The Paston Letters
Chapter 71 : And on the Moneday after noon the Queen came to him, and brought my Lord Prynce with he

And on the Moneday after noon the Queen came to him, and brought my Lord Prynce with her. And then he askid what the Princes name was, and the Queen told him Edward; and than he hild up his hands and thankid G.o.d therof. And he seid he never knew til that tyme, nor wist not what was seid to him, nor wist not where he had be whils he hath be seke til now.

And he askid who was G.o.dfaders, and the Queen told him, and he was wel apaid.

And she told him that the Cardinal[13.3] was dede, and he seid he knew never therof til that tyme; and he seid oon of the wisist Lords in this land was dede.

And my Lord of Wynchestr[13.4] and my Lord of Seint Jones[13.5] were with him on the morow after Tweltheday, and he speke to hem as well as ever he did; and when thei come out thei wept for joye.

And he seith he is in charitee with all the world, and so he wold all the Lords were. And now he seith matyns of Our Lady and evesong, and herith his Ma.s.se devoutly; and Richard shall tell yow more tidings by mouth.

I pray yow recomaund me to my Lady Morley,[14.1] and to Maister Prior,[14.2] and to my Lady Felbrigge,[14.3] and to my Lady Hevenyngham,[14.4] and to my cosyn your moder, and to my cosyn your wife.

Wreten at Grenewich on Thursday after Twelftheday.

Be your cosyn,

EDMUND CLERE.

[Footnote 13.1: [From Fenn, i. 80.] There is no doubt about the date of this letter. The King fell ill at Clarendon in the autumn of 1453, and remained in a state of utter imbecility during the greater part of the year 1454, so that in March a deputation from the House of Peers, sent to communicate with him on the death of his Chancellor, Cardinal Kemp, was obliged to report that they had been utterly unable to obtain from him any answer or sign that he understood the least thing said to him.

It appears from this letter that his recovery was about Christmas, when he heard for the first time of the birth of his son fourteen months before, and of the death of Cardinal Kemp nine months before.]

[Footnote 13.2: Dec. 27.]

[Footnote 13.3: John Kemp, Cardinal Archbishop of Canterbury.]

[Footnote 13.4: William Waynflete, Bishop of Winchester.]

[Footnote 13.5: Robert Botyll, prior of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem.]

[Footnote 14.1: _See_ vol. ii. p. 84, Note 2.]

[Footnote 14.2: Probably the Prior of Bromholm.]

[Footnote 14.3: _See_ p. 12, Note 3.]

[Footnote 14.4: Sir John Heveningham married Elizabeth, daughter of Sir John Reedesham. Unless he married a second time, this Elizabeth was now his widow.]

[[13.5 St. John of Jerusalem. _missing final period_]]

271

ABSTRACT[14.5]

SIR JOHN FASTOLF TO HENRY FYLONGLYE AND JOHN PASTON.

[Sidenote: 1455 / JAN. 24]

Must pay 40 to the Exchequer this term for the ward of Thomas Fastolf, in part payment of 80, and other great payments at the same time, amounting to 200 or more. Desires him, therefore, to speak with my Lord of Canterbury, whose day of payment is long past, that he may have 'the rather ready payment' of his duty; 'for he is one of the Lords earthly that I most trust upon.' Hopes he will consider the great loss Fastolf already sustains by 'the great good the King oweth me, and other divers Lords to my great discomfort.'

Castre, 24 Jan.

[This letter could not have been written before the year 1455, as Sir John Fastolf only came to reside at Castre in the autumn of the year preceding. The wards.h.i.+p of Thomas Fastolf was procured by Sir John for John Paston in June 1454, so that it is highly probable he had to pay for it in the beginning of next year. In the year following, again, Fastolf was endeavouring to make good those claims against the Crown, which he here merely mentions as a ground of indulgence to himself.]

[Footnote 14.5: [From MS. Phillipps, 9735, No. 260.]]

272

SIR JOHN FASTOLF TO JOHN PASTON

_To my right trusty and welbelovyd cosyn, John Paston, in goodly haste._

[Sidenote: 1455 / FEB. 7]

Ryght trusty and welbelovyd cosyn, I comaund me to yow. And please yow to wete that I am avertysed that at a dyner in Norwiche, wher as ye and othyr jentylmen wer present, that that ther were certeyn personez, jentylmen, whiche utteryd skornefull language of me, as in thys wyse, with mor, seyeng, 'War the, gosune [_cousin ?_] war, and goo we to dyner; goo we wher? to Sir John Fastolf, and ther we shall well paye ther fore.' What ther menyng was, I knowe well to no good entent to me ward; wherfor, cosyn, I prey yow, as my truste is in yow, that ye geve me knowelege be writing what jentylmen they be that had this report with more, and what mo jentylmen wer present, as ye wold I shuld and wer my deute to do for yow in semblabyll wyse. And I shall kepe yowr informatyon in this mater secret, and with G.o.dds grace so purvey for hem as they shall not all be well pleasyd. At suche a tyme a man may knowe hese frendes and hese fooes asonder, &c. Jesu preserve and kepe yow.

[15.1] Wretyn at Caster, the vij. day of Feverer, anno x.x.xiij. R. H.

vj^ti.

JOHN FASTOLF, Knyght.

[Footnote 15.1: [From Fenn, iii. 232.]]

273

THOMAS HOWYS TO JOHN PASTON[16.1]

_To the right wurshepfull Sir, my good Maystyr John Paston._

[Sidenote: 1455]

Right worshepfull Sir, and my good maistyr, I recomaund me louly unto you, thankyng youre good maystyrshep for your good remembraunce for the cherche of Stokysby, wherupon I have desyred my trusty frend, Wylliam Worcestre, to come be the Abot[16.2] homward, besekyng you to avertyse hym youre good avyse how he may be have hym best in this mater to the seyd Abot, etc. And, Sir, en cas ye myght be at a leyser to be with my mayster upon Thursday next comyng, forasmyche as Maistyr Yelvyrton and Jenney shal be her, ye shuld do my maistir ryght gret pleasure. And I beseke you the rather for my sake, for at that tyme the conveyaunce of al materez shal be comounyd of; and I know verely your avyse shall peyse depper in my maisterys conceyt thanne bothyn thers shal do. Ye have dayly gret labour for me, G.o.d reward yow, and my pore preyer ye shall have, &c. I beseke Almyghti Jesu have you in hese mercyfull governaunce, and graunt you evyr that may be to your most herte plessaunce, &c.

Your chapeleyn and bedeman,

THOMAS HOWYS.

[Footnote 16.1: [From Paston MSS., B.M.] The rectory of Stokesby in Norfolk was vacant in the year 1455. The right of presentation ought to have belonged to Sir John Fastolf, as John Fastolf--doubtless of Cowhawe--had presented in 1444; but it was allowed to lapse to the Bishop, who presented Simon Thornham, LL.D. Afterwards it appears that James Gloys was rector, who must have been presented by John or Margaret Paston. This letter was probably written a few days before that which comes next.]

[Footnote 16.2: Of St. Benet's, Hulme. His name was John Martin.]

274

THE ABBOT OF ST. BENET'S TO JOHN PASTON[17.1]

_To my ryght well be lovyd John Paston, Esquyer, be this delivered._