The Paston Letters
Chapter 20 : [Footnote 90.2: [From Fenn, i. 190.] It appears, by John Paston's pet.i.tion prese

[Footnote 90.2: [From Fenn, i. 190.] It appears, by John Paston's pet.i.tion presented to Parliament two years later, that after he had been dispossessed of Gresham by Lord Molyns in February 1448, communications pa.s.sed between his counsel and that of Lord Molyns on the subject until Michaelmas following.

This letter must refer to the first overtures.]

[Footnote 90.3: The celebrated William of Waynflete.]

80

ANONYMOUS TO JOHN PASTON[91.1]

[Sidenote: 1448]

[Ill.u.s.tration]

Worchepeful mayster I recomend me to yow: and I pray yow to wete I was at Katefeld in Cobbes place for to se the armes as ye comaunded me, and the feld is gold wyth iii. bukkeles of sylver mad on the wyse as it is her, wyth floweris of sylver on the bukkelis mad of iiij. lyke a trewlove. Also, syr, I have spoke to a fryer that is conversaunt at Wykelwode wyth Randolffis dowter and he hath behestid me for to gete me Randolffis armes of hese dowter Wyltones wyf; but I have not yet spoke wyth the frier a yen. Also I pray yow to wete that I was at Mauteby and ye have there CC. combz of malt if ye wyl gef for xiiii_d._ a combz in the comes and xxi. for xx. ye shal have redy mony, as I suppose, for Pykeryng sellyth for xi_d._ and xii_d._ the lest that hath, as the parson of Mauteby tellyth me. And the parson and I have do throche your qwete for it was ete wyth myse to petowsly for to se; and if it plese yow I pray yow that ye wyl send me word qwhedyr ye wyl selle your malt and your qhete aftyr the pryse of the countre or (?) it shal be purveyid for to kepe it til ye may sett. And I have spoke to Lawrauns Reede for the ferme; but he wyl not take it, as I conseyve, til he speke wyth yow.

I suppos for to a made a covienaunt wyth hym, but he hath no sewerte yet, and the londis shal not be in your handis til myhelmes as he seyeth; ther for he is the mor terying, &c. I beseche all myti Jhesu spede yow and kepe yow.

[_Not signed._]

On the back are some names of families in a contemporary hand, and five s.h.i.+elds of arms tricked in a modern hand, the latter being apparently the armorial bearings of ancestors of the Earl of Yarmouth, to whom there is a letter addressed by 'Wm. Smyth' upon this subject at f. 146 of the MS.

[Footnote 91.1: [Add. MS. 34,889, f. 143.] This letter is neither signed nor addressed, but there is no doubt the person for whom it was intended was John Paston the eldest, who possessed property at Mautby in right of his wife. The reference to Laurence Reede seems further to show that it is of the year 1448. See p. 85.]

81

JAMES GLOYS TO JOHN PASTON[92.1]

_To my Ryght Wurchepfull master John Paston be this deliuered in hast._

[Sidenote: 1448 / DEC. 3]

