The Paston Letters
Chapter 102 : Item, I will and ordeyne that myn houshold be holdyn and kept with my menyal servauntz

Item, I will and ordeyne that myn houshold be holdyn and kept with my menyal servauntz be the s.p.a.ce of half yeer aftyr my deseas, soo as they wyll be trewe to me and obedyent to myn executorys, and here wages for that tyme payd, and that in the meane tyme they purvey hem for othyr servise as they lyke best to avise to leve in trouthe; and if ony servaunt be well governyd and holde ageyns my ... or ageyn myn executorys to breke my good disposecion, I wy[ll that he shall be?]

remevyd, and that he abyde noo lenger among the fel ... ... ... .

trewly avoydid withoutyn ony reward of me or of myn ex[ecutores].

*[Item, I will and ordeyne that amonges othyr lordes, frendes, and kynesmen that I desyre, [for] the discharge of my concience, be put in remembraunce of preyeris for the [good] affeccion I hadde on to them that I desyre shuld be preyed fore, is the soule of that blyssyd prynce, Thomas Bedford,[156.1] late Duke of Excestre, the soulys of the Lord Tibtot, Rauff, Lord Crumwell, Sir John Radclife, my brothyr-in-lawe, and Dame Cisly, late hyse wiff, my sustyr, whiche lithe buryed at Burdeux; Sir Philip Braunche, Knyght, my brothyr-in-law, that deyde and was slayn in Fraunce, and Dame Marget, late hyse wif, my sustyr, buryed at Cowlynge; also John Farwell, Squyer, my fadyer-in-lawe; Sir Herry Inglose, Knyght, of my consangwynite; Sir Hewe Fastolf, Knyght, that deyde in Cane in Normandye; Sir Robert Harlynge, Knyght, my neveu, that was slayn at the sege of Seynt Denys in Fraunce; John Fitzraf, Squyer, my neveu; Cisly, late the wif of Herry Fylongley, my nese, also late desesyd; Dame [_Dan_] w.i.l.l.yam Fastolf, of my consanguynite, prophessyd in the monastery of Seynt Benettes, and aftyr Abot of Fescamp in Normandye, whiche deide at Parys; Mathew Gowgh, Squyer, Thomas Gower, Squyer, John Sak (?), marchaunt of Paryse, my trusty frend and servaunt, and for the soule of John Kyrtlyng, parson of Arkesey, my right trusty chapeleyn and servaunt domysticall x.x.x. wynter and more, Thomas Hoddeson, a trusty servaunt of myne, John Lyndford, and William Gunnour.]*

[_Second Draft._]

Item, I will and ordeyne that amonges othir that I have put in remembraunce be this my will to be preyed fore that suche as shalbe bounden to preye for me, and be rewardid of myn almesse, shalbe chargid be myn executoris be fore namyd to preye for the welfare of m[y]

soverayn Lord the Kyng, and for the soulys of all my good lordes and kynsefolk, and of thoo I am b[ounden] to preye fore or doo preye fore, and for hem that I have hadde ony goodes of.

[_First Draft._]

Item, I will, ordeyne, and streyghtly charge myn executorys that noon of hem shall [give] quyetaunce nor rellesse in no wise be hym self, nor be noon othir, to noon of my detorys, nor to dettour of myn executoris, of what so ever of astat or condecion that he be of, withoute the *[knowynge, plessaunce, and a.s.sentynge of all myn executorys, or the more part of hem.]*

[_Second Draft._]

* full wyll and a.s.sentynge of the seyd John Paston and Thomas Howys, clerk.

[_First Draft._]

Item, I will, ordeyne, and streightly charge that none of myn executorys, be him self, nor be noon othyr, in ony maner or condecion cautelous, colour ... ... . shall sell, nor doo selle, alyen, nor doo alyen, withdrawe, or do be [withdra]we, my londes and tenementes, jowellys of gold or sylvir, dettes or cattelys, vesselys or vestmentes of sylke, lynen, or wollyn, or ony othyr utensylez, to my persone or houshold perteyning, nor noon othyr goodes of myne, mevable or on mevablys, quyk or ded, generaly or specialy, withoute *[the knowyng, plessaunce, and a.s.sentynge of all myn executorys, or the more part of hem; and if it be soo that ony of myn executores attempte maleciously the contrary in effecte, he fallith in the centense of excommunicacion, doyng the contrary to my last will.]*

[_Second Draft._]

* the very will and a.s.sentyng of the seyd Paston and Howys, and that noon othyr attempte there in nor in noon othir cause in this my will to doo the contrarye to hem in effecte I require hem in G.o.ddes be halve.

