The Paston Letters
Chapter 28 : Search the accounts of Drayton Heylesdon, &c., these thirteen years.[Footnote 137.1: [F

Search the accounts of Drayton Heylesdon, &c., these thirteen years.

[Footnote 137.1: [From a modern copy by Blomefield on the fly-leaf of a Letter addressed to him. Headed, 'Gave this original letter of Sir John's to Sir Andrew Fountain.'

--MS. Phillipps, 9735, No. 229.]]

108

LORD SCALES TO JOHN PASTON[137.2]

_To my right trusty and right enterly welbeloved frend, John Paston, Squier._

[Sidenote: 1450 / APRIL 22]

Right t[r]usty and enterly welbeloved frend, I grete you welle, and wyll ze wite that a man of Osberd Monford hath declared me how the said Osberd is infourmed that Danyelle shuld be pourposed to enter in the place of Braystone. And as fer as I can undirstande, Danyelle is come in to this c.u.n.tre, for none other cause but for to have suche as the Kyng hath gifen hym in Rysyng, which lieth not in me ner in none of the Kynges subgectes to go ageyns hise graunte and plesaunce. And in cas the said Danyelle wold enter upon the said Osberd otherwise than lawe wold, seyng the said Osberd is my tenaunt and homager, it is my part to holde with hym rather than with Danyelle in hise right, which I wylle do to my pouer. And as zet I can not apperceyve that Danyelle wylle labore in any maters in this c.u.n.tre; and if he wylle be of good governance, I am wel paied. And in cas that he wold do wrong to the lesse gentilman in the chirre, it shal not lye in hise pouer be the grace of G.o.d. He letethe me wite that he wylle be wel governed in tyme commyng.

Right trusty and enterly wel beloved frend, I pray G.o.d have you in hise governance. Writen at Midelton, the xxij. day of Aprille.

SCALES.

[Footnote 137.2: [Douce MSS. 393, f. 100.] It appears by a paper, which will be found further on (No. 119), that Daniel entered the manor of Braydeston or Brayston during the Parliament which was held at Leicester in the spring of 1450.

This letter must have been written at that time.]

109

LORD SCALES TO JOHN PASTON[138.1]

_To my right trusty and welbeloved frende, John Paston, Squier._

[Sidenote: Year uncertain]

Right trusty and welbeloved frend, I grete you hertly wel, and wul ye wite that Wotton is ever creyng and callyng upon me to write un to you for hise londe; wherfore at the reverence of Good, consideryng the symplenesse of hem all, I pray you that ye put hem at a certen, and lete hem all that they aught to have of right, for thaire creyng cause men to thinke ye do hem grete wrong, which I wote wel ye wold be sory to do.

Oure Lord have you in hise governance. Writen at Midelton, the xvj. day of October.

Youre frende,

SCALES.

[Footnote 138.1: [From Fenn, iii. 364.] This and the six letters following, all but one of which are, like the last, written by Lord Scales to John Paston, are placed here merely for convenience, the years in which they were written being quite uncertain, though probably not very far apart. The one letter among them of which Lord Scales is not the writer, is inserted in abstract on account of its bearing on that which immediately precedes it.]

110

LORD SCALES TO JOHN PASTON[138.2]

_To my right trusty and enterly welbeloved frend, John Paston, Squier._

[Sidenote: Year uncertain]

Right trusty and enterly welbeloved frend, I grete you welle; and for as mych as there is vareaunce betwene William Wotton and hise moder and the fermour there, wherfore I pray you that ze wyll [fynde][138.3] a weye accordyng to right for to put hem in rest and pees. For in as mych as they be yo[ur] tenantes, ze aught to have the reule of them before any other, praying you to do youre part to put hem oute of trouble.

I pray G.o.d have you in hise governance. Writen at Midelton, the xiij.

day of Aprille.

Youre frend,

THE LORD SCALES.

[Footnote 138.2: [Douce MS. 393, f. 99.]]

[Footnote 138.3: Mutilated.]

111

LORD SCALES TO JOHN PASTON[139.1]

_To my ryght trusti and wel beloved frend, John Paston, Sqyer._

[Sidenote: Year uncertain]

Right trusty and wel beloved frend, I comande me to you, and for certain maters that I have for to do, for the which ma[ters I] sende unto you a squier of myne called Elyngham; praying you to gefe hym faythful credence of that he shall declare you on myne behalfe as for this tyme.

G.o.d have you in Hise keping. Writene at Midleton, the xviij. day of Julle.

Yowre frend,

SCALES.

[Footnote 139.1: [MS. in Pembroke College, Cambridge.] This letter evidently was written in the same year as the next, but there is no evidence what that year was. Below the signature is a note in a modern hand erroneously identifying the writer with Anthony Woodville, Lord Scales. He was certainly Thomas, Lord Scales, of Henry VI.'s time.]

112

LORD SCALES TO JOHN PASTON[139.2]

_To [my] right trusty and welbeloved frend, John Paston, Squier._

[Sidenote: Year uncertain]

Right trusty and welbeloved frend, I grete you welle; and as touchyng the mater that Elyngham and ze comuned to giders of the last tyme he was with you, I pray you that ze wylle a.s.signe such a day as you liketh best, so that it be with inne this viij. dayes, and sende me worde what day ze wylle be here be the bringer herof.

I pray G.o.d have you in governance. Writen at Midelton, the iij. day of August.

Youre frend,

SCALES.