The Paston Letters
Chapter 124 : [Footnote 236.5: [From Paston MSS., B.M.] This letter must have been written immediate

[Footnote 236.5: [From Paston MSS., B.M.] This letter must have been written immediately after the taking of the inquisition referred to in the preceding. The list of the jury who took it is on a separate paper found apart from this letter, in which it was enclosed. The names of those indicated as sworn are identical with those on the official record (Inquisitions _post-mortem_, 38 and 39 Hen. VI., No. 48), but seven additional names are included, besides one that is struck out.]

[Footnote 236.6: The inquisition. --_See_ p. 199, Note 2.]

[Footnote 236.7: Richard Southwell. --_See_ p. 191.]

[Footnote 237.1: This is a panel of the jury drawn up before the inquisition was taken. The heading and the word 'jur'' opposite the names of those sworn have been added afterwards.]

[Footnote 237.2: This name is scored out with the pen.]

423

MARGARET PASTON TO JOHN PASTON[238.1]

_To my ryth worchepfull husbond, Jon Paston, be thys delyveryd in hast._

[Sidenote: 1460 / OCT. 21]

Ryth worchepfull husbonde, I recomand me to yow. Plesyth it yow to weet that I receyvyd yowyr letter that ye sent me by Nycolas Colman on Sonday last past. And as for the mater that ye desyiryd me to breke of to my cosyn Rokwode, it fortunyd so that he came to me on Sonday to dyner sone aftyr that I had yowyr letter; and when we had dynyd, I mevyd to hym ther of in covert termys, as Playter shall informe yow eraftyr. And as I thowt by hym, and so ded Playter also by the langwage that he had to us, that he wold be as feythfull as he kowd or myte be to that good Lorde that ye wrot of, and to yow also, in ony thynge that he kowde or myte do in case wer that he wer set in offyse, so that he myth owte do; and ther to he seyd he wolde be bownde in a m^l. _li._ [1000] and he was so myche worthe.

As for the todyr that ye desyiryd I scholde meve to of the same mater, me semyth he is to yonge to take ony swhyche thyngys up on hym; and also I knowe veryly that he scholl never love feythfully the todyr man that ye desyiryd that he schuld do, for when he rem[em]bryth the tyme that is paste, and ther for I spak not to hym ther of.

Thys day was holde a gret day at Okyll[238.2] befor the undyr schreve and the undyr exchetor, for the mater of Syr Jon Fastolfys londys; and ther was my cosyn Rookwod and my cosyn Jon Berney of Redham, and dyvers odyr jentylmen and thryfty men of the contre; and the mater is well sped aftyr your intent (blyssyd be G.o.d!) as ye schall have knowlage of in hast.

I suppose Playter schall be with yow on Sonday or on Monday next comyng, if he may. Ye have many good prayers of the poer pepyl that G.o.d schuld sped yow at thys Parlement, for they leve in hope that ye schold helpe to set a wey that they myte leve in better pese in thys contre thane they have do befor, and that wollys schold be purveyd for, that they schuld not go owt of thys lond as it hathe be suffryd to do be for, and thane schall the poer pepyll more leve bettyr thane they have do by her ocwpacion ther in.

Thomas Bone hathe salde all yowyr wole her for xx_d._ a stone, and goode swerte fownd to yow ther for, to be payid a Myh.e.l.lmas next comyng; and it is solde ryth well aftyr that the wole was, for the moste part was ryte febyll. Item, ther be bowt for yow iij. horse at Seynt Feythys feyer, and all be trotterys, ryth fayir horse, G.o.d save hem, and they be well kepyd. Item, your myllys at Heylysdon be late [_let_] for xij.

marke, and the myller to fynde the reparacion; and Rychard Calle hathe let all yowyr londys at Caster; but as for Mawtby londys, they be not let yet. Wylliam Whyte hathe payid me a geyne thys daye hys x._li._, and I have mad hym a qwetans ther of, be cause I had not hys oblygacion.

Ther is gret talkyng in thys contre of the desyir of my Lorde of York.[239.1] The pepyll reporte full worchepfully of my Lord of Warwyk.

They have no fer her but that he and othyr scholde schewe to gret favor to hem that have be rewyllers of thys contre be for tyme.

I have done all yowyr erandys to Syr Thomas Howes that ye wrote to me for. I ame rythe glade that ye have sped welle in yowyr materys be twyx Syr Fylyp Wentworthe and yow, and so I pray G.o.d ye may do in all othyr materys to hys plesans. As for the wrytyngys that ye desyirid that Playter schulde sende yow, Rychard Call told me that they wer at Herry Barborys, at the Tempyll gate.