[_First Draft._]

Item, I will, ordeyne, and streyghtly charge that all my feffeez feffyd of trust on to myn use of and in all my manerez, lordshepis, londes, tenementes, and rentes, and servisez, and profitez, be me or othyr to myn use purchasyd *[in all maner of count.e.e.z, cit.e.e.z, or burghes or townes with in the ream of Eng[lond] ... . . ]* they that have astat, pocession, or tythe to myn use, with all the goodly haste, ... . and withoute delay aftyr they be requyred be myn executores* aftyr my deseas, that they shall feffyn and make lawefull astat in fee symple *[of and in all maner lords.h.i.+pys, londes, tenementes, meswages, rentes, servisez, and profitez forseyd, or of every parcell of the same]* to that persone or personys to whom or to whiche *[my seid executores in accomplisment of my last will, the said maneres, lordshepys, londes, tenementes, mecis, rentes, and servisez, or ony parcell of the same,*

shall sell, or doo sell aftyr the declaracion of this my last will * for the helthe of my soule, *[Dame Milcent, my wif, with all my progenitorys, cosynes, and benefactorys, and all my frendes.]*

[_Second Draft._]

* except before except, be me grauntid to the seyd John Paston or hese a.s.sygnes.

* before namyd.

* the seid John Paston and Thomas Howys.

* except before except.

* to dispose.

* and for the soulis above seyd.

[_First Draft._]

*[Item, I will, ordeyne, and streightly charge, aftyr be the grace of G.o.d I be desesed out of thys world, also myn executores w.i.l.l.ynge in effecte to accepte the charge upon hem of execucion of my testement and of mynistracion of my last will, all the articlis there in conteynid they shall ransakyn besyly and discussyn soo discretly in here remembraunce, that both in will ... ... . . shal not omyttyn for to complishe the seyd articles in ... ... ... . Seynt Poule the Appostyll seithe he that is ignoraunt ... ... . . G.o.d Almighty shall hym not knowyn to hise savacion[158.1] ... ... this article to otherys that ignoraunce shuld not been on to myn execu[torys] in hurtynge of my soule, occacion of tres.p.a.cynge, nor G.o.d offendyng.]*

*[Item, I wyll, I ordeyne, and hertely desyr, that if it s...o...b.. be the grace of the Holy Gost, or of my good Aungill, or ellys be the verteuous devocion of ony good man, or be lyberte of fredam of myn owyn will, it happe ony good werkes and profitable to the helthe of my soule necessarye or avayleable to come be favour or swetnesse in to my remembraunce, as oftyn as I wryte or doo wryte suche thyngs worthy to be remembryd in ony codicill or codicilles for to be conyoinid to my testament or to my last will, thanne I will and preye with gret instaunce of al myn executorys that alle thoo poyntes or articlys be me expressyd and conteynid in the seyd my codicill or codicillys that they may have strengthe and vertwe of observaunce in effecte, as if the hadde be wretyn in the code of my testement and my last will.]*

*[Item, I will, I ordeyne, and I hertely desyre, sethe that every mortall creature is soget to the lymitez or merkys of mutabelyte and chaungeableness, and mannys levynge in frelte and condecion is caduke and casewell, therfor on the behalve of Almyghty G.o.d, and be the weye of entyer charyte, I exhorte, beseche, and preye all myn executorys, in the vertwe of oure Lord Jesu Cryst, and in the vertwe of the aspercion of Hise holy blood, shed out graciously for the savacion of all man kende, that for the more hasty delyveraunce of my soule from the peynefull flawmes of the fyre of Purgatory, on suche maner and wise they dele and departe my goodes feithfully be here discrecion and prudence and polytik,]* the yeer of my buryeng, in exspence of myn entyrement and othyr almesse, the same yeer, and dedys of pyete (?) for the holsum estat of my soule amonges pore peple and nedy to [be p]artyd and distributid plenteuously and hastely, the sum of m^ll marke *[... . .

