The Paston Letters
Chapter 58 : 223 THE DUKE OF YORK AND SIR JOHN FASTOLF[280.1][Sidenote: 1452 / DEC. 18]This endentur

223

THE DUKE OF YORK AND SIR JOHN FASTOLF[280.1]

[Sidenote: 1452 / DEC. 18]

This endenture witnesseth that where Richard, Duc of York, by his lettre of saal [_sale_] bering date the xv. day of the monneth of Decembre, the x.x.xj^ti yere of the regne of oure soverain Lord Kyng Henry the s.e.xt, hath bargaigned, aliened, solde, graunted, and confermed unto John Fastolf, Knyght, the jowelles undrewriten:--That is to wite, a nowche of gold with a greet poynted diamand sette up on a roose enameled white; a nowche of gold in facion of a ragged staf, with ij. ymages of man and woman garnysshed with a ruby, a diamande, and a greet peerle; and a floure of gold, garnysshed with ij. rubyes, a diamande, and iij. hanging peerles. To have, holde, and rejoyce the same jowelles to the saide John, his executors and a.s.signees, frely, quietly, and pesibly for evere more, like as in the saide lettre of saal more openly is conteened.

Nevertheles the saide John wolle and graunteth herby that yif the saide Duc paie or doo paie to the same John or to his attornee, his heires or to his executors, in the Fest of the Nativitee of Sainte John Baptist next commyng, iiij^c x.x.xvij_li._ [437] sterlinges withouten delay, that than the saide letter of saal to bee hold for notht; but he to delivere ayein unto the saide Duc, or to his attornee paieng the saide iiij^c x.x.xvij_li._ sterlinges in the saide Fest, the saide jowelles. And yif defaulte bee made in the paiement of the saide iiij^c x.x.xvij_li._ in partie or in all ayenst the fourme aforesaide, than wolle and graunteth the saide Duc herby that the forsaide lettre of saal, by him as is abouve saide made, stande in ful strengh and vertu, this endenture notwithstanding. In witnesse wherof, to the parte of this saide endenture remaynyng towards the saide John the saide Duc hath sette his seel. Yeven at Fodringey, the xviij^e day of the saide monneth of Decembre, the x.x.xj^ti yere of the regne of oure saide souverain Lord King Henry the s.e.xt.

R. YORK.

Seal attached mutilated.

[Footnote 280.1: [Add. Charter 17,242, B.M.]]

224

MARGARET PASTON TO JOHN PASTON[281.1]

_To my right worchippfull hosbond, John Paston, be thys delyveryd in hast._

[Sidenote: 1453 / JAN. 30]

Right worchipfull hosbond, I recommand me to yow, desyring to here of your welfar; praying yow to wete that Sir Thomas Howes hath purveyed iiij. dormants[281.2] for the drawte chamer,[281.3] and the malthouse, and the browere, wherof he hath bought iij., and the forte, that shall be the lengest and grettest of all, he shall have from Heylesdon, whiche he seyth my Mayster Fastolf shall geve me, be cause my chamer shall be made ther with. As for the laying of the seyd dormants, they shall be leyd this next weke, be cause of the malthous, and as for the remenant, I trow it shall abyde tyll ye come hom, be cause I can nother be purveyed of pysts [_posts?_], ne of bords not yette.

I have take the mesure in the draute chamer, ther as ye wold your cofors and cowntewery[281.4] shuld be sette for the whyle; and ther is no s.p.a.ce besyde the bedd, thow the bedd wer remevyd to the dore, for to sette bothe your bord and your kofors ther, and to have s.p.a.ce to go and sitte be syde. Wherfor I have purveyd that ye shall have the same drawte chamer that ye had befor ther, as ye shall ly to your self; and whan your gerr is remevod owte of your lytil hous, the dore shall be lokkyd, and your baggs leyd in on of the grete koforis, so that they shall be sauff, I trost.

Richard Charles and John Dow have fetched hom the chyld[282.1] from Rokelond Toftes, and it is apraty boy; and it is told me that Wyll is att Blyklyng with a pore man of this town. A yonge woman that was sometyme with Burton of this town sent me word therof; I pray yow send me word if ye woll that any thyng that ye woll be do to hym or ye com hom. Richard Charles sendeth yow word that Wylles hath be at hym here, and offerd hym to make hym astate in all thyngs according to ther in dentur, and if he do the contrary ye shall sone have word.

My moder prayith yow to remembr my suster, and to do your parte feythfully or ye com hom to help to gette her aG.o.de mariage. It semyth be my moders langage that she wold never so fayn to have be delyveryd of her as she woll now.

It was told here that Knyvet the heyer is for to mary; bothe his wyff and child be dede, as it was told here. Wherfor she wold that ye shuld inquyr whedder it be so or no, and what hys lyvelode is, and if ye thynke that it be for to do, to lete hym be spoke with therof.

I pray yow that ye be not strange of wryting of letters to me be twix this and that ye come hom. If I myght I wold have every day on from yow.

The blyssed Trinyte have yow in his kepyng. Wrete att Norwyche, on the Tesday next after the Convercion [of] Seynt Poull.

