The Paston Letters
Chapter 77 : [Sidenote: About 1455(?) / JUNE 29]Ryght wors.h.i.+pfull cosyn, I recomaund me unto you

[Sidenote: About 1455(?) / JUNE 29]

Ryght wors.h.i.+pfull cosyn, I recomaund me unto you, desyryng to here of youre welfare; and if it like you to her of my welfar, at the makyng of this letter I was in good hele, loved be G.o.d. The cause of my wrytyng to you at this tyme is this, praying you to send me word of youre welfare, and how ye do of youre seknesse, and if the medycyn do you ony good that I send you wrytyng of last; thankyng you of the grete frens.h.i.+p that ye have do to my moder with all my hert.

Also I pray you that ye wyll be good meyn to my cosyn youre husbond, that he wyll se that my fader be well ruleyd in his lyvelode for his wors.h.i.+p and his profett.

Also prayng you to hold me exschusyd that I have wryten no ofter to you, for, in good feth, I had no leysir; for my Lady hath be seke at London, ner hand this quarter of this yere, and that hath be grete hevinesse to me; but now, blesyd be G.o.d, she is amendyd and is in the contre agayne.

Also thankyng you of the grete chere that I had of you when I was with you laste with all my herte, prayng you of good contenuanse, for I had never gretter nede than I have now, and if I had leyser and s.p.a.ce, I wolde write to you the cause.

No more at this tyme, but the Holy Trenite have you in his kepyng.

Wryten at Wyndesore, the xxix. day of June,

By youre pore bede oman and cosyn,

ALICE CRANE.

Also, cosyn, I pray you to sende me sum Norfoke threde to do a boute my nekke to ryde with.

[Footnote 40.1: [From Fenn, iii. 146.] John Crane of Woodnorton, whom we suppose to have been the writer of Letters 121 and 285, had a wife of the name of Alice, who was apparently a widow in 1457, when she presented to the living of Woodnorton (_see_ Blomefield, iv. 313). But the writer of this was more probably a daughter, serving in the household of a lady of rank according to the custom of the times. If so, the date is before John Crane's death, which must have happened between 1455 and 1457.]

297

WILLIAM WORCESTER TO JOHN PASTON[41.1]

_To my Maister Paston._

[Sidenote: 1455 / JULY 7]

Please your G.o.de maisters.h.i.+p to wete, that as yerstenday came lettres from London that the Parson[41.2] most nedys up to London to safe the next amerciement; and so ys forth to appiere, yff he nedys most, xv.

Johannis,[41.3] as ye shall see by Barkers lettre, and shall be to morne at London, and with G.o.ddes grace he shall be releved by the meene of the Parlement; by Sonday yee shall hafe weetyng.

As for my maister,[41.4] he departyth not to London tille the next weke after thys, and [_i.e._ if] he ryde.

As for tydyngs be none couthe [_i.e._ publicly known], but Ponyngs[41.5]

ys qwyt and delyvered of all tresons; and Sir William Oldhale ys process yn the Kyngs Bynche reversed; and the Priest that accused Lordz Cromewell,[41.6] Grey,[41.7] and my maister wolle confesse who caused hym to do it, so that he may have hys lyve, &c.

a.s.sone as ye goodly may to see my maister, it shall be to hym a singuler pleasir. Sir, a baylly of my maister ys yn Drayton. John Eimond brought a lettre to yow, and he sent me wetyng he was shent [_abashed_] uppon som mater, as he supposyth, conteyned yn the lettre. Y pray you yn ryght be hys G.o.de maister, and that y may wete the cause, for y doubt he shall and most obbey, yff he hath offended.

At Castr, the noneday,[42.1] vij. day Jullet.

Your,

W. WORCESTRE.

_On the top of this letter, in a different hand, is written:_--

Prove ontrouthe in the Undir-Sherif, or that he dede othir wise thanne your counsell avysid hym, and Paston shall demene hym accordyng.

