Anonymous to John Paston

LETTER CV.

         To my ryght Worshipfull
         Maister and Brother
         John Paston this letter
         be taken.

RYGHT worshipfull And Reverend Mayster and Brother
     w^t alle my s^rvice I r’cōmaunde me on to yow please hit
oute yo^r grete Wysedom to have yn yo^r descrete Remēbrauns ye
streite Ordr on which we ben p’fessid And on which ze er bown-
den to kepe yo^r Residens and specially on y^s tyme of Crystmas
amonggis yo^r Confrerys of this holy Ordre ye Temple of Syon
for ynlesse yan ze kepe dewly the poynts of yo^r holy Religion
owr Maister Thom’s Babyngton maister and Sou^rayn of owr
Order by yassent of his Brythryn ben avysed to Awarde azenste
yow ryght sharp and hasty proces to do calle yow to do yo^r
obcervauns and to obeye the poynts of yo^r Religion which wer
on to me grete hevynesse Wherfore I as he y^t hath most grettest
Cause and ys most bownden on to y^r grete gentylnesse and also
whome nat’e and kynde most specially byfore ev^ry of alle owr
Breyyn bynden me to owe and wilne yow goode wylle and
trewe hert Consyderyng ye grete tyme of penawns y^t ze havyn
ben yn fro sone upon Mighelmas hederto y^t ys to say yn Relevyng
and Sustenawns of yo^{r 1} evyñ Crysten And also yn ye Charyt-
able and meritory dede of Almyssdoyng y^t ys to say yn plente-
ous and liberall zeftis which ys more p^ryusseur yan goolde er
Sylver which hath nat be at alle tymys to yo^r grete ease neyy^r
hertis ples’uns but rather to yo^r grete desese and yntollerable
peyne And wher godds lawe and manys lawe acorden y^t hit
shall nat be lawf’ to non erthely man to be so lyberall and plen-
teous of y^t that god sendith hym y^t he sholde so despose hit so
y^t he sholde nowgch have to lyve by And forasmych as I have
p’fite knowhich of yo^r freell and nat^rall desposiseon so set on to
yeym that ben nedy and hunggery y^t of yo^r selfe ze have no
myght neyy^r power to absteyne and rewle yo^rself but also long as
God sendith and zevyth yow wher’of to dispose and help yo^r
evyn Crysten ze most nedis despose hit forth a monggus, yo^r
evyn Cristen I conseile yow y^t yn also hasty and goodely tyme
as ze kan to come on to yo^r holy Bryyyn y^t ben of y^s devowt
and clos Cōversacon to yentent y^t ze myght ben advertysid and
lernyd by theym ye goode Rewle and messur y^t ze owght and
sholde have yn ye despociston and delyng of yo^r Almys And
also sethnys ze haven chosen zow a place yn this seson of avent
yn which ze have had a r’sonable leysour and space to do yo^r
penn’s yn Which drawith fast to a ende which hath been a
cōvenyent place as for ye ceson of ye yer And now hit drawith
fast on to Cristmas on which tyme ev^ry trewe Crysten man sholde
be mery jocūde and glad And sēthnys y’is no place which by
lyklyhod of r’ason ze shulde fynde yn yo^r hert to be so gladde
and yocūde yn as ze sholde be yn the place of yo^r p’fession a
mounggis yo^r holy Bryy’yn yn which place yn y². Ceson of ye
yer hit ys a custumyd to be alle man^r of ^z desport lyke as hit is
nat unknowe to yo^r wisse descrescon Wherfore as my symple
Reason ledith me yo^r grete descrecon sholde rewle yow y^t
ze sholde app’che nygh ye plase of yo^r holy Relegion yn also
hasty tyme as ze code er myght of whos comyng alle yo^r saide
Brey yn wolde be glade and fayn’ And yn especiall I yo^r s^t’unt
& Broy’ like as I am most syngguler bownden to yencresse of yo^r
prosp’ite and welfar which I shall ever desir w^t godds mersy
which have yow undir his blessid and fav’orable proteccon Wrytten
yn the Temple of Syon iij^d day of Decemb’r yn grete hast

By yo^r s^rvūt and broy^r

                                                                                                      ³ C.

