Archbishop Warham to William Paston

LETTER XXXIX.

To my Cousyn M
    Willia˜ Paston.

COUSYN Paston I recomaunde me vnto you And haue re-
ceiued yo^r lett^r by the which J haue vndrestand of the deth
of my Cousyn yo^r fadre whose soule Jhu assoile J wol coun-
saile and exhorte you to take it as wel and as paciently as ye
can Seeyng that we al be mortal and borne to dey And
where as ye desire to haue a letter ad colligendu˜ aft^r myne
advise ye shal doo wel to be here w^t me at Michaelmas next
comyng and at yo^r then comyng I shalbe glad to doo you the
best confort and helpe that I can Counsailing that ye in the
meane tyme doo not entremedyll in any wise w^t thadmynys-
tryng of any parte of yo^r faders goods nor w^t the receiving
of his debts for diuers causes as at yo^r comyng hadre ye
shal knowe more The meane season loke that ye be of as
confortable chere as ye can Exhorting my lady yo^r modre in
lawe to be in like wise Towhom I pray you to haue me re-
comendyd Thus fare ye hertily wel From london the vj^th
day of Septembre.

                                                      Yo^r WILLIAM ELECTE
                                                                        OF LONDON.

    9 by 6¼.

  This letter was written to William Paston, the great grandson of Judge
Paston, the first of that family concerned in this correspondence, by William
Warham, Bishop Elect of London, on the death of Sir John Paston, from
whom and to whom so many of these letters have been addressed, and with
whom the reader must have now become well acquainted.

     Sir John Paston, Kt. was born between 1442 and 1450, and married Mar-
gery, the daughter of Sir Thomas Brewse of Stinton Hall in Norfolk, in 1477,
before the death of his elder brother.

     In 1483 he was made an honorary freeman of the City of Norwich, and in
1485 was elected one of its representatives in parliament, having just before
served the office of High Sheriff for the Counties of Norfolk and Suffolk, in
which year he was also knighted. He is likewise said to have been made a
Knight Banneret at the battle of Stoke, in 1487, but of that I have found no
certain proof. In 1501 he was one of those knights appointed to receive the
Princess Catharine of Spain at Plymouth, where she arrived on the 2d of
October. He was living on the 20th of December, 1502, but died in the next
year, and was buried in the White Fryars’ Church, at Norwich, by his wife,
who died in 1495, by whom he left issue William, his son and heir, and now
the head of the family; Philip, who died young; and three daughters, Eliza-
beth, Dorothy and Philippa, who all afterwards married.

     By this letter it appears that he took a second wife, who survived him, but
who she was I have not been able to discover.

     William Warham, a gentleman of an ancient family, was born in Hampshire,
educated at Winchester, from whence he was removed to New College, Ox-
ford. In the beginning of the year 1503, after having served his sovereign in
several public capacities, he was elected Bishop of London, but in less than
two years was translated to the See of Canterbury, where he was inthroned
with great solemnity and magnificence, enjoying, during the whole of this reign,
the greatest prosperity; but in the next the political Cardinal Wolsey stood
between him and the king’s favour. He was chosen, with other bishops, by
Queen Catharine to assist and direct her in her suit, in which difficult business
he conducted himself so properly, that the king could not be offended with his
over-zeal, nor the queen blame him for neglect. After having sat in this See
nearly twenty-eight years, he died on the 23d of August, 1532, and lies buried
on the north side of the Martyrdom, in his own Cathedral.

     Autograph, Pl. xxxi. No. 20.

LETTER XXXIX.

To my Cousin Master William Paston.

COUSIN Paston, I recommend me unto you, and have re-
ceived your letter, by the which I have understanding of the
death of my cousin, your father, whose soul Jesu assoil. I
will counsel and exhort you to take it as well and as patiently
as ye can, seeing that we all be mortal and born to die. And
whereas ye desire to have a letter ad colligendum, after
mine advice ye shall do well to be here with me at Michael-
mas next coming; and at your then coming I shall be glad
to do you the best comfort and help that I can, counselling
that ye in the mean time do not intermeddle in any wise
with the administering of any part of your father’s goods, nor
with the receiving of his debts, for divers causes.

     The mean season look that ye be of as comfortable cheer
as ye can, exhorting my lady, your mother-in-law, to be in
like wise; to whom I pray you to have me recommended.

     Thus fare ye heartily well. From London this 6th day
of September.

                                         Yours,

                                                  WILLIAM ELECT OF LONDON.

