THE PASTON LETTERS Henry VI (continued 6)

436 A WHITSUNDAY SERMON OF FRIAR BRACKLEY256.1

Frends, this holy tyme, as owr moder Holy Chirch maketh mension, the Holy Gost came from hevyn, and lighted in the disciples of Crist, inflamyng them with connyng, and strenghyng them with grace. And be cause the doctrine and prechyng of them shuld go thurghought all the werd, furst thei wer to be enfourmed and taught connyng, and to be strenth with awdacide and grace, and than to be endewed and yovyn all manner of langags that thei myght prechyn to all maner of naciones, so that tho naciones that thei preched to myght understond them, and every naciones his owyn tonge; and so thees Appostilles, after that thei wern enspired with the Holy Gost, wher so ever thei preached, were ther never so many naciones present, ich nacion thought that thei spokyn in ther owyn langage—etenim illud loquebantur variis linguis Apostoli.

Frends, iij. thyngs be necessary in prechyng to hym that shall prechyn thurgh the werd as the Appostell dede—that is to sey, connyng, boldnesse, and langags. If thei had had connyng and none audacite, but have fered to have preched, it shuld litill a profited, as we have examplles dayly at Cambrige, exempli [gratia]256.2 de Clerico quis studuit sermonem, &c. And if thei have bothyn connyng and audacite, and have none eloquensye ner copiousnesse of langage, so that he preche that his audiens is most excercised in, that thei may understand hym, elles it profiteth not.

Therfor thes holy Appostill[es], be for thei shuld prechyn, furst thei wer to be confirmed and strenghed. Our Lord strenghed them be under nemyng,257.1 enformyng, and helpyng, culpando ut in Evangelium recumbentibus, &c. He strenghed them with his help and grace whan he brethed in them, seyng ‘Accipite Spiritum Sanctum; et quorum remiseritis peccata, remittuntur eis, et quorum retinueritis retenta sunt,’257.2 &c. He strenghed them also be his doctrine whan he seid ‘Petite et accipietis; si quid petieritis Patrem in nomine meo, dabit vobis.’257.3 How that ye shuld prayn to God and askyn, I taught you on Estern day. Therfor ye shall pray to God be good werkyng, right full lebyring, and in good deds perseveryng.

Frends, ye owe for to ask of God that your joy may ben a full joy and perfight; we may never have a full joy in this werd, wher as ever among folwyth hevynesse. A man joyth sumtyme in gold and sylver, and in gret substaunce of erdly gods, in bewte of women, but this joy is not perfyght—but this joy is not stabill, but it is mutabill as a shadow; for he that this joyth in the bewte of his wyffe, it may fortune to morwyn he shall folwyn her to chirch up on a bere. But if ye wull knowyn what is a full and a wery joy, truly forgevenesse of synne and everlestyng blisse, wher as is never sikenesse, hunger, ner thurst, ner no maner of disseas, but all welth, joy, and prosperite, &c. Ther be iij. maner of joys, the on void, a nother half full, the thred is a full joy. The furst is plente of werdly gods, the seconde is Gostly grace, the threde is everlestyng blisse. The furst joy, that is affluens of temporall gods, is called a veyn joy, for if a man wer set at a bord with delicate mets and drynks, and he sey a cawdron boyllyng a forn hym with pykke and bronston, in the which he shuld be throwyn naked as sone as he had dyned; for he shuld joy mych in his deliciose mets, it shuld be but a veyn joy.

Right so doth the joy of a covetouse man, if he sey what peyn his sowle shuld suffre in helle for the myskepyn and getyn of his good, he shuld not joy in his tresore, ut in Libro Decalogorum, ‘Quidam homo dives,’ &c.

Semiplenum gaudium est quando quis in præsenti gaudet et tunc cogitans de futuris dolet, ut in quodam libro Græco, ‘Quidam Rex Græciæ,’ &c. Her ye may se but half a joy; how [who] shuld joy in this werd, if he remembred hym of the peynes of the toder werd? ‘Non glorietur fortis in fortitudine sua, nec sapiens in sapientia sua, nec dives in divitiis suis.’258.1 De quibus dicitur, qui confidunt in multitudine divitiarum suarum, quasi oves in inferno positi sunt.258.2 ‘Qui gloriatur, in Domino glorietur.’258.3 Therfor lete us joy in hope of everlestyng joy and blis. ‘Gaudete quia nomina vestra scripta sunt in cælo,’258.4 ut gaudium vestrum sit plenum. A full joy is in hevyn. Et in hoc apparet quod magnum gaudium est in cælo, quoniam ibi est gaudium quod ‘oculus non vidit, nec auris audivit, et in cor hominis non ascendit, quæ Deus præparavit diligentibus,’258.5 et ideo, fratres, variis linguis loquens [precor] ut gaudium vestrum sit plenum, vel habeatis gaudium sempiternum.

