The Paston Letters Volume V Part 53

886

JOHN PASTON TO LORD HASTINGS[253-1]

_To my Lord._

[Sidenote: 1476 / MARCH 2]

My most doughtyd and singular good lord, aftyr most humble and dew recomendacyon, please it your good lordshepp to have knowlage that, accordyng to your comandement, in my wey homeward, I remembred me of a persone whyche to my thynkyng is meetly to be clerk of your kechyn, whyche persone is now in servyse with Master Fitzwater, and was befor that with Whethyll at Gwynes, and purveyor for hys house, and at syche tyme as the Kynges grace was ther last in hys vyage towardes France.

Thys man is meane of stature, yonge inough, well wittyd, well manerd, a goodly yong man on horse and foote. He is well spokyn in Inglyshe, metly well in Frenshe, and verry perfite in Flemyshe. He can wryght and reed.

Hys name is Rychard Stratton; hys modyr is Mastress Grame of Caleys. And when I had shewyd hym myn intent, he was agreable and verry glad if that it myght please your lordshepp to accept hym in to your servyse; wherto I promysed hym my poore helpe, as ferforthe as I durst meve your good lordshepp for hym, trustyng that I shold have knowelage of your plesure her in, or I departed towardes your lordshep ought of this contrey.

Wherfor I advysed hym to be redy with in xiiij. dayes of Marche at the ferthest, that if it pleasyd your lordsheppe to accept hym or to have a syght of hym be for your departyng to Caleys, that ther shold be no slaughthe in hym.

He desyred me to meve Master Fitzwater to be good mastyr to hym in thys behalve, and so I dyd; and he was verry glad and agreable ther to, seying if hys sone had ben of age, and all the servauntis he hathe myght be in eny wyse acceptabell to your lordshepp, that they all, and hym silff in lyek wyse, shall be at your comandment, whyll he leveth.

And at my comyng home to my poore house, I sent for Robart Bernard, and shewid on to hym that I had mevyd your lordshepp for hym; and he in lyek forme is agreable to be redy by the xiiij. day of Marche to awayte on your lordshepp, be it to Caleys or ellys where, and fro that day so foorthe for ever, whyll hys lyff wyll last, with ought grugeing or contraying your comandement and plesure, in eny wyse that is in hym possibyll t'accomplishe.

I shewed on to hym that I had preyed Master Talbot to be a mean to your good lordshepp for hym, and if so wer that Mastyr Talbot thought that your lordshepp wer content to take hys servyse, then that it wold please Mr. Talbot to meve my Lady of Norffolkes grace to wryght or send to Bernard, puttyng hym in knowlage that hyr grace is content that he shall become your menyall servaunt. Wherof he was pa.s.syng well pleasyd; but, that notwithstandyng, as I enformed your lordshepp, he is not so reteyned, neyther by fee nor promess, but that he may let hym sylff loose to do your lordsheppe servyse when ye wyll receyve hym, and so wyll he do; but, your lordshepe so pleasid, leve wer bettyr. Rychard Stratton told me that whyll he was in servyse with Whethyll, John Redwe mocyond hym onys myche aftyr thys intent, but at that tyme Whethyll wold not be so good mastyr to hym as to meve your lordshepe for hym.

My lord, I trust that your lordshepe shall lyek bothe ther persones and ther condicyons; and as for ther trowthes, if it may please your good lordshepe to accept my poore woord with thers, I wyll depose largely for that. And as it pleasyth your good lordshepe to comand me in thes maters, and all other, if it may please your lordshepe to shewe the same to my brodyr Nessfeld, he knowith who shall sonest be with me to putt me in knowlage of your plesure, whyche I shall be at all seasons redy t'accomplyshe to my poore power, with G.o.des grace, Whom I beseche longe to contenue the prosperous astate of your good lordshepp.

Fro Norwyche, the seconde daye of Marche, with the hand of your most humble servaunt and beedman,

JOHN PASTON.

[Footnote 253-1: [From Paston MSS., B.M.] Although the lord to whom this letter was addressed is not named, it was undoubtedly intended for Lord Hastings, Lieutenant of Calais, who, as will be seen hereafter, was preparing to go over to Calais in March 1476.--_See_ No. 888.]

887

JOHN PASTON TO [MARGERY BREWS][255-1]

[Sidenote: 1476(?)]

