Anonymous to John Paston

LETTER XXXII.

To my Cosyn J. Paston.

THE King camme to Granth’m and ther taried ¹ thoresday
     all day and ther was headed S^r. Thom’s Dalalaunde and on
John Neille a greate Capteyn and upon y^{e 2} monday next aft’
y^at at Dancastr and y^er was headed S^r. Robert Wellys and a
nothr greate Capteyn and y^an y^e King hadde Warde y^at the
Duk of Clarence and y^e Erle of Warwick was att Esterfeld xx
mile from Dancastre And uppon y^{e 3} Tewesday att IX of y^e
bell y^e King toke y^e feld and mustered his people and itt was
seid y^at wer neu’ seynin Inglond so many goodly men and so

well arreiyed in a feld and my ⁴ Lord was whorsshupfully
accompanyed no Lord y^er so well wherfor y^e King gaffe my
Lord a greate thanke and y^an the Duk of Clarence and y^e Erle
of Warwik harde y^at y^e King was comyng to y^em warde in
contynent y^ey dep ted and wente to Manchestr’ in Lancasshire
hopyng to have hadde helpe and socour of y^e Lord ⁵ Stanley
butt in conclucōn y^er y^ey hadde litill favor as itt was enformed y^e
King and so men sayn y^ey wente westward and sommen demen
to London And whan y^e King harde y^ey wer dep’ted and gon
he went to York and came yeder y^{e 6} thoresday next aftr and
y^er camme into hym all y^e Gentilmen of y^e Shire and uppon
our ⁷ Lady day made Percy Erle of Northumb’land and he
y^at was ⁸ Erle affore Markeys Muntakew and y^e King is p’posed
to come Southwarde God send hym god spede.

     Writen y^e xxvij day of March,

                                                                 ⁹ For Trownth.

11 ½ by 4 ¼.

 Tuesday,
                27th of March,
                1470, 10 E. IV.

     This Letter was written a short time after the battle of Stamford, wherein Edward
was victorious, having flain and dispersed the Forces commanded by Sir Robert Welles,
who in this engagement had fought most furiously; being exasperated at the recent death
of his father the Lord Welles. We are here acquainted with the movements of the

King after his victory, and with some of the Executions which took place by his order
on those who had opposed him.

     ¹ 15 March, 1469.

     ² 19 March, 1469.

     ³ 20 March, 1469.

     ⁴  I believe it means John Mowbray, Duke of Norfolk.

     ⁵  Thomas, Lord Stanley, afterwards Earl of Derby.

     ⁶  22 March, 1469.

     ⁷  25 March, 1470. N. B. The Date changed on the 25th of March, yearly.

     ⁸  John Neville, brother to the Earl of Warwick; by this advancement in honour
           we must suppose that even at this time the King had no suspicion of the loyalty of the
Marquis. I have been more particular in ascertaining the Dates of the occurrences
in this Letter, as they differ from some of those in our Historians.

     ⁹ The name of the Writer is not put to this Letter, but at the end, in a hand of the
time, though in a different one from that used in the Letter, is written “for trowyth.”
Pl. v. N^o 23.

LETTER XXXII.

To my Cousin, John Paston.

THE King came to Grantham, and there tarried ¹ Thursday
     all day, and there was headed Sir Thomas Dalalaunde
and one John Neille a great Captain; and upon the ² Monday
next after that at Doncaster, and there was headed Sir Robert
Welles, and another great Captain; and then the King had word,
that the Duke of Clarence, and the Earl of Warwick, was at
Esterfield, 20 miles from Doncaster; and upon the ³ Tuesday
at nine of the bell, the King took the field, and mustered his
people; and it was said, that (these) were never seen in England so

many goodly men, and so well arrrayed in a field; and my
⁴  Lord was worshipfully accompanied, no Lord there so well;
wherefore the King gave my Lord a great thank.

