The Paston Letters
Chapter 120 : _Venerabili armigero, Johanni Paston seniori, detur haec litera._ [Sidenote: 1460 / JU

_Venerabili armigero, Johanni Paston seniori, detur haec litera._

[Sidenote: 1460 / JULY 6]

Honoris superni amorisque interni indissolubile vinculum tam venerabili viro in Christo condignum, praecordialissime magister ac amice singularis, non solum quales debeo sed quales valeo vobis refero grates cordiales pro vestris beneficiis quampluribus michi multiformiter exhibitis, pro quibus omnibus recompenset vos Altissimus. Honorabilis domine, causa motiva praesentis scripturae est haec. Ex magno cordis affectu audire desidero de vestra expeditione prospera in materia concernente testamentum et voluntatem venerabilis viri J. F.[220.2]

militis per Ricardum Calle vel Johannem Pampyng, vestros fideles servientes; quod si fieri non possit per relationem latoris praesentium, michi certificare dignemini. Cujus verbis audienciam credulam praebere curetis, sicut et michi dare velletis si vobisc.u.m personaliter interessem. Scire insuper dignetur vestra caritas quod iste frater, praesentium lator, est meus spiritualis filius, eo quod in ordinem per me indutus et professus et ad gradum sacerdotii promotus, jam per biennum continuum, fuit socius et servitor meus satis solaciosus in tempore meae gravissimae infirmitatis, in laboribus et vigiliis continuis, tam diurnis quam nocturnis, quorum occasione a suo libro et studio fuit multiformiter impeditus; sicque ad suos amicos non potuit habere recursum ad sui victus et vest.i.tus adquirendum subsidium. Cui si placet intuitu caritatis elemosinam per vos graciose collatam Willelmo nepoti meo ingratissimo, utinam non infidelissimo, latori praedicto dare curetis, qui vobis suam indigenciam fideliter explanabit et dicti nepotis viciosa demerita certissime declarabit. Unum enim scitote, si frater praedictus circa meam personam non fuisset multiformiter solicitus ego pluries fuissem mortuus. Spero enim per Dei graciam circa festum ad Vincula Petri vestram graciosam visitare presenciam, et de dicti fratris grat.i.tudinem clariorem dare noticiam. Cui propter Deum ad mei cordis multiforme solacium dicti beneficii ne denegetis suffragium, sicud in vobis gero confidenciam singularem. Non plura pro praesenti vobis offero calamo digna, sed vos, vestros et vestra defendat Trinitas alma, Quae vos graciose conservet in prosperis et graciosissimis dirigat in agendis.

Scriptum Donewici, in vigilia Translacionis Sancti Thomae Martiris.

Vester ad vota promptissimus ac orator pauperculus.

FRATER J. B., Minorum minimus.

[Footnote 220.1: [Add MS. 34,888, f. 147.] This is a letter of Friar Brackley, apparently written the year after Fastolf's death. It is in a large and regular handwriting, different from some of his other letters.]

[Footnote 220.2: Sir John Fastolf.]

[[quod si fieri non possit _text has "qood"_]]

410

THE YORKIST LORDS TO THE AUTHORITIES IN NORFOLK[221.1]

_The Erlys of Marche, Warwyke, and Salysbury._

[Sidenote: 1460 / JULY 23]

Ryght welbeloved, we grete you wele; and wher, for the tendre love that we have to the concervacion of the Kyngs peas, lawes, and justice in this his realme of Englonde, we have comaunded the Kyngs peeple in his name, be oure letters and diverse writyngs, that no man shulde robbe or dispoile Sir Thomas Todenham, Knyght, John Heyden, John Wyndham, Herry Todenham, and John Andrws, and other weche have sued to us for oure seide letters; we, wolyng to eschewe that any person shulde have colour be oure seide letters to noyse us, or any of us, that the seide Sir Thomas, John Heyden, John Wyndham, Herry, and John Andrws, or any other of suspecte fame, be accorded with us, or any of us, for suche wrongs as they, or any of ham, have do to us, our servaunts and tenants or wellwellers, or that we shulde hafe hem in tendrenesse or favour to discorage trewe people to swe a yen hem be the lawe; We therfore notyfie to yow, as we woll that it be notyfid to all people, that we, ne noon of us, intende not to favour or tendre hem, or any other of suspecte fame, but rather to corecte suche be the lawe, for we made our seid letters soly for kepyng of the pease and justice, and not for favour of suspecte condicione. And the Holy Trynyte kepe yow.

Wreten at London the xxiij^ti. day of Jule.

To all Meyers, Sceryves, Balyfys, Constables, and all the Kynges Offecers and Ministres in Norffolk, and eche on of hem.

[Footnote 221.1: [From Fenn, iii. 244.] This manifesto must have been issued in July 1460, after the battle of Northampton, when the King was in the hands of the confederate Lords. It certainly was not, as Fenn supposes, in 1455, after the battle of St.

