The Paston Letters
Chapter 47 : Item, Gonnore kept a court at Routon the Thursday[220.2] next after Seynt Mathy[220.3]

Item, Gonnore kept a court at Routon the Thursday[220.2] next after Seynt Mathy[220.3] the Appostell, and it was told me that Bettes was ther with hym; wherefore I rode theder. And be cause that it was a fraunchised town and within the Duchye,[220.4] and also that Gonnor had gret rewle in the seid town, I toke with me the baly of the hundred and set hym with me in my Lord of Norffolks warant, and than yede in to the court ther as Gonnor and Bettes wern. The seid baly told Gonnor of this warant, and Gonnor rebuked hym so that he durst not a rest the seid Bettes. Than I toke it up on me and arested hym myself as he sate be Gonnor. Gonnor desired than to se my warant, and I shewed it hym, and he seid he wold obey it as the lawe wold. And he proferyd me suerte, men of the seid town of Routon. Than I told hym, and [_i.e._ if] he wold be bownd hym self with othre I would agre ther to, but I wuld have no s.h.i.+pmen that had nought, ner such men that rought [_cared_] never, and thei were onys on the see, wheder thei come ageyn or noght. Than Bettes toke Gonnor a _supersedias_ that he had of Wychyngham twelmoneth ago for anothre man that asked suerte of the seid Bettes. I wold have had it, and he wold not lete me have it, ner shewe it me but in his hands. Than I told hym that it was noght, and he seid it was G.o.de i nowe. I bad hym take it me for my discharge, and he seid pleynly I shuld not have it.

Than I told hym I wold have my prisoner. The seid Gonnor seid I shuld not have hym, and dede set alle the tenaunts up on me and made a gret noyse, and seydyn alle pleynly I shuld not have hym yf he wold abyde with hem. Than I told Gonnor that I shuld certifie a rescuse, and prayd the baly of the hundred that he wold record the same. Item, the seid Gonnor seid I myght have favoryd the seid Bettes the more be cause the seid Bettes was my mayster Stapylton man, and that his men shuld not be bownd and I shuld go lose. He seid I shuld be tyed or aght longe and alle my feleshep bothyn; but, G.o.d yeld hym, he hath yovyn me iiij. days respyte. Than I told hym it shuld never ly in his power to bynde me, ner non of my feleshep so fast but that it shuld be in your power to make hym to losyn us, and if that he abode in Norffolk he shuld be made to seke the skyrts of his sadill or Esterne. And if he had kept his wey that nyght I shuld have kept hym trewe covenaunte, for I lay on wayte up on hym on the heth as he shuld have comen humward, and if I myght have met with hym I shuld have had Bettes from hym; but he had leyd such wetche that he had aspied us or he cam fully at us; and he remembered Wyndhams manhood, that iiij. swyft fete were better than ij. hands, and he toke his hors with the spores and rode to Felbrygge Hall as fast as he myght rydyn, and I suppose he lay ther all that nyght.

Item, the seid Gonnor manased and thret John of Beston for he wuld not warn hym her of; and he dede sease alle his lond in Routon, and warned hym that he shuld not occupy his lyme kyll ner no lond that he had in Routon; and he mad his avaunte whan I was gon, if that I had not brought the baly of the hundred with me I shuld never have go thens; and yet, not withstandyng that I brought the baly with me, and thei had wust where myn hors had stond I shuld have be wele betyn. All this language had thei whan that I was gon.

Item, the seid Gonnor seid after that I was gon to the tenaunts of the seid town, that his _supersedias_ was noght, and as for the rescuse, he shuld purvey a mene to excuse it. Where fore and it pleasyd you to send my mastres word how that I shuld be demened with the seid Bettes, and wheder that ye wuld I shuld a rest hym ageyn or nought, and to purvey such a mene for Gonnor that he myght ley his bost, it shuld be gret comfort to all yowr frendes and tenauntes ther abowtyn.

Item, I have be at my mayster Stapilton with your writtes, and he made it right straunge for to ensele hem. He seid that he knew of nown such inquiscion takyn at Swafham beforn hym; he seid if it were presented ther, it was presented in his absens, whill that he was in his inne; wherfore he seid he wold not ensele hem till he sey the bokes. Whan I had answeryd hym ther to, than he seid he wold comown with my mayster Yelverton her of whan he come home, and til he had spok with hym he wold not ensele hem. I told hym my mayster Yelverton had enseled hem. Thann he seid he knew not my mayster Yelverton seale. He shewed it to Gonnor, and asked hym wheder it was his seall or noght. Gonnor seid it was his sealle. Than my mayster Stapilton brake ought of this mater and spake to me of the a restyng of Bettes and makyng of affray up on Gonnor. He seid Gonnor cam to hym to compleyn up on me. I told hym that Gonnor had enformed hym as it plesyd hym, for I had yove hym no cause to compleyn of me, and if it pleased hym to her myn excuse he shuld fynd me in no defaute. Whan he had herd myn excuse, he cowde not blame me. Meche othre langage we had, for I was with hym ner an ower. Than he asked me wheder the inquisicion was taken be fore the justice of the peas or the justice of the _oyer determyner_. I told hym be for the justic of the peas, for I seid it was the cessyons of the peas at Swafham. Than he bad me put up my warants, for he seid he wold not ensele hem till he had comowned with my maister Yelverton. I told hym it shuld not nede to comown with my mayster Yelverton, ner labor hym therfore, for I seid it myght not hurt thow he enseled hem not; for I seid the writts were executed, and that the shereff had mad ought warants of them, and his warants were executed, and so the seid writts shuld stand you in litill avayll, save only, I told hym, ye desiryd his sealle, because it was fownd before othre lords with hym, and that he stode in the _teste_ of the said writts, and that was cause of my comyng theder. Than he wend I had comyn for to a.s.sayn hym, for forthwith he enseled hem, but me thynk be his langage he hath be labored of the toder part.

