The Paston Letters
Chapter 78 : And, Sir, as touchyng al maner of newe t.i.thinges, I knoo well ye are averous; truly t

And, Sir, as touchyng al maner of newe t.i.thinges, I knoo well ye are averous; truly the day of makyng of this letter, ther were nonn newe, but suche I herd of, ye shalbe served with all.

As for the first, the Kyng our souverain Lord, and all his trwe Lordes stand in hele of there bodies, but not all at hertes ees as we. Amonges other mervell, ij. dayes afore the writyng of this letter, there was langage betwene my Lordes of Warrewikke and Cromwell afore the Kyng, in somuch as the Lord Cromwell wold have excused hym self of all the steryng or moevyng of the male journey of Seynt Albones; of the whiche excuse makyng, my Lord Warrewikke had knolege, and in hast wa.s.se with the Kyng, and sware by his othe that the Lord Cromwell said not trouth, but that he was begynner of all that journey at Seynt Albones; and so betwene my said ij. Lords of Warrewikke and Cromwell ther is at this day grete grugyng, in somoch as the Erle of Shrouesbury hath loged hym at the hospitall of Seynt James, beside the Mewes, be the Lord Cromwells desire, for his sauf gard.

And also all my Lord of Warrewikke men, my Lord of York men, and also my Lord of Salesbury men goo with harnes, and in harnes with strang wepons, and have stuffed their Lordes barges full of wepon dayly unto Westminster. And the day of makyng of this letter, ther was a proclamacion made in the Chauncerie, on the Kyngs behalf, that noman shuld nether bere wepon, ner were harnes defensible, &c.

Also, the day afore the makyng of this letter, ther pa.s.sed a bill[44.1]

both by the Kyng, Lords, and Comens, puttyng Thorp, Josep, and my Lord of Somerset in all the defaute; be the which bill all maner of actions that shuld growe to any person or persones for any offenses at that journey doon, in any maner of wise shuld be extynt and voide, affermyng all thing doon there well doon, and nothing doon there never after this tyme to be spoken of; to the which bill mony a man groged full sore nowe it is pa.s.sed.

And if I myght be recommaunded unto my speciall maister and youres, with all loliness and trewe service I beseech you hertely as I can.

And also to my brethern Th. Upton,[44.2] Lodowick of Pole, William Lynd Calyn [_Lincoln ?_], and John Merchall. No more, but our Lorde have you both in his perpetuell kepyng.

Writen at London, on Seynt Margarete Even,[45.1] in hast; and after this is rede and understonden, I pray you bren or breke it, for I am loth to write any thing of any Lord. But I moost neds; ther is no thing elles to write. Amen.

Your awn,

H. WYNDESORE.

[Footnote 43.1: [From Fenn, i. 108.] As this letter refers to the disputes which arose after the battle of St. Albans as to who should bear the blame of that occurrence, the date is certain.]

[Footnote 44.1: See _Rolls of Parl._ v. 280.]

[Footnote 44.2: _Upon_ in Fenn, but _Upton_ in the modern version on the opposite side of the page.]

[Footnote 45.1: St. Margaret's day is the 20th July, the eve the 19th.]

300

JAMES GLOYS TO JOHN PASTON[45.2]

_To the right wurchepfull Sir, and my goode mayster, my Mayster John Paston, be this delivered._

[Sidenote: 1455 / JULY 25]

Reverent and right wurchepfull Sir, and my G.o.de mayster, I recomaund me to you, prayng you to wete that ther is reysed a slandrows noyse in this countre up on my Mayster Yelverton and you and my Mayster Alyngton, which I suppose is do to bryng you ought of the conceyte of the pepyll, for at this day ye stand gretly in the countreys conceyte. It is seyde be Heydon and his disciples that my Mayster Yelverton and ye and my Mayster Alyngton shuld have doo oon Sir John Tartyssale, parson of the Estchurche[45.3] of Warham and chapeleyn to the priour[45.4] of Walsyngham, to put in to the Parlement, a bille of divers tresons don be my Lord of Norwich,[45.5] Sir Thomas Tudenham, and John Heydon, and ye shuld have set to your seales; and if that Heydon had be vj. howrs fro the Parlement lenger than he was, ther had be granted an _oyer determiner_ to have enquer of hem, &c. This was told yesterday in right wurchepfull audience, and a mong the thrifties men of this countre; and thei seyd right shrewedly, for my lord of Norwich hath so flatered the lay pepill as he hath redyn a bought his visitacion that he hath thers herts. Wherfor, and it plese you to lete me have knowlech what ye wuld I shuld sey to it, wher as I her any such langage, I wull do my parte, and have do hed toward as I have thought in my conceytes best, &c. And if ther be any other servyce that ye wull comaund me, I am and wull be redy at yowr comaundment with the grace of G.o.d, how [_who_] ever have you in his blyssed kepyng.

