Anonymous to H B of Lincoln

405

ANONYMOUS TO H. B. OF LINCOLN¹

To my good Maister, H. B. of Lincoln.

      RIGHT worchepful sir, after my recommendation, like
           you to wete I wold yisterday have spoken with you if
           ye had be allone at good leiser, for my aquytaile to
God and to you, and for the wele of my maister, God pardon
hym. I have many thynges to remembre you if ye wol.
Wherof diverse specialtes that I wold sey, I may not write.
For I meved you at your chamber wyndow at Lammes hom-
ward from London some thynges of my good wil, and me
thought ye toke it gretely to displeisur; the which caused me
to sey the lesse of thynges that had be worchepfull to have be
doon. But, Sir, as I remembred you late at Norwich of the
variaunce by twix the worchepfull man and you, for Goddes
love and your most ease, folwe the meanes of his good wil by
help of holsom gentilmen, and also the feithfull love of other
that grucchen to you warde, as I fele moche thof thei speke litil
therof to you, rettyng in you singuler fastnesse ageyns kynde-
nesse and reson; for with love and unyte ye shal do moost
good for oure maister to your worchep. And with the con-
trary many mysse dispenses as han be and thanne moche lette
in doyng of good dedis to the causers perill and slawnder God
hath sent you wysdham grete that telleth you the best is to
drede God. A man shal never have love of God nor love nor
drede of good men for myskepyng of moche good thof it wer
his owen, for it is dampnable; but wher it is truly delt with
and godly disposed, thanne folwith bothe grete meryte and
worchep. Pety it is that mo more is do for hym. At the gate
is nowther mete, drynke nor money, ut dicitur, no man wele
spekyng thof thacte above be not do necessary almesse to the
nedy that peynen wold and myght be do dayly. And, Sir, be
ware what ye talke to som men of the lordes your coexecutours,
and what is spent for the man, and what he was worth. Thei
reporten you unfavorabely and withoute credence, as men seyn,
and some I have herd. Also your entretyng and other for you
with them that have entres with you for to have your entent
sped, is tolde oute whow, and your iournay to lorde Beauchamp
to Cambrig is taken as men like, and your associacion is seid
made by your witt to your purpos. As somme fer of and
grete that may nor peraventur wiln not medle, somme ye wold
thei left, somme havyng no conduyt, somme no stomak, and
somme glosours and witnesses for lucre; this is not my seyyng,
I have often herd it. Therfor to have such a post as the seid
man is that ye be in variaunce; so he do wele, as I fully beleve,
he shuld help you to bere moche, and cause eschuyng of moche
of this noyse. This variaunce grew of mater of noght and
japes; the soner may be accorde. And thynke not, Sir, that
any persone hath stered me herto; for by the good Lorde I
trist to receyve this holy tyme it is my owen steryng and good
hert to you warde, for that I her and see, and moost of your
wele willers, in eschuyng of inconvenyentz as right many talke
must ensue to you ward. For I fonde you pleyn at Criste-
messe, and I toke you that ye loved me, wher to fore, withoute
cause truly, to my seid maister moch ye hyndred me, as parte
he tolde me, and thanne I praied you in that your good
maistership and amendement, and sith I have be pleyn and wol
be. And I require you as ye arn a gentilman, kepe thees
maters secrete by twix God, you and me; for by Almyghty
Jhesu of me knoweth this non erthely creatur, nor shal knowe.
Other thynges been that sounden not wele, but as I fele your
wisdham take me in this, so herafter I wil demene me with you
in maters. I am urke of variaunces, for parties waxen wrooth
if men hold not with there oppynyons whan thei in angre trotte
over fer by yon hem self. I may not come by you to London
ward, I trow I must by Suffolk; elles I had not writen this.
Oure Blissed Lorde have you in His governaunce and be your
conduytour to His pleisur, Amen. This Wednesday, ix. day
Aprill.

     As ye arn a veray gentilman, be my true confessour as I am
youres and take me as I mene, thof my termes been not dis-
creet. Brenne this scrowe or kepe it pryvy, as ye like and I
beseche you, if ye wil trist me, wil me pleyn, &c.—Your owen,
&c., to my power.

     ¹ [Add. MS. 34,888, f. 143.] This letter is mysterious, but seems to have some
bearing on Sir John Fastolf’s will, and may be assigned with tolerable certainty to
the year 1460, as the 9th April, the day it was dated, was a Wednesday, and one
expression in it shows that it was written immediately before Easter, which in that
year fell on the 13th April.