Item, and it pleased your G.o.de maystershep to gete of my mayster Yelverton a _supersedias_ for John Osborn and an othre for me. We suppose that Gonnor and Bettes wull do us arest, and we wuld the _supersedias_ that we haue ought of the Chauncery were kept till more nede were. My mastres[222.1] recomand her to you, and prayth you to hold her excused that she write yow no letter, for myche of the mater that she shuld have wrete to you I had wrete in my letter or she knew ther of; and also she knew not of so redy a ma.s.sanger as I had. And it plesyd your G.o.de maystershep to send us a pardon for to a.s.soylyn Gonnor this holy tyme of Lentyn, the rather be cause of this gret bulle,[223.1] we shuld leve in the more reste and peas, and kepe the more our pacyence than we do. The Holy Trynyte have you in His kepyng. Wretyn on the Monday next after Seynt Mathie[223.2] the Appostell, in hast.

Your pore servaunte,

JAMES GLOYS.

[Footnote 219.1: [From Paston MSS., B.M.] This letter was written in the spring of 1451, when John Paston had re-entered Gresham.]

[Footnote 219.2: Lord Molyns.]

[Footnote 220.1: Fastingong, or Shrove Tuesday, fell upon the 9th March in 1451.]

[Footnote 220.2: 25th February.]

[Footnote 220.3: St. Matthias, whose day was the 24th February.]

[Footnote 220.4: The Duchy of Lancaster.]

[Footnote 222.1: Margaret Paston.]

[Footnote 223.1: Probably a bull of indulgence issued at the close of the year of jubilee 1450, for the benefit of those who had not been able to visit Rome that year.]

[Footnote 223.2: St. Matthias. His day was the 24th February.]

179

JAMES GLOYS TO JOHN PASTON[223.3]

_To my right reverent and wurchepfull mayster, John Paston, Esquyer, be this delivered in hast._

[Sidenote: 1451 / MARCH 2]

Right reverent and wurchepfull Sir, I recomaund me to you, prayng you to wete that I have labored divers men that ben enpaneld atwix my mastres, your moder, and Wyndham.[223.4] Ther be many of them woll do her parte, and ther ben summe that wull not pa.s.se ther upon, for thei ben aferd that the werd [_world_] shuld turne. It is noysed in Norwhich that my Lord of Oxenford, my mayster Yelverton, and ye, and John Damme shuld be endited in Kent for mayntenaunce of the _oyer determyner_ in Norffolk; and this, with othre feryth sore men of Norwhich. I trow my mastres writyth to you here of more clerly. Item, Wyndham hath be divers tymes at my mastres Cler, and mad hym erands to her, and told her that he was sued in my mastres, your moders name but he supposyd that she knew not there of. He thought that ye and James Gresham had do it un malyce, my mastres your moders unknowyng. But whan he knew that I labored the enqueste, than he sent my mastres Clere word how that he knew wele that it was my mastres your moders labore. Item, he told my Lady of Morle[224.1] of this sute, and he seid that he wend that my seid lady had mad an hend a twix them for the seid sute. Item, Heydons men brought his awyn hors and his sadyll thourgh Aylsham on Monday, and thei comyn in at the Busshoppes gates at Norwhich and comyn over Tomelond and in to the Abbey. Thei a bedyn there all that nyght, and ij. days after, wenyng to men of the town that Heydon had go over the fery, and so in to the Abbey; and sythyn thei seid thei shuld go to London for Heydon. Item, sum seyn that Heydon shuld be mad a knyght, and myche othre langage ther is which causyth men to ben aferd, wenyng that he shuld have a rewle ageyn. Item, there were ij. men at John Betes of Holt; thei had langage of the Lord Moleyns. If it please yow to enquere of Symond, brynger of this letter, he shall enforme you of her langage. Item, Gonnor was wetched at Felbrygge Halle with xl. persones of the Lady Felbryggs[224.2] tenaunts and mor that night that I lay on wayte up on hym, and he durst not go home on the next day till they brought hym home. Thei mad a compleynt to my Lady Felbrygge, and my mastres had excused it. Item, the manase Burflet, and wull sease his lond. Symond shall telle yow how thei wer answered. Item, as for the subsidy that Sir Herry I[nglos] and the Lady Felbrygge shuld payn, the meyr knowe not yet veryly what thei schuld pay, for thei have not cast the valew of her londs. The bill closyd in this letter maketh mensyon of the valew of divers gentelmens londs that [ben] examyned in Norwhich. We can not know what Calthorp payth, for we can not speke with the shereffe, ner the undre [shereffe], ner no man that gadered that hundred ther as Calthorp dwellytht. The Holy Trynyte have you in his kepyng. Wr[etyn] the Tuesday next after Seynt Mathie,[225.1] in hast.

