Paston letters and papers of the fifteenth century, Part I

TO JOHN PASTON I 1465, 05, 20

To my ryght wyrshypfull husbond John Paston by thys delyueryremoved in hast.

Please it you to wyte that on Satour-day last youre seruauntys Naunton, Wykys, and othere were at Drayton and there toke a dystresse for the rent and ferm that was to pay, to the nombere of lxxvij nete, and so broght them hom to Hayllesdon and put hem in the pynfold, and so kept hem styll there from the seyd Satour-day mornyng in-to Monday at iij at clok at aftere-non. Fyrst on the same Satour-day the tenauntys folwyd vppon, and desyryd to haue there catell a-yen, and I awnnsweryd hem yf thay wold do pay such dewtys as they oght for to pay to you, that then they shold haue there catell delyueryd a-yen; or els, yf they were not a powere to pay redy money, that then they to fynd suffycyant suerty to pay the money at such a day as they myghremovet agrye wyth me, and there-to to be bonden to you by obligacyon. And that they seyd they durst not for to take vppon hem for to be bonden, and as for money they had non for to pay at that tyme; and there-fore I kept stylle the bestys. Harleston was at Norwych and send for the tenauntys the seyd Satour-day at aftere-non, and there by the menys of the bayllyff of Coshay put the tenauntys in such feere, sayng that yf they wold pay such dewtys, or ells for to be bonden to pay, that then they wold put hem ovte of such londys as they huld bondly of the lordshyp, and so to dystrayn hem and trobell hem that they shold be wery of there part. And that put hem such feere that they drust nothere pay nor be bonden. And on the sam day at evynsong tyme Harleston com to me to Haylesdon, desyryng me that I wold delyuer a-yen the seyd dystresse, and as for such dystressys as they had taken here of youre tenauntys shold be delyueryd a-yen in lyke forme. And I seyd I wold not delyuer hem soo, and told hem that I wold delyuer hem as ye wryten a-fore, and othere-wyse not; and othere-wyse I wold not delyuer hem but by the form of lawe. And othere comynycacyon was had by-twene vs at that tyme of dyuers maters whych were to long to wryte at thys tyme, but ye shall haue knowlych therof in hast. And on Monday next aftere at ix at clok there com Pynchemore to Haylesdon wyth a replevyn whych was made in Harleston ys name as

vnderstewerd of the Duché, sayng that the bestys were taken vppon the Duché fee; wherfore he desyryd me to mak hym levremoveery of the seyd bestys so taken, and I seyd I wold not delyuer hem on-to the tyme that I had examenyd the tenauntys of the trough. And so I send thedere Wykys wyth Pynchemore to vnderstond what they wold say, and the tenauntys seyd that there was taken non vppon the Duché at there knowlych, saue only Pyrs Waryn the yongere and Payntere seyd that there catell was taken vppon the Duché, whych they con not prove by non record saue only by there awyn sayng; and so we wold not a-bey that replevyn, and so they departyd. And at iij at clock at aftere-non Pynchemore com to Haylysdon a-yen wyth ij men whych broght wyth hem a replevyn from the shyryff, whos namys be John Whycherley and Robert Ranson, whych requyryd me by the same replevyn to make them delyuery of the seyd bestys taken at Drayton. And so I, syyng the shyryffys replevyn vndere hys seall, bade my men delyuer hem, and soo they were delyueryd. And as for all othere maters that ye haue wryten to removeme of, I wyll spede me to send you a awnswere as hastely as I may, for I may no leysour haue to wryte no more to you at thys tyme. The blyssyd Trynyté haue you in hys kypyng. Wryten at Haylesdon the xx day of May. By yourys, M. P.