The Paston Letters
Chapter 148 : _To the right worshypful my right honourabyl mayster, John Paston._ [Sidenote: 1462 /

_To the right worshypful my right honourabyl mayster, John Paston._

[Sidenote: 1462 / JULY 15]

Right wors.h.i.+pfull sir, and my right honourabill maister, I recomaund me to you in my most humble wyse, and please your maistirs.h.i.+p to wete that her is on Thomas Chapman, an evyl disposyd man al wey ayens you, as I have informyd youre maistirs.h.i.+p many tymes, and now he hathe labouryd to my Lord Tresorer to subplante me, and brought down wryghting from the Kyng and my Lord Tresorer; but or hise wryting cam, Wydwell fond the meanys, be the supportacion of Maistir Feen, that we had a discharge for hym out of the Chauncery; wherfor the seyd Chapman proposyth to be at London in all haste, and to avertise the Kyng and my Lord Tresorer ageyn me to the grettest hurt he can imagyne. Wherfor I beseke youre maystirs.h.i.+p, consedryng is evyl disposecion to yow, and also the rather at my pore instaunce, that ye lyke that my Lord Tresorer myght undyrstonde that the seyd Chapman is of no reputacion, but evyl disposyd to brybory of straungers, and be colour of hise office of supervisor of the searche shal gretly hurte the port. The seyd Chapman supportors is Blakeney, clerk of the sygnet, and Avery Cornburght, yoman of the Kynges chaumbre. He hathe here of Avereyes xxiiij. tune wyn, whereof at the long wey he shal make the seyd Averey a lewd rekenyng. The seyd Chapman lovyth not you, nor no man to yow wards, &c.

Sir, I prey G.o.d brynge you onys to regne amongs youre c.u.n.tre men in love, and to be dred. The lenger ye contynwe there the more hurt growyth to you. Men sey ye will neyther folwe the avyse of youre owyn kynred, nor of youre counsell, but contynwe your owyn wylfullnesse, whiche, but grace be, shal be youre distrucion. It is my part to enfourme youre maistirshyp as the comown voyse is, G.o.d betir it, and graunt yow onys herts ease; for it is half a deth to me to here the generall voyse of the pepyll, whiche dayli encrea.s.syth, &c.

Sir, I beseke youre maistirshyp to remembre my maystresse for the lytil sylvir, whiche for serteyn thyngs delyverid to youre use is dewe to me.

I have nede of it now. I have bought salt and other thyngs, whiche hathe brought me out of myche sylvir. I wold trust, and I nedyd to borwe xx_li._, your maistirshyp wold ease me for a tyme, but thys that I desyre is myn owyn dute. And Jesu graunt yow ever yowr herts desyre to youre worshyp and profyt, and preserve yow my right honourabyll maister from all adversyte.

Wretyn at Jernemuthe, the xv. day of July. Here is a kervyl [_carvel_]

of Cane in Normandy, and he takyth d.u.c.h.emen, and raunsumyth hem grevously.

Yore servaunt and bedman,

JOHN RUSSE.

[Footnote 47.1: [From Fenn, iv. 120.] The precise year in which this letter was written is a little uncertain, but from the date and contents it would appear that Russe was now in possession of the office which in No. 515 he had asked Paston to procure for him; so that it cannot be earlier than 1462.]

526

WILLIAM PASTON TO JOHN PASTON[48.1]

_To myn wurchipfull broder, Jon Paston._

[Sidenote: 1462 / JULY]

Ryththe wurchipfull broder, I recomand [me] to zow. Lekit it zow to wethe [_wit_], Jon of Dam is come to towne, and purposit hym to tary here a day ar ij. ar longar, I can thynk, and he be desyryd. Were fore I pray zow, and as I have afore this tyme desiryd zow the same, that suche materis as hathe be comunyd now lathe be twyx myn moder, zow and hym, may take some good conclucyon be twyx owre selff here at hom. And in myn consayt, savyng zow better avyse, it were so most convenyent and wurchipfull for us all, and comforthe to all owre fryndis. And for this ententhe I wold tary here the lengar; for I wold be as glad as any man a lyve that suche an ende mythe be take be twix us that iche off us all schuld inyoy the wylleffar off odyr, qweche I trust with zowr good help schall be rythe wyll, and I dowthe nat myn mastyr Markam wyll be will plesyd thus.