437 THE EARL OF OXFORD TO JOHN PASTON258.6

To owre right Trusty and welbeloved John Paston

Right Trusty and welbeloved we grete yow well. And where as it is not unknowen to you that we wrot a bille to Maister Brakle, and yaf hym in comaundement to delyver yow a bille indentyd of x. mark owyng to John of Fen, as it apperith by a bille indentyd under the seall of Robert Reppis, jentylman, wich by the will of John of Fen is due un to us, wher of the sayd Robert shuld paye v. mark by his owne instaunce at Lammesse next comyng; We pray yow that ye woll receyve the forsayd money for us and delyver it un to Maister Brakle as we trust yow. Wretyn in owr manor of Wevenho the xxv^ti. day of Julij.

438 THE EARL OF OXFORD TO JOHN PASTON259.1

To my right trusty and right welbeloved John Paston.

Right trusty and right welbeloved, I grete you wele. And I am enfourmed that William Mathew of Norwich, Bocher, hath brought an accion of dette agayn Nicholas Hert, a tenaunt of myn, berer hereof, and hath supposid by his accyon that my said tenaunt shuld ow hym lxxs. for his hire of tyme that he shuld a ben servaunt to my said tenaunt; wher it is said to me for trouthe that he was aprentyce to my said tenaunt, and never othrwise with holde but as aprentice, and owith no mony to haf of hym. I send to yow my said tenaunt to gif yow clere informacyon of the mater, and I pray you that ye wole calle the jurry before yow that arn impanellid betwen thaym, and opne thaym the mater at large at myn instaunce, and desire thaym to do as concyens wole, and to eschue perjury. And the Trinite kepe yow. If ye take the mater in rule, I pray therof, and wole be content.

Wretyn at Wevenho, the xxviij. day of Decembr. The Erle of Oxenford.

439 SIR JOHN WINGFIELD TO JOHN PASTON259.2

To my welbelovyd brother, John Paston, Squier.

Brother Paston, I recomaunde me unto you, praying you that ye take the labour to speke with Thomas Ratclef of Frammesden for the delyveraunce of part of an hous which lythe in his wode at Fraumesden, which hous the owener hath caryed part therof to Orford, which so departed, the remenant that remayneth ther in his wode schall do hym lytell good, and yt schall hurte gretly the warkeman and the owener therof also, which is my tenaunt, and [i.e. if] the hous schuld be set upon my ground.

I wright unto you in this be halfe, be cause I understood he woll be moche avised by you, and yf he do ony thynge at my request, I schall do as moche that schall plese hym; and also the pore man schall gef hym ij. nobles or xxs. rather than fayle. I pray you be as good a mene for hym as ye may in this be halfe, as my verry trust is in you, and I schal be redy at all tymes to doo that may be to your plesur. I trust to Jesu, who have you in His kepyng, and sende you joy of all your ladyes.

Wretyn at Lederyngham, the Tewesday in Whisson weke. Your brother and frende, Wyngefeld J.

440 [JOHN PASTON?] TO [RICHARD] SOUTHWELL260.1

Brother Suthwell, I comand me to yow, sertifiing yow that, on Thursday be the morwe, I spak with my cosine Wichingham at London, where he lete me wet of the letter sent to Lee, wherby I conseyve the stedfast godlordship and ladiship of my Lord and my Lady260.2 in this mater, &c., whech gevith cause to all her servaunts to trost verily in them and to do hem trew servise. I lete yow wete that the seid Wychyngham, when I departid from hym, had knowleche that Jane Boys shuld that nyght be come to London, and he put in a bylle to the Lordis for to have delyverauns of hyr and to have hese adversarys arestid. And this nyght at Norwiche was told me newe tydyngges that she shuld on Thursday after my departyng a be before the Lordis and there asaide untrewly of her selff, as the berer hereof shal informe yow if ye know it not before; of wheche tydyngges, if they be trew, I am sory for her sake, and also I fere that her frendys schuld sewe the more feyntely, wheche Godde defende. For her seyng untrewly of her selff may hurt the mater in no man but her selff; and thow she wol mescheve her selff, it wer gret pete but if the mater were laborid forth, not for her sake, but for the worchepe of the estatys and other that have laboryd therin, and in ponyshing of the gret oryble dede. Wherfore I send yow dyvers articlis in a bill closid herin, wheche preve that she was raveshid ayens hyr wel, what so ever she sey.

Thes be provis that Jane Boys was ravischig [sic] ageyn her wil, and not ber awn assent.

One is that she, the tyme of her takyng, whan she was set upon her hors, she revyled Lancasterother261.1 and callid hym knave and wept, and kryid owte upon hym pitewly to her, and seid as shrewdly to hym as coud come to her mende, and fel doune of her hors unto that she was bound, and callid him fals t[r]aytor that browth her the rabbettes.

Item, whan she was bounde she callid upon her modyer, wheche folwyd her as far as she myght on her feet, and whan the seid Jane sey she myght goo no ferther, she kryid to her modyer and seid that what so ever fel of her, she shuld never be weddyd to that knave, to deye for it.

Item, be the weye, at Shraggarys hous in Kokely Cley, and at Brychehamwell, and in all other places wher she myght see any people, she kryid owte upon hym, and lete people wete whos dowtyr she was, and how she was raveshid ayens her wyll, desyeryng the people to folwe her and reskew her.

