The Paston Letters
Chapter 86 : [Footnote 81.2: [Add. MS. 34,889, f. 173.] The year of this letter is uncertain, but it

[Footnote 81.2: [Add. MS. 34,889, f. 173.] The year of this letter is uncertain, but it must belong to the latter part of Henry VI.'s reign, and there is great probability that it was written in 1456, like No. 324, which is also written by Hugh Fenn from London.]

329

SIR JOHN FASTOLF TO JOHN PASTON[82.1]

_To my worchepfull Cosyn, John Paston, Esquyer, in hast goodly._

[Sidenote: 1456 / MAY 2]

Worchepfull Cosyn, I comaunde me to yow. Lyke yow to wete that for als moche as my lord of Norwich shal the next wyke visite the hous of Hykelyng, as on Thursday, as I understand, I pray yow that ye lyke to informe my lord how it is appoynted atwix the prior of the said hous and me that my t.i.tle of xxv. marc of yerly rente is put in the ordynaunce of yow and Fyncheham, and if any variaunce fortune by twix yow that thanne we shall stand to the rule and ordynaunce of my lord of Caunterbury and of my seid lord of Norwich, they callyng to them ij. temporall juges suche as them please, the ij. chef juges only except. Wherfor that it please his good lords.h.i.+p to commaunde the seid priour to be bound by obligacion to stand to the seid appoyntement in lyke form as I at all tymes lefull am redy soe to do, to th'entent that my lord may verily knowe that the complysshyng of the seid appoyntement is nat deferred ner delayed by me. Forthermore, Cosyn, I understand that ye have a feodary concernyng all the knyght fees in this s.h.i.+re, and for als moche as the lord Scalys cleymeth an homage of my place called Ess.e.x in Hikelyng I pray yow that ye lyke to sende me woord if it can be understand by the seid feodary if suche an homage owe to be do or nay. Moreover like yow to remembre that lateward I meved unto yow that I wold do kyt out a litell fleet rennyng by twix the Comouns of your lords.h.i.+p of Maulteby and Castre there it was of old tyme, and now is over grounded and growen by reedes. Wherfor lyke yow to write on to your baly of Mauteby to take your tenauntes with hym to have a sight of the seid water and ground, and that they bere half costes for ther part, and I wole bere the other part. And all though my wrytyngges put yow many tymes to gret labour and besynesses, I pray yow to take it that I do it for the synguler affiaunce and feythful trust unto yow. Besehyng All myghty G.o.d have yow, my worchepful Cosyn, in his mercifull governaunce. Writ at Castre, the ij^de. day of Maij.

And that ye lyke to come in to these partyes byfore ye ryde to London, I pray yow hertely that I may speke with yow for dyvers maters that I have to comowne with yow, &c.

J. FASTOLF.

[Footnote 82.1: [Add. MS. 35,251, f. 24, B.M.] This letter seems to be of the same year as No. 341.]

330

JOHN BOCKYNG TO JOHN PASTON[84.1]

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

[Sidenote: 1456 / MAY 8]

Sire, please it your maisters.h.i.+p to wyte that on Wednesday, the v. day of Maij, I received a lettre from you by the prestis man of Walsyngham, and the Ascencion Day,[84.2] in the mornyng, I received a lettre from yow bi the handes of John Frays, my maisteris man, in whiche bothe moche thinge is conteyned whiche alle at this tyme I may not answere un to my comyng the nexte weke. And as to our atteynte,[84.3] the Chief Justice hathe, sithe this day sevenyght, kept the Gildehalle in London with alle the Lordes and Juges, sauf one in eche place. My Maister Markham yesterday rode owte of London be tymes. Notwithstandyng we called ther upon, and hadde at the barre Chokke,[84.4] Letelton,[84.5] Jenney,[84.6]

Illyngworth,[84.7] John Jenney, and Dyne, and remembrid the longe hangyng and the trouthe of the matier, with the grete hurte of the partie in the tyme; and we have rule the next terme betymes, and non otherwise, for to morwe the juges sitten ayen in the toune. Mayster Yelverton can not be myry for Wyrmegey, and as for the distresse, it is a _non omittas_, and therfore Poley may and wil retorne what isseus he will. If thei be smale, we shall suffre at this time; if thei be grete, we must appere for Wyngfelde; and moche labour we have to conceyve a goode warant of attorney. We shal plede the next terme, for as at this tyme we wold on Monday enparle and we may.

Ye must suerly entrete the s.h.i.+reve, for we have moche to doo with hym, as yesterday hadde we a grete day also in th'eschequer. Myn maister[85.1] is moche bounde to Haltofte, and there we ar a.s.signed day over to the next terme, and dwelle in law. Our counsail was longe or thei come, but at the laste thei acquitte them weel. The bille was thought not by all that stode at the barre that wer of nother partie. We ar joyned in the sute of the obligacion in the Comon Place ayenst Jenney and Howes. As for attachement, ye may none have withowte ye or on of yow make your othe in propre persone before the barons. I wolde have doon it; I cowde not be amytted. And as for other processe, it is advised that by the cors of th'eschequer I shall take a _venire facias_ ayenst Wentworthe, Andrews, longe Barnard, and Deyvill _ad respondendum quare in possessionem, &c. ingressi sunt_. And we must telle where other Coughawe or Kirkeley, I suppose; and therupon a distresse and an attachement; nevertheles by your othe, &c., hereafter. And it is thought good that the same men shal be in the writte of ravyshment. Jenney hath advised us to ley it in Blithinge hundred, and I have taken of hym names; for as for London it is to nyghe enbracerye, as ye thought well, and soo is Middles.e.x. Maister Yelverton conceyvith it weel to your entent. There are aboughte and in Suffolk but fewe men as of gentilmen and men of substance, but if [_unless_] it be in Blithing hundre, were Hopton is grete; but Jenney dredeth it not we may have good men at large; and as for the hundre, he wil doo inow thereinne.