        11 ? by 8.

       Temple of Syon,
            3d December.

  We have here a most curious Letter from a brother of the Order of the Temple of
Syon to J. Paston, earnestly persuading him to a temporary residence amongst them,
according to the Rules of the Order, and dissuading him from improper Alms-giving
to the hurt of his private affairs.

     The chusing of a place to do his penance in during Advent, reminds us of the Esta-
blishment for the secret House of the Earl of Northumberland, in the reign of Henry
the Eighth, who at certain seasons of the year retired from his principal Mansion to some
small Retreat, where he lived privately, and most probably performed offices of Devotion
and Charity, as atonements for his sins of omission and commission.

     See the Northumberland Book, p. 361, and notes at p. 442.

     We may from this Letter suppose that persons of inferior rank at certain times like-
wise left their houses, and retired for the same purposes of praying and alms-doing, and
that the season of Advent was the time set apart by J. Paston for those religious duties.

     ¹ Even Cristen. I wish for an explanation of this.

 ² The jovial manner of living at Christmas in these societies is here likewise pointed
out, and makes us wish we could have taken a look at their Pastimes, Feasts, &c.

     ³ The writer of this singular Letter was from his own account a relation of J. Paston,
and his Signature is like what in heraldry often represents a Fountain, it is therefore
possible that his name might be Thomas Fountaine; as a family of that name resided at
Sall, in the County of Norfolk, about the time that this Letter was written.

     Autograph. Pl. xx. N^o 35.

     The Date of this Letter must remain uncertain.

LETTER CV.

To my right worshipful Master and Brother John Paston, this
Letter be taken.

RIGHT worshipful and reverent Master and Brother, with
     all my service I recommend me unto you, please it unto
your great Wisdom to have in your discreet remembrance the
strait order on which we be professed, and on which ye are
bounden to keep your residence, and specially on this time of
Christmass amongst your Confreres of this Holy Order, the
Temple of Syon; for unless that ye keep duly the points of
your holy Religion, our Master Thomas Babyngton, Master and
Sovereign of our order, by the assent of his Brethren, be advised
to award against you right sharp and hasty process to do call you
to do your observance, and to obey the points of your religion,
which were unto me great heaviness. Wherefore I, as he that
hath most greatest cause, and is most bounden unto your great
gentleness, and also whom nature and kin most specially before
every of all our Brethren binden me to owe and will you good
will and true heart, considering the great time of penance that
ye have been in from soon upon Michaelmas hitherto, that is to
say in relieving and sustenance of your ¹ Even Cristen, and also
in the charitable and meritory (meritorious) deed of Alms-doing,
that is to say, in plenteous and liberal Gifts, which is more pre-
ciouser than gold or silver which hath not been at all times to
your great ease, neither heart’s pleasaunce (pleasure) but rather
to your great disease and intolerable pain, and where God’s Law
and man’s Law accord, that it shall not be lawful to none earthly
man to be so liberal and plenteous of that that God sendeth him,
that he should so dispose it so that he should nought have to live
by; and for as much as I have perfect knowledge of your freell
(free will) and natural disposition so set unto them that be needy
and hungry, that of yourself ye have no might, neither power
to abstain and rule yourself, but also long as God sendeth and
giveth you, whereof to dispose and help your even Cristen, ye
must needs dispose it forth amongst your even Cristen, I counsel
you that in all so hasty and goodly time as ye can, to come unto
your holy Brethren that be of this devout and close counsel, to the
intent that ye might be advertised and learned by them the good
rule and measure that ye ought and should have in the disposition
and dealing of your Alms.