Mastresse, thow so be that I, unaqweyntyd with yow as yet, tak up on me to be thus bold as to wryght on to yow with ought your knowlage and leve, yet, mastress, for syche pore servyse as I now in my mynd owe yow, purposyng, ye not dyspleasyd, duryng my lyff to contenu the same, I beseche yow to pardon my boldness, and not to dysdeyn, but to accepte thys sympyll byll to recomand me to yow in syche wyse as I best can or may imagyn to your most plesure. And, mastress, for sych report as I have herd of yow by many and dyverse persones, and specyally by my ryght trusty frend, Rychard Stratton, berer her of, to whom I beseche yow to geve credence in syche maters as he shall on my behalve comon with yow of, if it lyke you to lystyn hym, and that report causythe me to be the more bold to wryght on to yow, so as I do; for I have herd oft tymys Rychard Stratton sey that ye can and wyll take every thyng well that is well ment, whom I beleve and trust as myche as fewe men leveing, I ensuer yow by my trowthe. And, mastress, I beseche yow to thynk non other wyse in me but that I wyll and shall at all seasons be redy wythe G.o.des grace to accomplyshe all syche thynges as I have enformyd and desyerd the seyd Rychard on my behalve to geve yow knowlage of, but if [_unless_] it so be that a geyn my wyll it come of yow that I be cast off fro yowr servyse and not wyllyngly by my desert, and that I am and wylbe yours and at your comandmen in every wyse dwryng my lyff. Her I send yow thys bylle wretyn with my lewd hand and sealyd with my sygnet to remayn with yow for a wyttnesse ayenste me, and to my shame and dyshonour if I contrary it. And, mastress, I beseche yow, in easyng of the poore hert that somtyme was at my rewle, whyche now is at yours, that in as short tyme as can be that I may have knowlage of your entent and hough ye wyll have me demeanyd in thys mater, and I wylbe at all seasons redy to performe in thys mater and all others your plesure, as ferforth as lythe in my poore power to do or in all thers that ought wyll do for me, with G.o.des grace, Whom I beseche to send yow the accomplyshement of your most worchepfull desyers, myn owne fayer lady, for I wyll no ferther labore but to yow, on to the tyme ye geve me leve, and tyll I be suer that ye shall take no dysplesur with my ferther labore.

[Footnote 255-1: [From Paston MSS., B.M.] This letter is printed from a draft in the hand of John Paston the younger. I suppose it must have been written about the year 1476, and intended for Margery Brews, whom he afterwards married. It will be seen that Richard Stratton, whom in his last letter he recommended to Lord Hastings, is here the bearer of a confidential message to the lady.]

888

SIR JOHN PASTON TO JOHN PASTON[256-1]

_To John Paston, Esquier, or to Mestresse Margrett Paston, hys moodre, in Norfolk._

[Sidenote: 1476 / MARCH 12]

I recomande me to yow, letyng yow wete that, blessyd be G.o.d, uppon Saterdaye last past my lorde[256-2] and wee toke the see, and come to Caleyes the same daye, and as thys daye my lorde come to Guynesse, and theer was receyvyd honourablye with owt any obstaklys; wheer as I fownde Master Fytzwalter and othre, whyche wer ryght hevye for the dethe of the n.o.ble man thatt was theer to foor, itt happyd soo that my seyd Master Fytzwalter axid me ryght hertely for yow, and I lete hym weete that I demyd ye wolde be heer in haste, wheroffe he seyde he was ryght soory, for soo moche that he entendyth to come in to Englonde, and as I conceyve he wyll come to Attylborogh, and brynge my mestresse hys wyffe with hym, and theer to stablysshe hys howse contynuall. Wherffor he thynketh that he sholde have as grete a lakke off yow as off any one man in that contre, w.i.l.l.yng me to wryght on to yowe, and to late yow weete off hys comynge. He also hathe tolde me moche off hys stomake and tendre faver that he owythe to yow; wherffor I a.s.serteyn yow that he is your verry especiall goode master, and iffe ye weer abydynge in thatt contre, whylse he weer theer, he is dysposyd to doo largely for yowe in dyverse wyse, whyche weer to longe to wryght, in so moche that I feele by hym that he thynkyth that itt sholde be longe er he scholde be wery of yowr expences of horse or man. Now I remytte alle thynge to your dyscresion; ye woote best what is for yow.

