The Paston Letters
Chapter 95 : _To the right worchipful and with al myn hert rigt entierly welebiloved Brother, the Vi

_To the right worchipful and with al myn hert rigt entierly welebiloved Brother, the Viscount Beaumont._

[Sidenote: 1458(?) / JAN. 24]

Right wors.h.i.+pful, and, with al myn hert, right entierly wele bilovede brothre, I recomaunde me unto yow. And for somoche as by the Kings moste n.o.blez lettrez brought me late by Hagreston, oon of the gromes of his chambre, I am desirede to come unto his Highnesse to London; wherunto for suche grevous diseas and infirmitees as it hath liked oure Lord to visit me with, wherof Robert Danby can at large declare unto yow, I can ne mowe dispose me, without feynyng, by the trouth I owe unto the King, but that therby I doubt not, I shulde not rekever, daies of my lyfe, suche hurt as, by the reason of the said diseas, wolde grow unto me, the which hath right fervently and sore holden me in many diversez bihalvez, so that, sith my last comyng frome London I had not, by the s.p.a.ce of vj.

daies togidiez, my helth.

Wherfore, brothre, I pray yow, with al myn hool hert, that it like yow to cal tofore yow the said Robert Danby, and to take of him the vray trouth in the premissez, and therupon to bee my good and tendre moyen, as by your wysdome can best bee thought convenable, unto the Kinges goode grace, for th'excuse of my nown comyng; prayng yow hertly to certifye me, by comers bitwen, suche tidings as ye shal have in thos partiez, with othre your good pleasir to be perfourmed at my power, as knoweth oure Lord, to whom I biseche to ever have yow in his blissed proteccion and keping.

Wryten at s.h.i.+rrifhoton, the xxiiij. day of Januare.

Your trew brodir, wich prayth you hertely to excuse me to the Kings Heghnesse.

R. SALISBURY.

[Footnote 121.2: [From Fenn, i. 146.] Fenn considers this letter to have been called forth by the summons sent by the King to the Lords of both parties to come to London, in the beginning of 1458, with a view to a reconciliation. On this view, the excuse of illness given by Salisbury is, of course, a mere pretence, and, moreover, was not adhered to, for within a week after it was penned Salisbury actually was in London with a company of 400 horse and 80 knights and squires (_see_ Botoner's letter of the 1st February). This sudden change of tactics on the part of the Earl seems to me hardly probable, and I see no reason why the letter should not refer to a genuine illness upon a different occasion. Nevertheless, as there is no positive evidence on the subject, I leave the date suggested by Fenn, with a query, on which the reader may use his own judgment.]

362

AGNES PASTON[123.1]

_Erands to London of Augnes Paston, the xxviij. day of Jenure, the yer of Kyng Henry the s.e.xt, x.x.xvj._

[Sidenote: 1458 / JAN. 28]

To prey Grenefeld to send me feythfully word, by wrytyn, who Clement Paston hath do his dever in lernyng. And if he hathe nought do well, nor wyll nought amend, prey hym that he wyll trewly bela.s.sch hym, tyl he wyll amend; and so ded the last maystr, and the best that ever he had, att Caumbrege. And sey Grenefeld that if he wyll take up on hym to brynge hym in to good rewyll and lernyng, that I may verily know he doth hys dever, I wyll geve hym x. marcs for hys labor, for I had lever he wer fayr beryed than lost for defaute.

Item, to se who many gownys Clement hathe; and the that be bar, late hem be reysyd. He hathe achort [_a short_] grene gowne, and achort musterdevelers[123.2] gowne, wer never reysyd; and achort blew gowne that was reysyd, and mad of a syde gowne, whan I was last at London; and asyde russet gowne, furryd with bevyr, was mad this tyme ij. yer; and asyde murry gowne was mad this tyme twelmonth.

Item, to do make me vj. sponys, of viij. ounce of troy wyght, well facyond and dubbyl gylt.

And sey Elyzabet Paston that she must use hyr selfe to werke redyly, as other jentylwomen done, and sumwhat to helpe hyr selfe ther with.

Item, to pay the Lady Pole ... xxvj_s._ viij_d._ for hyr bord.

