Chapter M: Paston (3)

Welbeloved frende, I grete you well. And for as muche as I understonde that William Wurcester, late the servant unto Sir John Fastolf, Knyth, whois soule God assoyle, ys not had in favour ne trust with my right welbeloved frende, John Paston, nether with you, as he seyth, namely in such maters and causes as concerneth the wylle and testament of the said Sir John Fastolf; and as I am informed the said William purposeth hym to go into his cuntre, for the whiche cause he hath desired me to wryte unto you that ye wolde ben a special good frend unto hym, for his said mastris sake, to have alle suche things as reason and consciens requireth, and that ye wolde be meane unto Paston for hym in this mater to schewe hym the more favour at thys tyme for this my writyng in doyng of eny truble to hym, trusting that he wole demeane hym in suche wyse that he shal have no cause unto hym, but to be his good master, as he seyth. And yf ther be eny thing that I can do for you, I wole be right glad to do it, and that knoweth Almyghty God, whiche have you in his keping. Wretin at Grenewyche, the xxviij^th day of August.

J. BEAUCHAMP.

[Footnote 305.1: [From Fenn, iv. 96.] This letter was probably
written in the year 1461, if not in the year preceding. The
disputes about Fastolf’s will came before the Spiritual Court in
the year 1465; but at the date of this letter they could not
have proceeded very far.]

480

LORD HUNGERFORD AND ROBERT WHITYNGHAM TO MARGARET OF ANJOU[306.1]

_A la Reyne D’Engleterre [en] Escote._

[Sidenote: 1461 / AUG. 30]

Madam, please it yowr gode God, we have sith our comyng hider, writen to your Highnes thryes. The last we sent by Bruges, to be sent to you by the first vessell that went into Scotland; the oder ij. letters we sent from Depe, the ton by the Carvell in the whiche we came, and the oder in a noder vessell. But, ma dam, all was oon thyng in substance, of puttyng you in knolege of the Kyng your uncles[306.2] deth, whom God assoyll, and howe we sta[n]de arest [_arrested_], and doo yet; but on Tuysday next we trust and understande, we shall up to the Kyng, your cosyn germayn.[306.3] His Comyssaries, at the first of our tarrying, toke all our letters and writyngs, and bere theym up to the Kyng, levyng my Lord of Somerset in kepyng atte Castell of Arkes,[306.4] and my felowe Whityngham and me, for we had sauff conduct, in the town of Depe, where we ar yete. But on Tyysday next we understand, that it pleaseth the said Kyngs Highnes that we shall come to hys presence, and ar charged to bring us up, Monsieur de Cressell, nowe Baillyf of Canse, and Monsieur de la Mot.

Ma dam, ferth [_fear_] you not, but be of gode comfort, and beware that ye aventure not your person, ne my Lord the Prynce,[307.1] by the See, till ye have oder word from us, in less than your person cannot be sure there as ye ar, [and] that extreme necessite dryfe you thens; and for God sake the Kyngs Highnes be advysed the same. For as we be enformed, Th’erll of March[307.2] is into Wales by land, and hath sent his navy thider by see; and, Ma dame, thynketh verily, we shall not soner be delyvered, but that we woll come streght to you, withaut deth take us by the wey, the which we trust he woll not, till we see the Kyng and you peissible ayene in your Reame; the which we besech God soon to see, and to send you that your Highnes desireth. Writen at Depe the xxx^ti dey of August.

Your true Subgettes and Liege men.

HUNGERFORD.

WHITYNGHAM.

_At the bottom of the Copy of the Letter is added:_--

These ar the names of those men that ar in Scotland with the Quene. The Kyng Herry is at Kirkhowbre with iiij. men and a childe.

Quene Margaret is at Edenburgh and hir son.

The Lord Roos and his son.

John Ormond.
William Taylboys.
Sir John Fortescu.
Sir Thomas Fyndern.
Waynesford of London.
Thomas Thompson of Guynes.
Thomas Brampton of Guynes.
John Audeley of Guynes.
Langheyn of Irland.
Thomas Philip of G[i]ppeswich.
Sir Edmund Hampden.
Sir Henry Roos.
John Courteney.
Myrfyn of Kent.
Dauson.
Thomas Burnby.
Borret of Sussex.
Sir John Welpdalle.
Mr. Roger Clerk, of London.
John Retford, late Coubitt.
Giles Senctlowe.
John Hawt.