APRIL 9

1460

APRIL 9

\

1460

APRIL 9

XLIII

A.D. 1460, 9 April

ANONYMOUS TO H. B. OF LINCOLN

[Add. MS. 34,888, f. 143]

     This letter (No. 1011 in the Inventory) is mysterious, but seems to have
some bearing on Sir John Fastolf’s will, and may be assigned with tolerable
certainty to the year 1460, as the 9th April, the day it was dated, was a
Wednesday, and one expression in it shows that it was written immediately
before Easter, which in that year fell on the 13th April.

To my good Maister, H. B. of Lincoln.

      RIGHT worchepful sir, after my recommenda-
          tion, like you to wete I wold yisterday have
          spoken with you if ye had be allone at good
          leiser, for my aquytaile to God and to you,
and for the wele of my maister, God pardon hym.
I have many thynges to remembre you if ye wol.
Wherof diverse specialtes that I wold sey, I may not
write. For I meved you at your chamber wyndow at
Lammes homward from London some thynges of
my good wil, and me thought ye toke it gretely to
displeisur; the which caused me to sey the lesse of
thynges that had be worchepfull to have be doon.
But, Sir, as I remembred you late at Norwich of the
variaunce by twix the worchepfull man and you, for
Goddes love and your most ease, folwe the meanes
of his good wil by help of holsom gentilmen, and
also the feithfull love of other that grucchen to you
warde, as I fele moche thof thei speke litil therof to
you, rettyng in you singuler fastnesse ageyns kynde-
nesse and reson; for with love and unyte ye shal
do moost good for oure maister to your worchep.
And with the contrary many mysse dispenses as han
be and thanne moche lette in doyng of good dedis
to the causers perill and slawnder God hath sent
you wysdham grete that telleth you the best is to
drede God. A man shal never have love of God nor
love nor drede of good men for myskepyng of moche
good thof it wer his owen, for it is dampnable; but
wher it is truly delt with and godly disposed, thanne
folwith bothe grete meryte and worchep. Pety it is
that mo more is do for hym. At the gate is nowther
mete, drynke nor money, ut dicitur, no man wele
spekyng thof thacte above be not do necessary almesse
to the nedy that peynen wold and myght be do
dayly. And, Sir, be ware what ye talke to som men
of the lordes your coexecutours, and what is spent
for the man, and what he was worth. Thei reporten
you unfavorabely and withoute credence, as men
seyn, and some I have herd. Also your entretyng
and other for you with them that have entres with
you for to have your entent sped, is tolde oute whow,
and your iournay to lorde Beauchamp to Cambrig is
taken as men like, and your associacion is seid made
by your witt to your purpos. As somme fer of and
grete that may nor peraventur wiln not medle, somme
ye wold thei left, somme havyng no conduyt, somme
no stomak, and somme glosours and witnesses for
lucre; this is not my seyyng, I have often herd it.
Therfor to have such a post as the seid man is that ye
be in variaunce; so he do wele, as I fully beleve, he
shuld help you to bere moche, and cause eschuyng of
moche of this noyse. This variaunce grew of mater
of noght and japes; the soner may be accorde. And
thynke not, Sir, that any persone hath stered me
herto; for by the good Lorde I trist to receyve this
holy tyme it is my owen steryng and good hert to
you warde, for that I her and see, and moost of
your wele willers, in eschuyng of inconvenyentz as
right many talke must ensue to you ward. For I
fonde you pleyn at Cristemesse, and I toke you that
ye loved me, wher to fore, withoute cause truly, to my
seid maister moch ye hyndred me, as partc he tolde
me, and thanne I praied you in that your good
maistership and amendement, and sith I have be
pleyn and wol be. And I require you as ye arn a
gentilman, kepe thees maters secrete by twix God,
you and me; for by Almyghty Jhesu of me knoweth
this non erthely creatur, nor shal knowe. Other
thynges been that sounden not wele, but as I fele
your wisdham take me in this, so herafter I wil
demene me with you in maters. I am urke of
variaunces, for parties waxen wrooth if men hold
not with there oppynyons whan thei in angre trotte
over fer by yon hem self. I may not come by you
to London ward, I trow I must by Suffolk; elles I had
not writen this. Oure Blissed Lorde have you in
His governaunce and be your conduytour to His
pleisur, Amen. This Wednesday, ix. day Aprill.

     As ye arn a veray gentilman, be my true confessour
as I am youres and take me as I mene, thof my
termes been not discreet. Brenne this scrowe or
kepe it pryvy, as ye like and I beseche you, if ye wil
trist me, wil me pleyn, &c.—Your owen, &c., to
my power.