The Paston Letters
Chapter 209 : Item, my Lorde of Warwyk, as it is supposyd, schall goo with the Kynge in to Lyncolne

Item, my Lorde of Warwyk, as it is supposyd, schall goo with the Kynge in to Lyncolne schyre; some men seye that hys goyng shall doo goode, and som seye that it dothe harme.

I praye yow evyr have an eyghe to Caster, to knowe the rewle ther, and sende me worde, and whyther my wyse Lorde and my Lady be yit as sottyt [_? besotted_] uppon it as they were; and whether my seyd Lorde resortythe thyddre as offte as he dyd or nott; and off the dysposycion off the Contre.

J. P., K.

[Footnote 68-1: [From Fenn, ii. 28.] From the reference to the King's being about to go into Lincolns.h.i.+re, and what is said of the Earl of Warwick, it may be clearly inferred that this letter was written on the outbreak of the insurrection of Sir Robert Welles in the beginning of March 1470.]

[Footnote 68-2: Here (according to Fenn) follows an account of bills and receipts, etc.]

[Footnote 69-1: Here (according to Fenn) follows an account of some disputes between Sir William Yelverton and Sir John Paston, his uncle William, etc., of no consequence.]

[Footnote 69-2: _shall._ This word is not in Fenn's left-hand or literal transcript, but is given as part of the text in the right-hand copy.]

743

ANONYMOUS TO JOHN PASTON[70-1]

_To my Cosyn, J. Paston._

[Sidenote: 1470 / MARCH 27]

The King camme to Grantham, and ther taried Th.o.r.esday all day; and ther was headed Sir Thomas Dalalaunde, and on John Neille, a greate capteyn; and upon the Monday next after that at Dancastr, and ther was headed Sir Robert Wellys, and a nothr greate capteyn; and than the King hadde warde that the Duk of Clarence and the Erle of Warwick was att Esterfeld [_Chesterfield_], xx. mile from Dancastre.

And upon the Tewesday att ix. of the bell, the King toke the feld, and mustered his people; and itt was seid that wer never seyn in Inglond so many goodly men, and so well arreiyed in a feld. And my Lord was whorsshupfully accompanyed, no lord ther so well; wherfor the King gaffe my Lord a greate thanke.

And than the Duk of Clarence and the Erle of Warwik harde that the King was comyng to them warde, in contynent they departed and wente to Manchestre in Lanca.s.s.h.i.+re, hopyng to have hadde helpe and socour of the Lord Stanley, b.u.t.t in conclucion ther they hadde litill favor, as itt was enformed the King, and so men sayn they wente westward, and sommen demen to London. And whan the King harde they wer departed and gon, he went to York, and came theder the Th.o.r.esday next aftr, and ther camme in to hym all the gentilmen of the s.h.i.+re; and uppon our Lady Day [he] made Percy Erle of Northumberland, and he that was Erle affore Markeys Muntakew. And [so][71-1] the King is purposed to come southwarde, G.o.d send hym G.o.d spede.

Writen the xxvij. day of March.

FOR TROWYTH.

[Footnote 70-1: [From Fenn, ii. 36.] This letter gives an account of the suppression of the rebellion in Lincolns.h.i.+re in 1470.]

[Footnote 71-1: This word is not in the text of Fenn's literal transcript, but it is given without brackets in the transcript in modern spelling.]

744

ABSTRACT[71-2]

WILLIAM WORCESTER TO ----

[Sidenote: 1470]

Letter in English, on paper (signed W. W., but unaddressed), desiring some one to propose to 'my Lord' [the Bishop of Winchester?] the obtaining of a letter from Sir John Paston to the tenants of t.i.tchwell that he will not claim any rents from them, and another from 'my Lord,'

to the same effect, on behalf of Sir William Yelverton; and the sending a warrant to expend 4 or 6 marks upon making up the sea banks before the t.i.tchwell pastures, because at Spring the sea breaks in upon them.

Desires to know whether Sir W. Yelverton's advice shall be taken upon business matters. 'Frere' Geffrey Westvale is going to be created Doctor in Theology at Cambridge, at the Feast of St. John, who twenty years past, when at Yarmouth convent, belonged to 'my Maister Fastolf'; and Sir Thomas Howys, a month before his decease, promised to help him on Mr. Fastolf's order. He would have come now to 'my Lord' to ask his alms had not the writer letted him. Desires to be informed whether 'my Lord'

will help him. 'Maister Briston yn lykewyse Maister Spicer, and Maister Stevyns, trustyn appon me and dyvers others to speke to my Lord for a relyeve,' and Thomas Fastolf and Milcent Fastolf, and many others, 'that make me noyed and werye.'

[Footnote 71-2: [From MS. t.i.tchwell, 120, in Magdalen College, Oxford.] From internal evidence it would seem that this letter must have been written shortly before that which follows it. The abstracts of these two letters have been kindly supplied to me by Mr. Macray.]