[Footnote 306.1: [From Fenn, i. 246.] That this letter was
written in the year 1461 is sufficiently evident from its
contents. The MS. from which it was printed by Fenn was a copy
in the handwriting of Henry Windsor, and was manifestly the
enclosure referred to in his letter No. 483. It bore the same
paper-mark as that letter.]

[Footnote 306.2: Charles VII. of France. He died on the 22nd
July 1461.]

[Footnote 306.3: Lewis XI., son of Charles VII.]

[Footnote 306.4: Arques, in Normandy, south of Dieppe.]

[Footnote 307.1: Edward, son of Henry VI.]

[Footnote 307.2: Edward IV., whom the Lancastrians did not yet
recognise as king.]

481

JOHN PAMPYNG TO JOHN PASTON, SENIOR[308.1]

_To my right worshipfull master John Paston, the older, Squier._

[Sidenote: 1461 / SEPT. 6]

Please your mastirship to wete that I have be at Cotton, and spoke with Edward Dale, and he told me that Yelverton and Jenney were there on Friday,[308.2] and a toke distresse of xxvj. or more bullokks of the seid Edwards in the Park, and drofe hem to a town therby; and a neyghbore there undirstandyng the bests were Edward Dalis,[308.3] and bond hym to pay the ferme, or ellis to bryng in the bests be a day. And whan the seid Edward undirstod the takyng of the seid bests he went to Yelverton and Jenney, and bond hym in an obligacon of x_li._, to pay hem his ferme at Mighelmes; whech I told hym was not well do, for I told hym ye had be abill to save hym harmeles. And because of discharge of his neyghbour he seid he myght non other wise do. Nevirthelesse as for mony thei get none of hym redely, ner of the tenaunts nowthyr, as he can thynk yet. The seid Yelverton dyned on Friday at Cotton, and there chargid the tenaunts thei shuld pay no mony but to hym, and hath flaterid hem, and seith thei shall be restorid ayen of such wrongs as thei have had be Sir Philip Wentworth and other for Master Fastolff; and because of such tales, your tenaunts owe hym the bettir will. And I purposid to have gon to Cotton and spoke with the tenaunts, and Edward Dale told me he supposid thei wold be this day at Nakton. And because [I desired][308.4] to speke with hem as ye comaundid me, I terid not but rod to Ipwich to my bed, and there at the Sonne was the seid Yelverton and Jenney and Thomas Fastolff; and myn ost told me, that the same aftir none thei had be at Nakton, but what thei ded there I can not telle, and whan I was undirstand your man, Hogon, Jenneys man, askyd suerte of pes of me; and Jenney sent for an officer to have hed me to prison; and so myn ost undirtoke for me that nyght. And this day in the mornyng I wente to Sen Lauerauns Chirche; and there I spak to hem and told hem ye merveylid that thei wold take any distresse or warne any of your tenaunts that thei shuld pay yow no mony. And Yelverton seid ye had take a distresse falsly and ontrewly of hym that ought yow no mony ner hem nowther. And he seid he was infeffid as well as ye; and as for that I told hym he wost odre [_knew the contrary_], and thow he were it was but your use, and so I told hym that men were infeffid in his lond, and that he shuld be servid the same withinne fewe dayes. And he seid he wost well ye were not infeffid in his lond, and if ye toke upon yow to make any trobill in his lond ye shall repente it. And also he seid that he wold do in like wise in alle maners that were Sir John Fastolffs in Norfolk as thei have begonne, and other langage as I shall telle yow. And so I am with the gayler, with a clogge upon myn hele for suerte of the pees; wherefore please your mastirship to send me your avise.

Item, John Andrews was with hem at Cotton, and thei have set a man of the seid Andrews to kepe the plase.

Item, Wymondham, Debenham and Tympirle come to Yelverton this day at masse and speke with hym; and I speke to Tymperle in your name that he wold not comforte ner be with hem ayein in this mater; and he seid he undirstod no such thyng, ner it was not his comyng hedir. Wretyn at Ipwych the Sonday next before the Nativite of Owr Lady.

