The Paston Letters
Chapter 15 : CATHERINE, d.u.c.h.eSS OF NORFOLK, TO JOHN PASTON[71.1]_To our right trusty and hertily

CATHERINE, d.u.c.h.eSS OF NORFOLK, TO JOHN PASTON[71.1]

_To our right trusty and hertily welbeloved John Paston, Squier._

{_Kateryn, d.u.c.h.esse_} {_of Norff._ }

[Sidenote: After 1444 (?)]

Right trusty and entierly welbeloved, we grete you wel hertily as we kan. And for as moche as we purpose with grace of Jesu to be at London within bryff tyme, we pray you that your place ther may be redy for us, for we wole sende our stuff thedir to for [_tofore_, _i.e._ before] our comyng; and siche agrement as we toke with you for the same, we shall duely performe yt with the myght of Jesu, who haff you in his blissed keping.

Wretyn at Eppeworth, ij^de day of Octobre.

[Footnote 71.1: [From Fenn, iii. 16.] The writer of this letter was the widow of John Mowbray, second Duke of Norfolk, who died in 1432. After the Duke's death, she married again no less than three times; and Fenn thinks this letter, which is dated from Epworth in Lincolns.h.i.+re, a seat of the Duke of Norfolk's, was probably written during her first widowhood. It must be remarked, however, that in 1432 John Paston was only twelve years old at the utmost, so that this letter could hardly have been written till at least ten years after. It is, besides, hardly probable that John Paston would have been addressed as the owner of a 'place' in London, before his father's death in 1444. The exact year, however, is quite uncertain.]

61

ABSTRACT[72.1]

ROBERT, LORD WYLUGHBY [of Eresby], TO JOHN PASTON.

[Sidenote: Between 1444 and 1451]

Desires him to favour Reginald Balden who 'hath ado with you for certain lyflode which was his father's, wherein your father was enfeoffed.'

Boston, 16th December.

[The date of this letter is probably after the death of William Paston in 1444, and cannot be later than 1451, as the writer died on St. James's day (25th July) 1452.]

[Footnote 72.1: [From Paston MSS., B.M.]]

62

AGNES PASTON TO EDMUND PASTON[72.2]

_To Edmond Paston of Clyffordis Inn, in London, be this Lettre take._

[Sidenote: 1445 / FEB. 4]

To myn welbelovid sone, I grete yow wel, and avyse yow to thynkk onis of the daie of youre fadris counseyle to lerne the lawe, for he seyde manie tymis that ho so ever schuld dwelle at Paston, schulde have nede to conne defende hym selfe.

The Vikare[72.3] of Paston and yowre fadre,[72.4] in Lenttyn last was, wher [_were_] thorwe and acordidde, and doolis[72.5] sette howe broode the weye schulde ben,[72.6] and nowe he hath pullid uppe the doolis, and seithe he wolle makyn a dyche fro the corner of his walle, ryght over the weye to the newe diche of the grete cloose. And there is a man in Truntche, hyzht Palmer to, that hadde of yowre fadre certein londe in Truntche over vij. yere or viij. yere agoone for corn, and trewli hathe paide all the yers; and now he hathe suffrid the corne to ben with sette for viij_s._ of rentte to Gymmyngham, wich yowre fadre paide nevere.

Geffreie axid Palmere why the rentte was notte axid in myn husbonddis tyme; and Palmere seyde, for he was a grete man, and a wyse man of the law, and that was the cawse men wolde not axe hym the rentte.

I sende yow the namis of the men that kaste down the pittis, that was Gynnis Close, wretyn in a bille closid in this lettre.

I sendde yow not this lettre to make yow wery of Paston; for I leve in hoope, and ye wolle lern that they schulle be made werye of her werke, for in good feyth I dar welseyne it was yowr fadris laste wille to have do ryzht wel to that plase, and that can I schewe of good profe, thowe men wolde seye naye. G.o.d make yow ryzht a good man, and sende G.o.ddis blessyng and myn.

Wrettyn in haste, at Norwich, the Thorsdaie aftir Candelma.s.se daie.

