The Paston Letters Volume Iv Part 8

521

J. DAUBENEY TO JOHN PASTON[42.3]

_To my most reverent and worchepfull maister, John Paston, dwellyng at Heylysdon, be this delyveryd._

Ih's.

[Sidenote: 1462 / JULY 3]

Most reverent and worchepfull master, I recommaund me onto your G.o.d masterchep. Please you to have knowlage, on the Fryday at afternoon next after Seynt Peter, there was at the taveran in London old Debnam and young Debnam, Thomas Edmonds, and I; and ther the seyd Thomas Edmonds fell in communicacion with old Debnam, and seyd that my Lord Tresorer[43.1] had put hym to a gret charge for the vetelyng of _Mary Talbot_,[43.2] seyyng to old Debnam that he hard sey that he had a C.

bulloks to selle, the wyche the seyd Edmonds wolle bey so that they may a cord of the price. Than the seyd old Debnam answerd ageyn, and seyd he wold, so that he myght have good payment, or elles the seyd Edmonds to be bound in abligacion to pay hym at suche dayys as they myght a cord.

And noon upon thys same langwage, yong Debnam spake to hys fader, 'Sir, I pray you that ye wolle take avisment of this mater tille to morowe, for I trost to your good faderhod that ye wolle late me have a serteyn of your bulloks for the vetelyng of the _Barge of Yermothe_, and I shall fynd you sufficiant suerte for the payment therof for Edmonds. I wolle that ye knowe I have be ther, and spoke with the owner and with the maister of the seyd barge, and they knowyn myn oppoyntment.'

Than the seyd Edmonds answered to yong Debnam, and told hym that the sety of Norwic and Yermothe hathe grauntyd, and send wrytyng to the Kynge and to the Lords that they wolle manne and veteylle the seyd barge of her owne cost fro the tym of hyr goyng owt tylle hyr comyng home; and thus the seyd Edmonds told hym that my Lord Tresorer and all the Lords that be at London thynk they do ryght well her devyer, and be worthey moche thanke of the Kyng. 'Well,' quod yong Debnam, 'I had in commaundment for to have the rewle of the seyd barge, and I wolle be at Yermothe as thys day iiij. dayys, and man hyr and bryng hyr downne to the Gylys of Hulle, for that ys my chype.'

Also he seyd mor, with out that he myght have the seyd barge, he wolle note goo to see but hym self and hys xxiiij. men. And thus, yf please your maisterchep, he departyd from the taveran; and at hys departyng, he told the seyd Thomas Edmonds, 'Thys ys Paston labor.' Than the seyd Edmonds answerd hym ageyn, and seyd playnly he was to blame for to reporte so of your masterchep, for he knoythe veryly he seyd on trewly of you and of my master your son bothe, and ther on he wold take a hothe. And so, yf it please your good masterchep, late the cety of Norwic and Yermothe have knowlage of hys gret crakyng and bost, and let hym of hys purpose by the autorite that they have.

Item, my master your son wolle have to hys jakets murry[44.1] and tany [_tawny_], and that it please yow sum of my felachep may spek to on of the drapers for to ordeyn yt ageyns hys comyng hom, for I trowe it shall be thys day sevenyght ar he comithe home.

Item, sir, if please you, Skrowpe hathe sent to you to London be Byngham for the mony that ye knowe of, zit I spake not with hym; but I shall telle hym that I suppose ye shall be here in the last end of the terme, and I shall send your masterchep word what answer I have of hym.

Item, sir, if pleese suche tydyngs as I her of, I send you word. My Lord of Warwek hathe be in Skotlond, an take a castell of the Skoots; and upon thys ther came the Quene of Skoots[44.2] with other Lords of her contre, as ye shall her the namys, in basetry [_emba.s.sy_] to my seyd Lord of Werwek, and a trews is take betwyx thys and Seynt Bertylmew Day in Auguste. Thes is the last tydyngs that I knowe. No mor to your G.o.d masterchep at this tyme, but Jesu have [you] in kepyng.

Wretyn on the Sat.u.r.day next after Seynt Peter.

By your por servaunt,

J. DAUBENEY.

[Footnote 42.3: [From Fenn, iv. 138.] The date of this letter is shown by an entry on the _Patent Roll_, 2 Edw. IV., p. 1, m. 7, _in dorso_. On the 27th June 1462 a commission was given to Gilbert Debenham, Jun., Esquire, Walter Alderiche, master of the _George_ of Yarmouth, and John Childe, to arrest for the King's service a s.h.i.+p called _The Barge of Yarmouth, alias The George_, with victuals, masters, and mariners for the same.]