Right reverent and wurchepfull sir, I recommande me to yow, desyryng to here of yowr welfare, the which gracyows G.o.d contynually preserve and kepe to yowr gostly hele and bodily welfare; praying yow to wete that as for the broke sylver that my mastres wend for to a sent yow whan she dede wryte her letter, ther is none in your forcer; she supposyd that ye left it at Norwiche in yowr cofere, wher of ye have the key. Also my mastres yowr moder grete yow wele, and pray yow to send her word how she shall do with Edward of Whode of Paston; for she dede seys his corn on the lond the last hervest, and he led it a wey after that it whas seysyd with awth licens and leve of here or any of here offyceris. Item, my mastres yowr syster recommand her hertly to yow, and pray yow that and ye wold wochesaff to speke to my master Edmund, and pray hym if that he hath bowth here ger that she sent to hym fore, that he wold send it her home; in cas that[93.1] he have not bowth it, that he wold be it and sent it here in all the hast that he may goodly. Forthermore if it plese yow to her of my master Berney, he was at Gresham with my mastres on the Tuysday next after Halwemasday, the same day that we dystreynyd Jamys Rokkysson, and I had mette a litill a fore with Pertrych, and he thrett me, and sayd that we shuld not long kepe the dystresse, and there for my mastres dede us don on owr jakkys and owr salettis. My master Berney cam in and the parson of Oxened with hym and sey us in owre jakkis, and he wexe as pale as any herd and wold right fayn a ben thens. So my mastres dede hym dyne, and whill thei wher at dynar Herry Collys told my mastres openly among us all that the same tyme that Pertrych entryd a geyn up on yow, his master was at Causton to yow ward, and there it was told hym that Pertrych had putt yow owth and all your men, and that ye and my mastres wher redyn a geyn to Norwhich, and all your howshold, and that causyd hym that he cam no forther that tyme; and my Master Berney confermyd all this and seyd that it was so. Whan thei had etyn he had mych hast to a be thens, so my mastres desyryd and prayd hym that he wold come a geyn or aght long; and so with mych praying he be hest her if he mythe. And Herry Collys stode ther bysyde and seyd to my felachep, 'What shuld my master do here,' quod he, 'lete yowr master send after his kynnysmen at Mautby, for thei have nowth that thei mawn lese.' And so thei redyn her wey. And with in a sevenygt after my master Berney sent Davy to my mastres, and prayd my mastres that she wold hold his master excusyd, for he had hurt his owyn hors that he rode up on; and he dede Davy sadillyn an oder hors; and he stode by and made water whill he sadyllyd hym, and as Davy shuld a kyrt the hors, he slenkyd behynd and toke his master on the hepe suyche a stroke that never man may trust hym after, and brake his hepe. And he had sent Herry Collys to Norwhich for medycynys, so he must ryde hom the same nygt; for his master had no man at home. So my mastres was rygth sory, and wend that it had be trowth, but I know wele that it was not so. It happyd that I rod the next day to Norwhich, and I rood in to my mastres your moder, and she dede aske me after my master Berney, and I told here how he was hurt. And she askyd the parson of Oxened if he wer hurt, and he seyd nay; for Davy lay with hym the same nygt a fore and told hym that he was heyll and mery, and prayd hym that he wold be with hym the Sonday next after; and so Davy lay the same nygt after that he had told my mastres the tale with the parson of Oxened. I beseche yow of yowre G.o.de masterchep that ye wold not do wreythe this letter, for and my mastres knew that I sent yow suyche a letter I were never abyll to loke up on her, nor to abyde in her heysyte. My mastres yowr moder hath sent yow ij. letteris; she hath in dosyd hem to my master Edmunde, and she wuld wete if ye had hem or nawth. The Holy Trynyte have yow in kepyng. Wrytyne at Norwhich on Sent Clementis evyn. In hast.

Your servaunt,

JAMIS GLOYS.

[Footnote 92.1: [Add. MS. 34,888, f. 57.] This letter bears upon the dispute about Gresham, and is probably of the year 1448, for it is to be presumed that Edmund Paston died shortly after the date of his nuncupative will, 21st March 1449.]

[Footnote 93.1: The word 'that' is repeated in the MS. by inadvertence.]

[[she hath in dosyd hem to my master Edmunde _text unchanged: error for "in closyd" or "in dorsyd"?_]]

82

MARGARET PASTON TO JOHN PASTON[94.1]

_To my ryght worchippfull hosbond, John Paston, be this delyveryd in hast._

[Sidenote: 1449(?) / JAN. 31]

Right worchipfull hosbond, I recommand me to yow, praying yow to wete that I have receyved your letter this day that ye sent me be Yelvertonys man. As for your signette, I fond itt uppon your bord the same day that ye went hens, and I send it yow be Richrad Heberd, bringer herof. As for your eronds that ye wrete to me fore, Richard Charles is owte abough your eronds abowte Gresham, and for his awyn maters also, and I suppose he komyth not hom tyll it be Tesday or Weddenesday next komyng; and alssone as he komyth hom, he shall go abowte your eronds that ye wrete to me fore.

I sent yow a letter wreten on Tesday last past, whiche, as I suppose, Roger Ormesby delyveryd yow. I toke it to Alson Pertryche. She rod with Clyppysbys wyff to London.

I pray yow if ye have an other sone that you woll lete it be named Herry, in remembrans of your brother Herry;[95.1] also I pray yow that ye woll send me dats and synamun as hastyly as ye may. I have speke with John Damme of that ye bad me sey to hem to sey to Thomas Note, and he sey he was wel payd that ye seyd and thowgh therin as ye dede. Ner'les I bad hym that he shuld sey to the seyd Thomas therin as it wer of hymself with owte your avys or any others; and he seyd he shuld so, and that it shuld be purveyd for this next weke at the ferthest. The blyssed Trinyte have yow in his kepyng.

Wretyn att Norwyche, in hast, the Fryday next befor Candelmesse day.