Albans, when the Earl of March was only thirteen years old and the Duke of York, his father, was made Protector. York had not come over from Ireland in July 1460, and is consequently not named in this doc.u.ment.]

411

ABSTRACT[222.1]

THE KING TO JOHN NEDHAM AND THOMAS LITILTON, JUSTICES OF THE COUNTY PALATINE OF LANCASTER

[Sidenote: 1460(?) / JULY 26]

Desires them to show favour to the defendants in an appeal of robbery sued before them out of malice by Thomas Bury against John Berney of Redham, Norf., Junior, Esq., John Paston of Norwich, Esq., John Berney of Redham, Norf., Senior, Esq., John Hevenyngham, of Norwich, Esq., and Christopher Norwich of Brundehale. They are to receive no writ returned in the name of the Sheriff of Norfolk touching that matter except by the hands of the sheriff himself, or of John Bernarde his under-sheriff.

London, 26 July.

II. Another letter, similar in substance, in which no justices' names are given.

[These doc.u.ments cannot be later than 1460, as the younger John Berney died in July of that year (see next letter). But as Judge Littleton was only made a King's Serjeant in 1455, they cannot be many years earlier, and they are not unlikely to be of the year 1460 itself.]

[Footnote 222.1: [From Paston MSS., B.M.]]

412

JOHN PASTON TO MARGARET PASTON[223.1]

_To my wurschipfull coysyn, Margaret Paston, be this delyvered in haste._

[Sidenote: 1460 / JULY 28]

I recomaunde me unto you, letyng you witte that your unkyll, John Berney, is deed, whoos soule G.o.d have mercy; desyryng you to sende for Thomas Holler,[223.2] and enquere of hym wher his goode is, and what he is wurthe, and that he take goode eede to all suche goods as he had bothe meveable and on mevable; for I undre stande that he is wurthe in money v^c. [500] marke, and in plate to the valwe of other v^c. marke, beside other goods. Wherfor I wolde ye schulde not lete hym wete of his dissese unto the tyme that ye had enquered of the seide Thomas Holler of all suche maters as be a bovyn wreten, and whan he hathe enformed you therof, than lete hym wete verely that he is deede, desiryng hym that no man come on to his place at Redham but hym selfe, unto the tyme that I come.

Item, I lete you witte that gret parte of his goode is at William Taverners, as I undrestande. Thomas Holler woll telle you justely the trouthe as I suppose, and deseyre hym on my behalfe that he doo soo, and ther is writyng therof; and telle Thomas Holler that I and he be executours named, and therfore lete hym take heede that the goods be kept saffe, and that n.o.body knowe wher it shall lie but ye and Thomas Holler. And Thomas Holler, as your unkyll tolde me, is prevy wher all his goode lithe and all his writyng, and so I wol that ye be prevy to the same for casualte of deethe, and ye too shal be his executours for me as longe as ye doo trewly, as I trowe verely ye woll.

Wreten at London, the xxviij^t. day of Jule.

I requer yow be of G.o.d c.u.mfort and be not hevy, if ye wil do owth for me.

Yowr,

JOHN PASTON.

[Footnote 223.1: [From Fenn, iv. 36.] According to Fenn, Margaret Paston's uncle, John Berney, second son of John Berney, Esq. of Reedham, died in July 1461, and he accordingly places this letter in that year. It is evident, however, that John Berney was dead at the date of Nos. 431 and 462, the former written in January 1461, the latter certainly not so late as the 28th July in the same year, for Thomas Denys was murdered at the very beginning of the month. Indeed, it is clear that in No. 462 Margaret Paston wishes to arrange about the approaching anniversary of her uncle's death. John Berney must therefore have died in July 1460, although from the troubled character of the times his will (which is preserved in the Princ.i.p.al Registry at Somerset House), made on the 2nd June 1460 (Monday after the Feast of St. Petronilla the Virgin), was not proved till the 1st December 1461.]

[Footnote 223.2: When Berney's will was proved at Lambeth, 1st December 1461, administration was granted provisionally to Thomas Hooler, who was to send in accounts before the morrow of the Conversion of St. Paul (Jan. 26) following. Power was, however, reserved of committing administration to John Paston.

But John Paston did not appear on the day, and left the undivided administration to Hooler.]

[[written in January 1461 _text has "1561"_]]

413

ABSTRACT[224.1]

[Sidenote: 1460 / AUG. 1]

'Soutwerk c.u.m membris,' No. 50 _a._-- 'Inquisitio post mortem Johannis Fastolf militis capta per eschaetorem Regis, ubi mentio fit quorundam tenementorum, viz., the Berehouse, Boreshead, Hartshorne, et 2 molendinorum aquaticorum. Aug. 1, Hen. VI. 38.'

[Footnote 224.1: [From MS. Index in Magd. Coll., Oxford.]]

414

ANONYMOUS TO YELVERTON AND PASTON[225.1]

_To the right wors.h.i.+pful Seres, my right welbeloved and trusted cosyns, William Yelverton, Justice, and John Paston._