The Paston Letters Volume Vi Part 27

WILLIAM PASTON TO SIR JOHN PASTON[111-1]

_To Sir John Paston, be thys lettyr delyvered._

[Sidenote: 1488 / MAY 13]

Aftyr all dewe recomendacion, pleasyt yow to undyrstonde that my lorde[111-2] hathe ben with the Kynge in Wyndesour at Seynt Georgys Feste, and ther at the same feste were bothe the inbacetours of Breten and of Flaundyrs, as well fro the Kynge of Romayns[111-3] as fro the yonge Duke.[111-4] But I can not schew yow the certeyn whedyr we schall have with them warre or pease; but I undyrstonde for certeyn that all suche capeteyns as wente to the see in Lente, that is to sey, Sir Charlys Somersett, Sir Richard Hawte, and Syr Wylliam Vampage, makythe them redy to goo to the see ageyn as schortely as they can, to what intente I can not sey.

Also, where as it was seyde that my Lord Woddevyle and other schulde have gone over in to Breten, to have eyded the Duke of Breten,[111-5] I can not tell of non suche eyd. b.u.t.t upon that seynge ther came many men to Sowthehamton, where it was seyd that he schulde have takyn schyppyng, to have waytyd upon hym over; and soo whan he was countyrmaundyd, thos that resortyd thedyr, to have gone over with hym taryde there styll in hope that they schuld have ben lycensyd to have gone over; and whan they sey [_saw_] no lykeleod that they schuld have lycens, there was ij.C. of them that gete them in to a Breten schyppe, the whyche was late come over with salte, and bad the mayster sett them a lond in Breten. And they had nott seylyd not paste vj. leges b.u.t.t they aspied a Frencheman, and the Frencheman mad over to them; and they ferde as thow they wolde not have medylde with them, and all the Englysche men went undyr the hetchys, soo that they schewyd no more but those that came to Sowthehamton with the schype, to cawse the Frenchemen to be the more gladder to medyll with them; and soo the Frencheman burdyd them, and then they that were undyr the hetches came up, and soo toke the Frencheman, and caryed the men, schyppe, and all in to Breaten.

Also, ther was ther an inbacetour fro the Kynge of Schottes,[112-1] who is now put in grete trobyll be hys son and other of the lordes of hys londe.

Syr, as I came homewerde be London, I spake there with Emonde Dormand, and he seyd that he had wretyn onto yow, but he had none aunswere; wherfor he prayd me that if I knew ony man comynge towerdes Norwhyche, and I wold wrythe on to yow that he ferythe, if ye see none other dyreccion, that he schall be comittyd to the Flete.

Also, he schewyd me that Herry Wyott wholde fynde the mene to have yow condemnyd, and recover the obligacion of xl_li_. ageyns yow, and soo he seythe he whote nott how to doo, for he is halfe dysmayd; he ferythe lesse that he schall never come home. But he intendythe to plede the obligacion fulfylyd at Norwyche, for he seythe ther is non other remedy to save yow fro the condemnacion, tyl that he herythe otherwyse from yow, whyche he thynketh longe aftyr.

Wretyn at Henyngham, the xiij^te day of May, with the hand of your brodyr,

WYLLIAM PASTON.

[Footnote 111-1: [From Paston MSS., B.M.] There can be no doubt this letter was written in the year 1488, after Sir Edward Woodville (called Lord Woodville) had gone over to aid the Duke of Brittany against the French, and at the beginning of the rebellion of the young Prince of Scotland (afterwards James IV.) against his father, James III., who was defeated in battle, and afterwards murdered in June of that year.]

[Footnote 111-2: The Earl of Oxford.]

[Footnote 111-3: Maximilian, Archduke of Austria, was elected King of the Romans in 1486.]

[Footnote 111-4: Philip, Duke of Burgundy, son of Maximilian.]

[Footnote 111-5: Francis II., Duke of Brittany.]

[Footnote 112-1: James III.--_See_ preliminary note.]

1027

THOMAS ANDREW TO WILLIAM PASTON[113-1]

_To the ryght ... ... . . William Paston Squyer ... . . my Lord of Ox[ford]._

[Sidenote: 1488(?) / DEC. 1 (?)]

Ryght worchipfull sir, in my best maner I recommend me unto you as he that is and shalbe at your commandment. Sir, I beseche you to showe my good lord and yours that a cordyng to his commandment I have sesed the good of the parson of Testerton[113-2] and of Henry Fox, exsepe thos goodis of the sayd Fox that whare formerly sesed be the servantis of my Lord of Surrey; and, Sir, all thos goodis that I have sesed of them both are nat worthe lytyll mony lytyll past xl_s._ or iij_li._ at the m[os]t, exsepe the parsons corne; and if that may betakyn a way thane the Chyrche may not be served, and that whar pety. I besech you that I may knowe my Lordis plesur in that be halfe, for els I thynke the baly of the franches will have all, for Testyrton is in the Dowchy. And so I am leek to have lytyll or nowt for all my lawbour and costis withowt my Lord be my good lord in that be halff be your mene.