... the s.p.a.ce of v. or vij. yeer immediatly folwyng by yeer Dx.x.xiij_li._ vj_s._ viij_d._ in almessefull deds and charitable wirkys, with all goodly possibelyte that they shall soo dispose my goodes in effecte feithefully that my soule, vexid in peynefull angwys.h.i.+s, with holy Job, be not compellyd to sey with gret lementacion and mornyng, Have mercy on me, have mercy on me, namely yee that my frendes shuld bee, for the hande of G.o.ddes punysshynge hathe grevously touchyd me.

These be the articlys, x.x.xj. be noumbre, concernith the intent and purpose of my last will be the handes of myn executores, whiche I charge hem streytly, prey hem, and beseche hem enterly feithefully to execute, as they will have helpe of G.o.d and of hise holy Gospell. And soo I requyre hem as wysdam, justice, and concience to doo for me as they wolde I shuld doo for hem in cas lyche. In tokene and witnesse whereof, to this my last will I, Sir John Fastolf, above[160.1] ... ... . .

[_Second Draft._]

* Item, I wyll and ordeyne that John Paston and Thomas Howys, clerk, geve and dispose.

* ... ... ... ... ... of the salis of my londes and my goodes be my will . . sygnid to be sold, be fully disposid for the well of my soule in almessefull dedes [and] charitable werkes with all goodly possibelite.

[_The following new clause at the end._]

Item, I will and ordeyne that the seyd John Paston, for the payment of iiij. m^ll. marke forseid, shal bere and paye to the seyd Thomas Howys, clerk, or to suche as shall aftyr them have the mynistracion of my my goodes, the seid sum [of] viij^c. marke iche othyr yeer of the forseyd yeerrys in whiche that sum is ordeynid to be distributid til he ...

. . be tho paymentes born and payd the seyd sum of iiij^ml markes, and that soo paid to be disposed be the seyd [John Pa]ston and Thomas Howys, or be hem that shal aftyr them have the mynistracion of my goods in executyng [my] will in awmesse full dedes in fourme afore seyd soo that my mevable goodes be mean of that ... ... . shall the lenger indure in dedis of almesse.

[Footnote 147.2: [From Paston MSS., B.M.] This doc.u.ment is printed from the original draft, in which a great part of the text has been crossed out, and other paragraphs subst.i.tuted in the margin. The pa.s.sages thus cancelled are enclosed within brackets with asterisks. Those subst.i.tuted for them or inserted in a later hand are printed in a parallel column on the right.

The pa.s.sages bracketed without asterisks, and also the dotted s.p.a.ces, are lost by mutilation.]

[Footnote 147.3: The date was originally 'the xiiij. day of the moneth of June.']

[Footnote 152.1: _Or the more part of them._--These words are crossed out. The words 'before namyd' are an interlineation subst.i.tuted for them by the second hand.]

[Footnote 152.2: Interlineation by second hand.]

[Footnote 152.3: 'fermors' inserted in a different hand.]

[Footnote 152.4: Interlined by second hand.]

[Footnote 153.1: _be fore namyd._--These words are an interlineation by another hand.]

[Footnote 153.2: _be this my will ordeynid to be sold_, interlined by another hand.]

[Footnote 153.3: _after the avyse--tayle._--These words are an interlineation by the second hand.]

[Footnote 154.1: _with an annversary--note_, erased.]

[Footnote 154.2: Erased.]

[Footnote 156.1: Beaufort.]

[Footnote 158.1: _See_ 1 Cor. xiv. 38. The translation of this verse in the Vulgate-- 'Si quis autem ignorat ignorabitur'

--conveys a materially different sense from that of our English version.]

[Footnote 160.1: The original draft ends with this word at the bottom of the page. Apparently the last few words of the draft were written on a flyleaf, which is now lost.]