As for my lorde, I undrestande nott yitt whethyr he wylle in to Ingelonde the weke to foor Esterne, or ellys aftre.

I pray yow recomande me to my moodre. I wolde have wretyn to hyr, but in trowthe I ame somewhatt crased, what with the see and what wythe thys dyet heer.

No moor to yow, but wretyn at Gynes, the xij. daye off Marche, anno E.

xvj.

By JOHN PASTON, K.

[Footnote 256-1: [From Paston MSS., B.M.]]

[Footnote 256-2: Hastings.]

889

SIR JOHN PASTON TO MARGARET PASTON[257-1]

_To Mestresse Margrete Paston, at Norwyche, or hyr sone, John Paston, Esquyer, and to everych off them._

[Sidenote: 1476 / MARCH 21]

I recomande me to yowe. Like it yow to weete that I am nott sertayne yitt whether my lorde[257-2] and I shall come into Ingelonde the weke byffoor Est[er]ne, or ellys the weke afftr Est[er]ne; wherffor, moodr, I beseche yow to take noo dysplesyr with me ffor my longe tarynge, ffor I most doo noon otherwyse ffor dysplesyng off my lorde. I was noo thynge gladde off thys jornaye, iff I myght goodely have chosen; neverthelesse, savyng that ye have cawse to be dyspleasyd with me ffor the mater off Kokett, I am ellys ryght gladde, ffor I hope that I ame fferre moor in ffavor with my lorde then I was to ffoor.

Item, I sende yow, brother John, a letter herwith, whyche was browte hyddr to Caleys, ffrom the George at Powles Wharff; I deme it comethe ffrom my brother Water.

Item, iff ye entende hyddrewarde, itt weer weell doon that ye hygthed yowe, ffor I suppose that my lorde wille take the vywe off alle hys retynywe heer, nowe byffoor hys departyng; and I thynke that he woolde be better contente with yowr comyng nowe, than an other tyme; doo as ye thynke best, and as ye maye.

Item, wher Master Fytzwalter made me to wryght to yowe to advyse yow to tarye, I remytte thatt to yowr dyscretion.

As ffor tydyngs heer, we her ffrom alle the worlde; ffyrst, the Lorde Ryverse was at Roome right weell and honorably, and other Lords off Ynglonde, as the Lord Hurmonde,[258-1] and the Lord Scrope,[258-2] and at ther departyng xij. myle on thyse-halff Roome, the Lorde Ryverse was robbyd off alle hys jowelles and plate, whyche was worthe m^le. marke or better, and is retornyd to Rome ffor a remedy.

Item, the Duke of Burgoyne hath conqueryd Loreyn, and Quene Margreet shall nott nowe be lykelyhod have it; wherffor the Frenshe Kynge cheryssheth hyr b.u.t.t easelye; but afftr thys conquest off Loreyn, the Duke toke grete corage to goo uppon the londe off the Swechys [_Swiss_]

to conquer them, b.u.t.t the [_they_] berded hym att an onsett place, and hathe dystrussyd hym, and hathe slayne the most parte off hys vanwarde, and wonne all hys ordynaunce and artylrye, and mor ovyr all stuffe thatt he hade in hys ost with hym; exceppte men and horse ffledde nott, but they roode that nyght xx. myle; and so the ryche saletts,[258-3]

heulmetts, garters, nowchys[258-4] gelt, and alle is goone, with tents, pavylons, and alle, and soo men deme hys pryde is abatyd. Men tolde hym that they weer ffrowarde karlys, b.u.t.te he wolde nott beleve it, and yitt men seye, that he woll to them ageyn. G.o.de spede them bothe.

Item, Sir John Mydelton toke leve off the Duke to sporte hym, but he is sett in pryson att Brussellys.

I praye yowe sende me som worde iff ye thynke likly that I may entr Caster when I woll, by the next messenger.

Wretyn at Caleys, in resonable helthe off bodye and sowle, I thanke Good, the xxj. daye off Marche, anno E. iiij^ti xvj^{o}.

J. P., K.

[Footnote 257-1: [From Fenn, ii. 198.]]

[Footnote 257-2: Hastings.]

[Footnote 258-1: John, sixth Earl of Ormond.]

[Footnote 258-2: John, Lord Scrope of Bolton.]