The Paston Letters
Chapter 84 : And [_i.e._ if] Maister Nevyle,[74.1] the whych hath wedded my Lady Wyllughbye, have po

And [_i.e._ if] Maister Nevyle,[74.1] the whych hath wedded my Lady Wyllughbye, have power or intrest to resseyve the Lord Wyllughby ys debts, then he to be labured untoo. And my Lord of Salysburye woll be a grete helper yn thys cause.

The Kyng, whych ys Supervisor of my Lord Bedford testament, hath wreten and comaunded by sondry lettres, that the seyd Lord Wyllughbye shuld be content for hys part. And so moch the mater ys the furtherer.

And ther ys one Yon', a servaunt of the Lord Wyllughbye, whych pursewed thys mater; yff he were yn London, he coude geve G.o.de enformacion uppon thys mater.

Y pray yow wryte to me how my maters doth, and of such noveltees as ye have there. And our Lord have yow yn hys kepyng.

Wreten at Castr hastlye, v. day of Feveryer, anno x.x.xiiij^to Regis Henrici VI.

Your cosyn,

J. FASTOLF.

[Footnote 73.1: [From Fenn, i. 120.]]

[Footnote 73.2: A tally. This was a cleft stick, in both parts of which notches were cut to represent sums of money due; on which one part was given to the creditor, the other being retained by the debtor.]

[Footnote 73.3: Hugh Fenn.]

[Footnote 73.4: Robert, Lord Willoughby of Eresby.]

[Footnote 73.5: Ralph, Lord Cromwell.]

[Footnote 73.6: John, Duke of Alencon, taken prisoner at the battle of Verneuil in 1424.]

[Footnote 74.1: Sir Thomas Nevill, a younger son of Richard, Earl of Salisbury, married Maud, the widow of Robert, Lord Willoughby.--Dugdale, ii. 86.]

322

JOHN BOCKING TO SIR JOHN FASTOLF[74.2]

_To the right reverent and wors.h.i.+pful Sir, and my right good maister, my maister Sir John Fastolf, at Castre._

[Sidenote: 1456 / FEB. 9]

Right reverent and my right wors.h.i.+pful maister, I recomaunde me to yow in my right humble wise. Please hit your right good maisters.h.i.+p to wyte that on Sonday laste I sent yow many and divers lettres and writynges, by Lampet, of all matiers that I hadde knowlege at that tyme redy to answere. And now suche tidinges as ar here, but fewe that ar straunge, excepte that this day my Lordes York and Warwik comen to the Parlement in a good aray, to the noumbre of iij^c. [300] men, all jakkid[75.1] and in brigantiens,[75.2] and noo lord elles, wherof many men mervailed. It was seid on Saterday my Lord shuld have ben discharged this same day.

And this day was seide, but if he hadde come stronge, he shuld have bene distrussid; and no man knoweth or can sey that ony prefe may be hadde by whom, for men thinken verily there is no man able to take ony suche enterprinse.

The Kyng, as it was tolde me by a grete man, wolde have hym chief and princepall counceller, and soo to be called hise chef counceller and lieutenant as longe as. .h.i.t shuld lyke the Kyng; and hise patent to be made in that forme, and not soo large as it is by Parlement. But soome men thinken it wil ner can otherwise bee; and men speke and devyne moche matere of the comyng this day in suche array to Westminster. And the Lordes speken this day in the Parlement of a greet gleymyng sterre that but late hathe be seen diverse tymes, merveilous in apperyng. The resumpsion, men truste, shall forthe, and my Lordes of Yorkes first power of protectors.h.i.+p stande, and elles not, &c. The Quene is a grete and strong labourid woman, for she spareth noo peyne to sue hire thinges to an intent and conclusion to hir power.

I have seid to the bringer here of more to declare yow alle a longe. And as for hise comyng, ye like to understande that your nevew, my Maister Filongley, hathe laboured and doon that he cowde or myght to hise preferraunce; but as for to make hym freman and at hise ease, to hise profite and wors.h.i.+p, it can not bee with owte William Lyne be here, that boughte hise prentishode of his maister, to hise grete hurte and castyng of bakke by ij. or iij. yere of tyme loste; and ne were it that the maister and wardeyns of the Taillours tendre hym, be cause of yow and of Fynynglee, hise firste maister, that solde hym to William Lyne, as weel as the seide Lyne and Richard, shuld alle lese ther fredoms, as ye shall more pleinly understande by the reporte of the seid Richard, &c.

