“ This letter cannot be later than the year 1493, as Sir Roger Townsend died on the 9th December in that year (Inq. p. m. 10 Hen. VII., No. 170) . Moreover the will of Elizabeth Clere of Ormesby was proved, according to Blomefield, on the 6th March 1492-3. But as Sir John Paston’s eldest son was only born in 1478, the date is not likely to be many years earlier.
148.2 Sir Robert Clere of Ormesby. ”

“ Ryght trusty and entierly beloved cosyn, we grete you well, lattyng you wete hou it is commen un to oure knowlege that where as ze newly entred upon oure welbeloved Symon Blyant, gentilman, in to the maner of Hemnals in Cotton, descended and belongyng unto hym by right of enheritaunce, as it is seid, ze ther upon desired the same Symon to be agreable for hys part to put all maters of variance thenne dependyng atwene hym and oon Sir John Paston, Knyght, pretendyng a title unto the seid maner into th’award and jugement of two lenerd men, by you named and chosen as arbritrours atwene them ”

“ Item, my Lord wylle in any wyse that ye kepe welle all the lyvelod that ye have of Sir John Fastolff, and that ye suffyr no man to entre no lond nor place, lord nor other personys, what sum ever they be. Ye may veryly thynke he ys your speciall god lord, and that ye shall knowe in tyme comyng. I understand that Calle dothe passyngly welle in your maters in the spirituall lawe, as his letter makyth mencion, &c. Wretyn at London the Satyrday before Seynt Lawrens day. Your servaunt, John Daubeney. ”

“ Alle whiche mater afore rehersid, and every parte therof, we, the seid William Barker and Margre [t Wyssetyr . . . . . . . ] trew, and we, and iche one of us, will at alle tyme be redy to wytnesse and depose the same be ony suche . . . . . . . . . persones outh to do or may do afore ony Juge Spyrytualle or Temperall as we will answer a fore God [at the dreadful] day of Dome. In wytnesse wherof we, the seid William Barker and Margret Wyssetyr, to this present have sett to our [sealles] .
Wretyn the ——64.1 day of the ——64.1 yer of the reyn of Kyng.64.2 (L. S.) (L. S.) ”

“ Item, I bequeth to Anne, my doughter, wiff of William Yelverton, my grene hangyng in my parlour at Mauteby, a standing cuppe with a cover gilt with a flatte knoppe and a flatte pece with a cover gilt withoute, xij. silver spones, a powder boxe with a foot and a knoppe enamelled blewe, my best corse girdill blewe herneised with silver and gilt, my primer, my bedes of silver enamelled. ”

“ Paston and to his assignes a state of all the seid tenementes, londes, rentes, and servyces, with all the seid aportenaunces . . . . . . . sold and bargayned to the seid William Paston alle suche londes, rente, and servyces as the seid Sir John Fastolf . . . . . . . . or be the ryght of ony manere that he or ony man to his use had in possession, or that the seid Thoma [s] . . . . . . . ony other be 64 the reson that they were feffes of trust of the seid John Fastolf had or claymed to have . . . . . . . ”

“ I prey yow shewe it to my lordys166.2 good lordshepe, and that I may know hys plesur ferther in as hasty wyse as may be, that I may ordre me ther aftyr. I had gret labore to come by the woman that was in servyse with Rutty, whiche sie [saw] all ther conversacyons many yeris. She is now in servyse with Richard Calle. And I have Thomas Bange in prison at Norwyche with the Shrevys of Norwych. The woman seythe he is as bold a theffe as eny is in Ingland; but he wyll nowghte confesse, nor I handelyd hym not sore to cause hym to confesse. ”

“ Also, I will that for every wronge by me done in my life tyme a dewe recompence be made there fore by th’enformacion of my saide servante, Thomas Andrew, in that behalf. Also, I will that all my landes and tenementes with th’appurtenances be devyded bytwene my ij. doughters, Agnes and Elizabeth, by the discresion of my executours underwritten, and after th’enformacion of my saide servaunte, Thomas Andrew, to whome I have shewid my entent and mynde in the same manye tymes, and often to have to theym and to the heires of theire ij. bodies lawfully begoten. ”

