Clement Paston to John Paston

LETTER LII.

To bys Rythe Worchypfwll broder John Paston.

   RYTHE rev’ent and worchypfwll brod’ I recom-
     awnde to yow c^rtyfyyng yow y^t yowr lett^r was dely-
v’yd me y^e xxiii day of Januar abowthe none seasson and
¹ Rychard Calle rode in y^e mornyng and yerfor I brak yowr
lett^r if yer wer any aftr mat and I dede Xpitofer Hauswan goo to
my ² lord of Cawnt’bur’ to tell him as yowr lett’ rehersyd and
my lord seyd he hadde spokyn w^t yowr man yer of y^e day be
for’ and if ³ y^e byshop of Norwyche wod not doo so mwche
for him he hys y^e les behold to him notw^tstandyng he sayd
he wold save yow harmeles agens John Yowng but and ye
do well remember Thys lord have many maters to thyng’ on
and if it be forgeten y^e harm is yowrs and also if the word
torn John Yong will not doo at hys p’yer.

     And my ⁴ lord fitzwater is ryden northewards and it is sayd in
my lord of Cawnt’berys howse y^t he hethe takyn ij^c of ⁵ Andrew
troloppys men and as for Colt and Sir Jamys strangwysse and
Sir Thomas pykeryng yey be takyn or ellys dede y^e comyn
voysse is y^t yey be dede, hopton and hastyngs be w^t y^e Erle
of marche and wer not at y^e fewlde Wat word y^t ev’ he have fro
my lords y^t be here it is well doo and best for yow to see y^t y^e
contre be allweys redy to com’ bothe fote men and hors men
qwen they be sent for for I have herd seyde y^e ferther’ lords
will be her’ soner y^t men wen I have arde sayde er iij weks
to an ende and also y^t ye xwld come w^t more men and clenlier
arayed y^an anoder man of yowr cwntre xwld for it ly the mor’
up on yowr worchyp and towchcythe yow mor’ ner’ yan
odermen of yat cwntre and also ye be mor had in favor w^t
my lords her’. In This cwntre ev’y man is well wyllyng to
goo w^t my lords here and I hope god xall helpe hem for the
pepill in the northe Robbe and styll and ben ⁶ apoyntyd to pill
all thys cwntre and gyffe a way menys goods and lufflods in all
y^e sowthe cwntre and that wyll ask a myscheffe my lords y^t
ben her’ have as moche as yey may do to kep down all thys
Cwntre mor yan iiij or v schers for yey wold be up on y^e men
in northe for it ys for y^e welle of all y^e sowthe I pray yow
recomawnde me to my moder and y^t I prayed her of her blyssyng
I pray yow exscwse me to her y^t I wryte her no lett’ for thys
was y now a doo I dar’ not p’y yow to recomawnde me to
my swst’ yowr wyff and y^e masenger I trow be so wysse he
can not doyt ye mwst pay him for hys labor for he taryd
all ny’t in thys town for thys lett’ wrytyn y^e xxiij day of
Janwar’ in haste wan I was not well at hesse God have in hys
keping.

                                                              By Clement Paston,

                                                                                       Yowr Brod’

           xxiij Jan.       

  23d January, 1460,
              39 H. VI.

Seal an Escallop Shell.

Clement Paston, (Pl. II. N^o 22.) appears to have written this Letter to his Brother,
to induce him to show himself zealous for the York Party, who had now possession of
London and the King; and to induce him to do it with the greater readiness, informs
him that the Lancastrian Army, led on by the Queen, had leave to pillage the South,
and take away any man’s property; this is a true, though terrible picture, of a kingdom
harraffed by civil commotions!

     ¹ Richard Calle married Elizabeth, Sister of J. Paston.

     ² Thomas Bourchier, Archbishop of Canterbury, and Lord Chancellor died in
1486.

³ Walter Hart, Bishop of Norwich.

     ⁴ This must have been some Action, after the Battle of Wakefield, in which the
Queen’s Party was beaten.

