Dame Elizabeth de la Pole to Sir Robert Plumpton

159 Dame Elizabeth de la Pole¹ to Sir Robert Plumpton [26 November
        1501]        (No. 109, p. 65)

Right reverent and worshipfull & my singuler gud master, in the most
humble & lowly manner þat I can, I recomend me vnto you & vnto
my gud lady your wyfe, desiryng to have knowledg of your prosperous
helth, worship & welfayre, which I besech almighty Jesus long to
contynue, to his pleasure & your most comforth. Hartely beseching the
gud Lord that redemed me & all mankind vpon the holy Crosse, þat
he will of his benigne mercy vouchsafe to be your helper, & give you
power to resist & withstand the vtter & malicius enmity & false craft
of Master Empson, & such others your adverseries, which, as all the
great part of England knoweth, hath done to you & yours the most
injury & wrong þat euer was done, or wrought, to any man of worship
in this land of peace;² & no more sory, therfore, then I my self is. If it
were, or myght be in my poore power to remedy the matter, or any
parcell of the matter, in any manner, condition, or dede, & wheras I
may doe no more, my dayly <prayers> shalbe, & haue bene ever redy,
with the prayers of Jhesu.

     And wher it is so þat I am bounden to pay to your mastership, or
to your assignes, certayne money by yere to þe sume of xli, at ij tymes,
for such lands as be assigned in ioynter to my nephew, Germayne
Pole, & my cousin, his wyfe & your daughter, I have deliuered & payd
to his hands for this last [p. 66] past Martynmas rent vli, trustyng þat
your mastership is contented therwith. What parte, or how much therof
my sayd nevew, Germayne, hath sent to your mastership, I am ignorant,
saving þat he shewed me þat he sendeth you but xli towards the
exibicions of my nese, his wyfe. I required you, as my singuler trust is
in you, to send me acquitaunce for my discharg for þe payment of this
sayd vli; & morover I besech you to send me word in writting, by the
bringer herof, how I shall pay my rent from henceforward, & to whom
I shall pay it. And as it pleaseth you, by yore owne writting to comand
me, I shalbe redy to performe it by the grace of Jhesu, who euer
preserve your gud mastership. Wrytten at Rodburne, in hast, the
morow next after St Kathren Day.

Your true & faythfull beadwoman to hir power     Elizabeth de Pole^a
Endorsed (p. 65): To the right worshipfull my full singuler good master
Sir Robart Plompton knight this letter be deliuered in hast

     ^a Appended: Copied þe 8th day of Aprill 1613.

     ¹ Widow of Ralph de la Pole, of Radburn, Derbys (d.1492), whose heir was his
grandson, German (d.1551/2), Sir Robert’s son-in-law, whose custody was granted in
survivorship to his grandmother and Thomas de la Pole his uncle, 10 Aug. 1493. On 28
Aug. 1499 Elizabeth had given bond to Sir Robert for the assignment to the couple of
lands in jointure, CPR, 1485–94, 431; CB, 797; 193; App. III.

     ² The verdict at the Nottingham assizes had recently gone against Sir Robert.

LETTER CXXVIII.

To the right worshipfull, my full singuler good master, Sir Robart
Plumpton, knight, this letter be delivered in hast.

    Right reverent and worshipfull and my singler gud master, in
the most humble and lowly maner that I can, I recomend me
unto you, and unto my gud lady your wyfe, desiryng to have
knowledg of your prosperous helth, worship, and welfayre,
which I besech almyghty Jesus long to contynue to his pleasure,
and your most comforth. Hartely beseching the gud Lord that
redemed me and all manking upon the holy crosse, that he will of
his benigne mercy vouchsafe to be your helper, and give you
power to resist and withstand the utter and malicious enmity, and
false craft of Mr. Empson, and such others your adversaries;
which, as all the great parte of England knoweth, hath done
to you and yours the most iniury and wrong, that ever was done,
or wrought, to any man of worship in this land of peace. And
non more sory therfore, then I myselfe is. If it were, or myght
be in my poore power to remedy the matter, or any parcell of
the matter, in any maner, condition, or dede, and whereas I
may doe no more, my dayly prayers shalbe, and have bene,
ever redy, with the grace of Jesu. And wher it is so that I am
bounden to pay to your mastership, or to your assignes, cer-
tayne money by yere, to the sume of xli, at ij tymes, for such
lands as be assigned in ioynter to my nephew, Germayne Pole,
and my cousin, his wyfe and your daughter, I have delivered
and payd to his hands for this last past Martynmas rend vli,
trustyng that your mastership is contented therwith. What
parte, or how much thereof, my sayd neveu, Germayne, hath
sent to your mastership, I am ignorant, saving that he shewed
me that he sendeth you but xli towards the exibicions of my
nese, his wyfe. I required you as my singler trust is in you,
to send me acquitaunce for my discharg, for the payment of
this sayd vli; and moreover I besech you to send me word in
writting by the bringer hereof, how I shall pay my rent from
hence forward, and to whom I shall pay it; and as it pleaseth
you by yore owne writting to comand me, I shalbe redy to
performe it, by the grace of Jesu, who ever preserve your gud
mastership. Wrytten at Rodburne in hast, the morow next
after St. Kathren day.

                                         Your true and faythfull beadwoman

(26 Nov. 1501.)            to hir power, ELIZABETH DE POLE.^a

    ^aThe writer of this earnest letter was Elizabeth, daughter and coheir of Sir Reginald
Moton of Peckleton, com. Leic. kt. who died in 1445, and widow of Ralph Pole of
Radburne, co. Derb. esq. who died 31 May, 1492. (Vide Letter CVIII. notec.) Ger-
man Pole was her grandson, and in the letter mention is made of money paid to "my
nephew;" which epithet (as in the Latin from which it is derived) equally designated a
nephew, the son of a brother or sister, and a grandson. His wife is in like manner
"me nese," or "my cousin;" and the remittance for schooling shews her to have
been yet of such tender years as not to have left the paternal roof. German Pole
was, however, with his wife in Derbyshire in 1502, before he had fully attained his age.
(Vide Letter CXXXII.)