[Footnote 43.1: John Tiptoft, Earl of Worcester. He was beheaded in October 1470.--F.]

[Footnote 43.2: _See_ Preliminary Note to No. 518, p. 41, Note 1.]

[Footnote 44.1: Dark red or purple and yellowish colour.--F.]

[Footnote 44.2: Mary, daughter of Arnold, Duke of Gelders, and mother to James III., King of Scotland.]

522

RICHARD CALLE TO JOHN PASTON, JUNIOR[45.1]

_To my maistre, John Paston the yonger, be this delyvered._

[Sidenote: 1462]

Sere, I have receyved your lettre, wherin I undrestand that my maistre desired that my maistre your brother myght have the gidyng and governaunce of the _Barge of Yermouthe_. As to that, and men of Yermouthe had knowen my maistre entend a fornyght a goo, he had ben swer of it, but nough it is so that Debenham hathe a comyscion of the Kyng expressed oonly for that schip named in hes comyscion; and he hathe ben here at Yermouthe, and spoken with the balyffs and with the owners of the seide schip, and takyn suche a direccion that they may graunted it ne man but hym. And moreover he hathe endented with the owners of the schip what daye it schulbe redy as well vetaylled as manned; and also he hathe brought downe letters from my Lord Tresorer to all priours and gentlemen in this contre to helpe hym and a.s.siste hym to vetayle and manne the seide schip, and hes men is here dayle, and gothe abought and gathereth whete, malt, money, and what so ever any man woll geve, &c.

The blissed Trinyte preserve you. Wreten at Castre, the Friday next aftre I receyved your lettre.

Item, is talked here that my maistre your brother and Debenham were at words at London, and that Debenham shuld have streken hym, had nought Howard a' beene, &c., wherof I am ryght sory, &c. Neverthelesse I trust to G.o.d all schul be weell.

Your servaunt,

RIC. CALLE.

[Footnote 45.1: [From Fenn, iv. 144.] This and the next letter were evidently written not very long after the last.]

523

RICHARD CALLE TO JOHN PASTON[46.1]

_To my maistre, John Paston._

Plesith your maisterschip to wit that I whas at Scole, and spake with Alblastre, John Sadeler, and with other good yomen of the contre to undrestonde how they were gided for the vetelyng of the _Barge of Yermouth_. And I undrestonde be them that there [_their_] hundred have payed; nevertheles it is but litell. Ther was gatherd in that hundred xviij_s._ and certein corn, and some other hundred vj. marc and corne, and so they have payed in all the hundreds and townys here a boute, that is to sey, Est Flegge and West Flegge and up to Blofeld, Tunsted and up to Stalom, I undrestand, be the comiscion that Debenham hath. It is more large thanne master John is, as ye schal undrestand, wherof I send you a copy, weche causeth me that I labour no ferther therin. Notwithstandyng your maisterschip schal have knowleche what every hundred geve, and Yermeth bothe.

Wreten at Wynterton, the morwe aftre I departed from your maisterschip.

Youre poore bedman,

RIC. CALLE.

[Footnote 46.1: [From Fenn, iii. 430.]]

524

ABSTRACT[46.2]

RICHARD CALLE TO JOHN PASTON

[Sidenote: 1462(?) / [JULY 5]]

Cannot inform him how much malt he has at Castre, 'for the malters have not moten all up yet,' --probably 400 quarters new and 160 comb old malt of Castre and Mauteby, of which 40 quarters will be spent in the household by Hallowmas. At Yarmouth it is now 2_s._ 2_d._ a bushel--it was 2_s._ 6_d._ But London is a better market. Thinks the price will fall here, as the fields are reasonably fair in Flegge, and so up to Norwich. The carriage from Yarmouth to London will be 6_d._ per quarter, 'and I understand j. quartre of Yermothe mette makethe at London but vij. bussch.e.l.l.'

Norwich, Monday after St. Peter's Day.

[As John Paston does not seem to have been in undisturbed possession of Caister before 1462, and we have evidence of Richard Calle having been there in that year about the time of year when this letter was written, we may with great probability refer it to that year.]

[Footnote 46.2: [From Paston MSS., B.M.]]

525

JOHN RUSSE TO JOHN PASTON[47.1]