The Paston Letters
Chapter 41 : Thanks them for their diligence. Has respited the matter against Wyndham touching the L

Thanks them for their diligence. Has respited the matter against Wyndham touching the Lady Bardolf till next term, as he offers to come to an agreement.[192.3] Is ready to agree with all persons who will find sufficient surety, except Sir Thomas Tudenham, Heydon, and _Pykering_ (_underlined_). Master John Botewright has sent him a letter of great loss and damage done by Tudenham and Heydon to the 'comyn' of Swaffham, 'benymmyng (?) 600 acres lond of her comyn.' Has written to 'my brother Yelverton,' and would write also to my Lord of Oxford, but that he is so vexed in spirit 'in thys trouble seson,' that at times he cannot abide the signing and sealing of a letter. Prays them to see well to the accountants and auditors' charges.

London, 2 Dec. 29 Hen. VI.

'And because I might [not] abide till the writing of the matters that I commanded Worcester to write, I signed the letter so near the beginning; but I will ye tender, nevertheless, my letter and articles for my most profit and avail.'

[Footnote 192.2: [From MS. Phillipps, 9735, No. 235.]]

[Footnote 192.3: Fastolf's signature is placed here, near the beginning of the letter, after the first paragraph.]

159

ABSTRACT[193.1]

[Sidenote: 1450]

Memoranda signed by Sir John Fastolf (_mutilated at the head_) viz.

about the Prior of Hikelyng; that John Ulveston and John Andrew be indicted for forging the office of Boyton, as well as for Bradwell in Suffolk; Brayn to deliver copies; if they sit in Suffolk, to take heed of Sypton's matter. Nicholas Apleyard will doubtless appear to the bill of maintenance; so the Prior and Sacristan and Sir H. Inglose must be 'laboured' to give information. Process against Dynne, Prentis, &c.

Obligation of 200 marks that Brian Stapleton has in keeping. The Parson of Castlecombe to speak with John Emond of Taverham secretly about one who pretended t.i.tle to Dedham, &c. 'That ready word come alway atwix Norwich and this of the tidings that are there.' Matter of Margaret Brygge, &c. 'That Paston conceive the crossed letter, and say therein to my Lady Felbrigg.' To speak to Paston and Jenney about various matters.

To speak to Reppys 'that he feel my Lord Scales and the Prior of Hikelyng jointly if they will yet treat, as my Lord Scales and my master were agreed at London,' &c.

[From the reference to Sypton's matter, it would appear that this paper is a little before the two following in point of date.]

[Footnote 193.1: [From MS. Phillipps, 9735, No. 277.]]

160

SIR JOHN FASTOLF TO SIR THOMAS HOWYS AND JOHN BOCKING[194.1]

_To my ryght trusty frende and servaunt, Sir Thomas, Parson of Castellcombe, and John Bokkyng, at Prynce Inne yn Norwych, or at Beklys._

[Sidenote: 1450 / DEC. 4]

Ryght trusty and welbelevyd servaunt, I grete you well. And forasmoch as I undrestand that on Monday next the oyer and terminer shall be holden at Beklys, and ye avysen to sende yow a certificat for cause of the forged quytaunce by Sir John Sypton, whych wrytyng I scende you by the berer here of, prayng you that ye solicit to my councell that the said Sir John Sypton be endited thereuppon, and that ye foryete not Ulveston, Andreus, and the othyrs that forged a fals office[194.2] to cast my maner of Bradwell yn to the Kyngs hand.

Item, I sende you a copie of Sibieton ple and quytaunce forged to grounde your bille by it.

No more for haste, but G.o.d kepe you. Wryt at London, iiij. day of December, anno xxix regni Regis H. VI.

Item, Sir John Bukk, Parson of Stratford, physshed my stankys at Dedham, and holp brake my damme, destroyed my new mille, and was ayenst me allwey at Dedham, to the damage of 20_l._, which may be endyted allso.

Item, he and John Cole hath by force this yeer, and othyr yeers, take out off my waters at Dedham, to the nombre of xxiiij. swannys and signetts, and I pray you thys be not foryeted.

J. FASTOLF.

[Footnote 194.1: [From Fenn, iii. 102.]]

[Footnote 194.2: _See_ p. 188, Note 2.]

161

ABSTRACT[195.1]

SIR JOHN FASTOLF TO SIR THOMAS, Parson of Castlecombe, and JOHN BOKKING, in haste, at Princes Inn, in Norwich.

[Sidenote: 1450 / DEC. 5]

As the oyer and terminer in Suffolk is to be on Monday next, desires them to get Sir John Sypton indicted for forging the false acquittance, and Bury his advocate also. Has inquired of his tenants at Dedham who were the chief counsel of breaking his mill-dam, and they say Sir John Squyer was chief, but John Waryn was of counsel and court-holder there; also Sir John Buk, Parson of Stratton, who fished his stanks, &c. John Cole of Stoke has also taken in years past more than twenty of his swans. Let them be presented. The late Parson of Cotton got F.'s late bailly, Henry Holm (now dead), pledged out by false representations of the sufficiency of his bail, &c.

