Paston letters and papers of the fifteenth century, Part I

Clement Paston

TO JOHN PASTON I 1461, 01, 23

To hijs rythe worchypfwll brodere John Paston.

Rythe reuerent and worchypfwll broder, I recomawnde removeme to ȝow, certyfyyng ȝow þat ȝowre letter was delyueryd me þe xxiij day of Januari abowthe noone seison, and Rychard Calle rode in þe mornyng, and þerefore I brak ȝowre letter if þere were ony asti mater. And I dede Cristofyre Hanswm goo to my lord of Cawnterburi to tell him as ȝowre letter rehersyd, and my lord seyd he hadde spokyn wyth ȝowre man þere-of þe day before, and if þe Byssope of Norwyche wold not doo so mwche for him he hijs þe les be-hold to him. Not wythstondyng he sayd he wold saue ȝow harmelez aȝens John ȝOwng; but, and ȝe do well, remembire thys lordys haue many materijs to thyng on, and if it be fore-getin þe harm is ȝowrys. And also if þe word torn John ȝOng will not doo at hijs prayere. And my Lord FitzWatere is rydyn northe-wardys, and it is sayd in my lord of Cawnterberijs howse þat he hathe takyn ij c of Andrew Troloppys men. And as fore Colt and Sire Jamys Strangwysse and Sire Thomas Pykeryng, þey be takyn ore ellys dede; þe comyn voysse is þat þey be dede, Hopton and Hastyngys be wyth þremovee Erle of Marche, and wer not at þe fewlde. Wat word þat euer he haue fro my lordys þat be here, it is well doo and best fore ȝow to see þat þe contré be all-weys redy to com, bothe fote men and hors men, qwan they be sent fore; fore I haue hard seyde þe forthere lordys will be here sonere þan men wen, I haue arde sayde ore iij wekys to an ende; and also þat ȝe xwld com wyth more men

and clenliere arayed þan a-nodere man of ȝowre cwntré xwld, fore it lythe more vp-on ȝowre worchyp and towcheythe ȝow more nere þan odere men of þat cwntré, and also ȝe be more had in fauore wyth my lordys here . In thys cwntré euery man is well wyllyng to goo wyth my lordys here, and I hope God xall helpe hem, fore þe pepill in þe northe robbe and styll and ben apoyntyd to pill all thys cwntré, and gyffe a-way menys goodys and lyfflodys in all þe sowthe cwntré, and that wyll ask a myscheffe. My lordys þat ben here haue as moche as þey may doo to kep down all thys cwntré, more þan iiij ore v scherys, fore þey wold be vp on þe men in northe, fore it ys fore þe welle of all þe sowthe. I pray ȝow recomawnde me to to my modere, and þat I prayed here of here blyssyng. I pray ȝow exscwse me to here þat I wryte here no letter, fore thys was y-now a-doo. I dare not pray ȝow to recomawnde me to my swster ȝowre wyff, and þe masangere, I trow, be so wysse he can not do yt. ȝe mwst pay him fore hijs labour, fore he taryd all nyt in thys town fore thys letter. Wrytyn ye xxiij day of Janwari in haste, wan I was not well at hesse. God haue removeȝow in hijs keping. By Clement Paston, ȝowre broder.

TO JOHN PASTON I 1461, 06, 26

To my rythe worchypfwll broder John Paston be thys delyueryd in haste.

Brodere, I recomawnde me to ȝow, desyeryng to here of ȝowre welfare, þe qwyche I pray God maynten. Plesse ȝow to wette þat I haue sent my moder a letter fore mony fore my swster, and if ȝe wyll agre þat I may haue xxti li. I xall ȝeue ȝow acowmptys þere-of and ȝe xall be payyd aȝen of þe obligacion þat my moder hathe, or ellys I xall tak a swerté of my suster. I-wysse obligacion mwste nedys be swyd, and a doseyn accions more in her name and sche doo well thys terme, and it wyll be doo wyth- in fowrtenynt. The Cowntas of Northumberlond and Robarde Fenns

ocupie all her lond, and þat is a gret myscheffe. I pray ȝow speremoveke to my moder her-of, and lat me haue a awnswere wyth-in þis seuenynt. Also, broder, Wymdam is com to town, and he seyd to me he wyll goo gett hym a mayster; and me thowte by hym he wold be in þe Kyngys seruise. And he saythe þat he wyll haue Felbryg a-ȝen ore Myhelmes, ore þere xall be v c hedys brok þere-fore. Brodere, I pray ȝow delyuer þe mony þat I xwld haue in-to swm priore of swm abbey, to swm mayster of swm colage, to be delyueryd qwan I can espy ony londe to be purchasyd. I pray ȝow send me word wyder ȝe wyll doo thus ore no. No more, but Owre Lord haue ȝow in hys kepyng. Wrytyn on Fryday nexst after Seynt John is Day. By ȝour broder Clement Paston.

