Clement Paston to John Paston

  LETTER XV.

     To hys rythe rev^rent

     and Worchypfwll brod-

     Iohn Paston.

RYTHE rev^rent and worchypfwll brod^r I recomawnde me
to yowr good brod^r hood desieryng to herre of zour Wel-
far and good p'sp^rite the gwyche I p'y god encresse to his pleswr
and zowr herts hesse Certyfyyng zow y^t I have spok w^t Iohn
Rwsse and Playt^r spok w^t him bothe on Fryday be for seynt
barthelmw he tolde vs of Howards gydyng gwyche mad vs rythe
sory tyl we herde y^e cōclusion y^t ze hadde non harme Also I
und^rstond by W. Pekok y^t my nevew hadde knowleche yer of
also up on Sat day nexst be for seynt barthelmwe in y^e kyngs
howse not w^t standyng up on y^e same day Playt^r and I wryte
letters on to him rehersyng al the mat^r for cāe if yer wer ony
q^estionys mevyd to hym yer of y^t he xwlde telle y^e trowthe in
cas y^t y^e qwestions wer mevyd by ony Worchypfwll man and
namyd my lord ¹bowcher for my lord bowcher was w^t y^e kyng
at y^t tym I fele by W. Pekok y^t my nevew is not zet v^rily
aqweyntyd in y^e kyngs howse nor w^t y^e officers of y^e kyngs
howse he is not takyn as non of y^t howse for y^e coks be not
charged to serue hym nor y^{e 2}sewer to gyue hym no dyche for
y^e sewer wyll not tak no men no dyschys till yey be comawndyd
by y^e cownt^rroller also he is not Aq^eyntyd w^t no body but w^t.
³ Weks and weks ad told hum y^t he wold bryng hym to y^e
kyng but he hathe not zet do soo Wherfor it were best for hym
to tak hys leve and cū hom till ze hadd spok wt Swm body to
helpe hym forthe for he is not bold y now to put forthe hym
selfe bur yan I consyderyd y^t If he xwld now cū hom y^e kyng
wold thyng y^r wan he xwld doo hym ony s^rvie sō wer y^t yan
ze wold have hym hom y^e qwyche xwld cāe hym net to be
hadde in fauou And also men wold thynke y^t he wer put owte

of s^rvic Also W. Pekok tellythe me y^t his mony is spent and
not ryotesly but wysly and discretly for y^e costs in grett^r in y^e
kyng's howse qwen he rydythe yan ze wend it hadde be as
Wyllam Pekok can tell zow And yer' wee mwst gett hym j C
at y^e lest As by Wyllam Pekoks seyyng and zet y^t will be to
lytill And I wot well we kan not get xl^d of Xptifyr Hanswm so
I xall be fayn to lend it hym of myn owne silu^r if I knew v^rily
zo^r entent wer y^t he xwld cū hom I wold send hym non
Ther' I wyll doo as me thynkithe ze xwld be best plesyd and y^t
me thynkythe is to send him y^e silu^r yer for i p'y zow hastely
as ze may send me azen v mark and y^e remnawnte I trow I
xall get up on Xpofir Hanswm and lwket I p'y zow send me
it as hastely as ze may for I xall leve my sele rythe bare and i
p'y zow send me A lett^r how ze woll y^t he xull be demenyd
Wrytyn on twsday aft^r Seynt Barthelmwe &c. Xps vos
cōserver!

                                                   By

                                                                 ⁴ Clement Paston.

     11 ? by 8 ?.

     This Letter appears to have been written in the beginning of the reign of Edward IV.
at the time that J. Paston had a son attending in the King's house in expectations of some
appointment therein. We have here a curious account of the method of proceeding, and
are likewise informed, that attendance there could not be without expence.

     The behaviour of Howard here mentioned was, I believe, occasioned b some, election
disputes.

    1 William Viscount Bourchier, eldest son of Henry Bourchier, who was created Earl of
Essex in June 1461, he was Cousin to Edward Iv. and died in the life-time of his father.

    2 An officer who had the ordering of the dishes, &C.

    3 John Wykes was an usher of the King's chamber and a friend and cousin of J. Paston's.

    ⁴ Clement Paston was a younger brother of J. Paston.

     Autograph.      PI. II. No 22.

                                                                                   LETTER XV.

      To his right reverend and worshipful Brother John Paston.

RIGHT reverend and worshipful brother, I recommend me
to your good prosperity, desiring to hear of your wel-
fare and good prosperity, the which I pray God increase to his
pleasure and your heart's ease, certifying you that I have spoken
with John Ruffe, and Playters spoke with him both (also) on
Friday before Saint Bartholomew; he told us of Howard's
guiding, which made us right sorry, till we heard the conclu-
sion that ye had none harm.

     Also I understand by William Peacock that my Nephew had
knowledge thereof also upon Saturday next before Saint Bartho-
lomew, in the King's House; notwithstanding upon the same
day Playters and I wrote Letters unto him, rehearsing all the
matter for cause if there were any questions moved to him
thereof, that he should tell the truth, in case that the questions
were moved by any worshipful man, and (we) named my Lord
¹Bourchier, for my Lord Bourchier was with the King at that time.