London, 5 Dec. 29 Hen. VI.

_Signed._

[Footnote 195.1: [From MS. Phillipps, 9735, No. 247.]]

162

FASTOLF TO SIR THOMAS HOWYS[195.2]

_To my ryght trusty and welbelovyd frendys, Sir Thomas, Parson off Castellcombe._

[Sidenote: 1450 / DEC. 20]

Ryght trusty frendys, I grete you well. And lete you wete that I have resseyved your lettre thys day, which was wryt xv. day of December, and undre[stand] well your ryght G.o.de mocions and causes shewed of inconvenients that myght fall, yff the shyreve have not a G.o.de undreshyreff whyche were not enclynyng to the partie of T. H.[195.3] And there as ye meoffe me to wryte to ij. Lordys for the said cause, they be both forth to theyr contre, and shall therfor wryte unto hem uppon the tenor of your lettrez in that at y can or may, as forre as reson and justice wolle, for such an officer as woll not, for no mede, hate, or losse, execut[196.1] dewlye his office to the weele of the contre.

Item, the day of thys lettre wrytyng, John Bokkyng ys com to me, and hath expressley enformyd me by mouth as by wrytynges the greete labour and diligence whych ye have take uppon yow, seth Martisma.s.se, in especiall, abowte the expedition of my processe of _oyer and terminer_ before the Kyngs Commyssioners attained; and I vele ryght well by the avauncement of my processe your faithfull diligence, for whych y can you ryght G.o.de thank, and trustyng uppon your G.o.de continuance. And seth the Commissioners shall sytt at Lynne after the Epiphanye, such of my maters as have take none ende, but hang yn processe for deffaut of aunsuer or apparaunce of my partie, I pray you that the said maters may be called uppon of the new, and dew processe had as ferre as justice and G.o.de concience wolle.

Item, it ys so, as I undrestand, that the Lord Scalys woll be at Lynne thys Cristma.s.se, and at the oyer and terminer halden there, and Sir Thomas Tuddenham and Heydon wolle appere, of which I am well content; and it ys lyke that grete labour and speciall pursute shall be made to the Lord Scalys that he wolle meynteyn the said Tuddenham and Heydon in all he can or may, and thus I have herd sey. Wherfor such persones as have founde hem soore greved by extorcion as I have ben, and have processe or wolle hafe processe before the Commissioners, they most effectuelly labour to my Lord Oxford, and to my brothyr Zelverton, Justice, that they wolle as ferre as justice, reson, and concience do that justice may [be] egallie mynistred, and not to wythdrawe theyr couragez well sett from the pore peple; for and they hald not the hand well and stedfast yn thys mater from hens forth whyle it shall dure, as they have herebefore, the pore peple and all the grete part of both shyres of Norffolk and Suffolk be destroyed. For it shewyth well by what manyfold undewe menys of extorcion they have lyved yn myserie and grete pouverte by manye yeers contynewed that the moste part of the comyners have litill or nought to meynteyn their menage and housold, ne to pay the Kyngs taskys, nothyr theyr rents and servises to the Lordz they be tenants un too, as it shewyth daylie to all the world, whych ys overe a grete pitie to thynk. And when the said pore peple have be by such injuries overladd and so undoon, nedz most the gentlemen that have they pore lyvelode amongs hem be gretely minisshed and hyndered of their increse and levyng.

Item, where as I undrestand by a lettre sent to me from my welbelovyd frende Maister John Botewryght, that grete extorcion have be don by the officers of the d.u.c.h.ee in takyng awey cxl. acres pasture at Swaffam, whych ys of the Kyngs demeynz and of hys enheritaunce as of the d.u.c.h.ee of Lancaster, for whych pastures, yff it com not ynne ayen, it woll be grete disheritaunce to the Kyng, and fynall destruccion of the tenauntes there, for whych the said Maistre John desyryth and prayeth of remedie yn the name of all the toune of Swaffam. As to thys such as wold here the encrese and wellfare of hym, of hys parysshons, and off all thoose mysdon untoo, most by the avice of som lerned man to put theyr oppressions and grevaunces in wrytyng, well grounded, and as the trouth of the mater ys, and that the said wrytyng or bille may be enseled wyth the seles of such gentlemen that have lyvebode there, and wyth the men that be cowthest knowen,[197.1] and that wrytyng so enseled to be directed to the Kyng, and to the Lordz of hys Councell. And then it ys and woll be of more credence to the Kyng and the Lordys then a simple lettre. And thys doon wyth the labours that they may make there in shewyng theyr grevaunces to the Commissioners; and the seid grevaunces shewed also here amongs the Kyng and the Lordz, it ys verrayly to thynk that they shall be purveyd of a remedie. And foryete not to sende or wryte to Maister Botewryght in goodly haste of thys article wyth your correccion to be had where the avertis.e.m.e.ntes of you and my frendz that have more particuler knowlege yn such maters.

