The Paston Letters
Chapter 294 : [Footnote 125-2: Here the MS. breaks off abruptly.][[of this yere, Cxviij_li._ iiij_d.

[Footnote 125-2: Here the MS. breaks off abruptly.]

[[of this yere, Cxviij_li._ iiij_d._ _text unchanged: error for "Cxviij_s._"?_]]

1036

HENRY VII. TO THE EARL OF OXFORD[125-3]

[Sidenote: 1489 / APRIL 22]

Right trusty and entierly beloved cousin, we grete you well. Inasmuch as it hath liked G.o.d to sende us good tidinges oute of Bretayn, such as we dought not but that ye be desirous to undrestonde, we wryte unto you of them as thay be comen to our knowlage, and as foloueth.

The Lord Malpertuis, now late with us in amba.s.sade from our dere cousine, the d.u.c.h.esse of Bretayne, s.h.i.+ppid at our porte of Dortmouth, and arrived at Saynt Powle de Lyon, in Bretayn, on Palme Sonday,[126-1]

at iiij. after noone, from whens he wrote us the disposicion and the state of the countre there, and of the landyng and the demeanyng of oure armee. We received his wrytyng on Monday last, at evynsong tyme; and be cause he was of Bretayn borne, and favorable to that partie, we ne gave such trust to his tidinges, as was thought to us surete to wryte to you theruppon.

This daye, aftre High Ma.s.se, comyth unto us from oute of Bretayne forsaid, and with a new amba.s.sade from our said cousine, Fawcon, oon of our pursivantes, that ratifieth the newes of the seid Lord Malpertuis, which ben these.

After the garysson of Frenshmen in the towne of Gyngham[126-2] had certeinte of the landyng of our armee, thei drewe downe the fabours[126-3] of Gyngham, and made thayme mete to defende a siege; but a.s.sone as thei undirstode that our said armee jornayned towardes theim, thei left the same Gyngham, where our said armee arrived the Thursday next before Palme Sonday, and was received with procession, logged and received, refreshed in the town iiij. dayes. And goyng towardes the said d.u.c.h.esse, thei must pa.s.se to the castell and borugh of Monconter. In that castell was also a garnisson of Frenshemen, which incontinently, upon worde that our said armee drwe towardes theym, the Frenshmen did cast downe gret parte of the walles, and fled from thens; in that castell and borugh our seid armee kept thair Estre. The castell of Chawson, adjoyning nere to the towne of Saynt Bryak, was also garnisond with Frenshmen; that castell they set on fire, and soo fled in the townes of Henebone and Vannes[126-4] were garnisond with Frenshmen, which breke downe the walles of the townes, and putte them selff to fligth. Th'inhabitantes a bought Brest have layd siege therunto, and goten the Base Courte of the Frenshmen or the departyng of our said pursivaunt. The garnson of the towne of Concarnewe, which is oon of the grettest strenghes of all Bretayn, was besieged in like wyse, and drevyn to that necessite that thei with in offerid, ar his said departyng, to avoyde the towne with staffe in hande; how that is takyn, or what is more done sithens, he cannot telle.

Oure said cousine, the d.u.c.h.esse, is in her citee of Raynes; and our right trusti knyght and counsellour, Sir Richard Eggecombe, there also, havyng cheeff rule abowte her; and the Marchall of Bretayn arredieth hym to joyne with them in alle haste with a G.o.de band of men. Mony n.o.ble men of that countree repair to our said armee to take their partie.

These premisses in substaunce we have be wrytyng, aswell from the cheff capytaynes of our said armee, as from our comptrollour[127-1] forsaid.

And that our said armee, blessid be G.o.d, hath among theyme selfe kepte such love and accorde, that no maner of fray or debate hath bene bitwene theym sithens the tyme of thair departing out this our Reame. Yoven under our signed, at our castell at Hartford, the xxij. day of Aprill.

Syr, thys is the copye of the lettyr that the Kynge sente my Lorde of Oxynford of tydyynges owte of Breten.

Be yowre brodyr,

WYLLIAM PASTON.

[Footnote 125-3: [From Paston MSS., B.M.] This letter was evidently written in the same year as No. 1030, in which it is mentioned that Sir Richard Edgecombe and others had gone over to Brittany.]

[Footnote 126-1: 12th April.]

[Footnote 126-2: Guingamp.]

[Footnote 126-3: Fauxbourgs, which Fenn supposes here to mean portcullises, but I know not if the word was ever used in such a sense. Perhaps what is meant is, that they destroyed the suburbs to fortify their position.]

[Footnote 126-4: The word 'which' appears to be omitted.]

[Footnote 127-1: Sir Richard Edgecombe.]