And if Grenefeld have do wel hys dever to Clement, or wyll do hys dever, geffe hym the n.o.byll.

AGNES PASTON.

[Footnote 123.1: [From Fenn, i. 142.]]

[Footnote 123.2: _See_ vol. ii. p. 155, Note 1.]

363

AGNES PASTON TO JOHN PASTON[124.1]

_Tho my wele be lovyd son, John Paston, be this delyvered in haste._

Sonne, I grete zow wele, and lete zow wete that for as myche as zoure brothir Clement leteth me wete that ze desyre feythfully my blyssyng,--that blyssyng that I prayed zoure fadir to gyffe zow the laste day that ever he spakke, and the blyssyng of all seyntes undir heven, and myn mote come to zow all dayes and tymes; and thynke veryly non other but that ze have it, and shal have it, with that that I fynde zow kynde and wyllyng to the wele of zoure fadres soule, and to the welfare of zoure bretheren.

Be my conseyle dypose zoureselfe as myche as ze may to have lesse to do in the worlde; zoure fadye sayde: In lityl bysynes lyeth muche reste.

This world is but a thorough fare, and ful of woo; and whan we departe therefro, rizth nouzght bere with us but oure good dedys and ylle. And ther knoweth no man how soon G.o.d woll clepe hym, and therfor it is good for every creature to be redy. Qhom G.o.d vysyteth him he lovyth.

And as for zoure bretheren, thei wylle I knowe certeynly laboren all that in hem lyeth for yow. Oure Lorde have zow in his blyssed kepyng, body and soule.

Writen at Norwyche, the xxix. day of Octobyr.

Be zoure modir,

A. P.

[Footnote 124.1: [From Fenn, iii. 40.] As there is no distinct evidence of the date of this letter, I have placed it after another paper written by Agnes Paston, and making mention of Clement, though I rather suspect it may be a little later. It certainly cannot have been, as Fenn supposes, written within a short time after William Paston's death in 1444, as Clement Paston was then only two years old. From some of the expressions we might be led to suspect that John Paston was in trouble at the time.]

364

WILLIAM BOTONER TO SIR JOHN FASTOLF[125.1]

_To my ryght worshypful master, Sir John Fastolf._

[Sidenote: 1458 / FEB. 1]

Ryght worshypfull Sir, and my ryght G.o.de maister, I recomaund me to yow yn my full humble wyse. Please yow to wete, as to nouveltees here both[125.2] Christofr Barker wryteth to you more along.

The Kyng came the last weke to Westminster, and the Duk of Yorke came to London with hys oune housole onlye to the nombre of cxl. hors, as it ys seyd; the Erle of Salysburye with iiij^c. [400] hors yn hys companye, iiij^xx [_fourscore_] knyghts and sqwyers.

The Duke of Somerset came to London last day of Janyver with ij^c. [200]

hors, and loggyth wythoute Temple Barre, and the Duc of Excestr shalle be here thys weke with a grete felyshyp and strong, as it ys seyd.

The Erle of Warwyke ys not yhyt com, because the wynde ys not for hym.

And the Duke of Excester takyth a grete displesir that my Lord Warewyke occupyeth hys office, and takyth the charge of the kepyng of the see uppon hym.

Item, as for tydyng of beyend see, I hyre none certeyn, but that the Frensh Kyng[125.3] shulde hafe maryed hys doughter to the Kyng of Hungerye,[125.4] whych had the descomfytur uppon the Turks, and the seyd Kyng ys decesed wythynne thys vj. wekes, or the spouselle was made; but he ordeyned or he dyed that the Frensh Kyngs doughter shuld be named Quene of Hungerye duryng hyr lyffe.

Rygt worshypfull Sir, I beseche the blessed Trinite hafe yow yn hys gouvernaunce.

Wrete at London, the fyrst day of Feverzer, anno 36 R. H. VI.

Moreover, please you to wete that William Canyngs the merchaunt wryteth an aunsuer of your lettre. I trust it shall be the better for your wrytyng.

My brother promytted me a certeyn somme when I maryed, and I shall hafe it of my sister yff I may.

Your humble servauntte,