Botoner to John Paston

LETTER LXXIII.

           To my Maist_r Paston.

PLEASE you to wete that aft^r dew recōmendacon hyt ys so
     that my Maist^r sendyth me to london for the mat^r of Ro-
chestr as for dyu’s of hys oune p^rtic’ler maters which concern
not the lawe, &c. And I am lyke to tarye ther till ye com jn
case ye com wythynne iij wekys. S^r at Reu^rence of god seth
my maist^r ys fully yn wille to renew hys fefm’t that it may be do
be tyme by the surest grounde that may be had for be it nevyr
so suerly don hyt shall be thought lytille ynowgh to kepe hys
lond owte of trouble And to spare for no councell ne cost to make
sure for A peny yn seson spent wille safe a pounde I comyned w^t
my broyd^r Spyrlyng which seyth he wille do hys attend’unce
and to kepe it ryzt close of the ¹ namys taryeng drawyth parell
And ye meved Agode mater to the p^rson and to me at yo^r last
beyng at Castr that my maist^r shud be lerned whate hys housold
standyth uppon yerlye seth he kept it holye to ghedr at one
place And that don then to see by the Revenues of hys yeerly
lyfelode whate may be leyd and Assigned owte for that cause to
meynteyn hys seyd housold And over that whate may be assigned
to beere owte hys ² plees And also do pay for hys foreyn
³ chargs and dedes of Almes to A conuenyent sōme And seth the
grettist ordynarye charge most be hys housold kepyng hyt were
moste exspedyent that ye wold note well to remēbre specially my
maist^r to do hys Audytes cast up and make rollys of hys Ac-
compts conc^rnyng the seyd housold seth he came yn to Norff’
thys ij yer and half Whych was nevyr so long to doo thys xl
wynter as ye now. And it y^s pytee that hys Audyt ys none ethyr
wyse yn that entended ye must nedys yff ye wille my maist^r
know how hyt stand w^t hym yerly of hys chargs that thys be do
fyrst as it was allwey acustomed my maist^r wille acord it to be
don but it ys forgete throwgh negligence of men yoven to sen-
sualite as Tho’s Upton me and othyrs my maist^r can not know
whede^r he go backward or forw’rd till thys be doon I can not ell
but ye wille not foryete thys that the Audytes go verraily aboute
it to An ende And Haylysdon Accōpts be behynde for ij yeer to
grete pite ys and it wer yours or yn any wyseman gouu^rn’ce at
Norw’ hastly the Wenstay in Est weke.

                                                                            ⁴ BotoHRner.

             11 ¾ by 5 ½.

           Norwich,
   Wednesday in Easter Week,
       31 March, 1456. 34 H. VI.

     The Feoffment, which Botoner appears so anxious about, most probably concerned those
lands which Sir John Fastolf intended to devote to charitable uses, as the founding of
his College, &c.

     From the management of his Accounts we see the manner in which the affairs of the
Great Men of the time were conducted, and the method here proposed seems the best
that could be contrived for bringing back his Auditors to their accustomed exactness.

     ¹ Of the Trustees named in the feoffment I suppose.

     ² His Law business.
 

     ³ Charges not connected with his houshold Accounts.

     ⁴ Autograph. Pl. II. N? 23.

LETTER LXXIII.

To my Master Paston.

PLEASE you to weet that, after due recommendation, it is
     so that my Master sendeth me to London for the matter of
Rochester as (well as) for divers of his own particular matters
which concern not the law, &c. And I am like to tarry there
till ye come, in case ye come within three weeks.

     Sir, at reverence of God seth (since) my Master is fully in will
to renew his feossment, (take care) that it may be done by time
by the surest ground that may be had, for, be it never so surely
done, it shall be thought little enough to keep his land out of
trouble; and to spare for no counsel nor cost to make it sure, for
a Penny in season spent will save a Pound.

     I communed with my brother Spyrling, which sayeth he will
do his attendance, and to keep it right close of the ¹ names, tar-
rying draweth peril.

     And ye moved a good matter to the Parson and to me at your
last being at Caister, that my Master should be learned (inform-
ed) what his household standeth upon yearly, since he kept it
together wholly at one place; and that done, then to see by the
Revenues of his yearly livelihood what may be laid and assigned
out for that cause to maintain his said household, and over that,
what may be assigned to bear out his ² Pleas; and also to pay
for his foreign ³ Charges, and Deeds of Alms to a conveni-
ent sum.

