THE PASTON LETTERS Henry VI (continued 7)

By Edmond Grey, Lord of Hastynges, Waifford, and of Ruthyn.

251 SIR JOHN FASTOLF TO THOMAS HOWYS326.1

To my ryght trusty frende Sir Thomas Howys, Parson of Castelcombe.

1454 JULY 12

Ryght trusty frende, I grete you well, and wolle ye wete that I thynk it to greete merveylle of your trouth and wysdom that ye shuld haf, that ye hafe noysed me, and seyd to John Andreus at Yeppyswych, in presence of dyvers men, that ye have suffisaunt waraunts undre my lettre and sele to safe you harmlese, in case ye be condempned yn the somme this Andreus sewyth you for. And know for certeyn, there passed no such warauntis undre my sele; nothyr I comaunded you not for to labour ne do thyng that shuld be ayenst the law, nether unlawfully ayenst ryght and trouth. And therfor y ought not ne wolle not pay for yow. Wherfor I charge you sende me your warauntis and lettres or acomp of them, and of whoos hand wrytyng they ben; and whate evidences, instruccions and informacions ye had and by whom, as well as of my lerned councell as of othyrs. And also that ye comyn with my cosyn John Paston, &c., and take his gode avice whate remedie ys best, whethyr to sew an atteynt ayenst th’enquest a decies tantum in your oune name or by the parlement; for y wolle do seke all the remedies that may be had ayenst the seyd Andreus. And kepe ye close and sure from hym in all maner wyse, for your oune welfare; for know ye for certeyn that Andreus wolle ley all the wayt and aspies of such as ye wene to take for your true frendys to arrest you; and then be ye as it were be thout remedie, for ye not be tyme to sende me the materes abofe specyfied.

Item, Robert Inglose hath spoke wyth me and hath offred me to by lond to satisfye my dewtee that lyeth in Rakhyth, and y am avysed to by it, if ye can send thedre som trusty man that can telle whate it ys worth cleerly, and off whome it ys halde, and also yf it be sure lyvelode, and your avice wythall; but beware that ye com not owt, God kepe you. Wryt at London in haste the xij. day of Julle, Aº. xxxij^do. Regni Regis Henrici VJ. John Fastolf, ch’l’r.

252 JOHN PASTON TO LORD GREY327.1

Dominus de Grey.

1454 JULY 15

Right worshipfull and my ryght gode Lord, I recomand me to yowr gode Lordship. And where as it pleasyd yowr Lordship to dyrecte yowr letter to me for amaryage for my por suster to a jantylman of yowr knowleth of CCC. marc lyflod, in cas she wer not maryd; wherfor I am bownd to do your Lordship servyse; forsothe, my Lord, she is not maryd, ne insurid to noman; ther is and hath be, dyvers tymys and late, comunycacion of seche maryages wyth dyvers jantylmen not determynyd as yett, and whedder the jantylman that yowr Lordchip menith of be on of hem or nay I dowth. And wher as your seyd letter specyfyith that I shall send yow word whedder I thowght ye shuld labour ferther in the mater or nay, in that, my Lord, I dare not preswme to wryte so to yow wythowte I knew the gentylmans name,—notwythstandyng, my Lord, I shall take uppe on me, wyth the avyse of other of here frendys, that she shall nother be maryd ner inswryd to no creatwr, ne forther prosede in no seche mater befor the fest of the Assumpcion of owr Lady next comyng, dwryng whyche tyme yowr Lordship may send me, if itt please yow, certeyn informacion of the seyd gentylmanys name, and of the place and contrey where hys lyfflod lyth, and whedder he hath any chylder, and, after, I shall demene me in the mater as yowr Lordship shall be pleasyd; for in gode feyth, my Lord, it were to me grette joy that my seyd pore suster were, according to hier pore degre, marijd be yowr avyse, trustyng thanne that ye wold be here gode Lord.

Ryght wurchipfull and my ryght gode Lord, I beseche Almyghty God to have yow in His kepyng. Wrete att Norwych, the xv. day of Jull.

253 THOMAS PLAYTER TO JOHN PASTON328.1

To my ryght reverent and worshipfull maister, John Paston, be this dylyverd at London, and ellys sent to hym to Norwic.