Wet.i.th of yowre brothere John now manie gystis [_joists_] wolle serve the parler and the chapelle at Paston, and what lenghthe they moste be, and what brede and thykknesse thei moste be; for yowre fadris wille was, as I weene veryli, that thei schuld be ix. enchis on wey, and vij.

another weye. And porveythe therfor that thei mow be squarid there, and sentte hedre, for here can non soche be hadde in this conttre. And seye to yowre brothir John it weer wel don to thinkke on Stansted Chirche;[73.1] and I praye yow to sende me tydynggs[73.2] from be yond see, for here thei arn a ferde to telle soche as be reportid.

By yowr Modre,

AUGNEIS PASTON.

[Footnote 72.2: [From Fenn, iii. 32.] This letter must have been written in February 1445, as it appears from the contents that William Paston was dead, but had been alive in the preceding Lent.]

[Footnote 72.3: John Partrick of Swathfield was Vicar of Paston, from 1442 to 1447.--F.]

[Footnote 72.4: William Paston, the Judge.]

[Footnote 72.5: Landmarks. 'Dolestones' are still spoken of in Norfolk in this sense. --_See_ Latham's Edition of Johnson's _Dictionary_.]

[Footnote 72.6: On the 6th July 1443 a licence was granted to William Paston to enclose a portion of the highway at Paston, and another at Oxnead, on his making two other highways in place thereof.--_Patent Roll_, 21 Henry VI. p. 1, m. 10.]

[Footnote 73.1: Stansted Church in Suffolk.--Dame Agnes had possessions in that parish.--F.]

[Footnote 73.2: These tidings relate to our foreign transactions, the giving up of Maine, Truces, &c. &c. on the King's marriage, which had taken place in November.--F.]

63

JOHN HAWTEYN TO THE ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY[74.1]

_To the most reverent Fader in G.o.d the Archebisshop of Caunterbury, Chanceler of Englond._

[Sidenote: 1444-9]

Besecheth mekely zour gracious Lords.h.i.+p, zour owne servant and oratour John Hauteyn, chapeleyn, that wher he hath dyvers seutees and accions in lawe to be sewed a zent A., that was the wife of W. Paston, of the maner of Oxenedes, in the countee of Northfolk; and for as meche as zour seid besecher can gete no counsell of men of court to be with hym in the seid matiers, by cause that the seid W. P. was one of the Kynges Justices, and John P., son and heir to the seid W. P., is al so a mon of court; that hit plese zour good Lords.h.i.+p to a.s.signe, and most streytly to comaund John Heydon,[74.2] Thomas Lyttylton,[74.3] and John Oelston to be of counsell with zour seid besecher in the seid matiers, and oder that he hath to do azenst the seid Anneys and oder; and zour said besecher shal contente hem well for their labour. And that this be doo in the reverence of G.o.d, and wey of charite.

JOHN HAUTEYN, Chapeleyn.

[Footnote 74.1: [From Fenn, iii. 36.] This is a pet.i.tion addressed to John Stafford, Archbishop of Canterbury, as Chancellor, after the death of William Paston in 1444. Stafford was made Archbishop in 1443. His appointment as Chancellor was even earlier, and he held the office till the 31st of January 1450.]

[Footnote 74.2: A lawyer and recorder of Norwich.--F.]

[Footnote 74.3: Afterwards the famous Judge Lyttelton.--F.]

64

SIR ROGER CHAMBERLAIN TO AGNES PASTON[75.1]

_To my right worchepfull Cosyn, Agnes Paston._

[Sidenote: After 1444]

Right worchepfull cosyn, I comand me to you. And as for the mater that ye sent to me fore, touchyng the maner callid Walshams, in Walsham, the trouth is, youre husbond soldyt to my moder upon condition that she shuld never sel it but to youre sones, John or William; and for the suerte of the seid condition, youre seid husbond, as I conseyve, ded the seid maner be charged with a gret annuyte upon the same condition, or the tyme that my seid moder toke estate, of the whech I suppose ye shall fynde sufficiant evydens, if ye serge youre evydences therfor. And I be seche almyty G.o.d kepe you.