     And than (when) the Duke of Clarence, and the Earl of War-
wick heard that the King was coming to themward, in continent
(immediately) they departed, and went to Manchester in Lan-
cashire, hoping to have had help and succour of the Lord
⁵  Stanley; but in conclusion, there they had little favour, as it
was informed the King; and, so men say, they went westward,
and, some men deem, to London.

     And when the King heard they were departed and gone, he
went to York, and came thither the ⁶ Thursday next after,
and there came in to him all the Gentlemen of the Shire; and,
upon ⁷ Our Lady day, (he) made Percy Earl of Northumberland,
and he that was ⁸ Earl afore, Marquis Montagu; and so the
King is purposed to come Southward, God send him good speed.

     Written the 27^th day of March.

                                                                              ⁹ FOR TRUTH.

  11 ½ by 4 ¼.

 Tuesday,
                27th of March,
                1470, 10 E. IV.

     This Letter was written a short time after the battle of Stamford, wherein Edward
was victorious, having flain and dispersed the Forces commanded by Sir Robert Welles,
who in this engagement had fought most furiously; being exasperated at the recent death
of his father the Lord Welles. We are here acquainted with the movements of the

King after his victory, and with some of the Executions which took place by his order
on those who had opposed him.

     ¹ 15 March, 1469.

     ² 19 March, 1469.

     ³ 20 March, 1469.

       ⁴  I believe it means John Mowbray, Duke of Norfolk.

     ⁵  Thomas, Lord Stanley, afterwards Earl of Derby.

     ⁶  22 March, 1469.

     ⁷  25 March, 1470. N. B. The Date changed on the 25th of March, yearly.

     ⁸  John Neville, brother to the Earl of Warwick; by this advancement in honour
          we must suppose that even at this time the King had no suspicion of the loyalty of the
Marquis. I have been more particular in ascertaining the Dates of the occurrences
in this Letter, as they differ from some of those in our Historians.

     ⁹ The name of the Writer is not put to this Letter, but at the end, in a hand of the
time, though in a different one from that used in the Letter, is written “for trowyth.”
Pl. v. N^o 23.

743

ANONYMOUS TO JOHN PASTON¹

To my Cosyn, J. Paston.

THE King camme to Grantham, and ther taried Thoresday
     all day; and ther was headed Sir Thomas Dalalaunde,
     and on John Neille, a greate capteyn; and upon the
Monday next after that at Dancastr, and ther was headed Sir
Robert Wellys, and a nothr greate capteyn; and than the
King hadde warde that the Duk of Clarence and the Erle
of Warwick was att Esterfeld [Chesterfield], xx. mile from
Dancastre.

And upon the Tewesday att ix. of the bell, the King toke
the feld, and mustered his people; and itt was seid that wer
never seyn in Inglond so many goodly men, and so well
arreiyed in a feld. And my Lord was whorsshupfully accom-
panyed, no lord ther so well; wherfor the King gaffe my Lord
a greate thanke.

     And than the Duk of Clarence and the Erle of Warwik
harde that the King was comyng to them warde, in contynent
they departed and wente to Manchestre in Lancasshire, hopyng
to have hadde helpe and socour of the Lord Stanley, butt in
conclucion ther they hadde litill favor, as itt was enformed the
King, and so men sayn they wente westward, and sommen
demen to London. And whan the King harde they wer
departed and gon, he went to York, and came theder the
Thoresday next aftr, and ther camme in to hym all the gentil-
men of the shire; and uppon our Lady Day [he] made Percy
Erle of Northumberland, and he that was Erle affore Markeys
Muntakew. And [so]¹ the King is purposed to come south-
warde, God send hym god spede.

     Writen the xxvij. day of March.

                                                                                      FOR TROWYTH.

     ¹ [From Fenn, ii. 36.] This letter gives an account of the suppression of the
rebellion in Lincolnshire in 1470.

  ¹ This word is not in the text of Fenn’s literal transcript, but it is given without
brackets in the transcript in modern spelling.

MARCH 27

1470
MARCH 27