Yowr servaunt,

JOHN PAMPYNG.

The back is covered with some rough memoranda in Richard Calle’s
hand, of moneys received at different times of year by Richard
Charlys, Thomas Howys, William Berton, baker, of Southwark, Ralph
Lovel, John Prentyng, Richard Coomber, and John de Dorylot. Some of
these payments are made through Dawbeney, John Paston, junior, and
John Paston, senior (_per manus Johannis Paston Senioris_).

[Footnote 308.1: [From Paston MSS., B.M.] In the letter of James
Gloys, which follows (No. 482), will be found an allusion to a
recent ‘revel done in Suffolk’ by Yelverton and Jenney. That the
affair alluded to was the same which is described in this letter
will appear beyond doubt if the reader will refer to Letter
487.]

[Footnote 308.2: 4th September.]

[Footnote 308.3: Apparently the writer has omitted a word or
more here.]

[Footnote 308.4: Omitted in MS.]

482

JAMES GLOYS TO JOHN PASTON[310.1]

_To the right reverent and wurchepfull Sir, and my gode mayster, John Paston, Esquyer._

[Sidenote: 1461 / SEPT. 24]

Right reverent and wurchepfull sir, I recomand me to your gode maystershep, prayng you to wete that I was at Blakkes, and spake with his wiffe; and she seth he was not at hame this iij. weks,--he ridith up the countre to take accompts of balys [_bailiffs_],--and that this day sevennyght he shuld have satyn in Caystr by you up on accounts, and fro thens he shuld have redyn to Lynne, and that he shall be at home un Monday at nyght next comyng. Wherfor I have left my heraund with her. But she seth that he shall not mown comyn [_be able to come_] to you, for my Lady[310.2] have sent for hym in gret hast, bothyn be a letter and be a tokyn, to comyn to her as hastly as he may; notwithstandyng she shall do the herand to hym.

As for Yelverton, I dede a gode fele to enquer of Yemmys Skynner whan the seid Yelverton shuld go to London. He seid not this sevynnyght. He cowde not tell what day till he had spokyn with his son. His sone shuld come to hym or his master shuld ridyn. I shall enquer mor at Walsyngham. And for Godds love be not to longe fro London, for men seyn ther, as I have be [told], that my Lord of Glowcetir[310.3] shuld have Cayster, and ther is gret noyse of this revell that was don in Suffolk be Yelverton and Jeney; and your wele willers thynkyn that if thei myght prevayle in this, thei wold attempt you in other. But seas ther pore and malyce, and preserve you from all evill. And at the reverence of God lete sum interposicion go a twix you and my mastres your moder or ye go to London, and all that ye do shall spede the better; for she is set on gret malyce, and every man that she spekith with knowith her hert, and it is like to be a fowle noyse [over] all the countre with aught it be sone sesid.

Also, sir, it is told me that my Lord of Norfolk is comyn to Framlyngham, and that ye be gretly comendyd in his howshold. Therfor it wer wele do, me semyth, that ye spake with hym. The Holy Trynyte kepe you.

Wretyn at Norwich, the Thursday next after Sent Mathewe.

Your pore prest,

JAMES GLOYS.

[Footnote 310.1: [From Fenn, iv. 58.] On the back of this letter
is the following memorandum in a contemporaneous hand:-- ‘De
Ric’o Calle pro ordio (_i.e._ hordeo) ibidem pro ij. annis
terminatis ad Mic’ anno primo regni Regis E. iiij., xxvj_s._
viij_d._’ This shows that the letter itself could not have been
written later than 1461, and as there was no ‘Lord of
Gloucester’ before that year, it could not have been earlier.]

[Footnote 310.2: Alice, Duchess of Suffolk.]

[Footnote 310.3: Richard, the King’s brother, afterwards Richard
III.]