     And also sithen (since) ye have chosen you a place in this sea-
son of Advent, in which ye have had a reasonable leisure and
space to do your penance in, which draweth fast to an end,
which hath been a convenient place as for the season of the year,
and now it draweth fast unto Christmas, on which time every
true Christian man should be merry, jocund, and glad; and
sithen there is no place which by likelihood of reason ye should
find in your heart to be so glad and jocund in, as ye should be
in the place of your profession amongst your holy Brethren, in
which place in this season of the year it is accustomed to be (have)
all manner of ² disport like as it is not unknown to your wise
discretion; wherefore as my simple reason leadeth me, your great
discretion should rule you, that ye should approach nigh (draw
near to) the place of your holy religion in all so hasty time as ye
could or might, of whose coming all your said Brethren would
be glad and fain (pleased,) and in especial I your Servant and
Brother, like as I am most singular bounden to the increase of
your prosperity and welfare, which I shall ever desire with
God’s mercy, which have you under his blessed and favourable
protection. Written in the Temple of Syon, the 3d day of
December, in great haste.

By your Servant and Brother,

                                                                                                           ³ T.

        11 ? by 8.

       Temple of Syon,
            3d December.

  We have here a most curious Letter from a brother of the Order of the Temple of
Syon to J. Paston, earnestly persuading him to a temporary residence amongst them,
according to the Rules of the Order, and dissuading him from improper Alms-giving
to the hurt of his private affairs.

     The chusing of a place to do his penance in during Advent, reminds us of the Esta-
blishment for the secret House of the Earl of Northumberland, in the reign of Henry
the Eighth, who at certain seasons of the year retired from his principal Mansion to some
small Retreat, where he lived privately, and most probably performed offices of Devotion
and Charity, as atonements for his sins of omission and commission.

     See the Northumberland Book, p. 361, and notes at p. 442.

     We may from this Letter suppose that persons of inferior rank at certain times like-
wise left their houses, and retired for the same purposes of praying and alms-doing, and
that the season of Advent was the time set apart by J. Paston for those religious duties.

     ¹ Even Cristen. I wish for an explanation of this.

 ² The jovial manner of living at Christmas in these societies is here likewise pointed
out, and makes us wish we could have taken a look at their Pastimes, Feasts, &c.

     ³ The writer of this singular Letter was from his own account a relation of J. Paston,
and his Signature is like what in heraldry often represents a Fountain, it is therefore
possible that his name might be Thomas Fountaine; as a family of that name resided at
Sall, in the County of Norfolk, about the time that this Letter was written.

     Autograph. Pl. xx. N^o 35.

     The Date of this Letter must remain uncertain.

574

ANONYMOUS TO JOHN PASTON¹

To my ryght worshipfull maister and brother,
John Paston, this letter be taken.

RYGHT worshipfull and reverend mayster and brother,
          with alle my service I recommaunde me on to yow.
          Please hit onto your grete wysedom to have yn your
descrete remembrauns the streite Ordre on which we ben
professid, and on which ze er bownden to kepe your residens,
and specially on this tyme of Crystmas amonggis your con-
frerys of this holy Ordre, the Temple of Syon; for ynlesse
than ze kepe dewly the poynts of your holy Religion, owr
Maister Thomas Babyngton, maister and soverayn of owr
Order of th’assent of his brythryn ben avysed to awarde
azenste yow ryght sharp and hasty proces to do calle yow
to do your obcervauns, and to obeye the poynts of your
Religion, which wer on to me grete hevynesse. Wherfore
I, as he that hath most grettest cause, and ys most bownden
on to your grete gentylnesse, and also whom nature and kynde
most specially byfore every of alle owr breth[r]yn bynden me
to owe and wilne yow goode wylle and trewe hert, consyderyng
the grete tyme of penawns that ze havyn ben yn fro sone upon
Mighelmas hederto, that ys to say, yn relevyng and sustenawns
of your evyn Crysten,¹ and also yn the charytable and meritory
dede of almyssdoyng, that ys to say yn plenteous and liberall
zeftis, which ys more precyusseur than goolde er sylver, which
hath nat be at alle tymys to your grete ease, neyther hertis
plesauns, but rather to your grete desese and yntollerable
peyne. And wher Godds lawe and manys lawe acorden that
hit shall nat be lawful to non erthely man to be so lyberall
and plenteous of that that God sendith hym, that he sholde so
despose hit so that he sholde nowgch have to lyve by; and
forasmych as I have perfite knowlich of your freel² [frail]
and naturall disposiseon so set on to theym that ben nedy
and hunggery that of your selfe ze have no myght, neyther
power to absteyne and rewle yourself, but also long as God
sendith and zevyth yow whereof to dispose and help your
evyn Crysten ze most nedis despose hit forth a monggus your
evyn Cristen, I conseile yow that yn also hasty and goodely
tyme as ze kan to come on to your holy brytheryn that ben of
that devowt and clos conversacion, to th’entent that ze myght
ben advertysid and lernyd by theym the goode rewle and
messur that ze owght and sholde have yn the despociscion and
delyng of your almys.