Wretyn at Wighton in hast, on Sent James day,

Be your servaunte,

JAMES GLOYS.[46.1]

[Footnote 45.2: [From Fenn, iv. 32.] This letter is attributed by Fenn to the year 1461, but that date is certainly inaccurate, as it was answered by John Paston at Norwich the very day it was written, whereas in July 1461 Paston was in London. Moreover, it certainly could not have been _after_ 1461, as Sir Thomas Tuddenham was beheaded in February of the following year. It must therefore belong to the reign of Henry VI.; and considering the time of the year, 1455 is the only date at which it is at all likely that any one would have ventured to attempt the impeachment of Tuddenham and Heydon in Parliament, or could have been plausibly accused of such a design against persons of so much influence.]

[Footnote 45.3: There were three churches in the parish of Warham.]

[Footnote 45.4: Thomas Hunt.]

[Footnote 45.5: Walter Lyhert, Bishop of Norwich.]

[Footnote 46.1: He was a priest, and a dependant of the Pastons.]

[[To the right wurchepfull Sir, and my goode mayster _text has "ana" (italic a for d)_]]

301

JOHN PASTON TO JAMES GLOYS[46.2]

_To Sir James Gloys._

[Sidenote: 1455 / JULY 25]

Ther be dyvers thynges in your letter sent to me; one that a slaw[n]derus noyse shuld renne ageyns Yelverton, Alygton and me, to brynge us owte of the conceytes of the puple be Heydon and his dyscyplis, of a bill that shuld have do put uppe in to the Parlement ageyns my Lord of Norwich and odir. I lete yow wete this is the furst day that I herd of any seche, but I wold wete the namys of hem that utter this langage and the mater of the bill. As for my Lord of Norwych, I suppose ye know I have not usid to meddel with Lordes maters meche forther than me nedith; and as for Sir Thomas Todynham, he gaff me no cawse of late tyme to labor ageyns hym, and also of seche mater I know non deffaut in hym. And as for Heydon, when I putte a bill ageyns hym I suppose he shall no cause have, ne his discyplis nother, to avante of so short a remedy ther of, as ye wrygth they sey now. As for that ye desyr that I shuld send yow word what I shuld sey in this mater, I pray yow in this and all other lyke, ask the seyeres if thei will abyd be ther langage, and as for me, sey I prupose me to take no mater uppon me b.u.t.t that I woll abyde by; and in lek wys for Yelverton and Aligton. And that ye send me the namys of them that ye wryte that herd this langage seyd shrewedly, and what they seyd; and that ye remembre what men of substance wer ther that herde itt; for if this can be dreve to Heydon or his dissyplis, as ye wryte, it wer a G.o.de preve that they fere to be appelyd of seche materes. And I thank yow for your G.o.dwill. Wrete att Norwych, on Seynt James day.

[Footnote 46.2: [From Paston MSS., B.M.] This letter, which is printed from a draft in John Paston's hand, was written in answer to the preceding, to which the reader is referred for the evidence of its date.]

302

JOHN CHEDWORTH, BISHOP OF LINCOLN, TO JOHN PASTON[47.1]

_To the wors.h.i.+pfull and welbeloved John Paston, Esquyer._

[Sidenote: 1455 / JULY 26]

Right wors.h.i.+pful and welbeloved Sir, I comaunde me unto you, and with all my hert thank you for the grete labours that ye oftymes have diligently doon for my welbeloved servant John Ode, to th'entent that he shuld mowe atteyne to entre and enjoy peasible his enheritaunce, as I am enformed dew unto him; and pray you of youre goode contynuaunce, certyfieng you that I have written unto Yelverton, the justice, that he wol, at some sesonable tyme, common with Sir Thomas Tudenham, knyght, and to offre him asmoche reason as it shal be thought unto him and to you, that lawe wol in that behalf require, prayng you that ye wol common with the saide Yelverton, and to conceyve betwix you such lawful meones of gyding of this matier that my said servaunt may have peasebly with owten grete trouble his said enheritaunce, as I shal in case semblable do my labour unto your pleasaunce. And pray you that of the disposicion of the said Sir Thomas Tudenham in this behalf, I may be certified. And Jesu preserve you.

Written at London, the xxvj. day of July.

J., BYSSHOPP OF LINCOLN.

[Footnote 47.1: [From Fenn, iii. 246.] The date of this letter is ascertained by a contemporaneous memorandum at the bottom of the original in these words, 'Litt. direct. Joh'i Paston inter Michaelem x.x.xiij. et x.x.xiiij. Henr. s.e.xti.']

303

JAMES GRESHAM TO JOHN PASTON[48.1]

_To my right wors.h.i.+pfull maister, John Paston, at Norwiche, be this delyvred._

[Sidenote: 1455 / OCT. 28]

Please it your maisters.h.i.+p to wete[48.2] ... .

Here be many marvaylos tales of thynggs that shall falle this next moneth, as it is seyd; for it is talked that oon Doktor Grene, a preest, hath kalked [_calculated ?_] and reporteth, that by fore Seynt Andreu day next comyng shall be the grettest bataill that was sith the bataill of Shrewisbury,[48.3] and it shall falle bytwene the Bisshoppes Inne of Salesbury and Westminster Barres, and there shall deye vij. Lords, whereof iij. shuld be bisshoppes. Althis and meche more is talked and reported. I trust to G.o.d it shall not falle so.