The Paston Letters
Chapter 89 : [Footnote 96.2: St. John the Baptist's Day is the 24th June._Feria tertia_ means T

[Footnote 96.2: St. John the Baptist's Day is the 24th June.

_Feria tertia_ means Tuesday.]

339

FRIAR BRACKLEY TO JOHN PASTON[97.1]

_Magistro meo venerabili Johanni Paston Armigero detui._

Dixi enim magistro meo gardiano ante meum exitum quod magistri mei generosi et amici alii vellent me juvare pro die Jovis pro pascendo doctores, patres ac caeteros confratres nostri provincialis capituli; et in exitu meo consentire noluit, quia Gurnay suus socius et procurator, frater juvenis nostri conventus et unus sacerdos simplex, curatus de Worsted, et Bukle, cocus, super se diem praedictum a.s.sumpserunt. Et ego dixi, 'Olim fuit modus quod unus ejusdem loci magister esset praeferendus in tali diei eleccione. Sed unum scitote, si magistri mei certi generosi et ego c.u.m eis habere non potuerimus diem quem elegimus, certe pro hoc tempore nullum alium diem habere volumus.' Utinam placeret vobis ut magistra mea, uxor vestra, vellet mittere pro magistro gardiano, et dicere sibi quod ipsa quaesivit a me qualem diem ego haberem pro fratribus pascendis in tempore capituli et quod ego dixi me habiturum illum vel certe nullum aliter. Quaec.u.mque ego potero procurare de pecuniis seu victualibus ego singula venderem et expendere vellem in reparacionibus, &c. Rogo vos ex caritate ut magistrae meae matri vestrae ac aliis amicis vestris vobis notis, insinuetis nostram indigenciam pro faciliori relevamine capituli provincialis. Sic enim ad vestri et mei magistri mei specialem instanciam praesencialiter habere residenciam teneo, ut alia loca pro praesenti negocio accedere non valeam, &c. Non plura pro praesenti sunt calamo praesentanda, nisi quod vos, vestros et vestra Jesus Christus graciose conservet in prosperis et graciosius dirigat in agendis. Amen.

Recommendetis me, si placeat, uxori et matri et confratribus vestris W., &c. et domino meo Rectori de Blofeld, utinam de Hadle, &c.; cui dicatis quod hac nocte jacuit Colinus Gallicus c.u.m pulcherima Amasia sua in camera conducta per eum, &c. Utinam nunquam vigeat, &c. Ipse proponit in vestra praesentia dicere dicto rectori satis perversa verba. Et spero quod dominus Rector faciat de sua speciali gratia meum negocium per Ricardum famulum suum crastina die summo mane expediendum, quia dies ista est dies ultima, &c. Ex manerio de Castre, Sabbato circa tempus prandii festinantissime.

Magister meus[97.2] valde gavisus est quando audivit de vobis quomodo scienter, audacter, viriliter et veraciter respondistis adversariis vestris coram Domino Cancellario aliisque dominis, &c.

Vester prae caeteris orator,

F. J. B., Minorum minimus.

[Footnote 97.1: This letter was copied by the Editor from one of the Royden Hall MSS. in 1875.]

[Footnote 97.2: Sir John Fastolf.]

340

HENRY FYLUNGLEY TO SIR JOHN FASTOLF[98.1]

_To my ryght wors.h.i.+pfull unkle, and my ryght good master, Syr John Fastalf, Knyght._

[Sidenote: 1456(?) / JULY 17]

Ryght wors.h.i.+pfull unkull, and my ryght good master, I recomaund me to yow wyth all my servys. And, Sir, my brother Paston and I have comened togeder as touchinge to your colage that ye wold have made; and, Sir, hit ys to gret a good that ys axed of yow for youre lycens; for they ax for every C. marc that ye wold amortyse D. marcz, and woll gefe hit noo better chepe.

And, Sir, y told my brother Paston that my Lady of Bargeveney[98.2]

hath, in dyvers Abbeyes in Lecestershyre, vij. or viij. prestes singinge for her perpetuell, by my brother Darcyes and my unkle Brokesbyes meanes, for they were her executors; and they acorded for money, and gafe a cc. or ccc. marc, as they myzt acord for a prest. And for the suerte that he shuld synge in the same abbey for ever, they had maners of good valew bounden to such persones as plesed the sayd barthern [_brethren_] Brokkesby and my brother Darcy, that the sayd servyse shulde be kept. And for lytell moore then the Kynge axed hem for a lycence, they went thorgh with the sayd abbots. And y hold this wey as sure as that other. Ye may comen with youre councell therof.