1454 JULY 20

Rygth worshipfull Sir, and my rygth good maister, I recomend me to you. Lyke you to wete I have spoken wyth my lord Chaunceler328.2 and put the bylle by for hym and all the lordis upon Wednesday at after non last past, wenyng to me to have an answer upon Thursday. And my lord Chaunceler told me that they sped no partycler mater yet syn they cam, nor han no leyser to attend swych maters. I have spoken to my Lord Wylchyre,328.3 and he promysed to help forth that he can, and my Lord Beauchamp328.4 bothe. Fenyngley cam but on Thursday at evyn. Item, Sir, I have do made a new bylle whyche I purpose to delyver to the kyng. And, Sir, the lordes merveyle sore of the entre that was made by the straunge man or my lord entred; they thynk that was a straunge werk and a sotyll. Item, I spake to my Lord Chaunceler how my maister328.5 and ye and your frendis were pute owte of the comyssyon of pees; neverthe les he hath not graunted yet non newe. And as for the questyon that ye wylled me to aske my lord, I fond hym yet at no good leyser. Item, Sir, after the lordys seying, the Councell schuld breke up on Monday next comyng. And as for the Archebysshop of York329.1 is heyll and mery, &c. Wretyn the xx. day of July. —By your man and servaunt, Thomas Playter.

254 WILLIAM PASTON TO JOHN PASTON329.2

To his wurchypfull Brodyr, John Paston.

1454 [JULY]

Ryth wurchypfull broder, I recomande to yow; and as for tedyng, my Lord of Yorke hathe take my Lord of Exsater329.3 in to hys awarde. The Duke of Somerset329.4 is styll in prison, in warse case than he was. Syr Jon Fastolf recomande hym to yow, &c. He wyll ryde in to Norfolke ward as on Trusday, and he wyll dwelle at Caster, and Skrop329.5 wyth hym. He saythe ye ar the hartyest kynysman and frynd that he knowyts. He wolde have yow at Mawdeby dwellyng.

I had gret cher of Byllyng be the way, and he told me in cownsayle wathe he sayd to Ledam.

Ledam wulde a do hys wyse to a mad a complent to Pryothe329.6 in the scher-howse of yow, and Byllyng consallyd hym to leve, and tolde Ledam ye and he wer no felawys, and sayd to Ledam, ‘That is the gyse of yowr contre men, to spend alle the good they have on men and lewery gownys, and hors and harnes, and so beryt owth for j wylle [bear it out for a while], and at the laste they arn but beggars; and so wyll ye do. I wylde ye schull do wyll, be cause ye ar a felaw in Grays In, wer I was a felaw. As for Paston, he ys a swyr [squire] of wurchyp, and of gret lyvelode, and I wothe he wyll not spend alle hys good as [at?] onys, but he sparyt yerly C. mark, or j. C. li. [£100]; he may do his ennemy a scherewd turne and never far the warse in hys howsholde, ner the lesse men abowthe hym. Ye may not do so, but if yt be for j. [one] sesun. I consayll yow not to contenu long as ye do. I wulle consalle yow to seke reste wyth Paston.’

And I thankkyd Byllyng on yowr behalfe.

God have yow in hys kepyng.

Be yowr por Brodyr, Wyllyam Paston.

Meche odyr thyng I can telle an I had lesur. Recomande me to my suster Margeth [and] my cosyn Elizabeth Clyr, I pray yow.

255 WILLIAM PASTON TO MARGERY PASTON330.1

To his rythe worchypfull and harthy wellebelovyd suster, Margere Paston, dwellyng in Norwyche.

[1454] AUG. 10

Rythe harthely well belovyd suster, I recomand me, &c. And I have received zowre letteres. And as for my nevewes, they lerne rythe well bothe, and there gownys and there gere schall be mad for hem a cordyng the enthenthe of zowre letter, and all oder thynggis that behovyth on to here profythe harddely to my powere. And, Suster, God zelde zow for zowre labore fore me, for gaderyng of my mony. And I pray, as sone as ze receyvyth, send it heder be some trusty man; and that it plese to calle ther on, &c. My suster and my broder recomand hem to zow bothe, and I may say to zow in counsayll sche is op on poyn of mariage, so that moder and my broder sett frendely and stedfastely there on, leke as I wothe well ze wolld, and it lay in zow as it dothe in hem, &c. I pray zow do zoure parthe to kall theron. It were to long to wrythe on to zow all the maner of demenyng of this mater; and therfor I have spoke to Wyllyam Worseter and to Wethewell to tell it zow holly as it is. I wothe ryth well zow (sic) good labore may do moche; and send me word how ze here as hastely as ze may. Item, Howard spak of a mariage betwex his sone and my neece Margery, zowr dother: it wer well do such materes wer nawthe sclawfully laboryd; it is wurchypfull, &c. Send me word, and Gog (sic) have zow in His kepyng. Wretyn at London on Sent Lawrens day in hast. —Be zowre brodyre, Wyllyam Paston.

Item, send zow a letter directyd to Wollysby. I pray zow lethe it be delyvered hym as hastely as ze may; and if ze come to this contre I am leke to se zow, and we schall make rythe mery I trust.

256 RICHARD, DUKE OF YORK, TO JOHN PASTON331.1

To our right trusty and welbeloved John Paston, Esquire.

The Duc of York.

