestre, pur la quelle luy covient faire graundes expenses entour son arraie en salvacion de son honour, lequel je vorreie faire ma diligence pur saluer et encrescer a mon poair, come je suy graundement tenuz; et vous estez la persone en la quelle je plus graundement maffie devaunt aucune altre ore vivant. Pur quey je vous emprie tresespecialment de trestout mon cuer que vous please pur faire a tant pur moy quant a ore pur moy faire chevyceance de xl. marcz come pur voie dapprompt ore en y ceste nostre graunde busoigne, promittant de certeyne que sereez bien et loialment repaiez a aucune jour reisoignable que vous veuilliez a.s.signer; et si vous ne osez pleignement affier en y ceste ma promys pur peril quent purra avenir en temps avenir, vous auerez tiel seuretee come vous veuillez deviser. Trescher et mon tresfiable amy, pluisours a vous nay escrier au present, mays que vous veuillez doner foie et credence a une gentile feme portour dycestes. Et pri al Saint Espirit qil vous ait touz jours en sa tressaintisme garde. Escript en haste a Wrentham, le xxviii^me jour de Mars.

AMYE BOWET.

On the back is written in a different hand:--

'Thomas Lente et Matillda uxor mea petunt de Galfrido Somerton xiij_s._ iiij_d._ quos Willelmus Lyster et dicta Matillda, circa xxiiij. annos elapsos quum ipsi levaverunt finem de tenementis in Castre inter ipsos et Walterum Gase; et dicit quod dicta Matillda quando ipsa examinata fuit per Justiciarios apud Jernemuth qui sedebant super Rayes (?) in ecclesia Fratrum Carmelitarum, dictus Justiciarius dedit dictos xiii_s._ iiii_d._ quos ipse habere debuisset pro labore suo dictae Matilldae, et dictus Galfridus dictos xiii_s._ iiii_d._ posuit in loculo suo proprio et nullatenus illos dictae Matilldae solvit: et ad festyngong per iiii. annos elapsos le boteler apud Somerton audivit quod dictus Galfridus promisit dictae Matilldae et dicto Thomae tunc viro suo dictos xiii_s._ iiii_d._'

[Footnote 9.1: [Add. MS. 34,889, f. 141.] This letter appears to be of a very early date. If its contents refer, as seems probable, to the preparations for Henry V.'s expedition in France, it is of the year 1417, and so earlier than No. 1; which, however, it may follow as bearing on the same subject.]

[[lequel je vorreie faire _error for "vorroie"?_]]

3

[THE PARSON OF EDINGTHORPE] TO WILLIAM SEWARDBY[10.1]

_A mon trescher et honure sieur, William Sewardby._

[Sidenote: 1417-9?]

Trescher et honure sieur, jeo me recomaund a vous si tresentierement de t ... ... ... . . doyere et de savore bonez novells de vous et de vostre entiere estat et souereyn ... ... . tres bonz de vous auore et savore com vous mesmes lez sauera meltz devisere ou ... ... et si de moy le vostre. Vous plese savore, a la fesaunce de cestez j'estoy en bon saunte. [Et quant a] vostre boys de denz le boys de Baketon vous plese savore que le Prieur de Bromholm est (?) [nostre] parochen, et nous ade prie pur avore vostre dit boys dissevere et departie a son boys issint ... . boys que est parcel a vostre boys pur lour profit et saunz damage de vostre dit boys, mes Richa[rd] ... ... . disseveryng fere saunz vostre volunte ou autre maundement de vous, come le portour de ... ... . ment que jeo ne puis ore escrire. Et touchant vostre manere illuques si longuement com ... ... . maynez de dit priour, vous, ne null de voz bien voliauncez y aueroyent nulle conyschaun[ce]

... de vostre manere as autrez de lours seigneuries, et ensi vous et vostrez serrount en temps avenir ... ... . que vous les tenez en voz maynez proprez et sure tiele colour si vous plese Richard Causton ...

... . et payr omez a vous si taunt come le priour avaundit fet a termes et jours par vous a.s.sign[ez] ... ... pur avore par voz tenauntz lez ditz terez, rentz et tenementz, boys et autres comoditez ... ... . disseverez et departez. Et vous covyent avore i. seneschal pur tenire vostres courtez iluque[s] ... ... . de dit priour ne en son daungere, mes tiel homme que nad null dom de eux et tiele ...

... vous luy voliez bien rewardere pur son travail. Trescher et honoure sieur, de ceste matere et de ... ... . par le portour de cestz, et nous ferrouns nostre powere et diligence de lez accomplere a vostre ... ... . Sieur, jeo prie a Dieux quil vous doyne tresbon vie et long honour et souereyn joye de ... ... . A Edythorp juxta Bromholm, le primer jour de Jul'.

[Footnote 10.1: [Add. MS. 34,889, f. 142.] This letter appears also to be of a very early, but quite an uncertain date. It is unfortunately mutilated, some words being lost on every line on the right hand side of the MS.]

4

ABSTRACT[11.1]

[Sidenote: 1420 / 24 MARCH]

Marriage Settlement of William Paston, dated the Eve of the Annunciation of the Virgin, 8 Henry V.--It is agreed between Sir Edmund Berre, Kt., on the one part, and William Paston of Paston on the other, that the latter shall marry Agnes, daughter of the said Sir Edmund, and that his trustees of the manor of Oxenede, Norf., shall demise the same to the said William and Agnes, and the heirs of their bodies, &c. Also Sir Edmund's trustees, either of the manor of Estodenham, co. Norf., or of the manor of Hollewellebury, Herts, at the option of William Paston, shall deliver one or other manor to the said William and Agnes, and the heirs of their bodies, &c. If Estodenham be chosen, Paston is to make to Sir Edm. and his wife Alice an estate for life, either in the manors of Marlingford, Norf., and Stanstede, Suff., or in the manors of Elghe and w.i.l.l.yngham, Suff., &c.

5

ABSTRACT[11.2]

[Sidenote: 1422]

Inspeximus of a Deed of Thos. Pecke, clk., dated 10 Hen. V., granting the reversion of the manors of Breydeston, Caston, &c., then held by Sir John Carbonell and Margery, his wife, to Sir Rob. Brewys, John Fitz-Rauff, and others.--(_See_ Blomefield's _Norfolk_, ii. 285.)

[Footnote 11.1: [Add. Charter 17,225, B.M.]]

[Footnote 11.2: [Add. Charter 17,243.]]

THE PASTON LETTERS

_Henry VI_

6

INFORMATION AGAINST WALTER ASLAK[12.1]