“ 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. ”

“ J. P.
30.1 [From Fenn, iv. 334.] Edward IV. arrived at Norwich in the middle of the month of June 1469. There are privy seals dated at Bury on the 15th and 16th of the month, at Norwich on the 19th and 21st, at Walsingham on the 21st and 22nd, at Lynn on the 26th, and at Stamford on the 5th July. Edward did not return with the Queen as he intended, but she visited Norwich without him a little later. See a paper on the subject of her visit by Mr. Harrod, in the Norfolk Archæology, vol. v. p. 32.
30.2 Richard Woodville, Earl Rivers, father to the Queen, Lord Treasurer and Constable of England. ”

“ Wherfor I pray you hertely that ye will take the labour to come to Norwych, to comen with William Paston, and to yeve credens unto hym in such maters as he shall enforme you of myne entent, and of sertayn persones with whom ye shall comen by th’avyse of the seyd William Paston, of such maters as touch the sayd Sir John Paston; prayng you to tendre thys mater as ye wolde do myne owne. ”

“ Myn owne lady and mastres, and be for God very trewe wyff, I with herte full sorowefull recomaunde me unto you, as he that can not be mery, nor nought shalbe tyll it be othewise with us then it is yet, for thys lyf that we lede nough is nowther plesur to Godde nor to the worlde, consederyng the gret bonde of matrymonye that is made be twix us, and also the greete love that hath be, and as I truste yet is be twix us, and as on my parte never gretter; wherfor I beseche Almyghty Godde comfort us as sone as it 26 plesyth Hym, for we that ought of very ryght to be moost to gether ar moost asondre ”

“ As for the evydence of Bekham, my modyr sent to Calle for hem; and he sent hyr woord that he wold make hys acompts, and delyver the evydence and all to gedyr. My modyr hathe sent to hym ayen for hem thys day. If she sped, they shall be sent to yow in all hast, or ellys, and ye send for me, I shall bryng hem with me. Send my modyr and me word who ye wyll that have the rwyll of your lyvelod her in thys contre, and in what forme that it shall be delt with. I wyll not make me mastyrfast with my Lord of Norff., nor with non othyr, tyle I spek with yow; and ye thynk it be to be don, get me a mastyr. ”

“ As for Kokett, as God helpe me, I knowe nott yitt the meanes possible that I myght paye hym by thatt daye, ffor thoos materis that be off grettest wyght and charge, and that stonde nerrest my weell, that is to seye, the sywerte off the maner off Castre, and the mater betwen Anne Hault and me shall, with Goddes grace, thys terme be at a perffyght ende, whyche will charge me fferther than I have mony as yitt, or lyke to have byffor that tyme, off myne owne, and, as God helpe me, I wote nott where to borow. ”

“ I nede nott to make thys excuse to yowe, but that yowr mynde is troblyd. I praye yow rejoyse nott yowr sylffe to moche in hope to opteyne thynge that alle yowr freendys may nott ease yow off; for if my moodre were dysposyd to gyve me and any woman in Ingelande the best maner that she hathe, to have it to me and my wyffe, and to the heyres off our too bodyes begotyn, I wolde nott take it off hyr, by God.
Stablysshe your selffe uppon a goode grownde, and grace shall folowe. Yowr mater is ferre spoken off, and blowyn wyde, and iff it preve noo better, I wolde that it had never be spoken off. ”

“ 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. ”

“ John Paston, Squier, bindes himself to doe true and faithfull service to the Bishop of Winton, and to be ayding to his college and other his officers and tenants, for the landes of Sir John Falstolf, and to deliver to him all deedes, evidences, etc., except such as concerne the manor of Castre. ”

“ Understandyng for sertayn that he ys nott yet so ferr, wherfor I will in althe hast possybell ryde nygt and day till I see hys Lordshyp, and after comunicacyon had with hys Lordshyp, as sone as ys possybell that a man may go be twext, ye shall have an answer of hys dysposicyon; for hys intres is such that, as I have wryten, I shall never do therin withoute hym, as my cosyn, brynger herof, more playnly shall enforme you; for I canne thynke ryght well, that as ze wryteth to me, my broder wyll not delyver the place to non erthly person, but yf he see wrytyng fro my Lord. ”

