Botoner to John Paston

LETTER LXV.

            To my maist’ Iohn Paston.

PLEASE your maist^rshyp to wete that I had sent yow word
     of the gode chiere that the p^rsons ye wote off had here uppon
new yeer day and how well they toke it but W. Barker coude
playnly enforme yow. And John Sadler of Ocle told me how
they av’nted of it when he of lynne came by h[SYM] at nyzt lyeng that
he had neide^r bett^r chier &c. my maist^r demaundyth me sondry
tymes when ye shall be here j coude not sey till thys day be
passed. Williā ¹ Geney shall be here to morn. so wold Ih’s ye
were her then J asked licence to ryde yn to my Contree. And
my maistr dyd not gr’unt it he seyd hys wille was for to make
&c. y aunsuerd it fyt not me to know it. god gefe h[SYM] gr’ce of
holsom Councell and of A gode disposic’on. non est opus un^s diei
nec un^s septīane my lord Bedford wylle was made yn so bryeff
and gen^rall t^rmys that yn to thys day by the space of xx yeer can
neide^rhafe ende but all wey new to Constrew and oppynable so
A gen^rallte shall ne may be so gode as A p^rticuler declaracon. j
wryte blontly. J had foryete to hafe told yow maist^r Fylongley
meoved me to enforme my maist^r to hafe a gen^ralle ² pease so it
myzt be worshypfull y hafe seyd no word for j can not medle yn
hygh mat’s that passyth my wyt. And therfor yff ye and W.
Geney mete to gheders ye know and can devyne best what y^s to
be doon. our lord be w^t yow Wryt hastly vj day januar.

                                                                    ³ W. Botoner. H. R.

         11 ? by 4.
                Seal.
  It appears to be St. John’s
       Head in a Charger.
          Motto illegible.
          Pl. XXIII. N^o 4.

       Caister,
            6th of January,
            1455. 34 H. VI.

We see in this Letter Sir J. Fastolf’s desire to make his Will, and the difficulties
which would probably occur in making a proper one.

     John Plantagenet, Duke of Bedford, died at Paris in 1435, we can therefore from
that circumstance ascertain the date of this Letter, and for more particulars relative to
that Duke’s Will the Reader is referred to Letter XXVIII. Vol. i. p. 121.

     ¹ Sir William Jenncy was made a Judge of the King’s Bench about 1477, and died in
1483, and was buried at Thebarton, in Suffolk.

² This seems to relate to Sir John’s own private disputes rather than to the public dis-
turbances.

     ³ Autograph. Pl. II. N^o 24. For some account of him see Letter XXV. Vol. i.
p. 104. Note ¹.

     The impression on the Seal of this Letter is curious, but it is too imperfect to be ac-
curately made out, though I believe it is St. John’s Head in a Charger; the Motto is
quite illegible.

LETTER LXV.

To my Master John Paston.

PLEASE your mastership to weet that I had sent you word
     of the good cheer that the persons ye wote of had here upon
New Year’s Day, and how well they took it, but W. Barker
could plainly inform you; and John Sadler of Ocle (Acle) told
 

me how they avaunted of it when he of Lynn came by him at
night lying, that he had neide^r (never) better cheer, &c.

     My Master demandeth (asketh) me sundry times when ye shall
be here; I could not say till this day be passed; William ¹ Jen-
ney shall be here to morñ (to-morrow), so would Jesu ye were
here then I asked licence to ride into my Country, and my
Master did not grant it; he said his Will was to make, &c. I
answered, “it sit not me to know it.” God give him grace of
wholesome counsel, and of a good disposition, non est opus
unius diei, nec unius septimanæ.

     My Lord Bedford’s Will was made in so brief and general
terms, that unto this day by the space of twenty years can never
have end, but always new to construe, and opiniable; so a gene-
rality shall nor may be so good as a particular declaration.

     I write bluntly; I had forgotten to have told you Master
Fylongley moved me to inform my Master to have a general
² peace, so it might be worshipful. I have said no word, for I
cannot meddle in high matters that passeth my wit; and there-
fore if ye and W. Jenney meet together ye know and can divine
best what is to be done. Our Lord be with you; writ hastily,
6th day of January.

                                                          ³ W. BOTONER. H. R.

          11 ? by 4.
                Seal.
  It appears to be St. John’s
       Head in a Charger.
          Motto illegible.
          Pl. XXIII. N^o 4.

       Caister,
            6th of January,
            1455. 34 H. VI.

We see in this Letter Sir J. Fastolf’s desire to make his Will, and the difficulties
which would probably occur in making a proper one.

     John Plantagenet, Duke of Bedford, died at Paris in 1435, we can therefore from
that circumstance ascertain the date of this Letter, and for more particulars relative to
that Duke’s Will the Reader is referred to Letter XXVIII. Vol. i. p. 121.

     ¹ Sir William Jenncy was made a Judge of the King’s Bench about 1477, and died in
1483, and was buried at Thebarton, in Suffolk.

² This seems to relate to Sir John’s own private disputes rather than to the public dis-
turbances.

     ³ Autograph. Pl. II. N^o 24. For some account of him see Letter XXV. Vol. i.
p. 104. Note ¹.

     The impression on the Seal of this Letter is curious, but it is too imperfect to be ac-
curately made out, though I believe it is St. John’s Head in a Charger; the Motto is
quite illegible.

314

BOTONER TO JOHN PASTON²

To my maister, John Paston.

   PLEASE your maistershyp to wete that I had sent yow
     word of the god chiere that the persons ye wote off
     had here uppon New Yeer Day, and how well they
toke it, but W. Barker coude playnly enforme yow. And
John Sadler of Ocle told me how they avaunted of it when
he of Lynne came by hym at nyzt lyeng, that he had neider
better chier, &c.

     My maister demaundyth me sondry tymes when ye shall
be here. I coude not sey till thys day be passed. William
Geney shall be here to morn, so wold Jesus ye were her then.
I asked licence to ryde yn to my contree, and my maistr dyd
not graunt it; he seyd hys wille was for to make, &c. Y
aunsuerd it fyt not me to know it. God gefe hym grace
of holsom councell, and of a gode disposicion; non est opus
unius diei, nec unius septimanœ.

     My Lord Bedford wylle was made yn so bryeff and
generall termys, that yn to thys day by the space of xx. yeer
can neider hafe ende, but all wey new to constrew and oppyn-
able; so a generallte shall ne may be so gode as a particuler
declaracion.

     I wryte blontly. I had foryete to hafe told yow Maister
Fylongley meoved me to enforme my maister to hafe a
generalle pease, so it myzt be worshypfull. Y hafe seyd no
word, for I can not medle yn hygh maters that passyth my
wyt; and therfor yff ye and W. Geney mete to gheders, ye
know and can devyne best what ys to be doon. Our Lord be
with yow.

        Wryt hastly, vj. day Januar.

                                                                         W. BOTONER, H.R.

         ² [From Fenn, iii. 256.] By the reference to the Duke of Bedford’s will as
having been in dispute for twenty years, it would appear that this letter was written
in the beginning of the year 1456. Bedford died at Rouen on the 14th September
1435.           

1456
JAN. 6

1456
JAN. 6