Item, Lancasterotherys prest of the Egle in Lyncolne shire, wheche shroff her, seid that she told hym in confession that she wold never be weddyd to hym, to deye for it; and the same prest seid he wold not wedde hem togedyr for M^l.li.

Item, she sent divers tokenes of massage to Sothwell be Robert Inglose, wheche previth welle at that tyme she lovyd not Lancasterother.

Item, a man of the master of Carbrokes come dyvers tymes in the weke before she was raveshid to Wychynghams hous, and inquerid of her mayde whedyr her mastras was insuerid to Sothwell or nay, the wheche prevyth well that Lancasterother was not sure of her godwill ne knew not of her counseyl, for if he had, he ne nedid not to have sent no spyes.

Whech seen, I avyse yow to move my Lord and my Lady to do in this mater as affettualy as they have do before, for this mater touchyth hem, consideryng that they have begonne; and dowt not, what so ever falle of the woman, well or evel, my Lord and my Lady shal have worchep of the mater if it be wel laborid, and also ye shall have avayl therof and the advers parte chall gret trobil.

Also it were necessarie that Wychyngham were sent to and cofortyd in hese seute, and that he avysid hym of seche articlis and preves of the mater as I have sent to yow and put hem in writing, but not to disclose non tho preves to non creature unto that tyme that it fortune the mater to be tried be enquest, or other wyse take end, but avyse hym for to seye to the Lords and all (?) in generall termes that what so ever Lancasterother or hese douter seyn nowh, it shal be wel prevyd she was reveshid ayens her wyll; and let him desire of the Lordis that his dowter mith be in his kepyng, and at large fro Lancasterother un tylle the mater were duly examynd. I wold this mater sped the bety[r] be cause my Lady spoke so feythefully to me therin, and that mevyth me to wryte to yow this long symple lettyr of myn intent. 262.1[Also wher ye be informyd that vj. men of Osbern Monforthes shuld a be at the seid raveshing, I certifie yow verily it was not soo; for Osbern Mondeford wol do in the mater all that ever he can or may to help to punisse the doer, and desirith to know the grownd of that tale, of whech I pray send me word if and what ye will ellis.] God kepe yow.

Wret at Norwich the Soneday nex before the fest of Sent Margret.

Item, [if] she had be of hes assent affter the time she was in hes possescion in Lynkoln shire, hit had be bett—262.2

441-448 ABSTRACTS263.1

The following letters and papers cannot be referred to any certain date, though probably of the reign of Henry VI. Being of very little interest, they are noticed as briefly as possible merely for the sake of completeness.

441.— W., Bishop of Norwich, to William Yelverton, steward of his lands, and John Intwode, his surveyor. —Desires them to inquire at Bacton into the demand made by Richard Blake in a bill enclosed, and minister to him as right and law will. —London, 8 Nov.

442.— Memoranda of John Berney against Simon Corbrygg, who obtained lands by a charter forged by Broke, a scrivener, late owner of Weggs, and has injured Berney for eight years past or more in the possession of the manor of Cleyhall.

443.— William Jenney to John Paston, Esq. —Has been shown by his neighbour, Robert Tylyard, a piece of evidence of certain ‘lyfelode’ he has in Whetacre, by which it appears that Lord Wellys should have no ward of the same, unless he can produce contrary evidence. As Paston is of my Lord’s council, and has the rule of his ‘lyflode’ in this country, desires he will write to him that the matter be indifferently seen. —Theberton, 13 Dec.

444.— J. Burton to Margaret Paston. —Sends hogsheads of wine by Plumton the carter, etc. Desires her to send the money to ‘dawn’ William Dallyng.—Dated, ‘Wednesday after I parted from you.’

445.— W. Cotyng263.2 to Margaret Paston. —Has received to-day £9:0:2 from Simon Miller, her farmer at Tichwell, for Midsummer payment. Sends it by Roger, servant of the Parson of Thorp. Simon has paid five shillings for finding a man to the King for Tichwell, and but for me you would have paid a mark. Charges for repairs. As for your lining cloth, my brother is still beyond the sea. —Brankaster, 31 July.

446.— —— to ——. —My father and I bought the reversion of Olton, etc., of Ralph Lampet and Alexander Kyngyston. They have now made a new sale of it to William Jenney without giving notice to me or my father. We ask your mediation with Jenney, whom we trusted most.

447.— Eliz. C[lere] to John Paston. —Concerning a pasture in the town of N. overgrown with whins. Wants advice as to the conditions of the right of pasturage. Your mother prays you to think on Horwellebery. —25 May.

448.— Memoranda to inquire:— (1) If William Cofe were enfeoffed in Rothnall Hall? (2) If Tylerd knew William Cofe of Northcofe264.1 before the day of his death two years, one year, half a year, or a quarter, etc.; what seal he used? (3) If Tylerd were not about him, to common with Gernyngham and such as were about him. (4) Item, in case it can be understood that he made none estate, ‘than lete Wodesyde goo to Robert Prymer in his owyn name, saying that John P. (Paston) is his good mayster in hys mater,’ etc.