“ If it please yow to take myn symple avyse in your wode sale, selle non in gret, but make fagottes and astell and lete alle your grete and goode tymber and trees stande, and ze shall make resonably mony to your worchep, and to your best avayle as John Shawe your servaunt shall telle yow, if I maye do zow any service in this c . . . . ze shall ffynde me redy, so that ze sende sufficient warant be the grace off Jesu, Who haue y [ow in His] kepyng. Wrete in hast, at Walsyngham, the Sundaye next aftyr the feest off the Assencion off owr [Lord] Jesu Cryste. Be your John Osbern. ”

“ No mor, but I have ben, and ame troblyd with myn over large and curteys delyng with my servants, and now with ther onkynd nesse; Plattyng, yowr men wolde thys daye byd me ffar well to to morow at Dover, notwithstandyng Thryston yowr other man is ffrom me, and John Myryell, and W. Woode whyche promysed yow and Dawbeney, God have hys sowle, at Castre, that iff ye wolde take hym in to be ageyn with me, that then he wold never goo ffro me, and ther uppon I have kepyd hym thys iij. ”

“ Sertyfying yow, that my seid Lady for hyr parte, and syche as be of hyr consayll be most agreeabyll, that bothe ye, and all syche as be hyr fermors and tenauntys, and wellwyllers, shold geve your voyse to a worchepfull knyght, and one of my Ladys consayll, Sir John Paston, whyche standys gretly in favore with my Lord Chamberleyn; and what my seyd Lord Chamberleyn may do with the Kyng and with all the Lordys of Inglond, I trowe it be not unknowyn to you most of eny on man alyve. ”

“ Ryght worchefull syr, I recomande me to yow, sertyfying yow that I was purposyd to have com to London to have made my pese with my Lady of Norffolk, but I undyrstand she is not in London; notwithstandyng that 140 is no cause of myn abydyng at hom, but thys is the cause, so God help me,—I can get no mony, neythyr of your lyvelod ner of myn, to pay for my costes, nor for to ease yow with at my comyng. Notwithstandyng I am promysyd som at Snaylewell, and if so be that John can take eny ther, he shall bryng it yow with this bylle. I send yow here ij. ”

“ And the Duchesse of Suffolkis men sey that she wull not departe from Heylesdon ner Drayton,—she wuld rather departe from money; but that shuld not be wurchepfull for you; for men shull not than set be you. There for I will avyse you to have rather the lyvelod than the money; ye shall mown excuse you be the College which must contynue perpetuall, and money is sone lost and spent whan that lyfelode abideth. Item, I lete you wete that Hastyngis hath entred ageyn in to his fee of the Constabyllshep of the Castell of Norwich be the vertu of his patent that he had of Kyng Harry ”

“ To all cristen men to whom this present writyng shall come, Thomas, by the providence of God, Preeste Cardinall Archiebisshopp of Caunterbury, Primat of all Inglond and Legat of the Appostallic See, gretyng. Where now late Alice, Duchesse of Suffolk, come to us and desirid of us to dismysse us of oure estate and to enseall a deed of a relees of the maner of Haylysdon with the appurtenaunce in the counte of Norffolk; which we denyed, in as myche as wee stode infeoffyd in the seid maner with othirs to the use of Sir John Paston knyght, sone and heire to John Paston sqwyer ”

“ The Pope will suffre a thyng to be usyd, but he will nott lycence nor grant it to be usyd nor don, and soo I. My brother John knowyth myn entent weel i now heer to ffoor in this mater; I will be ffownde to hym as kynde a brother as I may be.
Item, iff it be soo that Sir T. Brews and hys wyff thynke that I wolde troble my brother and hys wyff in the seid maner, I can ffynde no meene to putte them in sywerte ther off, but iff it neede, to be bownde in an obligacion with a condicion that I shalle nott trowble ner infete them therin. ”

“ I wyll in no wyse; and ye may sey that ye of your owne hed wyll geve hym the ode nobyll of xls., and if ye have the v. noblys I prey yow let Parker of Flett stret have therof xxxs. and lete Pytte and Rychard and Edward drynk the xld. As for your gownys, they shalbe sent yow in as hasty wyse as is possybyll. Thys must be consayll:—It is promysyd my lady by my Lord Chamberleyn that the diem clausit extremum for my lord shall not be delyverd tyll she be of power to labore hyr sylff her most avauntage in that mater, wherfor ye ned not to dele over largely with thexchetoures. ”

