The Paston Letters
Chapter 30 : [Footnote 142.2: John de la Pole, who succeeded him as Duke of Suffolk.][Footnote 142.3

[Footnote 142.2: John de la Pole, who succeeded him as Duke of Suffolk.]

[Footnote 142.3: This heading looks as if copied by Fenn from an endors.e.m.e.nt, which is probably not quite contemporaneous.]

[Footnote 143.1: These words in brackets were chafed and illegible in the original MS.]

[Footnote 143.2: According to William Worcester, the Duke embarked on Thursday, the 30th April.]

118

THE EARL OF OXFORD TO JOHN PASTON[144.1]

_To owre Ryght trusty and right welbeloved Frend, Johan Paston, Esquier._

The Erle of Oxenford.

[Sidenote: 1450(?) / APRIL 30]

Right tristy and welbeloved frend, we grete you right hertily well. And for asmuche as we be enformed that on [_one_] Thomas Kecham, a servaunt of owre right welbeloved brothir, Sir Richard de Veer, knyght, hath to done with Sir Henry Inglose knyght in a certeyn matier in wich youre good maisterschep may cause his singuler ease and a vaile as anenst the said knyght, as Thomas Kecham hath enformed us; We pray you hertily that, at the reverence of us and this oure writyng, ye woll take the labour upon you to speke unto the said Sir Henry, conceyving a mene and the weye of an ende to be had be twix thaym of right, causyng the said knyght to sease of hese malice and wrongful suette as a nenst the said Thomas. And ferthermore we pray you to see that the said knyght take no benefeys ne prevayle not as a nenst the Gaoyler of the Castell of Norwich for the suerte of the said Thomas Kecham, as we verily trust ye will; in wich feithfully doyng we shall kun you hertily thanke. And right trusty and welbeloved, the Trynitie have yow in Hese kepyng.

Wreton at oure Manour of Wevenhoo, the last day of Aprill.

Below the text of this letter is written in another hand, 'Smalwode Sparhawk.'

[Footnote 144.1: [Add. MS. 34,888, f. 164.] This letter cannot be later than 1451, as Sir Henry Inglose died in June of that year. The date may be about 1450, like that of some other letters of the Earl of Oxford.]

[[we shall kun you hertily thanke _text unchanged (expected editorial gloss)_]]

119

ABSTRACT[145.1]

[Sidenote: 1450-2]

A paper of memoranda in William Worcester's handwriting, of which the princ.i.p.al contents are as follows:--

A commission of _oyer_ and _terminer_, dated 1 August 28 Henry VI.--A session at Swaffham, on Thursday after the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, 29 Henry VI. (17 September 1450).--A note of six other sessions:--1. At Norwich before the Duke of Norfolk, the Earl of Oxford and Yelverton, Tuesday after St. Mathias' day, 29 Henry VI. (2 March 1451); 2. At Norwich, before Oxford and Yelverton, Monday after St. Martin in Winter, 29 Henry VI. (16 November 1450); 3. At Norwich, before Oxford and Yelverton, Wednesday after the Conception of St. Mary (15 December), continued seven days; 4. At Lynn, before Oxford, Scales, and Yelverton, Tuesday after Epiphany (13 January); 5. At Norwich, before John Prysot and Yelverton, Thursday in Easter week, 29 Henry VI. (29 April 1451); 6. At Walsingham, before Scales and Prysot, Monday _in crastino clausi Paschae_ (3 May 1451).

'Parliamentum apud Leyseter ---- anno xxviij.--Durante illo Parliamento intravit T. Daniell manerium de Braydeston.--Will'us, Dux Suff' obiit tertio die Maii anno xxviij Regis Henry VI^{ti}.--Jak Cade, proditor de Kent, fugit de le Blakheth xxij. die Junii anno xxviij. H. VI., [ ] Julii mense decapitatus fuit.--Injuria Plumbsted post hoc (?)'

--Mundford and Heydon entered Braysto[ne] on the eve of the Nativity of St. Mary anno 29 (7 September 1450). Thomas Danyell entered Braydeston a second time, 30 Henry VI.

Between Mich. 30 and 31 Henry VI. (1451 and 1452) Norfolk, Oxford, Scales, and a great number of others were at Norwich holding sessions.

The same year 'John P.' was with John, Earl of Oxford, at Whevenho on the Nativity of St. Mary (8 September). The same year, before all these things, Thomas Danyell was married at Framlyngham.

'Testimonium Commissionariorum et cognitio Milonis Stapulton quo ad impanellationem juratorum.

'Item, testimonium concilii quoad mutationem actionum in indictamentis et recordum apparet et declaratio Johannis Geney facta Thomae Gurney.

