The Paston Letters
Chapter 152 : _To my ryght reverent and wurschip[full] mayster, my Mayster John Paston in the Ynner

_To my ryght reverent and wurschip[full] mayster, my Mayster John Paston in the Ynner Temple at London._

[Sidenote: 1463 / [FEB.]]

Plesith your goode maystrechip to witte that ther comen doune to the undrescheryff of Norwiche, a writte to a tache Mr. John P. the yongere, wherof I sende you a copy closed herin, but they woll not a reeste hym within Norwich; but I undrestande ther is comen an other writte to the undrescheryff of Norfolk bothe for hym and me, and for all thoo that ben indyghted. Wherfore I purpose me to ride to Hoonyng to the scheryff thys day, to undrestande how he is disposed, and to desire hym to shewe favour to your pore tenaunts; and as I feele hym disposed I schall send your maystres.h.i.+p answer.

And as for tidyngs here in this contre, we have noon but that ther be many Frenchemen upon the see and do moche answer upon the coosts. Mr.

Yelver[ton] knew of the comyng up of the _teste_ within ij. dayes after they were goon, &c. My ryght reverent and wurschipful maystre, the blissed Trinite preserve and kepe and ferther you in all your maters.

Sir William Wyllugby whas at Risynge Castell, and yesterday he come home a yenne. On Tentale hathe entred in to a parte of Felbregge lyvelod, and a corte holden, and the tenaunts retorned. Item, as for the cort that Deben[ham] schuld holde at Calcot we here not of it.

Your pore servaunt and bedman, R. C.

Rex vi[ce]comitibus Norwici, salutem. Praecepimus vobis quod capiatis Johannem Paston juniorem, nuper de Norwico, armigerum, si inventus fuerit in balliva vestra, et eum salvo custodiatis, ita quod habeatis corpus ejus coram n.o.bis a die Paschae in unum mensem ubicunque tunc fuerimus in Anglia, ad respondendum n.o.bis de quibusdam feloniis et transgressionibus unde in comitatu nostro Suffolchiae indictatus est. Et si praedictus Johannes in balliva vestra inveniri non poterit, tunc ad duos comitatus in balliva vestra citra terminum praedictum proximo tenendos juxta formam statuti in hujusmodi casu provisi proclamari faciatis quod idem Johannes sit coram n.o.bis ad praefatum terminum ad respondendum n.o.bis de praemissis. Et habeatis ibi hoc breve. Teste Johanne Markham apud Westmonasterium, x.x.xj die Januarii, anno regni nostri secundo.

CROXTON.

Rotulo xxvj R. Per contr' Anno secundo Regis Ed. iiij^ti r. xiij.

Irrotulatur coram Rege de recordo, termino Hillarii anno secundo Regis Ed. iiij^ti, prout patet in rotulo infrascripto.[69.1]

[Footnote 68.1: [From Paston MSS., B.M.] As the writ, of which a copy is subjoined to this letter, is dated on the 31st January in the second year of Edward IV. (1463), the letter itself must have been written in February.]

[Footnote 69.1: This note is to imply that the writ is enrolled among what are called the Records on the Coram Rege Roll of Hilary term, 2 Edw. IV., rot. 26, a former writ against John Paston, junior, being enrolled in the Controlment Roll, 2 Edw. IV., rot.

13.]

539

MARGARET PASTON TO JOHN PASTON[69.2]

[Sidenote: 1463 / FEB. or MARCH]

Please you to wet that Will. Jeney and Debham cam to Calcote on Wednysday before none, and ther they spake with Rysyng and John Smythe, and haskyd hem rent and ferme, and they seydyn they had payed you, and so they myght not paye hem. Also, ferthermore, they told hem that ye had hold a corte ther syn that they enteryd there. Than Jenney answerd ageyn 'Be cause he held a corte here we mad hym hold corte at London, and so shall we make the to hold a corte at Ipysweche withowt thow wolt pay us the rent and ferme.' 'Sir,' quod Rysyng, 'I toke the ferme of my master and of Sir Thomas Howys.' Jenney seyd, 'And as for Sir Thomas, he and we schall acord well i nowe.' And so they hahte seled up the berne dore and woll dryve a wey the catell bothe of the fermores and of the tenauntes, withowt the fermor and John Smythe woll fynd hem suerte to pay hem at Esterne, and Jenney and Debham woll [be] bownd ageyn to hem in a obligacion of xl_li._ to save hem harmelese ageyns you. And so as yet Rysyng standythe under award at Leystofte. So Rysyng hathe sent word to me that I shall knowe thys nyght or ellis to morowe what end they hathe mad.