“ Contrary to thys maters, and all the comfort that I had of my Lord Scalys, Sir John Wydvyll, and Thomas Wyngfeld, myn oncyll Wylliam sethe that the Kyng told hym hys owne mowthe, when he had redyn for by the loge in Heylysdon Waren, that he supposyd as well that it myght fall downe by the self as be plukyd downe, for if it had be plukyd down, he seyd that we myght have put in our byllys of it, wehn hys jugys sat on the oyeer determyner in Norwyche, he beyng ther. ”

“ My Lady and my grauntdam be com to London for the same mater; wherfor it wer well do that the jwgys wer enformyd of your mater befor they spok with theym. I prey yow hye yow hom hastyly and se your owne profyte your sylf. Pampyng and I shall clowt up your howsys as we may with the money that we have tyll more come, but ye shold do bettyr your sylf. I prey red thys byll onys on a day tyll ye have sped thes maters wretyn her in; thowe it be to your peyne to labore theym, remembyr your profyt. Nomor, &c., but God kep yow thys Lent fro lollardy of fleshe. ”

“ I thank yow for the flakons 223 that ye sent me; they be ryght good, and plesyth me ryght well: I shall be as good an huswyff for yow as I can, and as I wold be for myselff. Send me word how ye doo of yowyr syknes that ye had on yowyr hey [eye] and yowyr lege; and yff God wol nowt suffyr yow to have helth, thank Hym therof, and takyt passhently, and com hom a geyn to me, and we shall lyve to geddyr, as God woll geve us grase to do; and as I have seyd to yow beffor thys, I wold ye war delyveryd of my mastres A. H.,223.1 and than I wold trost that ye shuld do the bettyr. ”

“ Item, I pray yow that ye wyll make aqwetance on to the person of Mawtby66.3 and to John Seyne as executors to John Dawbeney, for they wyll take non admynystracyon of hys goodis tyll they be aqwetansyd of youre and my modyr. Ye maye do it well j nough, so God help me; for I wot well ye owt hym mony, and he nat yow, if so be that he wer trewe when he dyid, and I wot well we fond hym nevyr on trew in hys lyve; but hys frendys and othyr of the contre putt grett defawt in me that ther is no thyng don for hym, seying that he myght do no more for us but lose hys lyfe in your servyse and myn ”

“ And I wyse, madam, I am ryght sory that John Paston is no more fortunate then he is in that mater; for, as I undyrstand by your lettyr, my cosyn your husbond wyll geve but an Cli., whyche is no money lyek for syche a joyntore as is desyred of my son, thow hys possybylyte wer ryght easy. But, madam, when I mad that large grant in the maner of Sperham that I have mad to hym and my cosyn your doughter, he told me of an other some that he shold have with hyr then of an Cli. He hathe befor thys be wont to tell me none untrowthe ”

“ Mastras Clere hath sen down hyr men, and with 305 set alle the stuff and wrekke, and seyth that ye gete non there, for sche wol have it be the tytyl of the lete, and I have answerd there to, that che owte non to have be that tytil; and so if ye wol comon with yor cownsel, I trow it to the lord of the soylle and not to the lete; for the maner holdyth nothyng of hyr. Sche had never no wrekke nor growndage till withinne this xx. wynter. There is no maner in Wyynterton but your; lesse your ryth now and lesse it for ever. I am threte to be trobelid there, for there ben v. men on lyve of the chyppe. ”

“ But thys she comandyd me for to send yow word, that and ye sell eny lond, but paye your dettes with syche good as my Lord Archebyshopp owyth yow, and eny law in Inglond can put fro yow eny of hyr lond, she sweryth by that feyth that she owyth to God she wyll put fro yow dobyll as myche lond as ye selle. And therfor I wold avyse yow, calle sharply upon my Lord, the Archebyshop, for ye ar not bond to undo your sylf for hym.
Item, I pray yow se that I tak no hurt by Parker. As for myn oncyll W., I can not mak hym to send you the byll of syche stuff as he hathe of yowrs. ”

“ Yet for as moche as men may nott lure none hawkes with empty handys, I wolde yitt agre to gyffe my Lady xxli. for an horse and a sadell, so that I be restoryd to my place, and that doone, to have a relesse of my Lorde, and my gounes and bokes to be restoryd, iff it maye bee. ”

