The Paston Letters
Chapter 43 : I pray yow, therfore, that ye wole write to me your disposicion how ye purpose to be de

I pray yow, therfore, that ye wole write to me your disposicion how ye purpose to be demened, and how I shal take yow for th'execucion of the Kyngs Comission, and the pupplik wele of all the s.h.i.+re; and aftir that that ye write to me, so wole I take yow, latyng yow wete that I were lothe to labour ferther but if I wist that the Commons shuld be easid as G.o.dds law wold; and if ony errour grow, the defaute shal not be founde in me.

I pray yow more over to gif credence to the berer her of, and the Trinite kepe yow. Wretyn at Wynch, the second day of January.

THE ERLE OF OXENFORD.

[Footnote 203.2: [From Fenn, iii. 106.] As this letter was written in the year that John Jermyn was Sheriff of Norfolk, the date must be 1451.]

[Footnote 203.3: _See_ page 161, Note 3.]

168

THE EARL OF OXFORD TO SIR JOHN FASTOLF[204.1]

_To my right trusty and intierly welbeloved Sir John Fastolff, Knyght._

[Sidenote: 1451(?) / JAN. 2]

Right trusty and intierly welbeloved, I grete yow wele, and pray yow to be right sadly advysed of the contynue of a bille of instruccion closid her ynne; and therupon, as I trust yow, to comon with suych my Lords of the Kyngs Councell as be present now at this tyme, in especiall my Lord Chaunceller, and that ye wole send me instruccyon agayn of their avise, and how I shal demene me. And the Trinite preserve yow. Wretyn at Wynch, the second day of January.

THE ERLE OF OXENFORD.

[Footnote 204.1: [From Paston MSS., B.M.] This letter, which is dated at the same place and on the same day as the preceding, was probably written in the same year also.]

169

JOHN BOCKING TO WILLIAM WAYTE[205.1]

_To William Wayte._[205.2]

[Sidenote: 1451 / JAN. 2]

Rith feithful and welbelovyd brother, Wiliam Wayte, I comaunde me to yow as the lord may to his tenant, praying you effectualy to recomaunde me to my singuler G.o.de mayster and yours, excusyng me that I write not to hym, for I dar not envolde me in the same. And as for tydyngs her, I certifye you that all is nowght, or will be nowght. The Kyng borweth hes expense for Cristemesse; the Kyng of Aragon,[205.3] the Duc of Myleyn,[205.4] the Duc of Ostrich,[205.5] the Duc of Burgoyn[205.6]

wolde ben a.s.sistent to us to make a conquest, and nothyng is aunswered, ner agreed in maner, save abydyng the grete deliberacon that at the last zall spill all to G.o.der, &c.

The Chief Yistice[205.7] hath waited to ben a.s.sauted all this sevenyght nyghtly in hes hous, but nothing come as yett, the more pite, &c. On _oyr and determiner_[205.8] goth in to Kent, and Commissioners my Lord the Duc of York, Bouchier, my mayster,[206.1] that will not come there, _de prodicionibus_, &c., but Kent praeth hem to hang no men when thei come.

Other tydyngs as yett can I non tell you, save Ulveston is Styward of the Mydill Inne, and Isley of the Inner Inne, be cause thei wold have officz for excuse for dwellyng this tyme from her wyves, &c. Sir T. T.[206.2] lost hes primer at the Tour Hill, and sent his man to seche [_fetch_ (?)] it, and a good felaw wyshed hit in Norffolk, so he wold fetch hit there, &c. Men ween that Norffolk men wer hardier thanne thei be.

G.o.d graunte, and at the reverence of G.o.d help too that an outas[206.3]

and clamour be made upon the Lord Scalez,[206.4] preying hym for well of the c.u.n.tre, neyther susteyn ner help hym ner Heydon in no wyse, and that ye crye upon my mayster and yours that he obeye not the syrcorar [_certiorari_] as yett, as ye may se be hes lettre from my mayster, rudely and in hast be me endited, of which I pray excuse, &c. And pray Blake[206.5] to do Swafham men sey sum what to the matier.

I wote well T. and H.[206.6] wil not come there at this tyme, as it is verily reported, &c. _Mitte sapientem, &c._ Brayn and I shalbe with you on Sat.u.r.day nest at evyn, with the grace of Jesu, to whom I be take you.

In hast, at London, the ij^de day of Januar.

By

J. BOCKYNG.

[Footnote 205.1: [From Fenn, iii. 134.] The evidence on which this letter has been a.s.signed to the year 1451 will be seen in a footnote.]

[Footnote 205.2: This is supplied by the Editor, there being no address in the MS. itself.]

[Footnote 205.3: Alfonso V.]

[Footnote 205.4: Francis Sforza, one of the most able and successful generals of the time. He was a soldier of fortune, of peasant origin, and succeeded to the Duchy of Milan by his marriage with Bianca Maria, natural daughter of Philip Maria, the preceding Duke, whose interests he had at one time opposed as general of a league formed by the Pope and the Venetian and Florentine Republics against the Duchy.]

[Footnote 205.5: Albert, surnamed the Prodigal, brother of the Emperor Frederic III.]

[Footnote 205.6: Philip the Good.]

[Footnote 205.7: Sir John Fortescue.]

[Footnote 205.8: A commission of _oyer and terminer_ for Kent and Suss.e.x was issued in December 1450 to Richard, Duke of York, Lord Bourchier, Sir John Fastolf, and others.--Patent Roll, 29 Hen. VI. p. 1, m. 16 _indorso_.]