Item, I have grete mervaylle that yong Jenney, whych ys of my Lord Cromewell councell, and Robert Ledam, also off hys councell, and hys man be not spoke with there, that they doo not attaine an accion ayenst Sir Thomas Tudden[ham], Heydon, and John Gent, whyche have and wold dayly labour to disseisse my Lord Cromewell of a knyghten service in Saxthorp, which ye have ryght suffisaunt evidenses by an endentures of Kyng Edward iij^d dayes enseled, as of Kyng Herry dayes the iiij^the, that the seid maner ys hald by the iiij^the part of a knyzt fee[198.1] of my Lord Cromewell as of the maner of Tateshale. And the seid Tuddenham and Heydon wold after theyr voulente have it hald yn meen of the maner of Hetersete, whych sufficient evidenses that ye have specifyeth no thyng soo. And I have lost xx^li. yeerly yn approwement[198.2] of my chatell, for cause my Lord Cromewell, throw neglicence of hys officers in Norffolk, have not meynteyned hys ryght. And there as John Bokkyng seith that John Jenney hath no commaundment of my Lord to pursue hys ryght, it shewyth off reson that seth he ys of hys councell in especiall for that shyre, he ought doo hys ryzt to be savyd and kept of hys dewtee. And thertoo he knouyth well that my said Lord hath commaunded hym dyvers tymys to take kepe hys ryzt be savyd in thys mater. Wherfor I pray you requyre hym on my Lord ys behalf[198.3] to compleyn to Justice at thys _oyer_ [_and terminer_ for a] remedie, and that the [bi]lle be made yn my Lordys name. And then to ... ... have commaundment ryzt sone of my Lord eftsonys, and [_i.e._ if] he wolle sende unto hym by suche as goth dayly into that contre to Tateshale. And I had send hym hys speciall [com]maundment, had he sent me suche word betyme whyle he was heere. I pray you remembre ye so John Jenney and Robert Ledham as I have no cause to [wri]te more, ne to compleyn to my Lord of theyr necligence.

Item, Sir Parson, where it ys soo that my cosyn Boys ys pa.s.sed to G.o.d, whoos soule G.o.d a.s.soyle, ye shall fynde amonges my bokes of accomptes at Castre, or amonges othyr wrytynges, he owed me money for a ferm he heeld of me, as Watkyn Shypdam ys remembred; and also I lent hym xl^s. whych I shuld have an obligacion at Castre off, praying you to inquire off thys dewt.e.e.z, and see recuvere may be made off it.

Item, I seende a lettre at thys tyme to my cosyn Wychyngham, to hys modre also, for a mater that touchyth my cosyn Robert Fitzrauff ys amercement, and the partie also. Whych lettre I woll ye breke to undrestand my wrytyng and the substaunce off it the more. And y pray you hertly to speke wyth the partie at Norwych as well as wyth my ryght welbelovyd cosyn Sir Herry Inglose, and wyth my cosyn Wychyngham a.s.sone as ye goodly may. And meoffe ye the said mater yn such wyse as your discrecioun can well consider that the rathyr the said mater may take a G.o.de ende, yff it may be yn ony wyse; yn whych mater ye shall do me ryght singler plesyr, and that thys be not slewthed, for taryeng drawth perell. I wryte but briefflye, for I ... ... ... .[199.1]

Item, where as Brome ys not well wyllyng yn my maters, whych for the wrong takyng and wyth haldyng my shepe I ought take a accioun ayenst hym; for declaracioun in whate wyse he dyd it, John Bele my sheperefe can enforme you best, for he laboured about the recuvere of it. My Lady Norfolk sent me a lettre viij. yere goon, whych I shuld hafe, desyryng that the processe I was purposed take ayenst hym shuld be respited, and all that reson wold he shuld obbey. I am avysed therfor let som man about my Lord Norfolk and my Lady have wetyng, or I begynne. Yhyt I wold ye had declaracioun before of the conduyt and grounde of thys mater.

Item, where my cosyn Inglose avyse me fully to take a speciall a.s.sise on the priorye of Hykelyng for my rent, I have abydden uppon my cosyn Paston that he and I shuld take one to ghedyr, and I vele hym no thyng spede in it. Let me know how he woll doo thys next terme, for elles am I fully avysed to take myne owt, and to traverse all iij. offices[199.2]

for Beyton, Bradwell, and Tychewell, wyth the help of my frendz, Not elles at thys tyme; but I pray you comfort all thoo that fynde hem greved to abyde by theyr ryzt, and that ye woll contynew forth for my worshup and proffyt as ferre as ryzt wolle. Whych I trust to G.o.d shall better have hys cours then it hath beforn; who have you in hys kepyng.

Wryt at London, the xx. day of Decembre anno xxix regni Regis H. VI.

Item, that thys lettre commaund me to my cosyn John a Berney.