“ Right worshippfull and my right feithfull gode cosin, I recomaunde me unto you, and, as hertily as I can, thanke you of your right gentill and kynde remembraunce, that I consceyve well by your late writyng that ye have to me wardes, undeserved in dede, but not in will, so God helpe me, as ye shuld weell knowe, if my power might accorde with my will. And, cosin, in the mater that it liked you to remembre me in, bothe to my worshipp and pleaser, I 228 feere me that nouther my pouere doughter nor pouere purs can nor may be to his pleaser; wold God outher might ”

“ As for my self my mastres saith she woll geve me mete and drynk for a season; nevirthelesse I am warnyd to be ware, for it is told me that ther is processe out upon the appele ayens me and other; wherfore I beseche yow that that mater may be take heed to as ye may, that we myght have knowlech of any processe ther be, that we may be ware, for I thynk verely, and I or any other come in ther hands this world, we shuld not escape without shame at the leest.
Item, as for the remnaunt of the mony biside this bille, ye owe to the parson of Sent Edmondes Caster for iiij. combe malt, and ij. ”

“ Modyr, please yt yow to wett, that the cause that Dame Elizabeth Brews desyreth to mete with yow at Norwyche, and not at Langley, as I apoyntyd with yow at my last being at Mawtby, is by my meanys, for my brodyr Thomas Jermyn, whyche knowyth nought of the mate [match] , telyth me, that the causey or ye can comme to Bokenham Fery is so over flowyn that ther is no man that may on ethe passe it, though he be ryght well horsyd; whyche is no mete wey for yow to passe over, God defend it. ”

“ Aftyr all dewtes of recomendacyon, pleasyt yow to weet that as yesterday att noon my brodyr Sir John departyd fro Norwyche towardes London; for as now all the sped is with the Kyng for the swerte of the maner of Caster, consyderyng the dyeing seasyd of my Lord of Norffolk. He trustyth to be in thys contre ayen with in x. or xij. dayes. And at hys departyng he seyd to me that ye sent hym woord to selle the clothe of gold, if he myght selle it well, whyche clothe I thynke may be sold, iff ye wyll agre ”

“ Item, wher that som towards my Lady of Norffolk noyse that I dyd onkyndely to sende so hastely to Caster as I dyd; there is no dyscrete person that so thynkyth, ffor iff my lorde hade ben as kynde to me as he myght have ben, and acordyng to suche hert and servyce as my grauntffadr, my ffadr, yowr selff, and I, have owght and doon to my Lords of Norffolk that ded ben, and yitt iff I hadde weddyd hys dowghtr, yitt most I have doon as I dydde. ”

“ Norfolk and Suffolk Deeds, No. 33. ‘The agreement and accord between the Bishop of Winton and John Paston, Knight, touching the building of the College at Castre of seven priests and seven poor men, translated by dispensation of the Pope to seven priests and seven poor scholars in Magdalene College, and touching the lands of Sir John Fastolf. ”

“ If ye were thus agreed and woll have the reparacion examined ye may send word; but I wold ye shuld purvey for your self as hastely as ye may, and come home and take heed to your owne and to myn therto, otherwise thanne ye have do bifore this, bothe for my profite and for yours, or ellis I shall purvey for my self otherwise in hast, so that I trust shall be more ease and avayle for me and non ease nor profite to yow in tyme to come. I have litell help nor comfort of non of yow yet, God geve me grase to have heraftir. ”

“ Ryght worchepfull modyr, aftyr all humbyll recomendacyons, as lowely as I can I beseche yow of your blyssyng. Pleasyt yow to wete that late yester nyght I cam to Norwyche, purposeing to have been as thys day with yow at Mawtby, but it is so that I may not hold my purpose, for he that shall pay me my quarter wagys for me and my retenew, is in Norwyche, and waytyth ourly when hys 229 money shall com to hym. It is oon Edmund Bowen of the Cheker, a specyall frend of myn, and he avysyth me to tery tyll the money be com, lest that I be unpayed, for who comyth fyrst to the mylle, fyrst must grynd. ”

