The Paston Letters
Chapter 34 : 129 ABSTRACT[159.3]JAMES GRESHAM TO [JOHN PASTON?].[Sidenote: About 1450]Inquiry made a

129

ABSTRACT[159.3]

JAMES GRESHAM TO [JOHN PASTON?].

[Sidenote: About 1450]

Inquiry made as to the injury of Sporle wood for lack of hedging. The three years' growth of the wood availeth no man. The farmers now cannot sell it the better, so it must be either to your hurt or Halman's. Hopes the wastes at Cressingham will be amended. Your tenants are treated unfairly about the Sheriff's turn by those of the Prior of Norwich and John Coo. Can get no money, for Fulchier hopes he is not so far in arrear as you think. Halman can get no money; his corns are so cheap he will not sell, but he hopes to make purveyance at Michaelmas.

Calybut says he never asked the Vicar of Sporle to be bound for him.

They will meet with me at Gressenhale on St. Bartholomew's day and seal the other part, so that they have notice from you at Swaffham Market, Sat.u.r.day next before.

_Accounts of Sneylewell, Cressingham, and Sparham on the back._

[We have placed this letter after the preceding as being probably not many years apart from it in date, if not the very same year. The name of Halman occurs in both, and also in a letter of the Vicar of Sporle, which will be found a little further on.]

[Footnote 159.3: [From Paston MSS., B.M.]]

130

ABSTRACT[160.1]

SIR J. FASTOLF TO SIR THOMAS HOWYS, Parson of Castlecombe, at Caister.

[Sidenote: 1450 / AUG. 8]

Has sent home letters by John Bedford. Sends by the bearer Thomas Medew eight writs of 'green wax'[160.2] for certain processes he has in Norfolk, with a _distringas_ for Sir John Shypton, which he must get served with the advice of Thomas Grene and other of Fastolf's trusty friends. The inquest must be certified of the truth and Shypton's falsehood proved. Will give his testimonial, when needful, 'that I never sealed none such quittance.' Let Greene correct the roll of articles I send by Bedford. I hear you have omitted several of the extortions done to me (_in margin_, 'eyer and determiner'). London, 8 August 28 Henry VI.

Let Master Doket have a copy of the evidence of Rydlyngfeeld.

'Item, purvey me at the leest v. doseyn long bowes, with shot longyng thertoo. And purveyeth also quarell[160.3] hedys to be made ther, for the price ys derer heer then ther; and let no langage be had of ordenances makyng.'

_Signed._

[Footnote 160.1: [MS. Phillipps, 9735, f. 224.]]

[Footnote 160.2: Writs under the seal of the Court of Exchequer, which was of green wax, directing the sheriff of a county to levy certain fines.]

[Footnote 160.3: _See_ page 101, Note 3.]

131

JAMES GRESHAM TO JOHN PASTON[160.4]

_To my right especiall maister, John Paston,[160.5] in hast._

[Sidenote: 1450 / AUG. 19]

Ryght worthy wors.h.i.+pfull sir, and myn especiall maister, I recomaund me to yow, and pray yow wete that I was [yesterdaye atte][160.6]

... .[160.6] my lord Chauncellers[160.7] hous, and there I spake with White; and he tolde me that he hadde the letter that ye sewed for from ... ... . .[161.1] directed to the Lord Moleyns of that substance that ye hadde sued to hym for an especiall a.s.sise[161.2] and an _oier_ and _determiner_,[161.3] [and][161.1] ... . .[161.1] that he shuld comaunde his men beyng at Gresham to departe thens, and that the profitez thereof shuld be receyved by an endifferent [person][161.1]

