The Paston Letters
Chapter 10 : No more atte this tyme, b.u.t.te the Trynyte have you in proteccion, &c.; and qwan your

No more atte this tyme, b.u.t.te the Trynyte have you in proteccion, &c.; and qwan your leysyr is, resorte ageyn on to your college, the Inner Temple, for ther ben many qwych sor desyr your presence, Welles and othyr, &c.

Wretyn in le fest de touts Seynts, entre Messe et Mateyns, _calamo festinante_, &c.

Yours,

ROB. REPPES.

[Footnote 46.1: [From Paston MSS., B.M.]]

[Footnote 46.2: [From Fenn, i. 4.] This letter was written in 1440, the year of the release of the Duke of Orleans.]

[Footnote 46.3: Charles, Duke of Orleans, who was taken prisoner at the battle of Agincourt in 1415, and had never since been released.]

[Footnote 46.4: Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester, uncle of the King, and before this time Protector.]

[Footnote 47.1: Harfleur.]

[Footnote 47.2: Afterwards Earl Rivers, father of Elizabeth, Queen of Edward IV.]

[Footnote 47.3: Third son of John, the famous Earl of Shrewsbury.]

[Footnote 47.4: _i.e._, in an a.s.size of novel disseisin--an ancient law process.]

[Footnote 47.5: Ralph, Lord Cromwell.]

37

ABSTRACT[48.1]

---- ---- TO FRIAR BRACKLEY (?).

[Sidenote: About 1440 (?)]

Touching a suit of Reynold Rowse against William Burgeys. This suit was inst.i.tuted originally for 5_s._ 4_d._ of rent; but when Rouse found he could not prevail by right, he maliciously sued the other for trespa.s.s in having fished his water, and driven him away by force. He afterwards got him arrested for treachery upon an obligation (_i.e._, a bond).

Burgeys complained to Justice Paston, who counselled him not to plead; 'For zyf thu do, he seyd, thu xalte hafe the werse, be thi case never so trewe, for he is feid with my Lord of [N]orthfolke, and mech he is of he [_sic_] counsel; and also, thu canst no man of lawe in Northfolke ne in Sowthfolke to be with the azens hym; and, for [s]othe no more myth I qwan I had a ple azens hym; and therfor myn counsel is, that thu make an end qwat so ever the pay, for he xal elles on do the and brynge the to nowte.'

[This letter is mutilated, and in part defaced. It is addressed on the back-- 'Be this take to Mayster Brele (?) of the Greye Freres.'

Although the name seems to be written Brele, it was probably intended for Friar Brackley of Norwich, of whom we have several letters of a later period. The date must be between the year 1429, when William Paston was made a judge, and 1444, when he died; and as the name of Reginald Rows occurs in Blomefield (_Hist. of Norfolk_, ix. 441) 'about 1440,' this letter will probably not be far out of its true place if inserted in that year.]

[Footnote 48.1: [From Paston MSS., B.M.]]

38

MARGARET PASTON TO JOHN PASTON[49.1]

_To my worshepfull husbond, John Paston, abidyng at Petyrhous in Cambrigg._

[Sidenote: After 1440]

Ryth reverent and worsepful husbon, I recomawnde me to zow with alle myn sympyl herte, and prey zow to wete that there come up xi. hundyr Flemyns at Waxham, quereof wer takyn, and kylte, and dronchyn [_drowned_] viij.

hundryte. And thei had nowte a be, ze xul a be atte home this Qwesontyde, and I suppose that ze xul be atte home er owte long be.

I thanke yow hertely for my lettyr, for I hadde none of zow syn I spooke with zow last of for the matyr of Jon Mariot; the qwest pa.s.syd nowte of that day, for my Lorde of Norfolke was in towne for Wedyrbys matyr,[49.2] qwer for he wolde nowt latyd pase off, for further (?) of I kowe [_know_?] Fynch ne Bylbys makethe no purwyans for hys G.o.de.

No mor I wryte to zow atte this tyme, but the Holy Trenyte hawe zow in kepyng. Wretyn in Norweche, on Trenyte Sune day.

Yowr,

MARKARYTE PASTON.

[Footnote 49.1: [From Fenn, iii. 18.] The date of this letter is uncertain. From the fact of John Paston's residence at Peter House in Cambridge, it would appear, as Fenn remarks, to have been written early in his married life, and we know that he was married as early as 1440.]

[Footnote 49.2: Probably Thomas Wetherby, who was Mayor of Norwich in 1432-3, is referred to. He took offence at the Aldermen and Commons of the city for not naming the person he wished as his successor, and for some years afterwards showed his hostility by instigating prosecutions against the city, causing their attorneys to abandon their pleas, and so forth.]

39

SIR JOHN FASTOLF TO HENRY INGLOSE AND JOHN BERNEY[50.1]

_To my ryght wel belovyd cosyns, Herry Inglese and Johan Berney, Escuiers._

[Sidenote: After 1440 (?)]

Ryght wel belovyd cosyns, I comaund me to yow. And please you to hafe in knoulege that at whyche tyme ye were delyvered out of pryson by the moyen of ij. prysonners that y delyvered yow, whyche, as ye know wel, one was Burd Vynollys and the other Johan de Seint Johan dit Dolot, and in lyke wyse I boughte anothyr prysonner clepyt Johan Villers for the delyveraunce of Mautbye[50.2] Sqwyer, whyche mater ye knowythe welle.

And for as moche as my wrytynges that makyth mencion of that delyveraunce of the said Mautbye be not in my warde, y pray you that ye wolle undre your seelys certyffye me the trouthe how the said Mautbye was delyveryd by my moyen. Y hafe found a cedule that makyth mencion of that prysonner, of whyche I sende you a double, to be better avertysed of the mater. And therfor, as my trust ys yn yow that ye sende me your G.o.de remembraunce in as goodly haste as ye may. And our Lord kepe you.

Wryt at Londone the v. day of November.

JOHN FASTOLF, _Chevalier_.

[Footnote 50.1: [MS. in Pembroke College, Cambridge.] The date of this letter is quite uncertain; but as Fastolf is believed to have returned from abroad about 1440, we presume it was not earlier than that year.]]

[Footnote 50.2: No doubt John Mauteby, son-in-law of John Berney and father of Margaret Paston. _See_ Blomefield's _Norfolk_, xi.

228.]

[[Herry Inglese _text unchanged: normal spelling is "Inglose"_]]

40

ABSTRACT[50.3]

[Sidenote: 1441 / MAY 7]

Letters Patent, dated 7th May 19 Henry VI., by which Richard, Duke of York, Earl of March, etc., lieutenant and governor of France, grants to his beloved councillor, Sir John Fastolf, an annuity of 20.

[Footnote 50.3: [Add. Charter 14,598, B.M. (D. Turner's Coll.)]]