                  London,
     Wednesday, 6th September,
             1503. 19 H. vii.

     This letter was written to William Paston, the great grandson of Judge
Paston, the first of that family concerned in this correspondence, by William
Warham, Bishop Elect of London, on the death of Sir John Paston, from
whom and to whom so many of these letters have been addressed, and with
whom the reader must have now become well acquainted.

     Sir John Paston, Kt. was born between 1442 and 1450, and married Mar-
gery, the daughter of Sir Thomas Brewse of Stinton Hall in Norfolk, in 1477,
before the death of his elder brother.

     In 1483 he was made an honorary freeman of the City of Norwich, and in
1485 was elected one of its representatives in parliament, having just before
served the office of High Sheriff for the Counties of Norfolk and Suffolk, in
which year he was also knighted. He is likewise said to have been made a
Knight Banneret at the battle of Stoke, in 1487, but of that I have found no
certain proof. In 1501 he was one of those knights appointed to receive the
Princess Catharine of Spain at Plymouth, where she arrived on the 2d of
October. He was living on the 20th of December, 1502, but died in the next
year, and was buried in the White Fryars’ Church, at Norwich, by his wife,
who died in 1495, by whom he left issue William, his son and heir, and now
 

the head of the family; Philip, who died young; and three daughters, Eliza-
beth, Dorothy and Philippa, who all afterwards married.

     By this letter it appears that he took a second wife, who survived him, but
who she was I have not been able to discover.

     William Warham, a gentleman of an ancient family, was born in Hampshire,
educated at Winchester, from whence he was removed to New College, Ox-
ford. In the beginning of the year 1503, after having served his sovereign in
several public capacities, he was elected Bishop of London, but in less than
two years was translated to the See of Canterbury, where he was inthroned
with great solemnity and magnificence, enjoying, during the whole of this reign,
the greatest prosperity; but in the next the political Cardinal Wolsey stood
between him and the king’s favour. He was chosen, with other bishops, by
Queen Catharine to assist and direct her in her suit, in which difficult business
he conducted himself so properly, that the king could not be offended with his
over-zeal, nor the queen blame him for neglect. After having sat in this See
nearly twenty-eight years, he died on the 23d of August, 1532, and lies buried
on the north side of the Martyrdom, in his own Cathedral.

     Autograph, Pl. xxxi. No. 20.

1075

ARCHBISHOP WARHAM TO WILLIAM PASTON¹

To my cousyn Master William Paston.

COUSYN PASTON, I recommaunde me unto you, and
     have received your letter, by the which I have undre-
     stand of the deth of my cousyn your fadre, whose
soule Jesu assoile. I wol counsaile and exhorte you to take it
as wel and as paciently as ye can, seeyng that we al be mortal
and borne to dey. And where as ye desire to have a letter ad
colligendum, after myne advise ye shal doo wel to be here with
me at Michaelmas next commyng, and at your then commyng
I shalbe glad to doo you the best confort and helpe that I can;
counsailing that ye in the meane tyme doo not entremedyll in
any wise with th’admynystring of any parte of your faders
goodes, nor with the receiving of his debtes, for divers causes,
as at your comyng hudre ye shal knowe more.

     The meane season, loke that ye be of as confortable chere
as ye can, exhorting my lady, your modre in lawe,² to be in
like wise, to whom I pray you to have me recommendyd.
Thus fare ye hertily wel.

        From London, the vj^th day of Septembre.

                             Your,                     WILLIAM, ELECTE OF LONDON.

     ¹ [From Paston MSS., B.M.] The writer of this letter was William Warham,
who was first Bishop of London, and afterwards Archbishop of Canterbury. Accord-
ing to the signature, he was Bishop-elect of London at the time it was written, but
we are persuaded that it is a slip of the pen. He was elected Bishop of London in
1502, and was consecrated on the 5th October; but it is clear from the preceding No.
that Sir John Paston was alive as late as the beginning of February 1503. In the
year 1503, however, Warham was translated to Canterbury. The bull for his transla-
tion was issued on the 29th November 1503, but doubtless he was elected some time
before; and it is quite intelligible how, being actually Bishop of London, he should
have written ‘Elect of London’ in place of ‘Elect of Canterbury.’ Moreover, the
allusion to the business of the administration agrees entirely with this supposition.

     ² Agnes, widow of John Hervey, Esq. of Thurley, Beds, etc. See p. 166,
Note 1.

1503
SEPT. 6