. .[161.1] saufly to be kepte til the right were determyned be twen yow and my Lord M., &c., whiche letter White sente forthe [by][161.1] a man of my Lord Chaunceller to the Lord Moleyns. And he sent his answer in writyng of this substance, that it shuld not like my Lord Chaunceller to graunte a.s.sise, &c., for als moche as the Lord M. hadde sore be laboured in his c.u.n.tre to peas and stille the poeple[161.4] there to restreyngne them from rysyng, and so he was dayly laboured there abowt in the Kynggs servyce, and that considered, he trustid veryly that there shuld non a.s.sise be graunted to your entent. And he seid forther in his answer, if he myght attende to be in Norffolk, and leve the necessary servyce that he dede to the Kyng now in Wylts.h.i.+re, he wolde be but weel pleased that ye hadde your a.s.sise; for he knewe his t.i.tle and his evydence so good for his part, that he durst weel putte it in my Lord Chaunceller, and in what juge he wolde calle to hym. And wher my Lord Chaunceller desired hym to avoyde his men from Gresham, he trustid that my Lord wolde not desire that, by cause he hadde his possession, and that it was his wyffs ryght, and so hym thought it a geynst reason that he shuld a voide utterly his possession.

This same Moneday goth my Lord Chaunceller and my Lord of Buk[161.5]

into Kent to sytte up on an _oier_ and _determyner_[161.6] at Rorchestre; and Whyte told me that there is wretyn an generall _oier_ and _determyner_ to be in Norffolk, and what ther[fore][162.1] and for the Lord Moleyns writyng, hym semyth it is not to your avayll to sewe for an especiall a.s.sise, ne for an _oier_ and _determyner_.

Whan I come hiddirward, I mette with my Lord of Norffolk betwen Berkewey and Baburgham homward, and whethir he shall come agayn hiddir or noght I wot not, but I trowe rather yes thanne nay; for it is seid that alle the Lords be sent for to be here on Moneday or Tuysday next comyng for a counseyll.

The Chief Justice[162.2] is not here, ne noon other Justice, except Danvers[162.3] is now made Juge of the Comune Place, and is forth into Kent with the Lords, &c.

Al this tofore was wretyn on the Moneday next after our Lady day. And this same Wednesseday was it told that s.h.i.+rburgh[162.4] is goon, and we have not now a foote of londe in Normandie, and men arn ferd that Calese wole be beseged hastily, &c.

Pynchamour shall telle yow by mowthe more thanne I have leyser to write now to yow. I wrot to myn em'[162.5] that there were ix. or x. m^l.

[_nine or ten thousand_] men up in Wilts.h.i.+re, and I hadde it of the report of Whittocks mede; but I trowe it is not so, for here is now littel speche therof; ner the lesse, if I here more, I shall sende yow worde her after by sum loders that come to Seynt Bertilmews [fayre].[162.1]

Wretyn in hast at London, the Wednesseday next after our Lady day, &c.

Your own symple servaunt,

JAMES GR.

[Footnote 160.4: [From Fenn, iii. 86.] The date of this letter is ascertained by the news contained in the last paragraph of the fall of Cherbourg, besides other internal evidence.]

[Footnote 160.5: 'After John Paston had received this letter,'

says Fenn, 'it seems as if he had sent it to my Lord Oxford, for on the back of it, in John Paston's handwriting, is the following direction: "To the rith worspfull and my rith speciall lord, my Lord of Oxenford."']

[Footnote 160.6: These pa.s.sages, in which the text is broken by brackets or dots, are indicated by Fenn as illegible in the original.]

[Footnote 160.7: John Kemp, Cardinal Archbishop of York, afterwards of Canterbury.]

[Footnote 161.1: These pa.s.sages, in which the text is broken by brackets or dots, are indicated by Fenn as illegible in the original.]

[Footnote 161.2: A writ directed to the sheriff for recovery of possession of things immoveable, whereof yourself or ancestors have been disseised.--F.]

[Footnote 161.3: Is a commission especially granted to certain persons for the hearing and determining of causes, and was formerly only in use upon some sudden outrage or insurrection in any place.--F.]

[Footnote 161.4: These disturbances among the people were the remains of Cade's rebellion, which had been lately suppressed.--F.]

[Footnote 161.5: Humphrey Stafford, Duke of Buckingham, fell in the battle of Northampton in July 1460.--F.]

[Footnote 161.6: These commissions of _oyer_ and _determiner_ were to try those who had been concerned in the late rebellion under Cade.--F.]

[Footnote 162.1: _See_ Note 1, p. 161.]

[Footnote 162.2: John Hody was at this time Chief Justice of the King's Bench.--F.]

[Footnote 162.3: Robert Danvers became a Judge of the Common Pleas 14th of August 1450.--F.]