1454 AUG. 19

Right trusty and welbeloved, we grete yow hertily wel. And of your benivolence, aide, and tendre love by yow, at th’instance and at the reverence of us, to our right trusty and welbeloved in God, the prior and convent of the hows of Our Lady of Walsingham, of our patronage, in suche matres as they had adoo for certain lyvelood by tham claymed to belonge unto the seid hows, favorably and tendrely shewed,—as hertily as we can we thank yow, and desire and pray yow of your good continuance; and as far as right, lawe, and good conscience wol, to have in favorable recommendacion suche personnes as been or shal bee committed to take possession and saison, in the name and to the use of our ful worshipful nepveu, th’erl of Warrewic, in and of the manoirs and Lordeships of Boules and Walcots,332.1 with th’appertenauntes in Litel Snoring in the countee of Norffolk, as our grete trust is unto yow. And God have yow in His keping.

Yeven undre our signet at our castel of Sandhall the xix. day of August. R. York.

257 THE EARL OF WARWICK TO JOHN PASTON332.2

To the worshipfull and my right trusty frende John Paston, Squyer.

1454 AUG. 23

Worshipfull and my right trusty and welbeloved frende, I grete you well. And forasmuch as I have purchased of the worshipfull and my welbeloved frende, Priour of Walsyngham, ij. maners in Lityl Snoryng, with thappurtenants, in the Counte of Norffolk, which maners be cleped Bowles and Walcotes,—I desir and hertily praye yow, that ye woll shewe to me, and my feoffes in my name, your good will and favour, so that I may by your frendship the more peasably rejoy my forsaid purchase.

And more over I praye you to yeve credens in this mater to my welbeloved chapellayn, Syr John Suthwell, berer of this my lettre, and in the same mater to be my feithfull frende, as my gret trust is in you, wherin ye shall do to me a singular pleasir, and cause me to bee to yow right good lord, which sumtyme shall be to you available by the grace of God, who preserve you and sende you welfare.

Yeven under my signet at Midilham, the xxiij. day of August.

Richard, Erl of Warrewik. R. Warrewyk.

258 WILLIAM WORCESTER TO JOHN PASTON333.1

To my Maister Paston.

H. R.

1454(?) SEPT. 2

Aftyr dewe recomendacion wyth my simple service precedyng, please your maistershyp to wete, that as to such remembraunce that ye desyre me to contynew forth to the uttermost, I shall wyth gode wille, so as my maister wille licence me, as oft as I can, th’officer to hafe leysure to be wyth me, for ye know well I can not do it alone, &c.

And where as ye of your pleasure wryte me or calle me Maister Worcestr, I pray and requyre yow foryete that name of maistershyp, for I am not amended by my maister of a ferthyng yn certeynte, but of wages of housold in comune entaunt come nows plaira. By Worcestr or Botoner I hafe vs. yerly, all costs born, to help pay for bonetts that I lose. I told so my maister thys weke, and he seyd me yerstenday he wyshed me to hafe be a preest, so I had be disposed, to hafe gofe me a lyvyng by reson of a benefice, that anothyr most gefe it, as the Byshop, but he wold; and so I endure inter egenos ut servus ad aratrum.

Forgefe me, I wryte to make yow laugh; and our Lord bryng my maister yn a better mode for othyrs as for me.

At Caistr, ij^d day of September.

I pray yow displeser not your servaunt be so long, for my maister lettet hym. Your, W. Wyrcestyr.

259 THOMAS HOWES TO JOHN PASTON334.1

To my maister, John Paston, Squier, be this delyvered.

1454(?) SEPT. 2

Ryght worshypfull Sir, I recommaund me to yow. And my maister hertly thankyth yow for the venyson that ye sent hym from my Lord of Oxford, and prayeth yow that he may be recommaunded to hys noble Lordshyp. And God thank yow for your speciall remembraunce of my mater that ye hafe it so tendyrly to hert, for ye may know weel the gode spede of that ys my wellfare and the contrarye ys my utter undoyngs. I hafe sent to John Porter to wete verrayly how it standyth with hym, as ye shall wete the certeynte thys weke. As for the mater wryt to Bokkyng he hath rad ys lettre, and wille remember your desyre, and also of William Geney comyng, yn case he know of it rathyr then ye.

And my maistre herd the substaunce of your lettre red, and lyked it ritz well. And as for the mater of Worcester remembraunce, he shall geve hys attendaunce therto yn that he can. And where ye calle hym maister, he ys displesed wyth that name, for he may spend vs. yerly more by the name of Worcestr or Botoner, and by hys maister not a ferthyng yn certeynte. He prayth yow foryete it.

I pray God kepe yow. Wryt at Castr hastly ij^d day of September. Your oune, T. Howes.

Item, yn case Jankyn335.1 be hole, my Lord of Norffolk hath graunted [him] by moyen of Robert Wyngfeld, to be yn my seyd Lord ys houshold, as my maister hath it by lettre from Wyngfeld.