The Paston Letters
Chapter 176 : And then I answed my Lord, and seyd how that at that tyme I had my maistyr within the

And then I answed my Lord, and seyd how that at that tyme I had my maistyr within the maner of Cotton, whyche was my modyr, and in to the tyme that I had spook with hyr I cowd geve none answer; and so my Lord sent Rychord Fulmerston, berer hereof, to my modyr thys day for an answer, whyche answer he schold bryng to my Lord to London, for my Lord rod to Londons word as yesterday, and the soner be cause he trustyd to have a good end of this mater and alle othyr be twyx yow, whyche he takyth for a gret worchep to hym, and a gret avantage bothe, and he cowd bryng this mater abowt, for then he wold trust to have your servyse, alle whyche wer to hym gret tresour and avantage.

And this was the answer that my modyr and I gave hym, that at the instans of my Lord and my Ladye we wold do thus myche as for to put the coort in contenuans, and no more to receyve of the profyts of the maner than we had, and had dystresid for tyll in to the tym that sche and I had werd ayen fro my Lord and yow, if so wer that they wold neythyr mak entreys nor dystreyn the tenantys, nor chepe no coort mor then we wold do. And we told Rychord Fulmerston that thys my modyr and I ded at the instans and gret request of my Lord, be cause my Lord intendyd pes, whyche resonably we wold not be ayenst, and yet we seyd we knew well that we schold have no thank of yow when ye knew of it, with owt it wer be cause we ded it at my Lordys instans. But be for thys answer we had receyvyd as myche sylvyr full ner as Rychord Calle sent us bokys of for to gadyryt bye; and as for the possessyon of the plase, we told hym that we wold kepe it, and Syr Gylberd agreyd, so that Yelverton and Jeney would do the same; for it was tyme for hym to sey so, for my Lord told hym that he wold hym fast by the feet ellys, to be suyr of hym, that he schold make non insurreccions in to the tyme that my Lord came ayen fro London.

I wene, and so dothe my modyr bothe, that thys appoyntment was mad in good tyme; for I was deseyvyd of bettyr than an C. men and an halfe that I had promyse of to have come to me when I sent for hem. Thys promes had I befor that I sent to yow the last lettyr the daye aftyr Seynt Myh.e.l.l.

Jenney herd seye that I cepyd Cotton, and he rod to Nacton, and ther held a cort and receyvyd the profytys of the maner.

I beseche yow that I may have knowlage in hast fro yow ye wyll that I be demenyd in thys mater and in al othyr, and I schal aplye me to fulfyll your intent in them to my power by the grace of G.o.d, whom I beseche have yow in guydyng, and sende yow yowyr herts desyir. Wretyn at Hemnalle Halle, in Cotton, the Thursday next befor Seynt Feythe.

My modyr recomandyth her to yow, and preyith yow to hold hyr excusyd that sche wrytyth not to yow at thys tyme, for sche may have no leyser.

The berer her of schall informe yow whedyr Jeney wyll agre to thys appoyntment or not. I thynk he dar do non othyr wyse.

Your sone and lowly servaunt,

JOHN PASTON.

[Footnote 197.1: [From Fenn, iv. 80.] The signature of this letter, according to the fac-simile referred to by Fenn, is that of Sir John Paston, the eldest son of the person addressed. The date is undoubtedly 1465, as it will be seen by Letter 610 that Margaret Paston entered Cotton on Sunday before Michaelmas in that year.]

[Footnote 198.1: The Duke of Norfolk.]

614

THE DUKE OF NORFOLK TO JOHN PASTON, THE YOUNGEST[200.1]

_To owr trusty and enterly beloved servaunt, John Paston, Esquyr._

THE DEUKE OF NORFF.

[Sidenote: 1465 / OCT. 12]

Ryght welbeloved servaunt, y grete yow hertly welle, sertefyng that we shulle be at fulle age on Fryday nexst comyng. Wherfor, wele consayled be the Lordes of owr Consayle and oder of owr Consayle, that ye, on of owr servaunts of howsholde, with oder, be with us at London on Fryday or Saterday nexst comyng at the ffurdest, too a companye us thann too owr worshyp, for we shull have thann levery of owr landes and offyces; and that ye ffayle us not, as ye woll have owr good Lordeshyp in tyme comyng; and also that ye doo warne owr ffeede men[201.1] and servaunts, suche as be nye too yow, that they be ther thann in owr leverey.

Y wreton the xij. day of October.

NORFF.

