The Paston Letters Volume Iii Part 15

The true date cannot be many years before or after 1456.]

[Footnote 68.3: Sir John Fastolf.]

317

ABSTRACT[69.1]

SIR JOHN FASTOLF 'TO THE WORs.h.i.+PFUL LADY AND MY RIGHT WELLBELOVED SISTER, WHYTYNGHAM.'

[Sidenote: 1456 / JAN. 20]

As all the executors of my Lord Regent, except himself, are dead, and as he would not have her troubled in her age 'for execution of my said Lord's goods,' nor for the evidences of his purchased lands, etc., which were left in keeping 'with my brother your husband,' sends John Paston and other his attorneys to common with her, and settle the matter, which will be a great discharge for her husband's soul.

Castre, 20 Jan.

[This letter must have been written after the death of Lord Cromwell, who was one of Bedford's executors, and who died on the 4th January 1456. --_See_ his Epitaph in Dugdale's _Baronage_, ii.

46.]

[Footnote 69.1: [From MS. Phillipps, 9735, No. 266.]]

318

ABSTRACT[69.2]

SIR JOHN FASTOLF TO JOHN BOKKING OR WILLIAM BARKER, TO DELIVER TO JOHN PASTON AT LONDON.

[Sidenote: 1456 / JAN. 25]

Copy of a letter of Fastolf's to the wife of Sir Robert Whytyngham (the copy examined by Botoner) to the same effect as the preceding No., but with some slight differences in the wording, and dated 25th January instead of 20th.

_On the back is written:_-- 'Cousin Paston, I pray you take Nicholas Molyneux, Thomas West, or Robert Waryn, whether ye may hafe at leyser, with you, to go speke with the gentlewoman.'

[Footnote 69.2: [From MS. Phillipps, 9735, No. 275.]]

319

SIR JOHN FASTOLF TO JOHN PASTON AND OTHERS[70.1]

_To my right trusty frendes, John Paston, Nicholas Molyneux, and Thomas West, Escuiers._

[Sidenote: 1456 / JAN. 26]

Worchipfull Sirs, and my right trusty frendis, I commaunde me to you.

And lyke you to wite that I desire to knowe in certayn, or evere I laboured to London, by whate menys in the lawe spirituell or temporell I might labour, or ellys my frendes and atturneys in my name and in myne absence myght laboure best, for the recuvere of the goodes of my Lord of Bedford, whos soule G.o.d a.s.soyle, and that his purchaced londes might be sold to fulfille his wille and pay his debtes. And if it were thought that the most spedyest and seurest wey were to have it doon by act of Parlement, than I desire and pray you, as my singuler trust is in you, that ye wille do make a substanciall bille in my name upon the said mater and for the said cause, to be grounded and devised by avis of substanciall lerned man, as Thomas Yonge and othir suche, and of civille lawe, and the said bille to be put up to the Kyng, whiche is chief supervisor of my said Lordis testament, and to the Lordes Spirituelle and Temporelle, as to the Comyns, of this present Parlement, so as the iij. astates may graunte and pa.s.se hem cleerly. And the said bille may be grounded with so grete resons by your wysdomes and good enformacion, and so rightfull and of conscience that it shall not be denyed, ne letted to pa.s.se amonges the Lordes Spirituell and Temporell, neythir amonges the Comyns, whan it comyth before hem. And if this said bille, after it is devised and made, and sent me a copie of hit, hit shold be to me a singuler confort; for or evere I came to London, I wold that alle thing shuld be made redy to my hande. And it were exspedient and according that my Lord Chaunceller[71.1] were meoved that it might please his good Lords.h.i.+p to write a lettre to me, in case I must come up for the said cause, and that by as muche he is in the mater as souverain juge and ordinarie princ.i.p.alle under the Pope in a cause testamentarie, and also by cause the wille of my said Lord is aproved in his court before his predecessour. And Alle myghty G.o.d kepe you.

Writ at Castre, the xxvj. day of Januar.

Your,

J. FASTOLF.

And I wolde this bille were devised by my Lord of Caunterbury is avis and agreement, to th'entent that he may tender the mater the more whan it shalle come in revolucion before hym. And I pray you hertely to take this mater tendirlye to hert, for it shall be to me my most singuler comfort, and for my discharge a grete record as of myne acquitayle to my said Lordis soule. Also ye must make frendes of suche as be nere aboute my said Lord of Caunterbury, and may do, as Maister John Stokys and his styward, for to remembre his good Lords.h.i.+p as ofte as nede is. And that Davy Breknok ne Sir Robert Whitingham wyffe be not foryeete.

[Footnote 70.1: [The original of this letter is the property of W. A. Tyssen Amhurst, Esq. of Didlington Park, Brandon.] As this letter was written during Sir John Fastolf's residence at Caister, and Parliament appears to have been sitting at the time, the date must be 1456.]