TO JOHN PASTON I 1461, 08, 25

To his rythe reuerent and worchypfwll broder John Paston.

Rythe reuerent and worchypfwll broder, I recomawnde me to ȝowre good broderhood, desieryng to herre of ȝoure welfare and good prosperité, the qwyche I pray God encresse to his pleswre and ȝowre hertys hesse; certyfyyng ȝow þat I haue spok wyth John Rwsse, and Playter spak wyth him bothe, on Fryday be-fore Seynt Barthelmw. And he told vs of Howardys gydyng, qwyche mad vs rythe sory tyl we harde þe conclusion þat ȝe hadde non harme. Also I vnderstond by W.Pekok þat my nevew hadde knowlache þere-of also vp-on Saterday nexst be-fore Seynt Barthelmwe,in þe Kyngys howse. Not wyth-standyng vp-on þe sam day Playter and I wryte letterys on-to him rehersyng al the mater, fore cause if þere were ony questionys meyyd to hym þere-of þat he xwlde telle þe trowthe, in cas þat þe qwestions were meuyd by ony worchypfwll man, and namyd my Lord Bowchere, fore my Lord Bowchere was wyth þe Kyng at þat tym. I fele by W.Pekok þat my nevew is not ȝet verily aqweyntyd in þe Kyngys howse, nore wyth þe officerys of þe Kyngys howse. He is not

takyn as non of þat howse, fore þe cokys be not charged to serue hym nore þe sewere to gyue hym no dyche, fore þe sewere wyll not tak no men no dischys till þey be comawndyd by þe cownterrollere. Also, he is not aqueyntyd wyth no body but wyth Wekys, and Wekys ad told hym þat he wold bryng hym to þe Kyng; but he hathe not ȝet do soo. Were-fore it were best fore hym to tak hijs leve and cum hom, till ȝe hadd spok wyth swm body to helpe hym forthe, fore he is not bold y-now to put forthe hym-selfe. But þan I consyderyd þat if he xwld now cum hom þe Kyng wold thyng þat wan he xwld doo hym ony seruice sum were, þat þan ȝe wold haue hym hom, þe qwyche xwld cause hym not to be hadde in fauore; and also men wold thynke þat he were put owte of seruice. Also W.Pekok tellythe me þat hijs mony is spent, and not ryotesly but wysly and discretly, fore þe costys is gretter in þe Kyngys howse qwen he rydythe þan ȝe wend it hadde be, as Wyllam Pekok can tell ȝow. And þere wee mwst gett hym i c s. at þe lest, as by Wyllam Pekokys seyyng, and ȝet þat will be to lytill. And I wot well we kan not get xl d. of Cristofyre Hanswm, so I xall be fayn to lend it him of myn owne siluer. If I knew verily ȝour entent were þat he xwld cum hom I wold send hym non. There I wyll doo as me thynkithe ȝe xwld be best plesyd, and þat, me thynkythe, is to send him þe siluer. þere-fore I pray ȝow as hastely as ȝe may send me a-ȝen v mark, and þe remnawnte I trow I xall gett vp-on Cristofire Hanswm and Lwket. I pray ȝow send me it as hastely as ȝe may, fore I xall leue my-selfe rythe bare; and I pray ȝow send me a letter how ȝe woll þat he xall be demenyd. Wrytyn on Twsday after Seynt Barthelmwe, &c. Christus vos obseruet. By Clement Paston.

TO JOHN PASTON 1 1461, 10, 11

U.L. Add.6968,pp.19-20.

Brother, I recommende me to you, after all dewe recommendacions, &c. Sir, it was tolde me by rythe a worshipfull man that loveth you rythe well. and ve him. and ye xall knowe his name hereafter, but put all things out of doubt he is such a man as will not lye. On the xjth day of October the Kinge seid, 'We have sent two privy sealys to Paston by two yeomen of our chamber, and he disobeyeth þem; but we will send him a-noder tomorrowe, and by Gods mercye and if he come not then he xall dye for it. We will make all oder men beware by him how they xall disobey our writinge. A servant of our hath made a complainte of him. I cannot thinke that he hath informed us all truely, yet not for that we will not suffer him to disobey our writinge; but sithen he disobeyeth our writinge we may beleve the better his gydinge is as we be informed'. And þerwith he made a gret a-vowe that if ye come not at the third commandement ye xulde dye therefore. This man that tolde me this is as well learned a man as any is in England. And the same xjth day of October he advised me to send a man to yow in all the hast that might be to lett yow have knowlache, and that ye xulde not lett for none excuse, but that ye xulde make the man good cheere and come as hastily ye might to the Kinge, for he understandeth so much that the Kinge will kepe his promise. Notwithstanding, by mine advice, if ye have this letter or the messenger come to you, come to the Kinge wards or ye meete with him, and when ye come ye must be suer of a great excuse. Also, if ye doe well, come right stronge, for Howards wife made her bost that if any of her husbands men might come to yow þer xulde goe noe penny for your life.; and Howard hath with the Kinge a great felloweship.