1037

THE EARL OF OXFORD TO SIR JOHN PASTON[127-2]

_To the right wors.h.i.+pfull and my right welbeloved Sir John Paston, Knyght._

[Sidenote: 1489 / APRIL 30]

Right wors.h.i.+pfull and right welbeloved, I comaunde me to you. And for as moche as it is certeinly unto the Kynges Grace shewed that my Lord of Northumberland havyng the auctorite to se the Kynges money levied in the North parties, had knowleche that certeyne persones of combnes wer a.s.sembled at Topclif, and at a nother lords.h.i.+p of his nygh to the same, saying that they wolde pay no money; my seid Lord of Northumberland heryng therof, and that they wer but naked men, addressed hym self towardes theym withoute eny harneys in pesible maner, trustyng to have appeased theym. Howe be it, as. .h.i.t is seid, that he is distressed and that they have taken hym or slayne hym; whiche the Kyng entendeth to punysshe. I therfore desire and hertely pray you in all G.o.dely haste to be with me at Hedyngham, there for to knowe more clierly the Kynges plesir in this behalve. Writen at Hertford the last day of Aprile.

Also I send to you a comyssion of licence to shepp corne, which I pray you to do to be proclaymed in alle haste.

OXYNFORD.

[Footnote 127-2: [Douce MS. 393, f. 83.] The Earl of Northumberland was slain in the North on the 28th April 1489, while endeavouring to put down a revolt against payment of the subsidy.]

1038

THE EARL OF OXFORD TO SIR JOHN PASTON[128-1]

_To the right wors.h.i.+pfull and my right welbeloved counceilour, Sir John Paston, Knyght._

[Sidenote: 1489 / MAY 6]

Right wors.h.i.+pfull and right welbeloved counceilour, I comaunde me to you. And where as I understand by your wrytyng that a grete s.h.i.+ppe is perisshed with you in thoo parties, and that ye have ben gretely occupied aboute the savyng of the goodes of the same; and that the merchauntes therof ben disposed to put their wynes to sale, of the whiche ye maye by a ton for C_s._ and litel more; I may by in this c.u.n.trey for iiij_li._, wherfore if ye may by there eny better chepe, I pray you to purveye for me, such as ye seme necessary.

And forsomoche as ye may nat be here with me at this tyme, I desire and pray you to prepare and ordeyne your self with as many men in harneys as ye G.o.dely may, to do the Kyng service in my company, at the Kynges charge and costes, so as ye and they may be with me at Cambrige, upon Tewesday[129-1] next comyng; and that ye faile nat herof, as my right especial trust is in you.

Writen at my castell of Hedyngham, the vj. daye of May.

OXYNFORD.

[Footnote 128-1: [From Paston MSS., B.M.] For the date of this letter, see preliminary note to the next.]

[Footnote 129-1: 12th May.]

1039

WILLIAM PASTON TO SIR JOHN PASTON[129-2]

_To hys brodyr, Syr John Paston._

[Sidenote: 1489 / MAY]

Syr, I recomaunde me on to yow. And where as ye desyre that I schulde sende yow worde of suche tydyng as Phylyp Lewes and Wyndesor bryngythe fro the corte, they be come thens bothe, but we here of no tydynges that they brynge, but that yondyr folkys abyde stylle abowte the place where as thys onhappy dede was done, and not with no grete nowmbyr, they sey not paste with v. or vj. C., where they were moste. Howbeyt they have made proclamacions in the c.u.n.trey to mete with oder of ther affynyte as on Tuesday last past, as it aperythe in the copy of ther proclamacion heraftyr folowyng. Also they schewe the Kynge intendythe to holde on hys jurney. And Phylyp Lewes is redyn ageyn to the Kyng, and schall brynge with hym money for all ther wages that schall be in my lordys retynew, as yow and vj. of Syr Wylliam Bolens servauntes and od[yrs].

Syr, Mr. Clopton sye [_saw_] yowre lettyr, and a seythe he knew my lordes mende suche, that he durste not meve hym with it. Ther was Syr Wylliam Say, but Clopton wolde not it schulde be knowen of non other but your selfe. He sent my lorde be a servaunt of hys xl_li._ to have excusyid hym, and it wolde not be takyn, and that I mervell of. Howbeyt he brake thus fer to my lorde; he asched hym how many he apoyntyd yow to brynge with yow, and he answerde hym xx^ti, and than he schewyd hym yowr charges that ye have had. My lorde seyd ye myght have men a nowe, and ther wages schal be payd for. Clopton aunswerde how that it wolde coste yow large money, besyde ther wages, to hors them and hernes them; and how that, to sey the trowthe, ye were not well at ese.

Not withstandynge all thys, my lorde wyllyd that ye schulde come to hym to Cambryge on Tuesday at nyght, with as many as ye myght, and ye and he schulde do well i now. Soo Clopton thyngyth that and ye brynge a dosen with yow, it is suffycyent; howbeyt that Syr Emonde Bedyngfeld, Syr Thomas Tyrell, and Syr Ryc. Lewes have ben with my lorde, and yche of them have offyrde to mete with my lorde at Cambryge with x.x.x. men a pese of them. So I wolde not ye schulde be to ferre undyr them; wherfor I thynke best that ye purvey yow so as and ye schulde goo forthe yor selfe, for I can perseve non othyr wyse.

My bedfelawe Cornwaleys is maryed in the Northe, and he came as yesternyght to my lorde streyt owt of the contre, and he scheythe [_showeth_] non othyr wyse but as I have wretyn here afore in thys lettyr.

Ye schall have for yor self and for yche of your servauntes horsyd and hernessyd xx_s._ in hande at Cambryge for a monthe, and I truste we schal have done or xx. days to an ende, with the grace of G.o.d, Who have yow in kepynge.