483

HENRY WYNDESORE TO JOHN PASTON[311.1]

_To my full worshipfull, speciall gode maister, John Paston, Squyer, abidyng at Norwich._

[Sidenote: 1461 / OCT. 4]

Right worshipfull sir, and some tyme my moost speciall gode master, I recommaunde me unto your gode maistership, with all my pour service, if it may in any wise suffice; and farthermore, sir, I beseche you, nowe beyng in your countre, where ye may deily call unto you my maister Sir Thomas Howys, ones to remembre my pour mater, and by your discretions to take such a direction theryn, and so to conclude, as may be to your discharge and to my furtherance, accordyng to the will of hym that is passed unto Gode, whose saull I pray Jesu pardone! for truly, sir, ther was in hym no faute, but in me onely; yf it be not as I have remembred your maistership affore thy[s] tyme. For truly, sir, I der say I shuld have had as speciall and as gode a maister of you, as any pour man, as I am, withyn England shuld have hadd of a worshipfull man, as ye ar, yf ye had never medulled the godes of my maister F., and as moche ye wold have done, and labored fore me, in my right, if it hadde byn in the handes of any oder man than of your self anely. But, I truste in Gode, at your next comyng to have an answere, such as I shalbe content with. And yf it may be so, I am and shalbe your servaunt in that I can or may, that knoith our Lord Jesu, whom I besech save and sende you a gode ende in all your maters, to your pleiser and worship everlastyng. Amen. Writton at London, iiij^to die Octobris.

As fore tidyngs, the Kyng wolbe at London withyn iij. deies next comyng; and all the castelles and holdes in South Wales, and in North Wales, ar gyfen and yelden up into the Kynges hand. And the Duc of Excestre[312.1] and th’erle of Pembrok[312.2] ar floon and taken the mounteyns, and dyvers Lordes with gret puissans ar after them; and the moost part of gentilmen and men of worship ar comen yn to the Kyng, and have grace, of all Wales.

The Duc of Somerset, the Lord Hungerford, Robert Whityngham, and oder iiij. or v. Squyers are comen into Normandy out of Scotland, and as yette they stand strete under arest; and as merchauntes that ar comen late thens sey, they ar like to be demed and jugged prisoners. My Lord Wenlok, Sir John Cley, and the Dean of Seynt Severyens, have abiden at Cales thise iij. wikes, and yette ar there, abidyng a saufconduit, goyng uppon an ambassate to the Frenshe Kyng; and Sir Wauter Blount, Tresorer of Cales, with a grete feleship of souldeours of Cales, and many oder men of the Marches, have leyn, and yette doo, at a seege afore the Castell of Hampmes, by side Cales, and deily make gret werre, either parte toother.

Item, I send unto you a copy of a letter that was taken uppon the see, made by the Lord Hungerford and Whytyngham.

Item, we shall have a gret ambassate out of Scotland in all hast of Lordes.

At your comaundement, and Servaunt,

HENRY WYNDESORE.

[Footnote 311.1: [From Fenn, i. 240.] For the date of this
letter, compare No. 480.]

[Footnote 312.1: Henry Holland. He married Anne, sister of King
Edward IV., but remained a steady Lancastrian, and was attainted
this year in Parliament.]

[Footnote 312.2: Jasper Tudor, half-brother of Henry VI.]

484

CLEMENT PASTON TO JOHN PASTON[313.1]

_To his right reverent and worshipfull broder, John Paston, Esquier, be this delivered in great haste._

[Sidenote: 1461 / OCT. 11]

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 ye him, and ye sall knowe his name hereafter, but put all things out of doubt he is such a man as will not lye: on the xj^th day of October the Kinge said, ‘We have sent two privy sealys to Paston by two yeomen of our chamber, and he disobeyeth them; but we will send him anoder tomorrowe, and by Gods mercye, and if he come not then he sall dye for it. We will make all oder men beware by him how they sall 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 therwith he made a great avowe that if he [_ye_] come not at the third commandement ye xulde dye therefore. This man that told me this is as well learned a man as any is in England; and the same xj^th 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 King will keep his promise. Notwithstanding, by mine advice, if ye have his letter or the messenger come to you, come to the Kinge wards or ye meet 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 ther yulde goe noe penny for your life; and Howard hath with the Kinge a great fellowship.

