Anonymous to Sir John Paston

690

ANONYMOUS TO SIR JOHN PASTON²

To Maistyr Syr John Paston, Knyght, at London, with my Lorae
the Archebisshop of Yorke, be this letter delyverid.

I RECOMMAND me unto you. It is tolde me that the
     man that ye wote of cam ridyng by my Lady Suthfolk and
     by Cotton, which is in gret decay; and Barnay tolde him
that Edward Dale tolde hem he durst no lenger serve him of
ale, for it was warnid hym that my Lady Suffolk¹ wolde entyr,
and whan she shulde enter few men shulde knowe, it shulde be
do so sodenly. She taryeth but of tythynges fro London. He
spak nat with hyr. I pray you speke to my Lorde of Zorke²
for the subpena in the Chanceri ayen William Paston that he
take noon hurte. He desyrith to write to yow for it. My
Lorde of Northfolk men have warnid the tenantis to pay you
no mony, and thai speke alle in the Kynges name. Ye may
tell my Lorde of Yorke that it is open in every mannys
mouth in this contre the language that my Lorde of
Yorke and my Lord of Warwik had to my Lorde of
Norfolk in the Kings chambre, and that my Lorde of
Yorke saide, rathir than the londe shulde go so, he wolde
com dwell ther hym sliff. Ye wolde mervaile what harts my
Lords hath goten, and how this language put peeple in com-
forte. My Lorde of Norffolk answerde that he wolde speke
to my Lady his wiff, and entret hir. And your adversarys
reherce that my Lorde shall never be Chanceleer til this mateer
be spede,³ for ther bargans ar made condicionall, to holde and
nat holde as afftir my Lorde be Chaunceler and nat. Sothwell
is all the doar, and he hath saide that my Lorde of Zorke
licensid hym to labour in the mateer. My Lorde of Norwich
shuld by xl. marke of the same lond. Thai entende to have a
man of my Lady of Suthfolks sheryve, and specially Harcort.
My Lorde coude nat bileve it but if [i.e. unless] he harde it,
how it is rejoysshid in som place that he is nat Chaunceleer.
Ther cam oo man into the contre with a newe patent, saying
that my Lorde was Chanceler, and at that was the first patent
that was sealid sithen he was officeer. The tythandes did
goode pro tempore. Ther are witnes labourid, as it is said, to
witnes and swere ageyn you of men of cli. a yeer, and many
oder men, som that knew never of the mateer nor never harde
Sir John Faskolff speke; ye know what jure is in this contre
in maters that ar favoured by them that ar now ageyn you. It
is harde whan a mateer restid by jure in this contre, som of the
same quest that founde you bondeman shall witnesse ayens you.
Syr Thomas Howys comyth to London, and if my Lorde of
Zorke wolde entret frendely my Lorde of Ely,¹ and get feith-
fully his promyse that my Lorde of Ely sende for Hawys, he
shulde make Hawys to go home ageyn and leve all his fellowis
post allon; and that my Lorde wolde entret my Lorde Tre-
saurer, my Lord Penbrok,² my Lady Bedford,³ and remembre
the bargan is not yit made, it may be better lettid affor than
afftyr; and if the mateer spede my Lorde getith gret worshipp
and gret thanke. I doute not he undirstondyth it, for it is
well undirstonde what he hath saide. And pray his Lordeshipp
to remembre a shereve this yeer, for ther is mych to be undir-
stonde in the shereve. And sende me worde if my Lorde
Penbrok be go, and if my Lorde be Chaunceler. Et memo-
randum, Sir William Terell your testimoniall. Et memoran-
dum, my Lorde Cardynall to sende answer to Sir Thomas
Howys; and though my Lorde Cardynall be nat ther now,
yit lat Townysende make it redy ageyns my Lords commyng.
If Sir Thomas Howys wer handelyd by Maister Tressam and
made byleve and put in hope of the moone shone in the water
and I wot nat what, that such labor wer made that eythir he
shulde be a pope or els in dyspeyr to be depryved de omni
beneficio ecclesiastico for symony, lechory, perjory, and doubble
variable pevyshnesse, and for admynystryng without auctoryte;
and how he promisid bi his feith to my Lord t’obey his rewle
and brak it, and what he hath saide to my lords in this mateer;
and if ye recur in the courte, he shall be undo, and this mateer
tolde hym by my Lorde of Ely and Maister Tresham, halff in
game and halff in ernest, it shulde make hym to departe, for
Yelvyrton and he ar halff at variance now. And entret my
Lords servaunts to speke in your maters to all such persones
as nede is. And I shall be hastyly with you by the grace of
God, whom have yow in kepyng. Writen on Seynt Simonde
Day and Jude.

                                                                              By your owne.

     ² [From Paston MSS., B.M.] The reference to the Earl of Pembroke, who was
only so created in 1468, and who was beheaded in July 1469, fixes the date of this
letter to the former year.

     ¹ Alice, widow of William de la Pole, Duke of Suffolk.

     ² George Nevill, Archbishop of York.

     ³ The Great Seal was taken from Archbishop Nevill on the 8th June 1467.
Apparently in 1468 he was hoping to be made Chancellor again.

     ¹ William Grey, Bishop of Ely.

     ² William Herbert, Earl of Pembroke.     ³ See page 188, Note 3.

OCT. 28

1468
OCT. 28

1468
OCT. 28