[Footnote 71.1: Thomas Bourchier, Archbishop of Canterbury.]

320

WILLIAM WORCESTER TO JOHN PASTON[71.2]

_To the worshypfull Sir, John Paston, Escuier._

[Sidenote: 1456 / JAN. 27]

Worshypfull, aftyr dew recomendacion, please your G.o.de maistershyp to wete that where as my maister wryt.i.th to yow so homelye of so manye materes to yow of hys, to be remembred unto hys councell lerned by mene of yow and of hys frendz and servauntz there, y pray yow and requyre yow not to wyte [_impute_] it me that y am the causer of it that my seyd maister noyeth yow with so manye materes, for, be G.o.d, hym sylf remembryth the moste part of hem; albe it the particler rehersell of the materes be fressher yn my remembraunce then yn hys. And, Sir, yn trouth he boldyth hym to wryte to yow for the grete lofe and singler affeccion he hath yn yow before all othyr yn hys causes spedyng, and that ye wille moste tendyrlye of ony othyr remembre hys servauntes as well as othyrs to whom belongyth to spede the materes. He desyryth my Lord Chauncellor shuld wryte to hym speciallye yff he most nedes com upp, and a bille to be made yn to Parlement for recuvere of my Lord Bedford G.o.des.

Sir, there ys one Haryngton of Doncastre, a besye soule, that damagyth my maistre to gretely in Bentley. And Herry Sotehille ys of my maister councell, but no thyng that ys profytable ys don to hym to remedye it, ye shall see by one Sir John Vincentes letter sent to yow now, and W.

Barker can enforme yow. Yn the ende of thys terme y suppose to be at London, and yn to west contre. My maistre wryt.i.th to yow for a rent of viij_li._ of annuite charged of a touneshyp called Batham Wyly, that Maister Scrope he shall be beneficed yn the ryzt of it. Ye have nede fare fayre with hym, for he ys full daungerouse when he wille. Y gate hym G.o.de evidensis of the seyd rent that my maister ne my lady had nevere, and he can not know it, &c. Also my maister hath wreten to yow for avice of a new feffement to be made for the maners of Tychewell and Beytone, and betyme he desyryth to be sent hym. Y pray yow, and ye se Maister Yng at a leyser to commaund me to hym, and trustyng hys G.o.de maistershyp that he wille be of my councell ayenst one William Fouler of Bokyngham thath kepyth from me a litelle lond. And yff he wille contynew hys G.o.de maistershyp to me, ye may sey hym that I cast duelle yn my contree, and wayt uppon hym to help ghete ayen a pore G.o.de of myn, for heere y thryve not, but lose my tyme. Y pray our Lord have yow yn hys kepyng.

Wryt hastlye, the xxvij. day of Januare.

Your,

W. WYRCESTRE.

[Footnote 71.2: [From Paston MSS., B.M.] This letter must have been written the day after the last, as this also speaks of a bill being presented to Parliament for recovery of the Duke of Bedford's goods. The pa.s.sage in which the writer proposes visiting the west country confirms the date of Letter 314.]

321

SIR JOHN FASTOLF TO JOHN PASTON[73.1]

_To the worshypfull Sir, and my ryght welbelovyd cosyn, John Paston; and in hys absence, to John Bokkyng and William Barker._

[Sidenote: 1456 / FEB. 5]

Worshypfull Sir and cosyn, I recomaund me to yow. And lyke yow to wete that y have a taylle[73.2] with my cosyn Fenne[73.3] of v^c. [500] marc and more, for to be chaunged uppon such places as a man myght have moste spedye payment; and I pray yow hertlye to comyn wyth the seyd Fenne, that y myght be ensured of the seyd taylle to be eschaunged; and for whate rewarde competant to be yeven uppon the same, I wolle agree it.

Item, I desyre to know who ben the residew, the remenant of the co-executors of the Lord Wyllughbye,[73.4] now the Lord Cromewell[73.5]

ys decesed; for thys cause. Hyt was so, that there was dew to the Lord Wyllughbye and to me x. m^l. [10,000] marc for a reward, to be payd of my Lord Bedford ys G.o.des, for the takyng of the Duc of Allauncon.[73.6]

And the seyd Lord Wyllughbye had but one thowsand marc payd, and I m^l.

[1000] mrc, soo viij. m^l. [8000] levyth [_remains_] yhyt to pay; of whych somme iiij. m^l. [4000] most grow to the executors of the seyd Lord Wyllughby to dispose. And therfor y desyre that the executors, and such as most have intrest in the Lord Wyllughby goodes, may be comyned wyth; that they may [make] purseute for payment of the seyd iiij. m^l.

[4000] marc, for hys part to be had, and y shall make for my part.