This letter was written the same day that the Kinge said these words, and the same day that it was told me, and that day was the xjth day of October as abovesaid; and on the next morning send I forth a man to yow with this letter, and on the same day send the Kinge the third privye seale to you. Alsoe he þat tolde me this seid that it were better for yow to come upp then to be fotte out of your house with streingth, and to abide the Kings judgement þerin, for he will take your contumacy to great displeasure. Also, as I understand, the Duke of Norffolk hath made a great complaint of yow to the Kinge, and my Lord of Suffolk and Howard and Wyngfelde helpe well to every day and call upon the Kinge against yow. The Kinge is at this day at Grenewich, and þer will be still till the Parliament beginne. Some say he will goe to Walsingham, but Master Sotyll seid in the Aulle in the Temple that he harde no worde of any such pilgrimage. No more, &c. Written the xjth day of October at midnight. My nevew John tolde me also that he supposed þer were out proclamacions against yow, &c., the same day. By Clement Paston, your broder

TO JOHN PASTON I 1464, 02, 15

To hijs rythe worchypfwl broder John Paston the helder , sqwyere, be thys delyueryd. Brodere, I recomawnde me to ȝow after all dew recomendacions, &c. As fore Hew Fennys obligacion, ȝEluerton knowlacheyd it to be Sire John Fastolfe is dede opynly in þe Eschekere, and there he hadde is jugement to receyue þe mony and x li. fore damagys, and they report here þat they haue a schreve after here entent þat wyll mak hem execucion, ore ellis return þat ȝe haue wastyd þe godys of þe dede, so þat they wyll haue execucion of ȝowre own goodys ore ellys a wryt to tak ȝowre body. Thus ȝe may se they ȝeue no fors wat they doo, thow they xwld lesse and stroy all þe goodys of þe dede. And there-fore, fore sauacion of þe goodys of þe dede better it were to tak sum treté þan to sufferemover þe goodys thus to be

lost. Also, ȝEluerton hathe ben at all þe tenauntys in Sowthewerk and chargid hem to pay no mony but to hym. Also, the Kyng hathe ben in Glowceterschere and pwnyssede hijs rebellious a-ȝens þe lawe, and so he entendithe to doo in Norfolk, and after þat in odere contreez. God ȝeue grasse and good spede in hijs jornay. No more, but I pray Gode haue ȝow in hijs kepyng. Wretyn on Hasse Wednysday in haste. Also, I pray ȝou send me xl s. þat I tok Jamez Gressam and John Pampyng fore ȝowre materys. Also, there is no man þat hathe contentyd ony thyng in þe Kyngys Benche of all thijs term for ȝour materys, and þat makythe the clerkys and ȝowre aturnay wery. I trow I xall be fayn to contente hem ore ellys they xall be vnpayyd. ȝowre brodere Clement Paston

TO JOHN PASTON I 1464, 04, 18

To my rygth worchypfull broder John Paston, sqwyere.

Ryght worshypfull brothyre, I recomawnde me to ȝow after all dew recomendacions, &c. Plesse it ȝow to wett þat after þat I harde say þat þe parson of Blowfelde wasse com to town I went to hym to hys jn, and he bade þe masenger say þat he wasse not wyth-in. And I bad hym say a-gayn þat I com thyder to hym fore hijs own worchype and auayle, and þat I wasse sory þat I com so fere fore hym. And after þat he sent fore me and he cowde not fynde me, and I harde say there-of; and þan I wrott a letter resytyng how þat he wasse sworn ȝesterday fore to say þe trowthe of al maner of materis consernyng Sire John Fastolfe, auysyd hym to remembere qwat hijs wytnesse hadde sayd fore hijs sake and wat schame it xwlde be to hym to say þe contrary, and also if he sayde þe contrary ȝe wold here-after proue þe trowthe and conremovetrary to hys sayyng, and proue