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 xj^th 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. Also he that tolde me this seid that it were better for yow to come up than to be fotte out of your house with streingth, and to abide the Kings judgement therin, 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 King, and my Lord of Suffolk[314.1] and Howard and Wyngfelde helpe well to every day and call upon the King against yow. The Kinge is at this day at Grenewich, and ther will be still till the Parliament beginne. Some say he will goe to Walsingham, but Mr. Sotyll seid in the aulle in the Temple that he harde no worde of any such pilgrimage. No more, &c. Written the xj^th day of October at midnight.

My nevew John tolde me also that he supposed ther were out proclamacions against yow, &c. the same day.

By CLEMENT PASTON,

your broder.

[Footnote 313.1: This letter is reprinted from the _Norfolk
Archæology_, vol. iv. p. 26, where it is edited from a
transcript contained in a MS. genealogy of the Paston family
drawn up by Sandford, author of the _Genealogical History of
England_. The references to Howard’s animosity against Paston,
and to an approaching Parliament, prove clearly that this letter
is of the year 1461.]

[Footnote 314.1: John de la Pole, son and heir of William, Duke
of Suffolk, who was attainted in 1450, was not restored to the
Dukedom till the 23rd of March 1463; but being in favour at
court, and having married Edward IV.’s sister, he seems even at
this time to have been popularly called ‘my Lord of Suffolk.’]

485

RICHARD CALLE TO JOHN PASTON[315.1]

_To my ryght reverent and wurschipfull maystre, my mastre John Paston._

[Sidenote: 1461 / OCT. 13]

Plesith it your maystreschip to witte that Mr. John and I, with other mo, have ben at Cotton on Friday[315.2] last passed, and there Jenney had do warned the corte there to be the same Friday, and he was at Eye at the cescions the Thorsday before; and on the Friday in the mornynge he was comyng to Cotton to hoolde the corte there. And it fortuned we had entred the place or he come; and he herd therof and turned bac a yein to Oxon[315.3] to my Lorde of Norwiche, and there dyned with hym. And my Lorde sent Mr. John Colleman to Cotton Halle to speke with you; and at hes comyng he undrestode ye were not there, and if ye had, my Lorde desired you to come and spoken with hym, and that my Lorde desired to put your matre in a trety; in so moche that Mr. John Colleman tolde to my master, John Paston, that diverse of your elmees [_enemies_] had labored to my Lorde to have a trety if he cowde brynge it aboute, &c. And as for the tenaunts they wolde not come at the place on to the tyme that I sent for hem, for they sey pleynly they woll not have a do with hem; and so the corte whas holden in your name, and the tenaunts ryght weele plesed ther of, excepte Thurnberne and Agas, and as for any socour, they have there ryght noone at all. And so Mr. John whas ther Friday all day and Saterday tyll none; and than he toke hes horse with xxx. men with hym and rode to Jeney place, and toke there xxxvj. heede of nete, and brought hem in to Norfolk; and so whas I left still at Cotton with xij. men with me, be cauce they reporte and we abode there ij. dayes we schulde be pult out be the heeds. And so we a mode [? _abode_] there v. dayes and kepte the place, and I walked aboute all the lordeschippes and spake with all the fermours and tennaunts that longen to the maner to undrestande her disposessyon and to receyve money of hem; and I fynde [them] ryght weele disposed to you. And be cauce the corte whas warned in ther name and not in youre, therfore they purvey no money; but they have promysed me to pay no money to no man but to you, so that ye woll safe hem harmeles; and I told hem ye wold safe hem harmeles. They have apoynted with me to make redy her money withinne a fornyght aftre Halowemesse, &c. I have receyved of the tenaunts that I undrestod out [_owed_] you werst wyll viij. marc, &c. And as for Edward Dalys money it is redy, so that your maistreschip woll se that he be not hurt be hes obligacion. Ferthermore, plesit your maistreschip to sende worde if they entre into the maner ayein, how we schall be rwled and gidyd; for the tenaunts fere hem they wol entre whan we be gon, and than wol they distreyne the tenaunts, for they sey there that my Lorde of Cauntyrbury and other Lords woll relese to hem, notwithstandyng that I have enformed hem other wice; wherfore, savyng your better advice, me semethe it were ryght weele doo that ye had a letter of my Lorde of Cauntirbury, and other to the tenaunts of Cotton that it is her wyll and entent that ye schulde have the rwle and gouernaunce, and receyve the money of that maner, and other that were Sir John Fastolff, on whom God have mercy, for I dought not and suche a lettre came downe to the tenaunts there schulde no man sey nay to it. Besechyng your maystreschyp to have an answere of how we schall be gided and rwled, &c. Item, to sende worde howe we schall doo with the geere that wee toke out at the Wyght Freris, wether it schall be sent to you or nought. And Jesu preserve you. Wreten at Norwiche upon Sein Edwards Day.