“ Also I send yow a copy of the letter that the quene sent to my Lord of Oxenford for the maner of Cotton for Blyaunt; but my Lord of Yorke told to Skerne that he wold in any wysse that my Lord of Oxenford shuld help yow to kepe possession. And so Skerne purposythe to be with in thys v. deyes at home, for to enforme my Lord of Oxenford of my Lord of Yorke is entent, and that he se in no wysse that no man do yow no wrong as moche as my Lord of Oxenford powyr may help yow ”

“ Et si nullus fuerit de corpore meo exiens, quod tunc eadem manerium, mesuagia terræ et tenementa cum pertinentiis remaneant prædictæ Agneti, tenenda sibi ad totam vitam suam. Ita quod eadem manerium, mesuagia, terræ et tenementa, cum pertinentiis, post mortem prædictæ Agnetis, ad prædictos donatores et hæredes suos revertantur ad perficiendum inde hanc voluntatem meam. Item ad amorem et favorem inter prædictos Johannem, Edmundum, Willelmum, et Clementem filios meos et prædictam Elizabeth et præfatos hæredes suos, eorumque mutuam caritatem hinc inde nutriendum (?) ”

“ Our said moost drad soverayn Lord, as a Cristen Prince, . . . . . . . . his said enmys and rebels to resist, hath assigned and comaunded us to do all maner . . . . and others defensible able to labour, as well archers as 90 hobbyllers,90.1 to come before us and charge them . . . . . armed and arayed, every man aftre his degre and power, to attend uppon his person, and uppon us, to do him service in defence as well of the Chirche as of the said nobles and subjects of this Realm, against his said enmys and rebels. ”

“ Et si contingat ipsum Willelmum sine hærede de corpore suo exeunte obire, quod tunc eadem maneria, terræ, tenementa, redditus et servicia, cum pertinentiis, remaneant Clementi Paston, filio meo, et hæredibus de corpore suo exeuntibus. ”

“ Fyrst, the maners of Marlyngforthe, Stansted, and Horwellbery wes gev [en to] William Paston, Justyce, and to Agnes, hys wyff, and to th’eyers of ther tw . . . . to whom the seyd John Paston is cosyn and heyer, that is to sey, son to John, son and heyer to the seyd William and Agnes. ”

“ He is the man that brought yow and me togedyrs, and I had lever then xlli. ye koud with your playster depart hym and hys peyne. But when ye send me the playster, ye must send me wryghtyng hough it shold be leyd to and takyn fro hys knee, and hough longe it shold abyd on hys kne unremevyd, and hough longe the playster wyll laste good, and whethyr he must lape eny more clothys aboute the playster to kepe it warme or nought. And God be with yow. Your, John Paston. ”

“ Syr, your tenauntes at Crowmer sey that they know not who shalbe ther lord; they marvayll that ye nor no man for yow hathe not yet ben there. Also, when I was with myn oncle, I had a longe pystyll of hym, that ye had sent Pekok to Paston, and comandyd the tenauntes ther that they shold pay non areragys to hym, but if [unless] they wer bond to hym by obligacyon for the same; myn oncle seythe it was other wyse apoyntyd be for the arbytrorys; they thought, he seythe, as well my Mastyr Fytzwalter as other, that he shold receyve that as it myght be gadryd ”

“ WILLIAM PASTON TO HENRY WARYNS15.1 1479
JULY 19
Harry Waryns, I grete you well, and I thanke you for youre labour. And as for the tenauntez of Knapton, I understand by youre writing that they take non oder consideration to my sendyng but that I call so fast on my fee, for cause they thynke that I am aferd lest I shuld have it no longer; and as for that, I pray yow tell them for ther ungentilnes I woll have my fee of them, and in that maner and in non oder place; and ferthermor I shall fynd the mene that they shall paye it more hastely here after. ”