hym in a periuri. And also I badde hym remembere wyth wat maner of men he delt wythe, and I rehersyd how vntrwly they hadde don. And not wyth-stondyng thys, after I met wyth hym in þe strett and spak wyth hym, and I fownde hym passyng strawngely disposyd, and sor meuyd wyth consiens þat ȝe xwld haue þe lond and fownd þe colage but wyth an c marc. not wyth-stondyng he myth fynde in hijs consiens rythe well þat þe colage xwld be fowndyd in a-noder plasse but wyth an c marc., and þe remnaunt of þe lylode sold so þat he myth pwrce þe mony. So I felt by hym þat all hijs strawngenes from ȝow is fore he demythe þat ȝe wold parte from no thyng, and I told hym þe coremoventrary there-of to be trwe. Az thys day he is exayminid vp-on a bok to sey þe trowthe of all thyngys as þe juge wyll aske hym fore þe jugeis jnformacion, wych I trowe wyll not be good. Also they haue pwt jn testesaȝens ȝow iijxx ore iiijxx men. Mayster Robard Kent wold fayn þat ȝe xwld gett ȝow ij lycens of þe prioris of ȝowre wytnes Mayster Clement and þe monke, wyth on a datt beyng be-fore þe comying vp, fore þat must ȝe nedis haue. Also he wold fayn þat ȝe xwld com to thys towne. Me thowte by Sire Thomas þat they haue a swerté in maner þat ȝe xall haue no lycens fore ȝour fundacion, and they be abowte to gett a lycens to fownde þe colage in a-noder place. Me thynkythe þat wold hurte. Here colour is fore cause ȝe can gett no lycens to fownde it at Castere, werfore, thow ȝour wyll were trwe, they myth lawfully fownde it in a-noder place. My lord Chawncelere is gone to ȝOrk and wyll not be here of all thys term. Wrytyn on Wednisday nexst be-for Saynt George. The Kyng hathe ben in Kent, and there ben endityd many fore Isleis dethe; and he wyll com to town thys day a-ȝen, and he wyl not tary here but forthe to ȝOrk straytt. By Clement Paston

TO JOHN PASTON I 1466, 03, 18

To hijs rythe worchypfwll mayster John Paston, sqwyere. 'the man wold not tak my letter but I wass fayen to gyue hym ij d. fore þe beryng.

Rythe worchypfwll brodere, I recomawnde me to ȝow; and as fore ȝour . letter to my lorde Chawncelere, I haue not delyueryd it, fore I askyd auysse þere-in and I was aunsweryd þere-in þat sythe he was takyn to baylle the Chawncelere cowde not compelle þe swertys to bryng hym in be-fore hijs day. Also me thowte ȝour letter was not most plesauntly wrytyn to tak to swyche a lorde. And as fore þe Tresorere, hijs name is Sire John Fooge; but he is not in London nore wythe þe Kyng, so I kan removenot haue þe letter sent hym but if I hyeryd a man to bere it. And as fore ȝour question of þe patentys, Grenfeld and Catesby and Sterkey holdyn it a good question, fore þe statut is Patentes dez tenementes dount null titill est troué pur le roy de recorde sount voydez-Ao xviijo H. vj cao vjo. But I trow in ȝour cas, and be there opiniounis, þe acte of þe parlement is a tytyll of recorde. it is seyd to þe contrary intent, thow þe londys be forfetyd of record yet þere is no certificacion of recorde qwat londys they be, nore were, nore in qwat place þey lye; but and thys clawse be in þe patent, Non Obstante Quod Nulla Inquisicio Pro Nobis Inde Est Inuenta, by Grenfelde is consayte þe patent xwld be clerly goode. But me semythe þat amendyt not þe mater. fore be-fore þe makyng of þe statut aboue sayde patentys graunttyd of londys be-fore inquisicion were goode and effectuell and þe statut is generall, quod patentes dount null tytill, &c. sount voydez. þan it folowyt well if þe acte of parlement be no tytyll for þe Kyng, þan is þere no tytyll fore þe Kyng of recorde, fore þat clawse in þe patent is no tytyll. þan if þere no tytyll, ergo þe patent voyde. My suster standythe in þe same casse wythe my lord of Kent. Broder, I pray ȝow send more mony fore my neuew John, fore he mwst ellys com hom a-ȝen, fore þe Kyng gothe in-to Scotlonde and he is nowthere horsyd nor harneysyd, fore hijs grett horse is lykly to dye . And if ȝe wyll sende it to me, or to Cristofyre Hanyremovengton, it xall be saue fore hym. I send ȝow a letter from hym closyde her-in. And I pray spek to my moder þat my hors faylle not on Passyon Swnday, fore þan xall I be redy and þan xall owre redyng be don. Wrytyn on Twsday nexst after Seynt Gregory is Day. ȝowre broder Clement Paston