Be your servaunt and bedman,

RIC. CALLE.

_Endorsed in a hand nearly contemporaneous:_ ‘Litter’ sirca anno
(_sic_) E. 4 iij. vel iiij^{o.}’

[Footnote 315.1: [From Paston MSS., B.M.] On comparing this
letter with No. 481, no one will doubt that both were written in
the same year.]

[Footnote 315.2: 9th October.]

[Footnote 315.3: Hoxne.]

[[RICHARD CALLE TO JOHN PASTON[315.1]
_footnote tag missing_]]

486

WILLIAM NAUNTON TO JOHN PASTON, SENIOR[317.1]

_To my Master Paston, the elder, be thys letter delyveryd in hast._

[Sidenote: 1461 / OCT.]

Ryght wurchypful sir, I recommend me to zour good masterchyp. The cause qwy I wryth I let zour have knowlech of the mene that be in Cotton Halle, how they be strangely dysposyd ageyns zow; for, as I here say, they make revell there. They melt led and brek down zour bregg, and make that no man go in to [the] place but on a ledder, and make them as strong as they kan a geyns zow be the supportacion of Jeney and Debenham, and hys sone; for they seye ther that Jeney hath sold the lyflod on to Debynham, and that hys son the knyth shall dwell ther, and ther forr they have warnyd a cort ageyns Munday, and now they ar a vysed to kepyt on Saturday be forr Munday. Qwat they mene therby I wot never, but as for the felechyp in the place that ys there now, and have be here al thys weke, there ys no man of substans, as we here, and there have be but vij. or viij. al thys wyke; but there wyll be a gret felechyp thys nyth or to morwe up on Saturday, for than they wyl kepe the cort. And as for Edward Dale, he dar not abyde wyl at horn, they thret hym so, be cause he wyl send them no vytaly. And as for me self, Edward Dale dar not let me wyll [_well_] be there for takyng in suspecyon. And jas for the tenaunts, they be wel dysposyd except j. or ij., so that ze wyl support them in hast, for they may nowt kepe of ther katel of the ground long; and specyally they desyr to have zowr owne presens, and they wold be of gret cownfort. No mor I wryth to zour, but the Holy Gost have zour in kepyng. Wretyn on the Fryday after my departyng.

Be your Servaunt,

WYLLYAM NANTON.

[Footnote 317.1: [From Fenn, iii. 414.] This letter corresponds
so closely with the next in what is said about the occupants of
Cotton Hall, that it is clear they were both written about the
same time.]

487

RICHARD CALLE TO JOHN PASTON, JUNIOR[318.1]

_To the right worschipfull sir and maistre, John Paston jun., esquyer._

[Sidenote: 1461 / OCT.]

Ryght worschipfull sir, I recomaunde me unto your mastreschip, certifiyng you that Jenney and Yelverton hathe certified up in to the Kynges Benche inssurrecions [and] congregacions a yenste me; wherupon they have sente to the scheryff a writte chargyng hym in peyne of C_li._ to brynge me in to the Kyngs Benche the morwe after Sein Marteyn. And this daye the seide Jenney hathe sent doune to the scheryff an other writte called an _habeas corpus_ retornable _crastino Animarum_, weche schalbe on Twesday next comyng be cauce they were in dought and in greete feere that I schulde have ben aquytte of the inditement of fellony now at this gayle delyverye. And also my maistre hathe sente an other writte for me retornable at the seid _crastino Animarum_. And so I am like to ride to London warde to morwe. And the scheryff wold make me to fynde suerte that I schulde appere in the Kyngs Benche the seid daye; and yet, that notwithstandyng, he wolde send me with strengthe of men as a presoner; and if any thynge schall cauce me that I goo not up to London, it schalbe be cauce I woll fynde no suerte; for in cas he wold have suffred me to have gon up be my selfe at myn owne coste, I wolde have founde hym suertee. And so at the makyng of this bille we were not fully condesended hough we schulde doo. My mastre is in goode hele, blissed be Godd, and dothe and schall doo ryght weele in alle hes maters. Ther is an ongracious felaschip of hem and a fals. They have sent for Fitzraff and Schipdam, be a citacion for the proffe of the testement, and alle is but for to delay it; yet it were weele done ye rode over to Fitzraff and felte hes disposicion how he woll be disposed, and in like wice with Schipdam, for I have spoken with hem of that matre, in cas that any citacion come doun for hem, how they wolde be disposed, and I have founde the too straunchely disposed. God send us a good scheryf thys yere, and thanne we schalle do weele inough, be the grace of God.