This day was my Lord Devens.h.i.+re at Westminstre, and shuld have apperid, but he was countermaundid. As to youre matier of Wentworthe, the trety contynueth, and is putte by the arbitrours in Fortescu and Yelverton, and we have day of newe til Friday come sevenyght. G.o.d graunte it take a good ende. The lawe is with us clerly, as weel in th'atteynte as therinne as yette, blessid be our Lord, hoo have you in hise most n.o.ble governaunce.

Written in your place this Moneday of Fastyngange,[76.1] m^l. cccclv.

Your humble servaunt,

J. B.

And that ye like to write a good lettre for Richard Fastolf to Sir Roger Chamberleyn, and to Thornton, Chamberleyn of London, and to both of hem, &c.

[Footnote 74.2: [From MS. Phillipps, 9735, No. 265.]]

[Footnote 75.1: _i.e._ in coats of mail. --_See_ vol. ii. p. 322, Note 3.]

[Footnote 75.2: _See_ vol. ii. p. 155, Note 2.]

[Footnote 76.1: Fastingong was Shrovetide. --_See_ vol. ii. p.

131, Note 1.]

323

ABSTRACT[76.2]

SIR JOHN FASTOLF TO JOHN PASTON

[Sidenote: 1456 / FEB. 12]

Thanks him for the pains he takes in his 'chargeable matters,'

especially the ward of T. F., and his advice for the recovery of my Lord of Bedford's goods. My servants Bokkyng and Barker have written to me for writings making mention of the jewels and goods of my Lord delivered to Sir Robert Whitingham that they cannot find there. I send, therefore, W. Worcestre with a copy of Whitingham's account, which, however, is not a complete statement.

Castre, 12 Feb.

_P.S._--Has just received a letter from Paston, for which he thanks him.

[This letter was evidently written in the same year as No. 317.]

[Footnote 76.2: [From MS. Phillipps, 9735, No. 270.]]

324

HUGH A FENNE TO JOHN PASTON[77.1]

_To the right worchepfull Sir, John Paston, at Norwich._

[Sidenote: 1456 / MARCH 1]

Ryght worchepfull Sir, I rec.u.maunde me un to you. Leke you to wete my Maister Fastolf compert[77.2] is spedde and demyd in the Eschequyer for hym a yens the Kyng, wher in was crafti labour and cloos to the seid spede, and laked no dylygence, for the matter was defused and dubble intendementz after dyverse mennys appynyons.

Her is Williem Brandon, late Eschetour,[77.3] and wold have a _non molestando_[77.4] for Fulthorp; and be cause ye spake to me that no mo shuld be sued owte, and I can gete no lybarate[77.5] in that case, therfore, as it is tolde me, he wyll have oon up on Wenteworth is patente, and that wer to my maister bothe velleny and hurte. I pray you send me heryn your avyse. It is no grete maistre to gader up that mony, if it wer wele labord. I have somwhat affrayed them, and made hem spend mony, as I wot well ye shall her therof. Ye and I been discharged of our maynprys.

Now, Sir, for G.o.ddis sake, as I have meved you a fore, help to sette my maister in a worchepful dyreccion of his maters to his honour, his profyte, and his hertis ease, that which so doon he shall have the better leysour to dysspose hym self G.o.dly, and be sette his londs and his goodys to the plesour of G.o.d, and the wele of his sowle, that all men may sey he deyeth a wyse man and a worchepfull. Yf ye wyste what worchep shuld growe to you in favour and conseyte of all men thus to do, I wot well ye wolde be right spedy therin, for I beleve fully ye ar ryght well wylled therto; and if owte I cowde helpe therto at myn nexte comyng, yf I knew your entent, I wold do that I cowde. Yf it like you to wryte your avyse in a bylle that I myght have it by Good Fryday at Seint Benettys, Williem Norwyche wol send it theder. The Holy Trinyte conserve you in honour and prosperite.

From London, the furst day of Marche.