745

ABSTRACT[72-1]

[Sidenote: 1470 / MAY 17]

Letter in English from W. Wyrcestre to Bishop Wayneflete.--Has been at Tychewell to endeavour to let the manor and farm, but none of the farmers there will take it without guarantees from Sir John Paston and Sir William Yelverton in writing against any distraint. . . . . the younger, who owes 9, will come to the Bishop about the letting. The writer represents his own poor condition. Has been at charges ten years in London, and in riding on the infinite process of 'my Maister Fastolf's testament yn the court of audience.' Is now obliged to retire from London to Cambridge in order to live cheaply. Had been promised 25 marks on Paston's behalf, 20 marks for ever of Fastolf's lands, 5 marks of fee for his life, and 15 worth of land for ever. Has not had clearly 8 marks.

[Footnote 72-1: [From MS. t.i.tchwell, 199, in Magdalen College, Oxford.]]

746

JOHN PASTON TO SIR JOHN PASTON[72-2]

_To Syr John Paston, Knyght, or to Thomas Stompys, to delyver to the seyd Syr John._

[Sidenote: 1470 / JUNE 22]

Ryght worchepfull syr, and my specyall good brodyr, I recomand me to yow; and for as myche as I can not send yow good tydyngs, ye shall have syche as I knowe.

It is so that on Wednysday last past ye and I, Pampyng, and Edmund Broom were endyttyd of felonye at the Sessyons her in Norwyche for shotyng of a gonne at Caster in August last past, whyche goone slowghe two men, I, Pampyng and Broom as pryncypall, and ye as accessary; notwithstandyng Townysend[73-1] and Lomner held an oppynyon that the verdytt is voyd, for ther wer ij. of th'enqwest that wold not agre to th'endyttment. And in as myche as they ij. wer agreyd in othyr maters, and not in that, and that they two wer not dyschargyd fro the remnant at syche tym as that verdyth of yowyr endytment was govyn, ther oppynyon is that all the vordyght is voyde, as well of all othyr maters as of yowyr. Whedyr ther opynyon be good or not, I can not determyne, nor them sylf neythyr.

I pray yow let not thys mater be slept, for I can thynk that my Lord of Norff. consaylle wyll cawse the wedows to tak an apell, and to remeve it up in to the Kyngs Benche at the begynyng of this term. Townysend hathe promysyd me that he shall be at London on Twysday next comyng, and then ye may comon with hym in that mater, and take hys avyse.

Item, Townysend and Lomner thynk that and ye have good consayll, ye may justyfye the kepyng of the plase for the pesybyll possessyon that ye have had in it mor then iij. yeer; but in conclusyon, all thys is doo for nowght ellys but for to enforse yow to take a dyreccyon with my Lord of Norff.

I undyrstood by R. Sothewell--for he and I comonyd in thys mater ryght largely betwyx hem and me--in so myche he tellyth me that and I be at London in the wek next aftyr Seynt Petyr, at whych tyme he shall be ther hym sylf, he seyth that my Lady hathe promysyd me hyr good ladyshep, and sent me woord by hym, in as myche as he spak for me to hyr, that she wold remembyr myn old servyse, and for get the gret dysplesyr in syche wyse that I shall undyrstand that the swtte that I have mad to my Lord hyr husbond and hyr shall torne to your avantage and myn, more then we weene as yett or shall undyrstand tyll syche tyme as I have spokyn with hyr good grace. And upon thys promesse I have promysyd Sothewell to meet with hym at London that same weeke next aftyr Seynt Petyr; wherfor I wold pa.s.syngly fayne that ye wer in London at that season, or nye abowght London, so that I myght undyrstand at your plase wher that I myght spek with yow or then I spek with my Lady.

I propose to go to Canterbery[74-1] on foot thys next week, with G.o.dds grace, and so to com to London fro thense. I pray yow se that I be safe for Parker and Henry Coletts mater.

Sothewell[74-2] told me thys, that if so be that ye wyll your sylf, ye shall have bothe goode lordshep and ladyshep, and mony or lond, or both, and all your maters set cler. What that he menyth, I can not sey. As for all othyr maters in thys contre, I shall do as well as I may for fawt of monye tyll I spek with yow. I have many collars on, as I shall tell yow when I come.

No more, but G.o.d preserve yow and yours. Wretyn at Norwyche, Fryday next aftyr Corpus Christi Daye.

J. P.

I ded as myche as I kowd to have lettyd th'endyttment, but it wold not be, as I shall enform you; and Townysend knowyth the same.

[Footnote 72-2: [From Fenn, iv. 428.] As this letter refers to an incident in the siege of Caister as having taken place 'in August last,' there can be no doubt about the date.]

[Footnote 73-1: Probably Roger Townsend, afterwards Justice of the Common Pleas.]

[Footnote 74-1: On pilgrimage to the shrine of Saint Thomas Becket, I suppose.--F.]

[Footnote 74-2: Richard Southwell, Esq. of Wood-Rising. He acquired this estate by marrying Amy, daughter and co-heir of Sir Edmund Wichingham, Knight.--F.]