Item, as towchyng the burges of Yermothe they wer chosyn on Wednysday.

The Baly Wydwell ys on; and as for the todyr the Bischoppe sent to the towne for to have a man of hys owne, and so they be not acordyd yit of hym; en cas they may not acord, John Rus shall be the todyr.

Item, as towchyng Grene, a came not to Caster on Thursday, for he went to Norwich the same day, and so he is yet ther. Daubeney hathe spokyn with Watkyn Shypdam for to be at Beyton on Monday to kepe a corte ther; and so he woll be at Caster on Sonday and spek with you, for he seythe that Fastolfe[70.1] hathe mad a cleyme ther to; that is the cause he wolle comon and speke with you ther of hym selff.

Item, I can not, ner Daubeney nowther, fynd your wyght boke; it is not in the trussyng cofyr, ner in the sprucheste nothyr. Jon Walsham toke me a quayer, I suppose it lo[n]gythe to the same boke, that same I send you, and the byllis of Walcote with ale sealyd. Wretyn this day.

By your,

M. P.

_On the back are the following accounts, written, in a very careless hand, by Richard Calle:_--

_Forene' Recept'._

De Johanne Prentice de Castelaere ad festum Sanctae Fidis per ma.n.u.s vicarii de Sporle, lx_s._

De Roberto Wylley clerico post Nativitatem Domini, c_s._

De Willelmo Whyte, vigil' Conversionis Sancti Pauli, vj_li._ xiij_s._ iiij_d._

De Edmundo Wynter, mason, de Bermynghem circa Conversionem Sancti Pauli, vj_s._ viij_d._

De Willelmo Elys de Wynterton ad Pascha, vj_s._ viij_d._

De Warino Herman ad Pascha, xiij_s._ iiij_d._

De Johanna Bakeney uxore Gerard, xiij_s._ iiij_d._

Item, de Johanne Russe.

Rec. de Willelmo Norwich et M. Johanne Smythe venditio jocalium Johannis Berney de Redham pro tant' denar' pro me pro debito ipsius Berney apud Redham solut', xx_li._ xvj_s._

_Recept' de Tesauro._

Inprimis, pro viagio Johannis Paston, Jun. c.u.m Rege et aliis causis (?) versus Annewyke de denariis receptis de debito prioris Norwicensis, l_li._

Item, de auro remanente de Coppes in eadem baga, lx_s._

Item, de baga pecuniae prestandae eodem tempore, viij. marc'.

Item, de remanent' in forcerio tesaur' li'berat'[71.1] frater meus Will' Yelv'n, x_s._ iiij_d._

_Termino Michaelis._[71.2]

Item, de pecunia remanente c.u.m Thoma Gresham apud London; termino Michaelis xx_li._, termino Hillarij, x.x.xiij_s._ iiij_d._, xxj_li._ xiij_s._ iiij_d._

Item, de tesauro London termino Michaelis, l. marc', termino Hillarij l. marc', termino Paschae l. marc', c_li._

Item, de tesauro Norffolk cariat' versus London termino Paschae, ultra xl_li._ remanens (_sic_) apud terminum Trinitatis, xl. marc'.

[Footnote 69.2: [From Paston MSS., B.M.] This letter, though not addressed, seems to have been written by Margaret Paston to her husband. The election referred to must have been that for the Parliament of 1463. From one expression used it is clear that it was written some time before Easter, and the dispute with Jenney and Debenham about Calcote proves the date to a certainty. Compare Nos. 538 and 540.]

[Footnote 70.1: Thomas Fastolf of Cowhawe.]

[Footnote 71.1: The words 'tesaur' liberat'' are interlined and apparently intended to be inserted here. I must leave the grammar of the sentence as it stands in the original. The word at the end, which I believe stands for 'Yelverton,' is very ambiguous from the careless writing.]

[Footnote 71.2: These words are inserted between the lines, but whether they were intended for a heading is a little uncertain.]

540

ABSTRACT[71.3]

[JOHN PASTON] TO JOHN PAMPYNG, RICHARD CALLE, AND WILLIAM WYKES.