     ⁵ Andrew Trollop, was killed at the battle of Towton, on the 29th of March, 1461,
fighting for the House of Lancaster.

⁶ The Queen had informed her Northern Army, that they should plunder the Country
South of Trent.

 LETTER LII.

To his Right Worshipful Brother, John Paston.

   RIGHT reverend and worshipful Brother, I recommend
     (me) to you, certifying you that your Letter was de-
livered me the 23d day of January about the noon season, and
¹ Richard Calle rode in the morning, and therefore I broke
your Letter, if (lest) there were any after matter; and I did
(ordered) Christopher Hauswon (to) go to my ² Lord of Canter-
bury to tell him, as your letter rehearsed; and my Lord said,
he had spoken with your man thereof the day before, and if the
³ Bishop of Norwich would not do so much for him, he is
the less beholden to him; notwithstanding, he said, he would
save you harmless against John Young; but and ye do well,
remember, This Lord have many matters to think on, and
if it be forgotten the harm is yours; also if the word turn
John Yong will not do at his prayer.

     And my ⁴ Lord Fitzwalter is ridden northwards, and it is
said, in my Lord of Canterbury’s house, that he hath taken
200 of ⁵ Andrew Trollop’s men. And as for Colt, and Sir
James Strangwyse, and Sir Thomas Pykering, they be taken or
else dead; the common voice is, that they be dead.

     Hopton and Hastyngs be with the Earl of March and were
not at the Field.

     What word, that every one have from my Lords that be here,
it is well done, and best for you to see, that the Country be
always ready to come both footmen and horsemen, when they
be sent for; for I have heard said, the farther Lords will be
here sooner than men ween, I have heard said, ere three weeks
to an end; and also that ye should come with more men, and
cleanlier arrayed than any other man of your Country should;
for it lie the more upon your worship, and toucheth you more
near than other men of your country, and also ye be more had
in favour with my Lords here. In this Country every man is
well willing to go with my Lords here, and I hope God shall
help them, for the People in the North rob, and steal, and be
⁶ appointed to pill (pillage) all this country, and give away
mens Goods and Livelyhoods, in all the South Country, and
that will ask a mischief. My Lords, that be here, have as
much as they may do to keep down all this Country, more than
four or five shires, for they would be up on the men in the
North, for it is for the weal of all the South. I pray you re-
commend me to my Mother, and that I prayed her of her
blessing; I pray you excuse me to her, that I write her no
letter, for this was enough to do. I dare not pray you to
recommend me to my Sister your wife, and the messenger I
trow be so wife he can not do it. Ye must pay him for his
labour, for he tarried all night in this town for this letter.

     Written the 23d day of January in haste, when I was not
well at ease. God have (you) in his keeping.

                                                By CLEMENT PASTON,

                                                                          Your Brother.

            xxiij Jan.       

  23d January, 1460,
              39 H. VI.

Seal an Escallop Shell.

Clement Paston, (Pl. II. N^o 22.) appears to have written this Letter to his Brother,
to induce him to show himself zealous for the York Party, who had now possession of
London and the King; and to induce him to do it with the greater readiness, informs
him that the Lancastrian Army, led on by the Queen, had leave to pillage the South,
and take away any man’s property; this is a true, though terrible picture, of a kingdom
harraffed by civil commotions!

     ¹ Richard Calle married Elizabeth, Sister of J. Paston.

     ² Thomas Bourchier, Archbishop of Canterbury, and Lord Chancellor died in
1486.

³ Walter Hart, Bishop of Norwich.

     ⁴ This must have been some Action, after the Battle of Wakefield, in which the
Queen’s Party was beaten.

     ⁵ Andrew Trollop, was killed at the battle of Towton, on the 29th of March, 1461,
fighting for the House of Lancaster.

⁶ The Queen had informed her Northern Army, that they should plunder the Country
South of Trent.

430

CLEMENT PASTON TO JOHN PASTON¹

To hys rythe worchypfwll broder, John Paston.