Be yours,

M. P.

[Footnote 281.1: [From Fenn, iii. 324.] The beginning of this letter refers to building operations, which I presume to be the same as those to which the next letter relates, and therefore of the same date. They were probably at Caister Castle.]

[Footnote 281.2: Large beams.]

[Footnote 281.3: Draught chamber. A withdrawing-room.--Halliwell.]

[Footnote 281.4: Cowntewery must mean his counter, desk, or board to sit and write, etc., at.--F.]

[Footnote 282.1: Probably a member of the Berney family (_see_ Sir John Fastolf's letter of the 28th January 1451). Philip Berney, as will be seen by No. 217, was disseised of the manor of Rockland Tofts during the year 1452.]

225

JOHN PASTON TO JOHN NORWODE[283.1]

_To John Norwode._

[Sidenote: 1453]

I lete you wete that Hache hath do no werk of myn wherfore he aught to have receyvid any mony, savyng only for the makyng of the litill hous above the halle wyndownes, for the remenaunte was that fell down in his diffaute. And as for the makyng of that litill hous, he toke that in a comenaunte [_covenant_], with makyng of too chymnyes of Sir Thomas Howys for xl_s._, which comenaunte may not hold, be cause that I must have thre chymnyes and in a nother place.

Item, the seid litill hows drawyth not v. thowsand tyle, which after xvj_d._ the thowsand shuld drawe vj_s._ viij_d._ Notwithstandyng, if Sir Thomas thynk that he shuld be alowyd mo, he shall be. And ye must remembre how that he hath receyvid vj_s._ viij_d._ of you, and of Robert Tolle before Halwemesse, as apperith in his accompt, viij_s._ And he hath receyvid of Tolle sith Halwemesse v_s._ iiij_d._ And than be this rekenyng he shuld be xiij_s._ iiij_d._ a fore hand, which I wold ye shuld gader up in this newe werk aswele as ye myght, for I am be hold to do hym but litill favour.

Item, be war ther leve no firsis in the deke that ye reparre, and that the wode be mad of f.a.got and leyd up forthwoth as it is fellid for taking away. I wold ye wer her on Satirday at evyn thow ye yed ageyn on Moneday.

JON PASTON.

_The following memoranda occur on the back of this letter:--_

Rec' W. Hach.

Rec' de Joh'e Paston, anno x.x.x, vj_s._ viij_d._ Item, de Roberto Telte, xiij_s._ iiij_d._ De Thoma Howis, xx_d._ Item, de Joh'e Norwod, anno x.x.xj. pro camino l_s._ Summa, lxxj_s._ viij_d._ Will' Hach fecit quandam kaminam v. mark, et pro le closet x_s._ Summa, lxxvj_s._ viij_d._

Sic debentur dicto Hach, per Joh'em Paston, v_s._; et dedit ei xv_s._ in recompensationem cujusdam billae ibe (?) et omne jus ipsum et Mo (?) Unde tradidi ei xiiij_s._ iiij_d._ per plegios Thomae Howis qui ma.n.u.sepit (_sic_) quod dictus Will' perimplot [_perimpleret?_]

barganium suum et in fine operis haberet de me vj_s._ viij_d._ residuum.

[Footnote 283.1: [From Paston MSS., B.M.] From the memoranda on the back of this letter, it would appear to belong to the 31st year of Henry VI.]

226

MARGARET PASTON TO JOHN PASTON[284.1]

_To my right wurs.h.i.+pfull Mayster, Jon Paston, be this delyveryd in hast._

[Sidenote: 1453 / APRIL 20]

Right wurs.h.i.+pfull hosbond, I recommand me to yow, preying yow to wete, &c.[284.2] ...

As for tydyngs, the Quene[284.3] come in to this town on Tewysday last past after none, and abode here tyll itt was Thursday, iij. after none; and she sent after my cos. Elysabeth Clere[284.4] by Sharynborn, to come to her; and she durst not dysabey her commandment, and come to her. And when she come in the Quenys presens, the Quene made ryght meche of her, and desyrid here to have an hosbond, the which ye shall know of here after. But as for that, he is never nerrer than he was befor.

The Quene was right well pleasid with her answer, and reportyht of her in the best wyse, and seyth, be her trowth, she sey no jantylwoman syn she come into Norffolk that she lykit better than she doth her.

Blake, the bayle[285.1] of Swaffham, was here with the Kyngs brother,[285.2] and he come to me, wenyng that ye had be at hom, and seyd that the Kyngs brother desyrid hym that he shuld pray yow in his name to come to hym, for he wold right fayn that ye had come to hym, if ye had ben at home; and he told me that he west wele that he shuld send for yow when he come to London, bothe for Cossey and other thyngs.

I pray yow that ye woll do your cost on me ayens Witsontyd, that I may have somme thyng for my nekke. When the Quene was here, I borowd my coseyn Elysabeth Cleris devys, for I durst not for shame go with my beds among so many fresch jantylwomen as here were at that tym. The blissid Trinyte have yow in his kepyng.

Wretyn at Norwych on the Fryday next befor Seynt George.

Be yowrs,