The Paston Letters
Chapter 212 : 'Memorandum: one copy of this bill remaineth amongs the bills of workmans.h.i.+p

'Memorandum: one copy of this bill remaineth amongs the bills of workmans.h.i.+p at the White Freris and Baretts place, and another bill amongs the bills of plate and pledges.'

[Footnote 82-1: [From Paston MSS., B.M.]]

[Footnote 82-2: Apparently the White Friars at Norwich.]

[Footnote 82-3: Agnes Paston's?]

[[... not yet / content again.'

_close quote missing_]]

757

FASTOLF'S COLLEGE[82-4]

[Sidenote: 1470 / AUG. 27]

'4. John Paston, Squier, bindes himself to doe true and faithfull service to the Bishop of Winton, and to be ayding to his college and other his officers and tenants, for the landes of Sir John Falstolf, and to deliver to him all deedes, evidences, etc., except such as concerne the manor of Castre. Aug. 27, Edw. IV. 10.'

[Footnote 82-4: This entry is from the same old index of deeds in Magdalen College, Oxford, referred to in previous Nos.]

758

EDWARD IV. TO WILLIAM SWAN[83-1]

_To oure welbelovid William Swan, Gentilman._

R. E.

BY THE KING.

[Sidenote: 1470 / SEPT. 7]

Trusty and welbeloved, we grete you well. And for soo muche as we be credibly acertayned that our auncient ennemyes of Fraunce and our outward rebells and traitors be drawe to gadre in acorde, and entende hastily to lande in our countre of Kent, or in the parties therof ner adjonyng, with grete might and power of Frenshemen, utterly to destroie us and our true subgietts, and to subverte the comon wele of the same our royalme: We straitly charge and commaunde you, upon the feyth and liegeaunce that ye bare unto us, that ye arredie you with alle the felas.h.i.+p ye can make, and as sone as ye may undrestonde that thay lande in our said countie or nerbye, that you draw thider, as we have comaunded othere our subgietts to doo, and put you in uttremost devoir with thaim to resiste the malice of our said ennemyes and traitours; and if thai and ye be not of power soo to doo, that thanne ye drawe you to our citie of London, by which tyme we trust to be there in our owne personne or nerby; and if we be not that, that thanne ye do farther all ye shal bee commaunded by our Counsail there, upon the payne above said.

Yeven undre oure signet at oure citie of York, the vij. day of Septembr.

[Footnote 83-1: [From Fenn, iv. 438.] This letter does not properly belong to the Paston correspondence. It was copied by Fenn from an original in the library of Brigg Price Fountaine, Esq. of Narford, in Norfolk, nephew and heir of the celebrated antiquary, Sir Andrew Fountaine. The MS. was contained in a volume of State Papers, some of them originals, and some copies, of various dates, which had belonged to Sir Edward c.o.ke.

The date of the doc.u.ment is undoubtedly in September 1470, when Edward was at York, antic.i.p.ating the invasion of Clarence and the Earl of Warwick, aided by the King of France.]

THE PASTON LETTERS

_Henry VI. Restored_

759

JOHN PASTON TO MARGARET PASTON[84-1]

_To my ryght worchipfull Modyr, Margaret Paston, be thys delyuered._

[Sidenote: 1470 / OCT. 12]

Aftyr humbyll and most dew recommendacyon, as lowly as I can, I beseche yow of yowr blyssyng. Plesyt yow to wet that, blyssyd be G.o.d, my brodyr and I be in good hele; and I tryst that we shall do ryght well in all owyr maters hastyly; ffor my Lady of Norff.[84-2] hathe promyssyd to be rewlyd by my Lord of Oxynforthe[84-3] in all syche maters as belonge to my brodyr and to me; and as for my Lord of Oxynforthe, he is bettyr Lord to me, by my trowthe, than I can wyshe hym in many maters; for he sente to my Lady of Norff. by John Bernard only for my mater, and for non othyr cause, my onwetyng [_i.e._ without my knowledge], or wythout eny preyer of me, for when he sente to hyr I was at London, and he at Colchestyr, and that is a lyeklyod he remembyrthe me.

The Dwk and the Dwchess swe to hym as humbylly as evyr I dyd to them; in so myche that my Lord of Oxynforth shall have the rwyll of them and thers, by ther owne desyirs and gret meanys.

As for the ofyces that ye wrot to my brodyr for and to me, they be for no poore men; but I tryst we shall sped of othyr ofyseys metly for us, for my Mastyr the Erle of Oxynforthe bydeth me axe and have. I trow my brodyr Syr John shall have the Constabyllshep of Norwyche Castyll, with xx_li._ of ffee; all the Lordys be agreyd to it.

Tydyngs, the Erle of Wyrcestyr[85-1] is lyek to dye this day, or to morow at the ferthest. John Pylkyngton, Mr. W. att Clyff, and Fowler ar takyn, and in the Castyll of Pomfrett, and ar lyek to dye hastyly, with owte they be dead. Sir T. Mongomere and Joudone be takyn; what shall falle of hem I can not sey.

The Qwen[85-2] that was, and the Dwchess of Bedford,[85-3] be in seyntuary at Westmestyr; the Bysheop of Ely[85-4] with othyr Bysheopys ar in Seynt Martyns. When I here more, I shall send yow more. I prey G.o.d send yow all your desyrs. Wretyn at London on Seynt Edwards Evyn.

Your sone and humbyll servant,

J. P.

Modyr, I beseche yow that Brome may be spoken to, to gadyr up my syllvyr at Gwton in all hast possybyll, for I have no mony. Also that it lyek yow that John Mylsent may be spoken to, to kep well my grey horse, and he be alyve, and that he spare no met on hym, and that he have konnyng lechys to look to hym. As for my comyng hom, I knowe no serteynte, for I terry tyll my Lady of Norff. com to go thorow with the maters, and she shall not be here tyll Sonday.

[Footnote 84-1: [From Fenn, ii. 50.] The contents of this letter clearly refer to the state of matters on the restoration of Henry VI.]

[Footnote 84-2: Elizabeth, daughter of John Talbot, first Earl of Shrewsbury, was the wife of John Mowbray, fifth Duke of Norfolk.]

[Footnote 84-3: John de Vere, a staunch Lancastrian.]

[Footnote 85-1: John Tiptoft, Lord Treasurer and Chief-Constable of England. He was beheaded on a charge of cruelty, 18th October 1470.]

[Footnote 85-2: Elizabeth Woodville, Queen of Edward IV.]

[Footnote 85-3: Jaquetta of Luxemburg, d.u.c.h.ess-Dowager of Bedford, widow of Sir Richard Woodville, the mother of Edward's queen.]

[Footnote 85-4: William Gray.]

760

THE DUKE OF SUFFOLK'S MEN[86-1]

_To the Baillies, Constables, and Chamberleyns of our Burgh of Eye, and to everch of them._

THE DUKE OF SUFF.