The Paston Letters
Chapter 68 : [Footnote 332.1: According to Blomefield (vii. 186), Catherine, widow of John c.o.kerel

[Footnote 332.1: According to Blomefield (vii. 186), Catherine, widow of John c.o.kerell of Albergh Wykes in Suffolk, died seised of the manors of Walcotes and Boles in 6 Henry VI., which she left, with others, to Catherine, daughter of John c.o.kerell, junior, her son, who died before his father. This younger Catherine died a minor in 10 Henry VI., and the jury knew not who was her heir. In 29 Henry VI. George Heath of Mildenhall released to Humphrey, Duke of Buckingham, all his rights in Walcotes and Boles; but in the 18th of Henry VII. Christopher Conyers and Alice his wife conveyed it to the Heydons. Of its having been purchased by the Earl of Warwick or having belonged to the Prior of Walsingham, as stated in the next letter, Blomefield tells us nothing except that Richard, Earl of Warwick, presented to the rectory of Snoring Parva in 1460 and 1466.]

257

THE EARL OF WARWICK TO JOHN PASTON[332.2]

_To the wors.h.i.+pfull and my right trusty frende John Paston, Squyer._

[Sidenote: 1454 / AUG. 23]

Wors.h.i.+pfull and my right trusty and welbeloved frende, I grete you well.

And forasmuch as I have purchased of the wors.h.i.+pfull and my welbeloved frende, Priour of Walsyngham, ij. maners in Lityl Snoryng, with thappurtenants, in the Counte of Norffolk, which maners be cleped Bowles and Walcotes,--I desir and hertily praye yow, that ye woll shewe to me, and my feoffes in my name, your good will and favour, so that I may by your frends.h.i.+p the more peasably rejoy my forsaid purchase.

And more over I praye you to yeve credens in this mater to my welbeloved chapellayn, Syr John Suthwell, berer of this my lettre, and in the same mater to be my feithfull frende, as my gret trust is in you, wherin ye shall do to me a singular pleasir, and cause me to bee to yow right good lord, which sumtyme shall be to you available by the grace of G.o.d, who preserve you and sende you welfare.

Yeven under my signet at Midilham, the xxiij. day of August.

RICHARD, ERL OF } R. WARREWYK.

WARREWIK. }

[Footnote 332.2: [From Fenn, i. 88.] See preliminary note to the last letter (p. 331, Note 1).]

258

WILLIAM WORCESTER TO JOHN PASTON[333.1]

_To my Maister Paston._

_H. R._

[Sidenote: 1454(?) / SEPT. 2]

Aftyr dewe recomendacion wyth my simple service precedyng, please your maistershyp to wete, that as to such remembraunce that ye desyre me to contynew forth to the uttermost, I shall wyth G.o.de wille, so as my maister wille licence me, as oft as I can, th'officer to hafe leysure to be wyth me, for ye know well I can not do it alone, &c.

And where as ye of your pleasure wryte me or calle me Maister Worcestr, I pray and requyre yow foryete that name of maistershyp, for I am not amended by my maister of a ferthyng yn certeynte, but of wages of housold in comune _entaunt come nows plaira_. By Worcestr or Botoner I hafe v_s._ yerly, all costs born, to help pay for bonetts that I lose.

I told so my maister thys weke, and he seyd me yerstenday he wyshed me to hafe be a preest, so I had be disposed, to hafe gofe me a lyvyng by reson of a benefice, that anothyr most gefe it, as the Byshop, but he wold; and so I endure _inter egenos ut servus ad aratrum_.

Forgefe me, I wryte to make yow laugh; and our Lord bryng my maister yn a better mode for othyrs as for me.

At Caistr, ij^d day of September.

I pray yow displeser not your servaunt be so long, for my maister lettet hym.

Your,

W. WYRCESTYR.

[Footnote 333.1: [From Fenn, iii. 318.] This and the next letter were certainly written on the same day, but the precise year may be questioned. From a comparison of the two together, with William Barker's letter of the 3rd Nov. following (No. 265), I am inclined to think all three belong to the year 1454, when Sir John Fastolf had just come to settle for the rest of his days in Norfolk. Sir John Fenn, I think rightly, considers this first letter to have been written between jest and earnest; and this tone may be very well explained by the supposition, that on Fastolf's settlement at Caister, Worcester expected to have had some position of importance a.s.signed to him in his master's household. That such would be his fortune was probably the expectation of others as well as himself, and apparently John Paston had written to him in the belief that Worcester's influence with Sir John might occasionally be of value to him.]

259

THOMAS HOWES TO JOHN PASTON[334.1]

_To my maister, John Paston, Squier, be this delyvered._

[Sidenote: 1454(?) / SEPT. 2]

Ryght worshypfull Sir, I recommaund me to yow. And my maister hertly thankyth yow for the venyson that ye sent hym from my Lord of Oxford, and prayeth yow that he may be recommaunded to hys n.o.ble Lordshyp. And G.o.d thank yow for your speciall remembraunce of my mater that ye hafe it so tendyrly to hert, for ye may know weel the G.o.de spede of that ys my wellfare and the contrarye ys my utter undoyngs. I hafe sent to John Porter to wete verrayly how it standyth with hym, as ye shall wete the certeynte thys weke. As for the mater wryt to Bokkyng he hath rad ys lettre, and wille remember your desyre, and also of William Geney comyng, yn case he know of it rathyr then ye.

And my maistre herd the substaunce of your lettre red, and lyked it ritz well. And as for the mater of Worcester remembraunce, he shall geve hys attendaunce therto yn that he can. And where ye calle hym maister, he ys displesed wyth that name, for he may spend v_s._ yerly more by the name of Worcestr or Botoner, and by hys maister not a ferthyng yn certeynte.

He prayth yow foryete it.

I pray G.o.d kepe yow. Wryt at Castr hastly ij^d day of September.

Your oune,

T. HOWES.

Item, yn case Jankyn[335.1] be hole, my Lord of Norffolk hath graunted [him] by moyen of Robert Wyngfeld, to be yn my seyd Lord ys houshold, as my maister hath it by lettre from Wyngfeld.

[Footnote 334.1: [From Fenn, iii. 320.] With regard to the date of this letter, see the preliminary note to the last (p. 333, Note 1).]

[Footnote 335.1: This appears to be the John or Jankyn Porter above named, who will be found mentioned hereafter.]

END OF VOLUME II