The Stonor letters and papers, 1290-1483; ed. for the Royal historical society, from the origial documents in the Public record office, by Charles Lethbridge Kingsford.

124. THOMAS MULL TO THOMAS STONOR [1472]

As the negotiations for the match with Mistress Blounte are still going on this letter probably belongs to 1472: on the whole it seems to be later than No. 123, and to detail the "menes" which Mull had "compassid in his mynde". John Forde was farmer at Horton, see No. 101. From A.C., xlvi, 63.

Right worshipfull Brother, I recomaund me to you. And in as muche as that my Cosen Willyam cumeth home to you hymself, ther|fore I wrytt not to you of the demyng &c., ne of the communicacion betwen my seid Cosen and my Mastres Blounte: but this direccion have I taken in the mater, I have thorowly comyned with the preste þat I spoke to you of, and tolde hym my conceyte howe he shal be demened in brekynge with my seid Mastres: and that he shall not breke to much at oones to her, but ever when he spekyth in the mater to her and fele here, and certenly to marke her wordes unto the tyme that he be verily assured in hymself, as nygh as he kan, of her disposicion. And over þat I have appoynted with hym that withyn iiij dayes after þat he is come to my seide mastres I shal send hym a letter directe to her fro me

and in my name: and he hath promysid me that every letter þat I sende here shal be brekyn or he departe from her. And the man þat shal ber the letter shal be namede, Cosen, to þe said prest, so þat he shal abide þer in the howse. And, if it so be þe preste fele her veryly ap|plyable, þe messenger shall [speke] with her hymself. John Foorde shal do the message, and abide ther ij or iij dayes. Furste I was dis|posid to have sente to þe [Norce] to have felte my seid Mastres: but me thought after, þat it had not bene beste, for paraventur the Norce wolde feer to breke fer wiþe her, and also shee myght not contynue and abide uppon the communicacion. This preste may alwey have liberte and lesyr to speke with her. And I have lefte with him a remem|brance in writyng how I wol he shal do, wherein I am verily assured he wol do his parte &c. Syr, as for my Cosen Willyam, for God is sake callyth hym forth with you when he is at home with you, and let him walke with you, and gevyth wordes of good comforte, and beth good ffader unto hym, as I certenly knowe ye be, and so letyth hym veryly understond and know. For, Syr, he is disposid to be a musyr and a studyer, which remembreth and breketh that as much as ye may. And Syr, but if þis mater sum dele come of her own hert, she shal not other|wyse be labored to for certen. Also, yf it kan be, the preste promysith me that she shall sende me worde in writyng of her dysposicion, if her disposicion be to us warde: which letter I shall sende you and my seid Cosyn. And veryly, if she be appliable, it is to be remembred her of her joyntur of the lorde Montjoy, and also of her own ffader, for he taketh the profite of a grete parte: and also in what case lorde Montjoy is land standeth it is good to be remembred to her. And I beseche Jhesu spede and directe this mater to his plesyr, and to preserve you and yours &c.

Thomas Mull.

To my Right worshipfull Brother, Thomas Stonor.