And, sir, your man tolde me that ye desired to knowe the demenyng at Cotton of the tenaunts and other. I lete you wete the moste parte of alle the tenaunts have bene here with me for to see me, and they have tolde me all the demenyng as it is undrewrete. Furst, as for the money that they receyved there it drwe upon a xxiiij^ti _li._ and more silver, for the tenaunts myght not cheese but they moste nedes paye, for they distreyned on my Lords of Suffolk fee, my Lords of Norwich fee, and on all men grounde, so that they myght not have her catell in reste, weche cauced hem to paye her money. I knowe weele i nough who payed and wo paied not. All the grete fermours have payed. And as for the kepyng of the place ther be therin iiij. men, and on of Debenham men, called Sokelyng, and hes wyff, and on Mannyng, a tenaunt, a fals knave; and they have enforced them as stronke as they kan, and they have broken doune the brigge and have leide a planke over, in cas that ye go theder ye may not come at Dale is howce in no waie, for he have had meche trouble for my mastre and for me; but and ye wolde gete my Lords meane and pulle the knaves out be the heede, it were weele done. I purpose me to com hom warde that same wey. Item, I lete you witte that the gayle delyverye holdeth not this daye, and alle is doone be cauce of mee, Jenney wolde not lete the clerke of peas come hether this daye for feere that I schulde have been aquytte of the felonye, for in trouthe and tho it had holden, I had founde the meane for to have ben quytte, for I whas through with the scheryff and panel made aftyr myn avice; but though the gayle delyver had holden, I cowde not have ben delyverd, becauce of thes writtes that be come downe. Item, the scheryff hathe a grete losse that this daye holdethe not, for ther schulde have ben quytte xl. men this daye. Item, the scheryff tolde me that my maistre tolde hym that I whas assent to my takyng at Scoolys, weche was to me ryght greete hevynes and discomforture nough in my trouble. And God knoweth it was never my wylle ner myn entent, as I mot be saved at the dredful day of Dome; for ther is no man so sore hurte as I am be the takyng, bothe in losse, and also in reprefe of myn owne persoune and of my frends, withoute that my mastre be my good maistre, as I truste he wolle be, or elles I am disseyved. He hathe my trewe servyce and shal have whylle that I leve, what so ever his mastreschip do to me, but I can thynke he hathe be enformed be myn elmyes [_enemies_] that wold make hym disp[l]esed with me, and to be myn evy [_heavy_] mastre, but dissimulacion dothe muche harme, &c. I reporte me, &c. No more to you at this tyme, but Jesu kepe you, and send you as much fortune and grace as I wolde ye had, &c. I beseche [you] to be my goode mastre as ye have be, for I never deserved nor wol deserve the contrary.

Your servaunt, RIC. CALLE,

presoner.

[Footnote 318.1: [From Paston MSS., B.M.] This letter was
written in a year in which the morrow of All Souls’ Day (_i.e._
the 3rd November) fell on Tuesday. The Dominical letter of the
year must therefore be D. This was the case in 1461, and no
other year will suit a letter addressed to John Paston, junior.
For if we go back there is no earlier year in which D was the
Dominical letter till we come to 1450, when John Paston, junior,
was only ten years old; and if we go forward the next is 1467,
which was after John Paston the father’s death.]

END OF VOLUME III

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