'Item, testimonium concilii et Thomae Grene quoad absenciam Johannis Porter. Et testimonium hominum de Bliclyng. Item, missio pro Johanne Porter pro pecunia et placito proprio. (Memorandum, quando Porter fuit juratus, J. Andru fuit extractus de indictamento.)

'Item, testimonium juratorum de non procuratione. Et indictamentum Johannis Andrew in Suff. causa fugationis ejus.

'Item, antiquum debat' supposit' inter Andrews et Porter erat pro districtione capta de Johanne Andrews apud Weston pro debito domini Bardolf; pro qua causa idem Johannes Andrews implacitare vellet dictum Johannem Porter ad terminum (?) nisi pro dicto domino Bardolf; sic dictus Andrews continuavit maliciam suam erga praedictum Johannem Porter, et e contra quod et malicia Heydon erat causa conspiracionis per ipsum... .'

[As this doc.u.ment is a key to the dates of several of the letters during the years 1450 to 1452, we have thought it best to insert it in the beginning of the period to which it refers, instead of the date at which it may be supposed to have been written.]

[Footnote 145.1: [From Paston MSS., B.M.]]

120

WILLIAM LOMNER TO JOHN PASTON[146.1]

_To my ryght worchipfull John Paston, at Norwich._

[Sidenote: 1450 / MAY 5]

Ryght worchipfull sir, I recomaunde me to yow, and am right sory of that I shalle sey, and have soo wesshe this litel bille with sorwfulle terys, that on ethes ye shalle reede it.

As on Monday[146.2] nexte after May day there come tydyngs to London, that on Thorsday[146.3] before the Duke of Suffolk come unto the costes of Kent full nere Dower with his ij. shepes and a litel spynner; the qweche spynner he sente with certeyn letters to certeyn of his trustid men unto Caleys warde, to knowe howe he shuld be resceyvyd; and with hym mette a s.h.i.+ppe callyd Nicolas of the Towre, with other s.h.i.+ppis waytyng on hym, and by hem that were in the spyner, the maister of the Nicolas hadde knowlich of the dukes comyng. And whanne he espyed the dukes shepis, he sent forthe his bote to wete what they were, and the duke hym selfe spakke to hem, and seyd, he was be the Kyngs comaundement sent to Caleys ward, &c.

And they seyd he most speke with here master. And soo he, with ij. or iij. of his men, wente forth with hem yn here bote to the Nicolas; and whanne he come, the master badde hym, 'Welcom, Traitor,' as men sey; and forther the maister desyryd to wete yf the shepmen woldde holde with the duke, and they sent word they wold not yn noo wyse; and soo he was on the Nicolas tyl Sat.u.r.day[146.4] next folwyng.

Soom sey he wrotte moche thenke [_thing_] to be delyverd to the Kynge, but thet is not verily knowe. He hadde hes confessor with hym, &c.

And some sey he was arreyned yn the sheppe on here maner upon the appechementes and fonde gylty, &c.

Also he asked the name of the sheppe, and whanne he knew it, he remembred Stacy that seid, if he myght eschape the daunger of the Towr, he should be saffe; and thanne his herte faylyd hym, for he thowghte he was desseyvyd, and yn the syght of all his men he was drawyn ought of the grete s.h.i.+ppe yn to the bote; and there was an exe, and a stoke, and oon of the lewdeste of the s.h.i.+ppe badde hym ley down his hedde, and he should be fair ferd wyth, and dye on a swerd; and toke a rusty swerd, and smotte of his hedde withyn halfe a doseyn strokes, and toke awey his gown of russet, and his dobelette of velvet mayled, and leyde his body on the sonds of Dover; and some sey his hedde was sette oon a pole by it, and hes men sette on the londe be grette circ.u.mstaunce and preye.

And the shreve of Kent doth weche the body, and sent his under shreve to the juges to wete what to doo, and also to the Kenge whatte shalbe doo.

Forther I wotte nott, but this fer (?) is that yf the proces be erroneous, lete his concell reverse it, &c.

Also for alle your other maters they slepe, and the freer[147.1] also, &c.

Sir Thomas Keriel[147.2] is take prisoner, and alle the legge harneyse, and abowte iij. m^l. [3000] Englishe men slayn.

Mathew Gooth[147.3] with xv^c. [1500] fledde, and savyd hym selffe and hem; and Peris Brusy was cheffe capteyn, and hadde x. m^l. Frenshe men and more, &c.

I prey yow lete my mastras your moder knowe these tydyngis, and G.o.d have yow all yn his kepyn.

I prey yow this bille may recomaunde me to my mastrases your moder and wyfe, &c.

James Gresham hath wretyn to John of Dam, and recomaundith hym, &c.

Wretyn yn gret hast at London, the v. day of May, &c.

By yowr wyfe.[148.1]