The Paston Letters
Chapter 114 : Item, j. barell, dim. alec. alb. di.Item, j. barrell. anguill., unde car. cc. anguill.

Item, j. barell, dim. alec. alb. di.

Item, j. barrell. anguill., unde car. cc. anguill.

Item, j. ferkyn anguill. hoole. Item, j. barrell.

Item, j. bussch.e.l.l salt albi. Item, j. quart, alb. sal.

[[Item, j. quart, alb. sal. _text has "alb sal."_]]

390

FASTOLF'S COLLEGE[189.1]

Ultima exitacio domini Johannis Fastolf ad concludendum festinanter c.u.m Johanne Paston fuit quod vicecomes Bemond, Dux Somerset, comes Warwyk, voluerunt emere, et quod intendebat quod executores sui desiderabant vendere et non stabilire colegium; quod totaliter fuit contra intencionem sui dicti Johannis Fastolf; et considerabat quod certum medium pro licencia Regis et dominorum non providebatur, et sic tota fundatio colegii pendebat in dubiis; et ideo ad intencionem suam perimplendam desideravit dictum barganium fieri c.u.m Johanne Paston, sperans ipsum in mera voluntate perficiendi dictum colegium et ibidem manere ne in manibus dominorum veniat.

Item, plures consiliarii sui dixerunt quod licet fundaret regulos seu presbiteros, aut eicientur per clamia falsa aut compellantur adherere dominis pro manutinencia, qui ibidem ad costus colegii permanerent et morarent[ur] et colegium destruerent; et hac de causa consessit eos ditari in pencionibus certis ad modum cantariae Heylysdon, sic quod dictus Johannes haberet ad custus proprios conservacionem (?) terrarum erga querentes et clamatores; et ne executores diversi propter contrarietates et dissimulaciones se favores----[190.1]

Item, considerabat quod ubi monechy et canonesi [_monachi et canonici_]

haberent terras seu tenementa ad magnam [_sic_] valorem, scilicet m^l.

[1000] vel ij. m^l. [2000 _sc. librarum_], tam singulares monachi et canoneci tantum per se resiperent [_reciperent_] xl_s._ per annum et prandium, et quod abbas, officiarii et extraequitatores expenderent residuum in mundanis et riotis; et ideo ordinavit dotacionem praedictam in annuetatibus.

Et quod non fuit intencio dicti Johannis Fastolf in convencione praedicta mortificare CCC. marcas terrae, quia prima convencio Johannis Paston est solvere v. m^l. [5000] marcas in tribus annis et fundare colegium quod in intencione dicti Johannis Fastolf constaret m^l. [1000] libr., et semper dedit Johanni Paston mancionem suam in manerio et tota terra [_sic_] in Northefolk et Southefolk a.s.sessa ad v. C. [500] marcas annuatim, tunc Johannes Paston emeret revercionem CC. marcarum terrae quae valet iiij.[190.2] m^l. [4000] marcas ad suam propriam adventuram pro vj. m^l. v. C. [6500] marcis.

Item, pro tranquillita[te] et pace tempore vitae, ita ut non perturbetur per servos hospicii, ballivos, firmarios seu attornatos placitorum.

Item quod abbas de Sente Bede[191.1] potuit resistere fundationi, intentione ut tunc (?) remaneat sibi et suis.

_Endorsed:_-- 'Causa festinae barganiae inter Fastolf et Paston.'

[Footnote 189.1: [From Paston MSS., B.M.] This paper is a very rough draft, full of errors in grammar and spelling. Additions have been made to the text here and there in the handwriting of John Paston. It was evidently written after Sir John Fastolf's death, possibly several years later.]

[Footnote 190.1: _Sic_--the sentence left unfinished.]

[Footnote 190.2: The figures 'iiij.' are blurred.]

[Footnote 191.1: Apparently St. Benet's is intended.]

391

WILLIAM PASTON TO JOHN PASTON[191.2]

_To my Maistr Jon Paston in Norffolk._

[Sidenote: 1459 / NOV. 12]

Rythe will belovyd broder, I recomand me to zow, sertefyeng zow that on Fryday last was in the mornyng, Wurceter and I wer come to London be viij. of the clok, and we spak with my Lord Chanceler,[191.3] and I fund hym well disposyd in all thyng, and ze schall fynd hym ryth profytabyll to zow, &c. And he desyred me to wrythe zow a letter in hys name, and put trust in zow in gaderyng of the good togeder, and pray zow to do so and have all his good owthe of every place of his, and his awne place, qwer so ever they wer, and ley it secretly wer as ze thowth best at zowr a.s.synement, and tyll that he speke with zow hym selff, and he seyd ye schuld have all lawfull favor. I purpose to ryde to him this day ffor wryttis of _diem clawsit extremum_,[191.4] and I sopose ze schall have a letter sent from hym selff to zow.

As for the good of Powlis, it is safe j now [_enough_]; and this day we have grant to have the good owthe of Barmundsey with owthe avyse of any man, sawyng Worseter, Plomer, and I my selff, and no body schall know of it but we thre.