“ I praye yow make hym goode cheer, and iff it be so that he tarye, I most remembre hys costes; therffor iff I shall be sent for, and he tery at Norwyche ther whylys, it wer best to sette hys horse at the Maydes Hedde, and I shalle content for ther expences.
Item, ye maye largely sey on my behalve for suche servyse that I sholde do to my Lorde and Lady hereaffter, whyche by my trowthe I thynke to doo; neverthelesse to sey that I woll be hys sworyn man, I was never yitt Lordys sworyn man, yit have I doone goode servyce, and nott leffte any at hys most neede ner for feer. ”

“ Yt is a gret thyng; me thynkyth be good dyscresyon ther mythe myche ther of aben sparyd. Zour fadyr, God blysse hys sowle, hathe had as gret maters to do as I trowe he hathe had thys terme, and hath not spend halfe the mony up on them in so lytyl tyme, and hath do ryth well. At the reverens of God, avyse hym zet to be war of hys expences and gydyng that yt be no schame to us alle. Yt is a schame 125 and a thyng that is myche spokyn of in thys contre that zour faders graveston is not mad. ”

“ Neverthelesse I beseche yow to be my good moodre, how so ever ye do with yowr londe; for I feell weell that iff I have one losse I am lyffe [q. like?] therfor to have three. But as for Sporle, it shall nott goo iff I maye, ner by my wyll; and iff ther hadde been performed me as largelye as was promysed me by Playter, I were sewre it sholde nott have goon, nor yit sholde nat goo. Neverthelesse iff ye and all my frendys and yowris in Norffolk myght have lende me so moche monye and to have takyn it uppe in v. yere, I suppose they sholde peraventure have ben payed ageyn in a yer or ij. ”

“ And so I thynk that my lady wyll send for yow; and if it wer your ease to be here, I wold be ryght glad that ye myght be here, for I thynk your being here shold do gret good to my brodyrs maters that he hathe to sped with hyr. Wherfor, for Godes sake, have your horse and all your gere redy with yow, whersoever ye be, ought or at home, and as for men, ye shall nott need many, for I wyll come for yow, and awayte on yow my sylf, and on or ij. ”

“ Therfor be ryght ware that ye bynde not your self nor mak non ensurance till ye be suer of a pesibill possession of your lande; for oftyn tyme rape rueth, and whan a man hath made such a covenante he must kepith it, he may not chese; there [fore11.2] be not to hasty till your londe be clere. And labore hastly a remedy for thes premysses, or ellis Sir John Fastolffis lyvelode, though ye entre it pesibilly, shall not be worth to ye a grote this yere with ought ye wull on do your tenauntis. I pray you remembre a kerchye of Cremyll for your suster Anne. ”

“ Item, as for tydyngs, I have spoken with Mestresse Anne Hault, at a praty leyser, and, blyssyd be God, we be as ffer fforthe as we weer toffoor, and so I hoope we schall contenew; and I promysed hyr, that at the next leyser that I kowd ffynde therto that I wolde come ageyn and see hyr; whyche wyll take a leyser as [I] deeme now; syn thys observance is over doon, I purpose nott to tempte God noo moor soo.
Yisterday the Kynge, the Qween, my Lordes of Claraunce and Glowcester, wente to Scheen to pardon; men sey, nott alle in cheryte; what wyll falle, men can nott seye. ”

“ When I heer and knowe moor, I shall sende yow worde.
It semythe that the worlde is alle qwaveryng; it will reboyle somwher, so that I deme yonge men shall be cherysshyd; take yowr hert to yow. I ffeer that I can nott be excusyd, but that I shall fforthe with my Lorde Hastyngs ovyr the see, but I shall sende yow worde in hast, and iff I goo, I hope nott to tary longe.
271
Item, to my brother Edmond. I am like to speke to Mestresse Dyxon in hast, and som deme that ther shall be condyssendyd, that iff E. P. come to London that hys costs shall be payed ffor. ”

“ Item, I remembre thatt thys mony that she sholde have is nott redy, but in the handes of marchauntes of the Estaple, whyche at a prove ye shall fynde per case so slakke payeres, that ye myght be deseyvyd ther by. I knowe dyverse have lost mony er they cowde gete ther dywtes owte off the Staple. God spede yow, and sende yow that ye wolde have.
I sende yow the obligacion here with acordyng to yowr desyr, and a letter to Bedyngfelde, thankyng hym for yow, and more over letyng hym know of myn entent. Opyn it, and close it ageyn, if ye lyst. ”