I have tydynges from London, and a monge odyr tydynges I have knowlage that Cirstofre Hanson is pa.s.sid to G.o.d on Saterday last past, at ij. of clok after mydnythe. It is good to take hede there to, &c.

Item, I sent to zow to have had zowre avyse qwat menys were best to make for the mater towchyng the Lord Scrop, qwere in I had an answer, but me thowthe it was not to the poynthe. I sopose, and I purposyd to make the labore that ze sent me word I schuld do towchyng me, I can thynk I schuld sone be answerid, meche sonar than he. I must send some answer to hym, were in I wold have zowr consayll; for he desirid the same, and I wold not he schold thynk that he were forgotyn be us.

Be zowr pore broder,

WILLIAM PASTON.

I can thynk and he were here he wold be a feythfull frynd to zow; but and so were that ze thowthe that it were for to labore for any oder man, me thynkit it were for zow to remembre myn nevew. That were somewat lykly, and there to wold I be glad to help and lene to the toder. For as for me, I know so moche that sche will none have but iff he have, ar be leke to have, meche more lond than I have; and iff I knewe the contrary, it schuld nat be left for the labore, but I wold not be in a folis paradyce, and ze be myn good brodir. I trust thow to do rythe will, &c.

[Footnote 48.1: [From Paston MSS., B.M.] The reference to the death of Christopher Hanson proves this letter to have been written in July 1462, as the precise date of his death is given in Letter 528.]

[[Cirstofre Hanson _text unchanged: error for "Cristofre"?_]]

527

THOMAS PLAYTER TO JOHN PASTON[50.1]

_To my rigth good maister, John Paston the oldest, beyng at Heylesdon, besyde Norwiche, in hast._

[Sidenote: 1462 / JULY]

Please your maisters.h.i.+p wete that Christofer Hanson is ded and beryed; and as for executor or testament, he mad non.

As for tydyngs, the Erles of Warrewyk, of Ess.e.x, Lord Wenlok, Bysshop of Dereham, and other go in to Scotland of inba.s.sat. And as for the sege of Kaleys, we here no mor ther of, blyssed be G.o.d, ho have you in His kepying.

Item, as for Christofers papers that longeth to your tenants, I have goten of William Worcester; and as for all the remnaunt of Christofer good, William Worcester hath the reule as hym semeth most convenient.

Your,

THOMS PLAYTER.

[Footnote 50.1: [From Fenn, iv. 124.] This letter, like the last, is dated by the letter following.]

528

PLAYTER TO JOHN PASTON[50.2]

_To my maister, John Paston, at Heylesdon._

[Sidenote: 1462 / JULY]

Item, plese you wete of other tytyngs. These Lords in your other letter,[50.3] with Lord Hastyngs and other, ben to Karlyle to resseve in the Qwen of Scotts;[50.4] and uppon this appoyntement, Erle Duglas[50.5]

is comaunded to come thens, and as a sorwefull and a sore rebuked man lyth in the Abbey of Seynt Albons; and by the said appoyntement schall not be reputed, nor taken, but as an Englyssheman, and if he come in the daunger of Scotts, they to sle hym.

Item, Kyng Harry and his Aderents in Scotland schall be delyvered; and Lord Dakres of the Northe is wonne and yelden, and the seid Lord, Sir Richard Tunstall, and on Byllyngham in the said Castell ben taken and heded.

Item, the Qwen and Prince ben in Fraunce and ha mad moche weyes and gret peple to com to Scotland and ther trust to have socour, and thens to com in to Inglond: what schall falle I can not sey, but I herd that these appoyntements were take by the yong Lords of Scotland, but not by the old.

Your,

PLAITER.

Christofer dyed on the Satarday next be for Seynt Margret,[51.1] Anno.

E. ij^do.

[Footnote 50.2: [From Fenn, i. 270.] This letter seems to have been penned immediately after the last was sent off.]

[Footnote 50.3: _i.e._ the other letter to you--meaning No. 527.]

[Footnote 50.4: Mary of Gueldres, widow of James II.]

[Footnote 50.5: James, Earl of Douglas, who had been banished from Scotland, but was made by Edward IV. a Knight of the Garter.]

[Footnote 51.1: St. Margaret's Day was the 20th July. The Sat.u.r.day before it in 1462 was the 17th.]