The Paston Letters
Chapter 226 : J. PASTON.[Footnote 143-2: [From Fenn, ii. 92.] This letter, like the last, is dated b

J. PASTON.

[Footnote 143-2: [From Fenn, ii. 92.] This letter, like the last, is dated by the reference to Gurney and Heydon. The date is confirmed by the allusion to the proposal to sell Sporle wood.]

[Footnote 143-3: Here follows an account of some money transactions, etc.--F.]

[Footnote 144-1: Thomas Boyd, Earl of Arran, in 1466, married Mary, daughter of James II. and sister of James III., Kings of Scotland. He was appointed Regent, but becoming unpopular, was banished, and died in exile before 1474.--F.]

[Footnote 144-2: These two words are crossed as here represented, and over them is written, 'crosse it.']

[[Sidenote: 1472 / JUNE 5 _date supplied from body of letter_]]

805

JOHN PASTON TO SIR JOHN PASTON[145-1]

_To my ryght worchepfull brodyr, Sir John Paston, Knyght._

[Sidenote: 1472 / JULY 8]

Ryght worchepfull sir, I recomand me to you, sertyfying yow that I have spokyn wyth Mastyr John Smyth[145-2] for Sir T. Lyndys, and he hathe shewyd me your byll whyche ye axe to be content of. Your byll a lone drawyth iiij. mark and ode monye, for ye have set in your byll for wax a lone xx_s._, whyche to Mastyr John S. imagynacyon, and to all other ofycers of the coort, shold not drawe past xx_d._ at hys berying. The bylls that be put into the coorte of Syr Thomas Lynys dettes drawe x.x.x_li._ xviij_s._ vj_d._, and all the money that can be mad of hys house and goodes in this contrey drawyth but v_li._ Mastyr J. Smyth wold ye shold send hym into the coort an inventory of syche goodys as Syr T.

had at London when he dyeid, and that inventory onys had, ye shall have as comyth to your part and more also. Ye must send the serteynte whedyr the wax be xx_s._ or xx_d._; and as for the Freers, Master John wyll not alowe theym a peny, for he seyth wher the dettes may not be payeid, set the beqwestes at nowght. He is agreid to pay the potycarye aftyr that he have the inventory fro yow. Rysyng I trowe hathe be with yow.

Item, as for John Maryot, I have sent to hym for the xl_s._ but I have non answer.

Item, I have spok with Barker, and he hathe no money, nor non can get tyll harvest, when he may dystreyn the cropp upon the grownd; he seyth there is not owyng past v. mark, and on Sat.u.r.day next comyng he shall send me a vewe of hys acompte whyche I shall send you as sone as I have it. As for Fastolffes v. mark, J. Wyndham hathe be spokyn to by me half a doseyn tymys to send to hym for it, and he seyth he hathe doon so.

Item, Sir John Styll hathe told Jwde when ye shall have the chalys; ax Jwde of your crwets allso.

Item, the prowd, pevyshe, and evyll disposyd prest to us all, Sir James, seyth that ye comandyd hym to delyver the book of vij. Sagys to my brodyr Water, and he hathe it.

Item, I send you the serteynte her with of as myche as can be enqweryd for myn oncyll W. cleym in Caster; thase artyclys that fayle, the tenaunts of Caster shall enqwer theym, and send theym to me hastyly; they have promysyd, and they com, ye shall have theym sent yow by the next messenger that comyth to London.

Item, my modyr sendyth you woord that she hathe neyther Master Robard Popyes oblygacyon nor the Byshopys.[146-1]

Item, my modyr wold ye shold in all haste gete hyr aqwetance of the Byshop[146-2] of Wynchester for Sir John Fastolffes goodes; she preyid you to make it swyr by the avyse of your consayll, and she wyll pay for the costes.

Item, she preyith you to spek to the seyd Byshop for to get Master Clement Felmyngham the viij. mark be yer dwryng hys lyffe that Sir J.

Fastolff be set hym; she preyid you to get hym an asygnement for it to som maner in Norfolk or in Lothynglond.