    And also, sethnys ze haven chosen zow a place yn this
seson of Avent, yn which ze have had a resonable leysour and
space to do your penauns yn, which drawith fast to a ende;
which hath been a convenyent place as for the ceson of the yer;
and now hit drawith fast on to Cristmas, on which tyme every
trewe Crysten man sholde be mery, jocunde, and glad. And
sethnys ther is no place which by lyklyhod of reason ze shulde
fynde yn your hert to be so gladde and yocunde yn as ze sholde
be yn the place of your profession a mounggis your holy
brytheryn; yn which place yn this ceson of the yer hit ys a
custumyd to be alle maner of desport, lyke as hit is nat
unknowe to your wisse descrescion; wherfore, as my symple
reason ledith me your grete descrescion sholde rewle you that
ze sholde approche nygh the plase of your holy relegion yn also
hasty tyme as ze code er myght, of whos comyng alle your
saide bretheryn wolde be glade and fayn, and yn especiall I,
your servaunt and brother, lyke as I am most syngguler
bownden to th’encresse of your prosperite and welfar, which I
shall ever desir with Godds mersy, which have yow undir His
blessid and favorable proteccion. Wrytten yn the Temple of
Syon, iij^d. day of December, yn grete hast.

By your Servaunt and brother,

     ¹ [From Fenn, iii. 418.] It is difficult to assign with confidence either a date or
a meaning to this strangely worded epistle. The signature itself is a mystery. The
order of the Temple of Sion is unknown to archaeologists, and the place from which
the letter is dated cannot be identified. From the peculiar device used as a signature,
resembling what in heraldry represents a fountain, Fenn threw out a suggestion that
Fountaine was the writer’s name, remarking that a family of that name resided at
Salle, in Norfolk, and might have been related to Paston as the writer claimed to be.
But there seems to be an air of irony about the whole communication which forbids
us to construe any of its statements seriously; nor do we find the slightest allusion to
this letter or its contents in all the rest of the correspondence. For my part, I am
inclined to think it was a mocking letter addressed to John Paston by one of the
prisoners in the Fleet, where Paston had himself been confined in 1464. His
imprisonment on that occasion was probably of short duration, but I cannot tell
the precise date of his release. He was committed to the Fleet, as we are informed
by William Worcester (Itinerary, p. 366), on Saturday the 3d November. If I am
right in my conjecture about this letter, he had, perhaps, been already liberated;
but some of his late fellow-prisoners, probably members of the Inner or Middle
Temple like himself, who had formed themselves into a fancy ‘Order of the Temple
of Sion,’ amused themselves by speculating on the probability that he was not yet
quite clear of the toils of the law, and that he would be obliged to come back and
spend Christmas in gaol, among the jolly companions whom he had recently deserted.
I may remark that the name of Thomas Babington occurs in Dugdale’s Origines
Juridiciales, p. 163, as having been elected a reader in the Inner Temple in 22 Hen.
VII., when he seems to have been an old man; for, owing to his sight failing, he was
excused from reading, and John Port, who was afterwards Attorney General, and,
later still, Justice of the King’s Bench, read in his place.

     ¹ i.e. your fellow-Christians.

     ² Fenn interprets this word free will, which I cannot think to be the meaning
intended.

1464(?)
DEC. 3

1464(?)
DEC. 3

1464(?)
DEC. 3