The mayir[239.2] and the mayires sent hedyr her dynerys thys day, and Jon Dame came with hem, and they dynyd her. I am beholde to hem, for they have sent to me dyvers tymys sythe ye yed hense. The meyr seyth that ther is no jentylman in Northefolk that he woll do more for than he wole for yow, if it laye in hys poer to do for yow. J. Perse is stylle in prisone, but he wolle not confese more thane he ded when ye wer at home. Edmond Brome was with me, and tolde me that Perse sent for hym for to come spek with hym, and he tolde me that he was with hym and examynyd hym, but he wold not be a knowe to hym that he hade no knowlage wher no goode was of hys masterys more thane he hade knowlageyd to yow. He tolde me that he sent for hym to desyir hym to labor to yow and to me for hym if ye had be at home; and he tolde me that he seyd to hym ayen that he wold never labor for hym but [_unless_] he myth know that he wer trwe to hys mastyr, thow it lay in hys power to do ryth myche for hym. I suppose it schulde do none harme thow the seyd Perse wer remevyd ferther. I pray to G.o.de yeve grace that the trowthe may be knowe, and that the dede may have part of hys owne goode. And the blissyd Trinyte have yow in Hys kepyng.

Wretyn in hast at Heylysden the Tuesday next aftyr Seynt Lwke.

Be yowyrs,

M. P.

[Footnote 238.1: [From Fenn, iv. 194.] Reference is made in this letter, as in the preceding, to the holding of the inquisition on Sir John Fastolf's lands at Acle, which was on Tuesday the 21st October 1460, the day this letter was written.]

[Footnote 238.2: Acle, in Norfolk.]

[Footnote 239.1: The claim made by Richard, Duke of York, to the Crown in Parliament on the 17 October 1460.]

[Footnote 239.2: John Gilbert, Mayor of Norwich.]

424

PIERS TO MARGARET PASTON[240.1]

_To myn right reverent and worchipphull Maisterez Paston, be this delivered._

[Sidenote: 1460]

Right reverent and wurchippfull maisteres, I recomaunde me un to yow, beseching yow of your good maisteress.h.i.+pp to be myn good maisteres to help wit your gracious woord un to myn right reverent and wurchipphull maister and your to take of me, his pore presoner and your, suerte queche I xall fynd to be bounde for me to brynge me un to all answere, in to the tyme that myn maister and ze have dimisse me wit myn suerte.

And bescheche your good maistereschipp to prey myn mayster that he will yeve yow lycense wit his wurchippfull counsaill and youre, in case that myn maister may nout tarie, that ze in his absence may take myn seid suerte. And if it please his heyghnesse and youre, that I may have answere ayene be the bryngere of this, and here up I xall send for myn suertes, queche I trust in Good xul be to your plesure. No more att this tyme. I prey G.o.d evyr have yow in kepyng.

Be your pore presonere,

PIERS, sum tyme the servaunt of

John of Berneye.

[Footnote 240.1: This and the letter following appear to have been written by the prisoner spoken of in the end of Margaret Paston's letter immediately preceding. We have accordingly placed them here as belonging to the same period, though from a subsequent letter (No. 462) we may rather surmise that this first of the two was written in 1461.]

425

PERSE TO SIR ROBERT ROKESBY[241.1]

_To my right worschipfull Sir, Robert Rokysby._

[Sidenote: 1460]

Ryght wurs.h.i.+pfull Sir, I recomaunde me to you, besechyng you, of your goode masters.h.i.+p, that ye wol wechesafe to speeke to Richard Kowven that he myght brynge me or sende me the money that is betwen hym and me in all the haste that he maye, for in goode feythe I hadde never more neede for to have help of my goode as I have at this tyme, for, G.o.dwot, it stonde right straunge with me; for the false chayler that kepeth me entretethe me worse thanne it weere a dogge, for I am feterid worse thanne ever I whas, and manacled in the hands by the daye and nyght, for he is a feerde of me for brekyng a weye. He makethe false tales of me, throw the means of a false qwene that was tendyng to a Frensheman that is presoner to my Lord Roose,[241.2] and for be cause of that he bronde me every day be John of Berney, that is goone to the tother Lords;[242.1] but I truste to G.o.d oonys to qwite hys meede. And, Sir, I thanke you mekel of that ye have doone for me or seide; and, Sir, I shal deserve it a yenst yow, be the grace of G.o.d, for i' feythe I am be holden to you more thane to all men that ever I founde syn I cam in preson.

No more to you at this tyme, but G.o.d have you in His kepyng.

Be your servaunt and bedman,

PERSE.

[Footnote 241.1: [From Fenn, iii. 432.]]

[Footnote 241.2: Thomas, Lord Roos. He fled to Scotland with Margaret of Anjou after the battle of Towton in 1461, and was beheaded at Newcastle after the battle of Hexham in 1464.]

[Footnote 242.1: The Lords of the Duke of York's party.]

426

FRIAR BRACKLEY TO JOHN PASTON[242.2]