“ And where as your broder William, my servaunte, ys so troubelid with sekenes and crasid in his mynde, that I may not kepe hym aboute me, wherfor I am right sory, and at this tyme sende hym to you, prayng especially that he may be kepte surely and tendirly with you, to suche tyme as God fortune hym to be bettyr assurid of hym selfe and his myndes more sadly disposid, whiche I pray God may be in shorte tyme, and preserve you longe in gode prosperite. ”

“ To be knowyn to all the northe partes of England, to every lorde, knyght, esquyer, gentylman, and yeman that they 131 schalbe redy in ther defensable aray, in the est parte, on Tuysday next comyng, on Aldyrton More, and in the west parte on Gateley More, the same day, upon peyne of losyng of ther goodes and bodyes, for to geynstonde suche persons as is abowtward for to dystroy oure suffereyn Lorde the Kynge and the Comowns of Engelond, for suche unlawfull poyntes as Seynt Thomas of Cauntyrbery dyed for; and thys to be fulfyllyd and kept by every ylke comenere upon peyn of dethe. ”

“ Item, I wull that alle suche maners, londes, and tenementes, rentes and services whiche are descended unto me by weye of inheritaunce immediatly after my decesse remayne unto myn heires accordyng to the last wille of Robert Mauteby, Squier, my grauntfader, except suche londes as I have putte in feffement to accomplissh therof my last wille, and except v. marc of annuyte which I have graunted out of the maner of Freton in Suffolk to Edmund Paston, my sone, Katherine his wiff, and Robert, ther sone, for terme of ther lyves.
Item, I bequeth to Anne, my doughter, xli. to hir propre use. ”

“ My Lord of Kent cott was on barr of cloth of gold, an oder of cremysyn velvyt, pyrlyd with a demy manche cut of by the elbowe. Thyes be the lords that bare the bruyt.
Sir Hew Waghan apon a bay hors trappyd with cremysyn velvyt full of gylt bels, a gown of blak velvyt, and a cheyn of gold, bawdryk wys, worth v. hondreth pownd.
Thys be the sperys: Master Sant John apon a blak hors, with harnes of cloth of gold with tasselles of plunkytt and whytt, a cott of plunkytt and whytt, the body of goldsmyths werk, the s [l] evys full of spanguls. ”

“ Wherfore we beseke your good maystirshyp, ye lyke of your jentilnesse, to recomaund us unto our seyd good lord, and to make our exkuse to hym, and to do hyse lordshyp [to be] presentyd with a porpeyse, whiche we send yow be the brynger of thys; and if we had any othyr deyntes to do hym a pleasure, we wold, that knowyth God, Whom we beseke of Hyse infenit mercy to preserve the Kyng our Soverayn Lord, and oure seyd good lord, and you, and all the frutys of you from all adversite. ”

“ Syr, my cosyn, John Heydon, woll geve me hys entrest in that hors, if the abot have bowght hym, and so ye may lete the abot have knowlege; and if he have not bowght hym, I beseche yow sende to see hym, for I wote not how to do withowt yowre helpe aswell in horsyng of me as in other thynges.
At the makyng of thys lettyr, I cannot acerteyn yow what person it is that owythe thys hors. If I can know, I wolle send yow worde in a bylle I sende to Thomas Jullys be the berer herof. ”

“ And in myddys of the seid stoon I wull have a scochen sett of Mawtebysarmes allone, and under the same thise wordes wretyn, ‘In God is my trust,’ with a scripture wretyn in the verges therof rehersyng thise wordes, ‘Here lieth Margret Paston, late the wif of John Paston, doughter and heire of John Mawteby, Squier,’ and so forth, in the same scripture rehersed the day of the moneth and the yer that I shall decesse: ‘on whos sowle God have mercy.’
Item, I wulle that myn executours shall purveye xij. ”