My Lord[191.5] Treasorer[191.6] spekyth fayr, but zet many avyse me to put no trust in hym. Ther is laboryd many menys to intytill the Kyng in his good. Sothewell[191.7] is Eschetor, and he is rythe good and well disposyd. My Lord of Exsater[192.1] cleymyth tytill in myn master plase, with the aportynancys in Sothewerk, and veryly had purposyd to have entrid; and his consayll wer with us, and spak with Wurseter and me. And now afterward they have sent us word that they wold meve my Lord to sue be menys of the lawe, &c. I have spoke with my Lord of Canterbury and Master Jon Stokys, and I fynd hem rythe will disposyd bothe, &c.

Item, to morow ar the nexst day ze schall have a noder letter, for be that tyme we schall know mor than we do now.

My Lord Chanceler wold that my master schuld be beryed wurchyply, and C.

mark almes done for hym; but this day I schall holly know his enthent.

Master Jon Stokys hathe the same consaythe and almes gevyng. Harry Fenyngley is not in this towne, ner the Lord Bechamp.

Item, we have gethe men of the speretuall law with haldyn with us, qwat ca.s.se some ever hap. We have Master Robert Kenthe, but in any wyse have all the good ther to gedyr, and tary for no lettyng, thow ze schuld do it be day a lythe [_daylight_] opynly, for it is myn Lord Chanceler ffull in thenthe that ze schuld do so.

As for Wyllyam Worceter, he trustythe veryly ze wold do for hym and for his avaylle, in reson; and I dowthe nott and he may veryly and feythefully understand zow so disposyd to hym ward, ze schall fynd hym feythefull to zow in leke wysse. I understand by hym he will never have oder master b.u.t.t his old master; and to myn consaythe it were pete b.u.t.t iff he schull stand in suche ca.s.se be myn master that he schuld never nede servyce, conserying [_considering_] how myn master trustyd hym, and the long zers that he hathe be with hym in, and many schrew jornay for his sake, &c.

I wrythe zow no mor, be cawse ze schall [have] a noder letter wretyn to morow. Wretyn at Lundon the xij. day of Novembr, in hast, be

w.i.l.l.yAM PASTON.

[Footnote 191.2: [From Fenn, iii. 352.] This letter gives an account of the steps taken by William Paston in behalf of his brother, who was Sir John Fastolf's princ.i.p.al executor, to secure the goods of the deceased knight immediately after his death.]

[Footnote 191.3: William of Waynflete, Bishop of Winchester.]

[Footnote 191.4: _See_ vol. ii. p. 16, Note 1.]

[Footnote 191.5: The left-hand copy in Fenn reads 'brod,' which seems to be a misprint.]

[Footnote 191.6: James Butler, Earl of Wilts.h.i.+re and Ormond.

Beheaded in 1461.--F.]

[Footnote 191.7: Richard Southwell.]

[Footnote 192.1: Henry Holland, Duke of Exeter.]

[[WILLIAM PASTON TO JOHN PASTON[191.2] _footnote tag missing_]]

392

SIR JOHN FASTOLF AND JOHN PASTON[193.1]

[Sidenote: 1459 / NOV. 26]

Memorandum, that I Robert Fytzrawff, Esquyer, recorde that I, beyng in my Master Fastolff chambre, lenyng upon the gret bedde, at suche tyme as John Paston, Esquyer, Master John Brackeley, Master Clement Felmyngham, weere in comonycacion with my seid master of dyvers gret maters towchyng his will, and serten appoyntmentes a twyx my seid master and the seid John Paston, in the weke next be ffor my seid master dissesid, I hard my seid master and the seid John Paston appoynte and conclude that the seid John Paston shulde take upon hym the rwle of my masters howsold and of all his lyflod in Norffolk and Suffolk duryng his lyve; and aftir his dissese the seid John Paston shulde do ffounde a colage at Caster of vij. monkes or prestis, and pay iiij. m^l. mark of money be yeres to my seid masteres executoris, at eche payment viij^c. marke, till the seid som wer paid; and that the seid John Paston shulde have all the lyvelode that was my seid masters in Norffolk and Suffolk to hym and to his heyres in fee. And aftir this seid mater rehersed my seid master seide these wordes, 'Cosyne, I pray you and requere you, lete this be settled in all hast withowte tarying, for this is my very last wille.' Also be it knowe to all men that I had knowlege of this bargayne dyverse tymes halfe-yere past, and how my seid Master Fastolff and the seid John Paston wer nye at a conclucion of the seid maters a quarter of a yere be fore this last bargayne was made.

Wrete at Caster the xxvj. day of Novembre the x.x.xviij. yere of Kyng Herry the s.e.xte. In witnesse wherof, I have syngnyd this bull with myn own hand and sette to my seale.

ROBT. FETZRAWFF.

[Footnote 193.1: [From a Bodl. MS.]]

393