And yf there be any servyse that I can do for yow, hit shall be redy at all tymes, with the grace of G.o.d, who have yow in his kepynge.

Wryten at London, the xvij. day of Juyll.

Your nevew and servaunt,

HENRY FYLUNGLEY.

[Footnote 98.1: [From Fenn, i. 166.] This letter must have been written about the time Sir John Fastolf first began to make inquiry on what terms he could obtain a licence for establis.h.i.+ng a college at Caister,--a project which he had much at heart during the latter years of his life. A letter from Sir John himself upon this subject will be found a little further on, dated the 18th November (No. 351), and we think it probable that this is of the same year, 1456.]

[Footnote 98.2: Edward Nevill, Lord Abergavenny, was twice married. His first wife, to whom he owed his t.i.tle, was Elizabeth, daughter of Richard Beauchamp, Earl of Worcester. His second was Catherine, daughter of Sir Robert Howard. The Lady here mentioned is probably the former, for though Dugdale says he obtained a dispensation for his second marriage in 1448, that date is inconsistent with the age of his son and other facts mentioned.]

341

SIR JOHN FASTOLF TO JOHN PASTON[99.1]

_To my wors.h.i.+pful cousyn, John Paston._

[Sidenote: 1456 / JULY 31]

Right trusty and wors.h.i.+pful cousyn, I recomaunde me to yow. And like it yow to wyte, myn attorny, Raulyns, hathe enformed me that the Jugis have ruled processe to goo owte ayenst the priour of Hikelyng of distresse _per omnia bona et catalla_, of whiche the writte and other ar not yet come fro London. I trust whan thei come, be your good counsail and meane, the s.h.i.+reve wil doo his devoir; how be it, as I understande, thei have sente the Lord Scales all there evidences, and he wil come and dwelle there hym silf. And I am also enformed, for certeyn, that the Bushop of Norwiche, for all the truste I hadde to hym, that by his meane I shulde have knowen there fundacion, he hathe warned his officeres not to have adoo therinne, by cause of the Lord Scales, &c. Cousyn, I pray yow, in as moche as the matere, by agrement, was putte in you and Fyncham, and how that ye, for the same cause, specially kepte your day at London, and toke not in there defaulte and not myn, that ye wil soo in caas ye see Fyncham remembre, and to othere there as ye seme it shulde profite to be knowen, and that yet nevertheles my sute soo ferforthe I wole yet, as I wolde thanne, and at all tymes am redy; and soo I wolde the priour knewe, and all othere, as weel his weelwillers as otheres, as the bringer herof shall declare you more pleinly. As for tidinges, my folkes ar not yet come fro London. The abbot of Seint Benettes hathe ben with me, and suche as he tolde me the bringer shall enforme you. And our Lord Jesu have you in governaunce.

Writen at Castre, the last day of Julle.

Your cousyn,

J. F.

[Footnote 99.1: [From Paston MSS., B.M.] This letter is doubtless of the same year as No. 336, in the end of which Fastolf wishes his attorney, Rawlyns, urged to greater activity in the matter of Hickling.]

342

LORD SCALES TO JOHN PASTON[100.1]

_To my right trusty and intierly welbeloved frend, John Paston, Squier._

[Sidenote: 1456 / AUG. 10]

Right trusty and entierly welbeloved frend, I grete you well, and wull ze wite that Danyell[100.2] hath required me to write un to you, praying you that ze wyll kepe the day upon Thursday[100.3] vij. dayes nexst comyng, which shal be for the best, as I trust; not with standyng I suppose lerned men wyll not be easy for to gete be cause of this besy tyme of hervest. Almyghty G.o.d have you in Hise governaunce.

Writen at Mydelton,[100.4] the x. day of August.

Your frend,

SCALES.

[Footnote 100.1: [From Fenn, i. 138.] This letter is dated by a memorandum at the bottom of the original, in the handwriting, as Fenn believes, of John Paston: 'Lettera inter Mich. x.x.xiiij. et x.x.xv.']

[Footnote 100.2: Thomas Daniel of Rising. --_See_ vol. ii. pp.

79, 80, 103, etc.]

[Footnote 100.3: 19th August.]

[Footnote 100.4: In Norfolk.]

343

LORD SCALES TO JOHN PASTON[100.5]