“ Wherfor I hartely thank yow; and furthar more to corage yow in yowr fast dealyng, I schew onto yow that I have ryght bothe in law and in concience, wherby I promyse yow on my feythe to defende yow and save yow harmeles for the occupacion of the londe, or any thynge that ye schall doo in my titill a gaynst hym, and it schulde cost me as moche as the maner is worth, and also another tyme to doo as moche for yow, and it ly in my powre, yf ye have ony mater to doo ther as I may doo for yow. ”

“ Right worshepful mastres, I recommande me unto yow as lowly as I kan, thankyng yow for your goodnes at all tymis; God graunt me to deserve it, and do that may plese yow.
As for your son Water, his labor and lernyng hathe be, and is, yn the Faculte of Art, and is well sped there yn, and may be Bacheler at soche tyme as shall lyke yow, and then to go to lawe. I kan thynk it to his preferryng, but it is not 12 good he know it on to the tyme he shal chaunge; and as I conceyve ther shal non have that exibeshyon to the Faculte of Lawe. ”

“ Yet wold I tary, all be yt I have taryd your comyg this halff yer, for I deme her suche men as schall well undyrstond myn titill good; yff any man have good tytyll I am suyr that myn is gode. I dar well juperde to take a dystres, wedyr they come or nat, and so I wyll ze know. Wer for, in so much as I left myn distress for iowr dysyr, so that I be answerid off myn mony acordyng to myn ryth, ar else send me answer, one ar oder [one or other] , and lett me take the avantage that the Kynge lawys will zeff me be dystress qweche I have delayed, me thynk to long, for any thank that I have. ”

“ Myn oncle Syr George may enforme the Kyng for trowthe, that the chyld shall have no lond duryng hys yong modyrs lyff, and ther is no man her that wyll mary with hym withought they have some lond with hym, and so the gyft shall not be gret that the Kyng shold geve hym; and yet I trow he shold get the modyr by that meane, and in my conseyt the Kyng dothe but ryght if he graunt my brodyr Edmund Clyppysbys son in recompense for takyng my brodyr Edmundes son, otherwyse callyd Dyxsons, the chyldys fadyr being alyve. ”

“ My Lady Caltorp hath ben at Geppeswich on pilgry mache, and came homward be my Lady of Norffolk, and ther was moche communicacion of yowr mater be twix you and myn uncle, seyng to my Lady Caltorp, ye nede not a gonne to London, ye myght have an ende at home; rememberyng to my seid Lady Caltorp of the mocion that he made towchyng the maner of Sporle, promyttyng to my lady to abyde that, and to write and seale as largely as any man wol desire hym. ”

“ How yee and myne ladie, and in what sylk or clooth yee will have these tweyn yong innocentis150.3 maried inne, iff it shuld bee purveyed 151 at London to send me word, or ellys at Norwich, as it shall please you and myne ladie, ther after I shall applie me. For it must bee ordyrd be you in the yong husbondis name. Your penauns off your wncles mater shall yee knowe whan I kom hoome. Ther is non other meane but to sell your wodis and tymber in all your manors to your most avayll, except theere as it kan nat bee forborn for diverse causys. ”

“ Yeven under oure signet at my Lordes Palois of Westmynstre, the xxv. day of Juyn. [Elezebeth.] 106.1 Subskrybyd with the Quenys hand.
105.1 [From Paston MSS., B.M.] This letter and that which follows, relating to the manor of Cotton, are both quite uncertain in point of date, except that they cannot be earlier than 1487, when Sir John Paston was knighted, nor later than 1502, as the Queen and Sir John Paston himself both died in the year following. ”

“ Item, ser, on Saturday last past, I spacke with my cosyn Gornay, and he seyd, if I wold goo to my Lady of Norffolk, 59 and beseche hyr good grace to be your good and gracyous lady, she wold so be, for he seyd that one word of a woman should do more than the wordes of xx. men, yiffe I coude rewyll my tonge, and speke non harme of myn unkyll. ”