     I feel by William Peacock that my Nephew is not yet verily
acquainted in the king's House, nor with Officers of the
King's Housel he is not taken as none of that House, for the
Cooks be not charged to serve him, nor the ² Sever to give him
no dish, for the Sewer will not take no men no dishes 'till they
be commanded by the Controller; also he is not acquainted with
nobody but with ³ Wykes, and Wykes had told him that he
would bring him to the King, but he hath not yet done so;
wherefore it were best for him to take his leave and come home,
till ye had spoken with some body to help him forth, for he is
not bold enough to put forth himself; but then I considered that
if he should now come home, the King would think that when
he should do him any service, it were that then ye would have
him home, the which should cause him not to be had in favour;
and also men would think that he were put out of service. Also

William Peacock telleth me that his money is spent, and not
riotously, but wisely, and discreetly, for the costs is greater in
the King's House when he rideth then ye wend it had been, as
William Peacock can tell you; and therefore we must get him
one hundred Shillings at the least, as by William Peacock's
saying, and yet that will be too little, and I wot well we cannot
get forty pence of Christopher Hanson, so I shall be fain to lend
it him of mine own silver; if I knew verily your intent were
that he should come home. I would send him none; therefore I
will do as me thinketh ye should be best pleased, and that me
thinketh is to send him the silver; therefore I pray you (as)
hastily as ye may send me again five marks (3l.6s. 8d.) and the
remanent I trow I shall get upon Christopher Hanson and Loket.
I pray you send me it as hastily as ye may, for I shall leave my
self right bare, and I pray you send me a Letter how ye Will
that he shall be demeaned. Written on Tuesday after Saint Bar-
tholomew, &c. Christus vos conserver!

                                               By

                                                             ⁴ CLEMENT PASTON.

August,

     about 1461, or 1462,

     1 or 2 E. IV.

This Letter appears to have been written in the beginning of the reign of Edward IV.
at the time that J. Paston had a son attending in the King's house in expectations of some
appointment therein. We have here a curious account of the method of proceeding, and
are likewise informed, that attendance there could not be without expence.

     The behaviour of Howard here mentioned was, I believe, occasioned b some, election
disputes.

    1 William Viscount Bourchier, eldest son of Henry Bourchier, who was created Earl of
Essex in June 1461, he was Cousin to Edward Iv. and died in the life-time of his father.

    2 An officer who had the ordering of the dishes, &C.

    3 John Wykes was an usher of the King's chamber and a friend and cousin of J. Paston's.

   ⁴ Clement Paston was a younger brother of J. Paston.

     Autograph.      PI. II. No 22.

478

CLEMENT PASTON TO JOHN PASTON¹

To hys rythe reverent and worchypfwll broder, John Paston.

RYTHE reverent and worchypfwll broder, I recomawnde
     me to yowr good broderhood, desieryng to herre of
     zour welfar and good prosperite, the gwyche I pray
God encresse to His pleswr and zowr herts hesse [heart’s ease];
certyfyyng zow that I have spok with John Rwsse, and Playter
spok with him bothe, on Fryday be for Seynt Barthelmw. He
tolde us of Howards gydyng, gwyche mad us rythe sory tyl
we herde the conclusion that ze hadde non harme.

     Also I understond by W. Pekok that my nevew hadde
knowleche ther of also up on Saterday nexst be for Seynt
Barthelmwe, in the Kyngs howse. Not with standyng, up on
the same day Playter and I wryte letters on to him, rehersyng
al the mater, for cause if ther wer ony questionys mevyd to
hym ther of, that he xwlde telle the trowthe, in cas that the
qwestions wer mevyd by ony worchypfwll man, and namyd
my Lord Bowcher,¹ for my Lord Bowcher was with the Kyng
at that tyme.

     I fele by W. Pekok that my nevew is not zet verily
aqweyntyd in the Kyngs howse, nor with the officers of the
Kyngs howse he is not takyn as non of that howse; for the
coks [cooks] be not charged to serve hym, nor the sewer² to
gyve hym no dyche, for the sewer wyll not tak no men no
dyschys till they be comawndyd by the cownterroller. Also
he is not aqweyntyd with no body but with Weks;³ and
Weks ad told hym that he wold bryng hym to the Kyng, but
he hathe not zet do soo. Wherfor it were best for hym to
tak hys leve and cum hom, til ze hadd spok with swm body
to helpe hym forthe, for he is not bold y now to put forthe
hym selfe. But than I consyderyd that if he xwld now cum
hom, the Kyng wold thyng [think] that wan he xwld doo hym
ony servie som wer, that than ze wold have hym hom, the
qwyche xwld cause hym not to be hadde in favor; and also
men wold thynke that he wer put owte of servic. Also
W. Pekok tellythe me that his mony is spent, and not
ryotesly, but wysly and discretly, for the costs is gretter in
the Kyngs howse qwen he rydythe than ze wend it hadde be,
as Wyllam Pekok can tell zow; and therof wee must gett
hym jCs. at the lest, as by Wyllam Pekoks seyyng, and zet
that will be to lytill, and I wot well we kan not get xld. of
Christifyr Hanswm. So I xall be fayn to lend it hym of myn
owne silver. If I knew verily zour entent wer that he xwld
cum hom, I wold send hym non. Ther I wyll doo as me
thynkithe ze xwld be best plesyd, and that me thynkythe is to
send him the silver. Ther for I pray zow hastely as ze may
send me azen v. mark, and the remnawnte, I trow, I xall get
up on Christofir Hanswm and Lwket. I pray zow send me it
as hastely as ze may, for I xall leve my selfe rythe bare; and
I pray zow send me a letter how ze woll that he xull be de-
menyd. Wrytyn on Twsday after Seynt Barthelmwe, &c.
Christus vos conservet!                    CLEMENT PASTON.

     ¹ [From Fenn, iv. 52.] The references to Howard’s conduct, and to John Paston
the son being with the King, prove this letter to be of the year 1461. Compare the
last paragraph of the letter immediately preceding with the first of this.

¹ Henry, Viscount Bourchier, who had been created Earl of Essex on the 30th
June preceding. The writer had forgotten his new dignity.

     ² An officer who had the ordering of the dishes, etc.

     ³ John Wykes was an usher of the King’s chamber, and a friend and cousin of
J. Paston’s.—F.

AUG. 25

1461
AUG. 25

1461
AUG. 25