Sir,[113-3] I pray you tell my Lord that the fryer of Lynne that ...

ak ... ... . . cheff, for he served a cherche in Norfolk callyd h.o.r.n.yngtoft and ther ... ... rd a p ... . s callyd Master Thomas Mertyn, and as I wene he had felows privy to that robery (?) an[d ot]her that be nat yet knowyn, and if he whare well a posed he wold tel[l], &c.

Also[113-4] Henry Fox and the parson of Testerton whar gretely (?) acuequyentyd and conversand with one Sir William, a chanon of Hempton Abbay, cause my Lord to inquere if he whar owt privy of the mony makyng or eny other of that Abbay of Hempton. I know nothyng but that they whar gret to gether, &c. Sir, I besech you, be good master to Fox wyff if ye may; how be it he is nowght, but peraventure he may amend, but she is ryght a good woman be my troughe, and it whar gret pety but she and her chyld myght have somwat. And, my Lord, or ye send me eny letter ye may send it me be John a More, this brynger, if he c.u.m agayne, or els be Fox wyff if her husband be not gone to London. And ever Jhesu preserve you to your most gentyll hertis desyer. At Ryburgh this Monday next Sent Andrew.

Your servant,

THOMAS ANDREW.

[Footnote 113-1: [Add. MS. 34,889, f. 139.] This letter is manifestly of the same year as No. 1028, which apparently was written about A.D. 1488-1490. Most probably the exact year is 1488, when the 'Monday next St. Andrew' was the very day following, _i.e._ 1st December--unless it was 1494, when the same thing occurred.]

[Footnote 113-2: Richard Fenwyk.]

[Footnote 113-3: Opposite this and the next paragraph the word 'No^ta' occurs in the margin, in the same hand, apparently, as the text.]

[Footnote 113-4: _See_ footnote 3 _supra_.]

1028

THOMAS ANDREW TO WILLIAM PASTON[114-1]

_To the ryght worchipfull mayster, William Paston, Squyer, with my Lord of Oxynford, [be t]his bill delyverd in hast._

[Sidenote: 1488 / DEC. 16]

Ryght worchipfull sir, I recomaund me un to you in my best maner, acordyng to my deute. Sir, I sent you a letter by Henre Fox wyff, and I had non answer from you of it. On of the gretest thynges that I wrot to you of, was that the fryer shuld be aposed, howo was prevy with hym, whan he robbed Master Martyn, the prest, at h.o.r.n.yngtoft in Norffolk; also that Fox and the parson of Testerton,[114-2] shuld be aposed if eny of Hempton Abbay whar out [_were aught_] prevy to the mony makyng.

Sir, now I beseche you to send me a copy of thes mony makers confeschon, and ther namys, for I ame bothe sworne on the quest of the _oyer determiner_, and also on the quest at large, and of that we most make our verdyte at the sessyons after Crystmes for the quest at large; for we toke day over at the last sessyons tyll the sessyons after Crestmes for the quest at large. Lytefot, of your hows, is sworne on the _oyer determiner_.

I beseche you to speke with my lord, to know of his good lordchepe how we shall demene ourselff in that be half; and I beseche you send me word as sone as ye can.

I thynk that Yelvertons servant, that is with you in preson, shall com a gayne hether, and he may bryng your letter to me. He[115-1] bryngythe you this letter, and if it may be nat a fendyng, I pray you be good master to Yelverton for my sake. I have fownd hym a good persone.

Sir, I shall not be with my lady is grace[115-2] this Crystmes, far her grace shalbe with the Kynges Grace after Crystmes; and thane I shall awayt on her grace, wher ye shall have my servyce be the grace of Jesu, He preserve you.

At Ryburgh, the xvj. day of December.

And ye hepe [_help_] nat, I am leke to losse moche mony of my costes for thes mony makers. I pray helpe, &c.

Your servant,

THOMAS ANDREW.

[Footnote 114-1: [From Paston MSS., B.M.] Thomas Andrew, the writer of this letter, was a servant of William Paston, the uncle of Sir John, but the William Paston to whom this letter is addressed seems to have been Sir John's brother, whom we find to have been in service with the Earl of Oxford during the years 1488-90.]

[Footnote 114-2: Richard Fenwyk was rector of Testerton from 1482-1504.]

[Footnote 115-1: Apparently this 'he' means Yelverton himself, his servant being at the time a prisoner in the Earl of Oxford's custody. Fenn erroneously reads 'in person' instead of 'in preson'

in the previous sentence.]

[Footnote 115-2: Fenn supposes 'my lady's grace' to be the Countess of Richmond, the King's mother. I should think, however, it was more probably the Lady Anne Beaufort, wife of William Paston the uncle, the writer being in their service.]

1029

T. GRIGGS TO SIR JOHN PASTON[115-3]