[Footnote 206.1: Sir John Fastolf, whose servant Bocking was.]

[Footnote 206.2: Sir Thomas Tuddenham.]

[Footnote 206.3: An outcry.]

[Footnote 206.4: _See_ p. 196.]

[Footnote 206.5: Elsewhere mentioned as bailiff of Swaffham.]

[Footnote 206.6: Tuddenham and Heydon.]

170

WILLIAM WAYTE TO JOHN PASTON[207.1]

_To my Ryght seuere and ryght worchepfull mayster, my mayster Paston, in hast._

[Sidenote: 1451 / JAN. 3]

Ryght Reverent and ryght wurchepfull sir, I recomaunde me un to youre good maysterchep. Late yow wete that Blake the baly of Swafham cam hom from London on the Saterday after that my mayster departed from yow atte myn lord of Oxenfordis. And he told my mayster that he cam to London on Seint John day atte nyte. And he yede streyt to my lord Chaunceler and told my seyd lord that yf the Kyng pardoned sir Thomas Tudenham and Heydon her issewes that the s.h.i.+re of Suffolk wold paye no taxe; for what nedyth the kynge for to have the taxe of hese pore puple whanne he wyll not take hese issues of thos rych extorssioners and oppressours of hese puple. And also he told my seyd lord Chaunceler and many more lordes that yf the kynge pardon hym or graunted any _supersedeas_, London shuld with inne short tyme have as moche for to do as they hadde for to kepe London Brygge whanne the Capteyn[207.2] cam thedir; for he told hym that ther was up in Norffolk redy to ryse V M^l. comons yf they have not execucion of the _oyre_ and _terminer_. And whanne my lord Chaunceler herd this he was ryte glade therof, and dede Blake telle all this and moche more a forn the kynge and all hese lordes, that they blyssed him whanne they herden yt. And yf he hadde not a seyd this they shuld an hadd and _supersedeas_ and pardon also, for ther was made a gret suggestion that it hadde be don of grette malyce. And so the lord Scales meyntenyth Sir Thomas Tudenham in all that he may goodly, but he wyll not awow yt; but he shall come don to the _oyre determiner_ sekerly, and for to make anende atwex sir T. Tudenham and Swafham; for [he] hayth made and genttyl letter un to the parson, the bayly and the inhabitaunce of Swafham, and seth that he wyll do hese parte to sette them in reste and peas. And so my mayster understande that yf Swafham and he werne accorded that thei shuld sette lytyll be Norwych. And therfore my mayster prayeth yow that ye wyll speke with the Mayer and hese brethern that they purvey that ther be atte Lenn a sufficiaunt fellawshep to gedyr, and that ther be madde a grette noyse up on the lord Scales, bothe of Tudenham and Heydon, and for all thos that arne of that sekt, and that wyse purvyaunce ordenance he hadde how they shull be demened; for this same day was the parson of Swafham with my mayster, and they arne accorded that ther shall be of here lordshep and sufficiaunt fellawshep and they shall have here loggyng atte the Frere Menours atte Lenn. And they wyll not a.s.sentte to noone ende but as the Cety doyth.

And it is here avyse that the meyre shuld purveye for hem in sum other Freres. For Tudenham and H[eydon] wyll brynge with hem sufficiaunt counceyll as any kun they gete in London; And also the Cetye must purvey that as many sufficiaunt mene as can be gette or spoke to, that they be redy yf it happe of any tryall. Also the Cetye hadde nede to have Sir Miles Stapulton ther show they shuld helpe to hese costys. Ware, Sir, atte the reverens of G.o.d be thenke yow well of all these maters. Blake was atte London on Thursday and herd no word of the stretes,[208.1] ne of Robson my lord of Oxffordis man, and or Blake cam to London Sir T.

Terell hadde labored to Sir John Fastolf that Sir T. Tudenham shuld ave [been[208.2]] bownde to Sir John Fastolf in foure thowsand pounde to stande to hese rule and ordenance; and so whanne Blake cam and deysshsed all to gedyr, and so he dede Sir John Fastolf labor to the kynge and to the Chaunceler for to lette the _supersedeas_ and the pardon; and ther was grette langage atwex Blake and Tudenham; it wor to moche to wryte yt un to yow, but he hayth sore noyssed my mayster to the Kynge and to the lordes. Also Tudenham is owte of the kynges hows, and Cotton is Warderopper, my mayster shall on Monday dyne with. Also, sir, it wore grette wysdam that my mayster hadde knowleche atte Walsyngham on Fryday nest comyng how the Maire and ze be accorded, for my mayster wyle be recaled therafter. William Geney sent un to my mayster for to ascuse hym that he shuld not come to Lenn un to the Wedenesday. And, Sir, that were agrette hurte bothe to the Cyte of Norwych and for Swafham; and therfor my mayster wold that the Mayer shuld send for hym, that he be ther be tyme on the Tuesday, and that moo bille be made ayens Tudenham and Heydon, what so ever falle. The Holy Gost have you and yours in hese kepyng. Wretyn atte Rougham, the Sonday nyte nest after newe zers day in hest as it semyth.

Be your servaunte,

W. WAYTE.

[Footnote 207.1: [Add. MS. 34,888, f. 63.] The date of this letter is sufficiently evident.]

[Footnote 207.2: Jack Cade.]