[Footnote 200.1: [From Fenn, iv. 62.] John Mowbray, third Duke of Norfolk, died on the 6th November 1461. It appears by the Inquisitions _post mortem_, 1 Edward IV., No. 46, that John, his son and successor in the t.i.tle, was seventeen years old on St.

Luke's Day (18th October) in that year. He must therefore have been born on the 18th October 1444, and would have been of full age on Friday, 18th October 1465. The John Paston, Esq., to whom this letter was addressed, must have been the youngest of that name, who, as we have seen already, had been serving in the Duke's household. His father was at this time a prisoner in the Fleet, so that the letter could not have been intended for him.]

[Footnote 201.1: Those who held lands of the Duke as their superior.]

615

THE DUKE OF SUFFOLK'S ATTACK ON h.e.l.lESDON[201.2]

[Sidenote: 1465 / OCT. 14]

Thys be the parcell underwryten of such G.o.dys as were taken and beren away at Haylesdon, of John Pastons, hys sones and hys servaunts by the Duk of Suffolk servaunts and tenaunts the xiiij. day of October the v.

yere of Kyng E. the iiij^te, the whych day the place of Haylesdon was broken and pullyd dowyn, &c.

In primis, ther was lost of John Pastons ther at that tyme in beddyng ij. ffeder bedds with ij. bolsters, iiij. materas, with iiij. bolsters; a grete seler with the testor, and iij. corteyns of whyte lynen cloth, and a coverlyte of whyte werstede longyng therto.

Item, a selere with a testore, and iij. corteyns of blewe bokeram with a coveryng of blew werstede longyng therto; v. pylowys of dowyn, vj.

coverlyts of werk of dyvers colors, vj. payr blankettys, ij. payr shytes of iij. webbys, ij. hedshytes of ij. webbys, vj. payre shytes of ij.

webbys, ij. basons of pewter, and iij. candelstykks of latyn for the chamber.

_The Botere._

Item, in primis, vj. bord clothys, vj. towellys, xij. napkyns, vj.

candelstykks of laton, ij. saltsalers of sylver, ij. saltsalers of pewter, ij. basons of pewter with ij. ewers, a barell of vyneger, a barell of vergyous, xij. ale stondys, ij. pantre knyves, a pyce of sylver, a pype for brede, a ale stole, xij. spones of sylver, &c.

_The Browhern._

Item, a grete lede to brew v. comb malte with one plawyng, a mayshsate, ij. kylyng sates, vj. kylers, ij. clensyng sates, a taptrogh, a temps to clense, with a scyppe to bere malte, a syff to syft malte, a bultyng pype, ij. knedyng satys, a moldyng bord.

_The Kychyn._

Item, ij. dosyn pewter vessell, iiij. grete bras pannes, iij. potts of bras, j. greddyron, ij. broches, j. dressyng knyff, j. morter of marbell with a pestell, j. litell panne of bras of di. galon, ij. pothoks, ij.

rakks of yron, ij. brendeletts, a almary to kepe in mete, j. axe to clyve wode, ij. saltyng satys to salte in fflesh.

_Gere taken owt of the Chyrch._

Item, in the stepell, ix. sheffe arwys, ix. bawys, ij. handgonnes, iiij.

chambers for gonnys, ij. mallys of lede, ij. jakks.

Item, in the church, a purs and iij. gold ryngs, a coler of sylver of the Kyngs lyvery and a n.o.byll of viij_s._ iiij_d._ the whych was Wykys.

Item, a syde gowne of blewe of Wyks.

Item, a stokke gonne with iij. chambers.

_Gere taken owte of the Chaumber of Ric. Calle._

Item, a syde morrey gowne, a dobelet of blak satyn, a payre hosyn, a jakks, the polronds of a payr bryganders of rede sateyn ffugr.

Item, a payr of large tabelles of box, pris vj_s._ viij_d._

Item, a staffe, pris iij_s._ iiij_d._

Item, boke of Frensh, pris iij_s._ iiij_d._

_Gere taken away of Margeret Pastons._

Item, an unce of gold of Venyse, di. pype of gold damask, di. unc' of gold of Gene, an unc' of sylk, a li. of threde, a close gla.s.se of yvery, a grete combe of yvere, a fyne kerchy of fyne Holond cloth, a quarter of blak velwet.

_Gere of Johanne Gayns._

Item, a ryng of gold with a dyamonics, a typet of sa.r.s.enet, a n.o.byll of x_s._, a n.o.byll viij_s._ iiij_d._