[Footnote 41.1: [From Fenn, iii. 128.] At the date of this letter, William Worcester and his master, Sir John Fastolf, were both at Caister, though the latter was thinking of going up to London. This, being in July, cannot have been before 1455. Fenn supposes the pardon to Poynings to have been on account of his partic.i.p.ation in Cade's rebellion, and accordingly dates this letter 'about 1451.' But Poynings was accused of raising disturbances in 1453 and 1454. The reversal of Sir William Oldhall's outlawry was in 1455; for we have seen in No. 287 that he was obliged to remain in sanctuary for some little time after the battle of St. Albans. It appears by an _inspeximus_ on Patent Roll, 34 Hen. VI., m. 16, that he presented a pet.i.tion to the King in Parliament on the 9th July, 33 Hen. VI. (1455), setting forth how he had served the King in France, and yet had been p.r.o.nounced a traitor by the Parliament of Reading in 31 Hen. VI., but that his outlawry had been reversed in the King's Bench.]

[Footnote 41.2: Thomas Howes.]

[Footnote 41.3: _Quindena Johannis_, or on the quinzaine of St.

John, _i.e._ 8th July, the 15th day from St. John the Baptist's day.]

[Footnote 41.4: Sir John Fastolf.]

[Footnote 41.5: Robert Poynings. --_See_ vol. ii. p. 154, Note 3.]

[Footnote 41.6: Ralph, Lord Cromwell. He was accused of treason by a priest named Robert Colynson.--See Nicolas's _Privy Council Proceedings_, vi. 198.]

[Footnote 41.7: Probably Edmund, Lord Grey of Ruthin; but there were at this time also a Lord Grey of Codnor and a Lord Grey of Wilton.]

[Footnote 42.1: The day of the Nones.--F.]

298

SIR J. FASTOLF TO JOHN PASTON[42.2]

_To the worshypfull and my ryght welle belovyd cosyn, John Paston._

[Sidenote: 1455 / JULY 10]

Worshypfull and ryghte welbelovyd cosyn, I comaund me to you. Please you to wete that the pryour and convent of Norwych have wyth holden certeyn rent for londes that they holden of me wythynne my maner of Harlyston, and the ij. tapers of wax of ij_lb._ wyghte by the s.p.a.ce of xviij. yeers that mountyth . . . . . . . xxj_s._ valued in money; and the lordes of the seyd maner beying before me, and also y yn my tyme have be seisid and possessed of the sayd rent. Praying you to speek wyth the pryour, recomaundyng me unto hym, and that ye lyke to meave hym to make me payment, as hys dewtee ys, so as y have no cause to stirre further, and to doo as justice requyryth. He holdyth x.x.x. acres land or more by the sayd rent, and yhyt ought to pay me othyr rents more by myne evidents of more ade. Y pray you, cosyn, that y may speke wyth you or y ryde, and that on Thrysday by the farthyst, and then y shall tell you tydyngs off the Parlement, and that ye fayle not, as my trus ys yn you.

Y pray G.o.d have you yn Hys governance.

Wreten at Castre, the x. day of Julle.

Your cosyn,

JOHN FASTOLFE.

[Footnote 42.2: [From a modern copy by Gough in Bodl. Library.]

This letter was evidently written in the year 1455, as appears by the reference to the Parliament and to the intended journey of Sir John Fastolf up to London (see No. 297).]

299

HENRY WINDSOR TO BOKKYNG AND WORCESTER[43.1]

_Unto my moost faitfull brethern, John Bokkyng and William Worcestre, and to eyther of theym._

[Sidenote: 1455 / JULY 19]

Wors.h.i.+pfull Sir, and my most hertely and best be loved brother, I recommaund me unto you in more loly wise than I can other thenk or write; and with al my service and trewe herte thank you of your gentill lettres, full brotherly written unto me at mony tymes of old, and especiall of late tyme pa.s.sed. And trwly, brother, I thank Almyghty G.o.d of your welfare, of the which the berer of this my pour lettre certified me of, &c.