As for the tailes of iiij^{xx}_li._ [_four score pounds_], as yette we shal doo weel inowghe and thei were contentid; or thei that shal have the silvere, the noyse were the lesse, for it shall, in pledyng, alwey be rehersid by our contrarie party that for x. marc we have alle that evere ther is, &c. I can not here how Wentworthe takith this matier by no meane; what he meneth I wote not. He is no thing pleasid with the matier of the bille in th'eschequer. Thomas Denys come yesterday, and none erste. I wolde Arblaster and he spoke with yow this vacacion.

I write noo more til my comyng.

As for tidinges, noon othere thanne I sent yow laste; but forthe on the same, all is as it was with the Quene,[86.1] the Prince and myn Lord York ar stille at Tutbury and Sandale, and my Lord of Warrewick at Warrewick. My Lord Bukingham rode on Ascencion Even to Writell, noo thing wel plesid, and sumwhat on easid of herte to his purpose; for the King hathe ley in London Friday, Saterday, Sonday, Monday, Teusday, and Wednesday remevid to Westminster agen. In alle whiche tyme, men of London that wer chargid and sworne wolde not nor hadde noo thing presentid sauf trespas; this day thei shal sitte ayen. The peas is weel kepte, but the straungiers[86.2] ar soore a dradde, and dar not come on brode. Here is alle that I knowe as yet. Our Lord Jesu be with yow.

Writen at Suthwerk the viij. day of Maij.

I have paied to Dory C_s._, and with moche peyne made hym to ghete day of the other Cs. til the nexterme.

Your owen

J. B.

_Endorsed in a seventeenth-century hand._-- L'ra Joh'is Bokking, Attorn. in Communi Banco.

[Footnote 84.1: [From Paston MSS., B.M.] The date of this letter is quite certain, not only from the circ.u.mstance of the 5th May being a Wednesday in 1456, as mentioned in the beginning, but also from Ascension Day falling between that and the 8th, the day on which this letter was written.]

[Footnote 84.2: Ascension Day was the 6th May in 1456.]

[Footnote 84.3: _See_ Nos. 267, 268, etc.]

[Footnote 84.4: Richard Choke, Serjeant-at-law, afterwards Judge of the Common Pleas.]

[Footnote 84.5: Thomas Lyttelton, the great lawyer, at this time King's Serjeant, afterwards Judge of the Common Pleas, famous for his treatise on _Tenures_.]

[Footnote 84.6: William Jenney.]

[Footnote 84.7: Richard Illingworth, afterwards Chief Baron of the Exchequer.]

[Footnote 85.1: Sir John Fastolf.]

[Footnote 86.1: A full stop after 'Quene' would improve the grammar of this sentence, but the original is entirely without punctuation. The writer evidently meant that the Queen and Prince were at Tutbury, and the Duke of York at Sandal.]

[Footnote 86.2: The foreign merchants. A riot took place about this time in London, in which the houses of foreigners were attacked. --_See_ Fabyan's _Chronicle_; also Brown's _Venetian Calendar_, i. 81, 84.]

331

JOHN BOCKING TO JOHN PASTON[86.3]

_To my Maister Paston._

[Sidenote: 1456 / MAY 15]

Wors.h.i.+pful Sir, and my good maister, I recomaunde me to yow. This day I come home; and as to our materes, I shall be with yow on Monday and Teusday next, be my maisters advys, and enforme yow of all, and of suche as I will not write. Your cofre is at the Prinse Inne; sende for it whane ye like, be the token, I hadde of Margret Goche a boke of lawe that Wigge brought me. As for tidyngs, my maistys your brother faren weel, and recomaunde them to my maistresse, there moder, to yow, and to all, &c.

As for tidings elles, the Kyng is at Shene, the Quene and Prince at Tutbury, but if it be the latter remevyng. Tidings were that the Lord Beaumont was slayn, and my Lord Warrewik sore hurte, m^{l}. [1000] men slayn, and vj^{xx}. [_six score_] knyghts and squiers hurte, and no thing trewe, blessed be G.o.d. As for the Lumbards,[87.1] ij. of the trespasers were hanged on Monday, and there ar be this tyme proclamacions made, or shall be, thorwe London, the pees to be kepte up on grete peynes; and the Lumbards to occupie the merchaundizes as thei dide til the Counsail or Parlament have otherwise determyned. And noo more as yet.

The atteynte abidith unreuled til the next terme, as I shal telle yow, and it shal doo weel with G.o.d is grace, hoe have yow in kepyng and all youres.

Writen at Caster _vigilia Pentecosten_.

Your owen

J. B.

[Footnote 86.3: [From Fenn, i. 130.] Whitsun Eve, the day on which this letter is dated, fell on the 15th May in 1456, just a week after the date of last letter; and no one can doubt that they both belong to the same year.]

[Footnote 87.1: _See_ Note 2, preceding page.]

332

HENRY WINDSOR TO JOHN PASTON[87.2]

[Sidenote: 1456(?) / [MAY 16]]