     And since the greatest ordinary charge must be his house-
hold keeping, it were most expedient that ye would note well to
remember specially my Master to do (cause) his Auditors (to)
cast up and make Rolls of his Accounts concerning the said
household since he came into Norfolk these two years and half,
which was never so long to do these forty winters, as ye know;
and it is pity that his Audit is none otherwise in that intended;
ye must needs, if ye will my Master know how it stand with
him yearly of his charges, that this be done first, as it was al-
ways accustomed; my Master will accord it to be done, but it is
forgotten through negligence of men given to sensuality, as Tho-
mas Upton, me, and others; my Master cannot know whether
he go backward or forward till this be done.

     I can not (nought) else, but ye will not forget this, that the
Auditors go verily about it to amend; and Heylesdon Accounts
be behind hand for two years to great pity is, and it were (I
wish it were) yours, or in any wise man’s governance. At Nor-
wich hastily, the Wednesday in Easter week.

                                                                             ⁴ BOTOHRNER.

            11 ? by 5 ?.

           Norwich,
   Wednesday in Easter Week,
       31 March, 1456. 34 H. VI.

     The Feoffment, which Botoner appears so anxious about, most probably concerned those
lands which Sir John Fastolf intended to devote to charitable uses, as the founding of
his College, &c.

     From the management of his Accounts we see the manner in which the affairs of the
Great Men of the time were conducted, and the method here proposed seems the best
that could be contrived for bringing back his Auditors to their accustomed exactness.

     ¹ Of the Trustees named in the feoffment I suppose.

     ² His Law business.
      ³ Charges not connected with his houshold Accounts.

      ⁴ Autograph. Pl. II. N? 23.

355

BOTONER TO JOHN PASTON¹

To my Maister Paston.

PLEASE you to wete that, after dew recommendacion,
     hyt yt so that my maister sendyth me to London for
     the mater of Rochestr, as for dyvers of hys oune
particuler maters which concern not the lawe, &c.; and I am
lyke to tarye till ye com, in case ye com wythynne iij. wekys.

     Sir, at reverence of God, seth my maister ys fully yn wille
to renew hys fefment, that it may be do be tyme by the surest
grounde that may be had, for, be it nevyr so suerly don, hyt
shall be thought lytille ynowgh to kepe hys lond owte of
trouble; and to spare for no councell ne cost to make sure,
for a peny yn seson spent wille safe a pounde. I comyned
with my broyder Spyrlyng, which seyth he wille do hys
attendaunce, and to kepe it ryzt close of the namys. Taryeng
drawyth parell.

     And ye meved a gode mater to the Parson and to me at
your last beyng at Castr, that my maister shud be lerned whate
hys housold standyth uppon yerlye, seth he kept it holye to
ghedr at one place; and that don, then to see by the revenues
of hys yeerly lyfelode whate may be leyd and assigned owte
for that cause to meynteyn hys seyd housold, and over that,
whate may be assigned to beere owte hys plees, and also do
pay for hys foreyn chargs² and dedes of almes to a con-
venyent somme.

     And seth the grettist ordynarye charge most be hys
housold kepyng, hyt were moste exspedyent that ye wold note
well to remembre specially my maister to do hys audyt[or]es
cast up and make rollys of hys accompts concernyng the seyd
housold seth he came yn to Norffolk thys ij. yer and half,
whych was nevyr so long to doo thys xl. wynter as ye now.
And it ys pytee that hys audyt ys none ethyr wyse yn that
entended; ye must nedys, yff ye wille my maister know how
hyt stand with hym yerly of hys chargs, that thys be do fyrst,
as it was allwey accustomed. My maister wille acord it to be
don, but it ys forgete throwgh negligence of men yoven to
sensualite, as Thomas Upton, me, and othyrs. My maister
can not know wheder he go backward or forward till thys
be doon.

     I can not elles, but ye wille not foryete thys that the
audyt[or]es go verraily aboute it to an ende. And Haylysdon
accompts be behynde for ij. yeer to [too] grete pite ys, and it
wer yours or yn any wyseman gouveraunce.

     At Norwich hastly, the Wenstay in Ester weke.

                                                                                 BOTO-H.R.-NER.

     ¹ [From Fenn, iii. 294.] It appears from the contents of this letter that it was
written two and a half years after Sir John Fastolf came to live in Norfolk, which he
did in the autumn of 1454. The date therefore is certain.

     ² Charges not connected with his household accounts.—F.

1457
APRIL 20

1457
APRIL 20