Item, she wold ye shold get yow an other house to ley in your stuff syche as cam fro Caster. She thynkyth on of the Freerys is a fayir house; she purposeyth to go in to the contre, and ther to sojorn onys ayen.[146-3] Many qwarellys ar pyekyd to get my brodyr E. and me ought of hyr howse; we go not to bed unchedyn lyghtly, all that we do is ille doon, and all that Sir Jamys and Pekok dothe is well doon; Sir Jamys and I be tweyn. We fyll owght be for my modyr, with 'Thow prowd prest' and 'Thow prowd sqwyer,' my modyr takyng hys part, so I have almost beshet the bote, as for my modyrs house; yet somer shal be don or I get me ony mastyr. My modyr proposeith hastyly to take estate in all hyr londys, and upon that estate to make hyr wyll of the seyd londys, parte to geve to my yonger brethyrn for term of ther lyvys, and aftyr to remayn to yow, pert to my syster Annys maryage,[147-1] tyll on C_li._ be payid, part for to make hyr ile at Mawtby, parte for a prest to syng for hyr and my fadyr, and ther ancestrys. And in thys aungyr betwen Sir Jamys and me, she hathe promyseid me that my parte shall be nowght; what your shal be, I can not sey. G.o.d sped the plowghe; i feythe ye must purvey for my brodyr E. to go over with you, or he is on don; he wyll bryng xx.

n.o.blys in hys purse. My modyr wyll nowthyr geve nor lend non of you bothe a peny forward. Purvey a meane to have Caster ayen or ye goo ovyr; my Lord and Lady (whyche for serteyn is gret with chyld), be wery ther of, and all the housold also. If ye wyll eny othyr thyn to be don in thys contre, send me woord, and I shall do as well as I can with G.o.des grace, Who preserve yow.

Wretyn the viij. day of Julle. I pray yow recomand me to my Lord of Aran,[147-2] Sir John Par, Sir George Browne, Osbern Berney, R. Hyd, Jhoxson my cosyn, hys wyfe Kate, W. Wood, and all. I pray brenne thys by[ll] for losyng.

Your,

J. P.

[Footnote 145-1: [From Paston MSS., B.M.] The references to the affairs of the deceased Sir Thomas Lynde, the d.u.c.h.ess of Norfolk's pregnancy, and other subjects mentioned in the letter immediately preceding, prove clearly that this letter belongs to the same year.]

[Footnote 145-2: Master John Smyth was, at this time, an officer in the Bishop's Court; he became afterwards Chancellor of the Diocese of Norwich, and died about 1491.]

[Footnote 146-1: Walter Lyhert, Bishop of Norwich, from 1445 to 1472.]

[Footnote 146-2: William de Wainfleet, Bishop of Winchester from 1447 to 1486.]

[Footnote 146-3: Fenn reads 'onys a yer,' which may have been intended; but I think the true reading is 'ayen.']

[Footnote 147-1: She afterwards married William Yelverton, Esq.]

[Footnote 147-2: _See_ p. 144, Note 1.]

[[my syster Annys maryage,[147-1]

_text reads_ my syster Annys,[147-1] maryage,]]

806

ABSTRACT[147-3]

[Sidenote: 1472(?)]

A paper endorsed 'The copy of the request to the Bishop of Winchester by Sir John Paston, Knight.'

Complains of my Lord not making him an acquittance of 4000 marks which he has often claimed, etc.

[Sir John Paston is desired in Letters 796 and 805 to procure from the Bishop of Winchester an acquittance for Sir John Fastolf's goods, and this paper may be presumed to be of the same year.]

[Footnote 147-3: [From MS. Phillipps 9735, No. 271.]]

807

ABSTRACT[148-1]

[Sidenote: 1472 / AUG. 12]

Norf. and Suff. Deeds, No. 63.--'Relaxatio Willielmi Paston Will.

Wainflete et aliis totius juris in manerio de Caldecots in Freton, in Akethorp, in Lowestoft, Spitlings in Gorleston, tenementi vocat' Habland in Bradwell, et tenementi vocat' Broweston in eadem villa, et aliis terris infra hundred de Loddinglond Aug. 12, Edw. IV. 12.'

[Footnote 148-1: [From MS. Index in Magd. Coll., Oxford.]]

808

JAMES ARBLASTER TO THE BAILIFF OF MALDEN[148-2]