Be your gronyng wyff,

M. P.

[Footnote 94.1: [From Fenn, iii. 408.] Fenn thinks this was written about 1460, but I do not see on what evidence. From the reference to Gresham, I should rather suppose it belongs to 1449. By the subscription, it would appear that the writer was very near the time of lying in; but we cannot tell the exact date of the birth of any of her children. Lord Molyns dispossessed John Paston of the lords.h.i.+p of Gresham on the 17th of February 1448. After repeated remonstrances on the subject to no purpose, Paston went and took up his quarters there again on the 6th October 1449, and succeeded in keeping possession till the 28th January 1450, when the place was attacked, in his absence, by Lord Molyns' men, who undermined the walls, and drove out Paston's wife. The 'errands about Gresham' probably refer to the time of Lord Molyns' first occupation.]

[Footnote 95.1: No notice is taken elsewhere of John Paston having a brother named Harry.]

83

MARGARET PASTON TO JOHN PASTON[95.2]

[Sidenote: 1449 / FEB. 28]

Begs him not to be displeased though she be out of the place he left her in; for she heard such tidings that she durst not abide there. Divers of my Lord Moleyns' men said if they might get her they would steal her and keep her in the castle; 'and than they said they would that ye should fetch me out. They said it should be but a little heartburning to you.'

After that I could have no rest till I was here. I did not venture out of the place till I was ready to ride, and no one knew an hour before but the good wife, whom I told that I was coming here to get gear made for me and the children. I beg you will keep secret the cause of my coming away till I see you. I spoke with your mother on my way hither, who offered to let me abide in her place if you wished me to stay in Norwich, and to give me such gear as she could spare till you can be purveyed of a place of your own. Let me know what to do. I should be sorry to dwell so near Gra.s.sam as I did, till the matter between you and the Lord Moleyns is settled. Barow said there was no better evidence in England than Lord M. had of Gressam. I said I supposed they were such as William Hasard spoke of, the seals of which were not yet cold, and that you had evidence with seals 200 years older. Do not on any account trust Lord Moleyns and his men, or eat or drink with them, though they speak ever so fair. Roger Foke of Sparham dare not leave his house for the suit Heydon and Wyndham have against him. Watkin s.h.i.+pdam wishes you to speak to Sir J. Fastolf about the harness you had of him, etc.

Norwich, Friday after Pulver Wednesday.

[Footnote 95.2: This abstract was made from one of the Roydon Hall MSS. shown to the Editor in 1875. Since that date he has not seen the original.]

[[the harness you had of him, etc. _final . missing or invisible_]]

84

ROBERT, PRIOR OF BROMHOLM, TO JOHN PASTON[96.1]

_To my Sovereyn, John Paston._

[Sidenote: 1449(?) / MARCH 5]

I recomend me hertily, thankyng yow for the tydings, and the good awysse that ze sent me be the Parson of Thorpe;[96.2] latyng zow wittin that the Byschope of the todir syde of the see sent laate to me a man, the qwych wuld abydin uppon my leyser, for to an had me ovyr wyt hym to the seyd Byschope, and so forth to the Courte.[96.3] So the seyd man and I arryn a poynted that he schal comyn ageyn a purpose fro the Byschope, to be my gyde ovyr the see, and so I purpose me fully forthe a noon aftir this Estryn. I mak me evyre day fulli redy as privyli as I can, be sekyng zow, as I trost on zow, and as I am zour trow bede man, as labor for me her that I mythe haf a wyrte of pa.s.sagche directid un[to] swyche men as zow thyng that schyd best yife me my schargche.

The best takyng of schepynge is at Yernemuthe er Kyrley, or som othir place in Norfolk syde. I schal haf favour he now [_enough_] wyt ther seergiours [_searchers_]; bod all my goode spede and all my wel lythe in you heer, for ther on I trost fully.

Som cownsel me to haf a letter of exschawnge, thow it wer bode of xl_s._ er lees, bod I comitte all my best in this matir to zour wysdam, and qwat at evyr ze pay in this matir, I schal truly at owr metyng repay ageyn to zow. Bod for G.o.dds love purvey for my sped her, for ell [_else_] I lees all my purvyans, and ther too I schyd jaape[97.1] the Byschope man, and caus hym to com in to Yngland, and lees all his labour. For G.o.ddis love, send me down this wyrte, er ell bryng it wyt zow, that I mythe haf fro zow a letter of tydings and comforthe; for I had nevyr verray need of zour labor til now, bod my hert hangithe in gret langor.