Your pore servaunt,

JAMES GLO[YS].

[Footnote 223.3: [From Paston MSS., B.M.] From what it mentions about Gonnor, this letter will be seen to be of the same year as the last. The fears entertained of Heydon recovering his influence are also indicative of the spring of 1451. The letter is slightly mutilated in the margin at the bottom.]

[Footnote 223.4: John Wyndham, Esq. of Felbrigg.]

[Footnote 224.1: _See_ p. 84, Note 2.]

[Footnote 224.2: Catherine, widow of Sir Simon Felbrigg, was lady of the manor of Felbrigg, of which Wyndham only had the lease at this time, though he afterwards became the proprietor. --_See_ Blomefield, viii. 112.]

[Footnote 225.1: St. Matthias. --_See_ p. 223, Note 2.]

180

MARGARET PASTON TO JOHN PASTON[225.2]

_To my rith wurshepfull hosbond, Jon Paston._

[Sidenote: 1451 / MARCH 3]

Rith worchipfull hosbond, I recommawnd me to yow, praying you to wete that ther is a gret noyse in this town, that my Lord of Oxforth and Yelverton and ye ben endytid in Kent for mayntenyng of the oyer determyner; and Jon Dame is endytyd ther also of treson, be cawse that he dede Heydon endytyn[225.3] of treson for takyng down of the quarter of the man. And the pepyll that ben ayens Ser Thomas Todenham and Heydon ben sore aferd be cawse of this noyse, and of other langage that is had bothe in this town and in the contre, that these seyd Todenham and Heydon shuld ben as well at ese, and have as grett rewill as ever they hadde.

Jamys Gloys tellith me that he hath sent yow word of Heydonys hors and of other thyngs, mor of whiche I was purposid to asent yow word of. The Holy Trinyte have yow in kepyng. Wretyn at Norwiche, the Weddenysday next after Seynt Mathy.[225.1]

Yowris,

M. P.

[Footnote 225.1: St. Matthias. --_See_ p. 223, Note 2.]

[Footnote 225.2: [From Fenn, iii. 288.] It will be seen that this letter contains a distinct reference to the last which was written the day before it. Indeed, the information contained in this letter is nearly all antic.i.p.ated in that of Gloys.]

[Footnote 225.3: _i.e._ caused Heydon to be indicted.]

181

DENYES TO JOHN PASTON[226.1]

_To my maister Paston._

[Sidenote: 1451 / MARCH 4]

Right wurs.h.i.+pfull sir, and my right good maister, I recomaunde me to yow. It is so that up on an hasty sodeyn warnyng I departid from London and spake not with yow at my departyng, Wherof I was full sory. I pray yow, neverthelesse, that ye wole eftsones speke to William White with my Lord Cardinall, for I desire his maisters.h.i.+p and good will and wole do to my power. And as touchyng to that that he semith I haf don agayn hym, in good feith I wole abide your rule or, by Seynt Kateryne, his owen rule. He is a gentilman and I wole don it with good will. I am right sory ye had not set me thorgh with hym erst I went, for I haf prayed yow ther of, as ye know your self dyvers tymes. The Holy Trynite preserve yow. Wretyn at Wevenho the iiii. day of Merche.

Your servaunt,

DENYES.

Sir, my Lord[226.2] hath kept sessions at Colchestre, and my maister Yelverton with hym, and he desired me to write to yow to be wel ware if ony fals suggestion or lesynges wer made by Tuddenham and Heydon and that to your power thei be answerd in his absence. As for my Lord Scales, her be seven of housold meny indited of felony, which are strong thefes. Item, I pray yow, write in hast to the Meir of Norwich to gif credens to me whan I come to hym, and if ye so do I shal shape their articles in billes in to a nother facion I trust, and make thaym redy and delyver thaym resonably wele. My Lord purposeth to be at London the ende of the first weke of Lent, and not erst. I pray your maisters.h.i.+p, se sum meane that White do me not that harme in the Chauncery wherof ye sent me word by Brayn, for, as G.o.d sauf my soule at the day of Jugement, I fonde surete for the pees, but the Maister of the Rolles[227.1] ful untruly recordeth that surete takyn as a baile, wher of treuth it was otherwise, and ful synnefully ruleth that mater, and never wold suffir me to execute the acte but lettid me, notwithstandyng it is a law private in the self as I shal clerly declare whan I come. The Holy Trinite preserve yow. I write to yow thus that ye may kyt awey this lower part of this lettre.