      RYTHE reverent and worchypfwl broder, I recomawnde
          to yow, certyfyyng yow that yowr letter was delyveryd
          to me the xxiii. day of Januar abowthe none seasson,
and Rychard Calle rode in the mornyng, and therfor I brak
[opened] yowr letter, if ther wer any aftr mater; and I dede
Christofer Hauswan goo to my Lord of Cawnterbure² to tell
him, as yowr letter rehersyd, and my Lord seyd he hadde
spokyn with yowr man ther of the day be fore, and if the
Byshop of Norwyche wod not doo so mwche for him, he hys
the les behold to him. Notwithstandyng, he sayd, he wold
save yow harmles agens John Yowng; but and ye do well
remember thys Lord have many maters to thynge on, and if it
be forgeten, the harm is yowrs, and also if the word [world]
torn, John Yong will not doo at hys prayer.

     And my Lord Fitzwater³ is ryden northewards, and it is
sayd in my Lord of Cawnterberys howse that he hethe takyn
ij^c. [200] of Andrew Troloppys⁴ men. And as for Colt,⁵
and Sir Jamys Strangwysse, and Sir Thomas Pykeryng, they
be takyn or ellys dede. The comyn voysse is that they
be de dede. Hopton⁶ and Hastyngs⁷ be with the Erle of
Marche, and wer no at the fewlde.⁸ Wat word that ever he
have fro my Lords that be here, it is well doo, and best for
yow, to see that the contre be allweys redy to come bothe fote

men and hors men, qwen they be sent for; for I have herd seyde
the ferthere Lords will be here soner that men wen, I have
arde sayde, er iij. weks to an ende; and also that ye xwld come
with more men, and clenlier arayed than anoder man of yowr
cwntre xwld, for it ly the more up on yowr worchyp, and
towcheythe yow more nere than odermen of that cwntre, and
also ye be mor had in favor with my Lords here. In this cwntre
every man is well wyllyng to goo with my Lords here, and I hope
God xall helpe hem, for the pepill in the northe robbe and styll,
and ben apoyntyd to pill all thys cwntre, and gyffe a way
menys goods and lufflods in all the sowthe cwntre, and that
wyll ask a myscheffe. My Lords that ben here have as moche
as they may do to kep down all thys cwntre more than iiij. or v.
schers, for they wold be up on the men in northe, for it ys for
the welle of all the sowthe.

     I pray yow recomawnde me to my moder, and that I prayed
her of her blyssyng. I pray yow exscwse me to her that I
wryte her no letter, for thys was y now a doo. I dare not
pray yow to recomawnde me to my swster yowr wyff, and the
masenger I trow be so wysse he can not doyt. Ye mwst pay
him for hys labor, for he taryd all nyt in thys town for thys
letter.

     Wrytyn the xxiij. day of Janware in haste, wan I was not
well at hesse. God have [you] in Hys keping.

                                 By CLEMENT PASTON,                  Yowr broder

     ¹ [From Fenn, i. 202.] This letter appears to have been written after the battle
of Wakefield, when the victorious army, led on by Margaret of Anjou, was marching
southwards.                                                 ² Archbishop Bourchier.

     ³ Sir John Radcliff of Attleborough, styled Lord Fitzwalter in right of his wife,
only daughter and heiress of Walter Fitzwalter, seventh lord. This John was at the
battle of Ferrybridge on the 29th March 1461, and died, probably of his wounds, on
the 6th April following.—See G. E. C.’s Complete Peerage.

     ⁴ Andrew Trollope, whose desertion of the Duke of York at Ludlow in 1459 caused
the dispersion of the Yorkist leaders. He was killed at the battle of Towton in
March 1461, fighting on the Lancastrian side.

     ⁵ Thomas Colt.—See Rolls of Parliament, v. 348.

     ⁶ Walter Hopton.—See Rolls of Parliament, v. 368.

     ⁷ William, son of Sir Leonard Hastings.—See Rolls of Parliament, ib.

     ⁸ The battle of Wakefield.

1461
JAN.23

1461
JAN.23