Edmund Clere to John Paston

LETTER XVIII.

To my welbeloved Cosyn John Paston be this deliv^red.

        RIGHT welbeloved Cosyn I recomaund me to you latyng
              you wite such tidings as we have.

     Blessed be God the Kyng is wel amended and hath ben syn
Cristemesday, and on Seint Jones day comaunded his Awmener
to ride to Caunt^rbury w^t his offryng, and comaunded the Secre-
tarie to offre at Seint Edwards.

     And on the Moneday after noon the Queen came to hī and
brought my Lord ¹ Prynce w^t her, and then he askid what the
Princes name was, and the Queen told hī Edward, and than
he hild up his hands and thankid God y^rof.

     And he seid he nev^r knew til that tyme, nor wist not what
was seid to hī, nor wist not where he had be whils he hath
be seke til now, and he askid, who was Godfaders, and the
Queen told hī, and he was wel apaid.

     And she told hī y^t the ² Cardinal was dede, and he seid he
knew nev^r y^rof til y^t tyme, and he seid oon of the wisist Lords
in this land was dede.

And my Lord of ³ Wynchestr, and my Lord of ⁴ Seint Jones
were w^t hī on ye morow after Twelftheday, and he speke to hē
as well as ev^r he did, and when thei come out thei’ wept for
joye.

     And he seith he is in charitee w^t all ye world, and so he
wold al y^e Lords were.

     And now he seith matyns of Our Lady and evesong and
herith his Masse devoutly.

     And Ric^d shal tell yow more tidings by mouth.

     I pray you recomaund me to my Lady Morley and to Maist^r
Prior and to my Lady Felbrigge and to my Lady Hevenyngh’m
and to my Cosyn yo^r mod^r, and to my Cosyn yo^r. wife.

     Wreten at ⁵ Grenewich on Thursday after Twelftheday.

                                                              By your Cosyn,

           11 ¾ by 7.

                                                                                Edmund Clere.

 Greenwich,
               Thurday, 10th of
               January, 1454,
               33 H. VI.

     This short, though curious Letter, conveys to us a very particular account of the
King’s Disorder from himself; he mentions his total loss of memory, which, from the
circumstances here related, appears to have commenced about October, 1453, and to
have continued till Christmas, 1454

From this Letter, likewise, we may form a true judgement of this King’s Character
and Disposition, as to Charity, Devotion, and Meekness.

     ¹ Prince Edward was born at Westminster, in October, 1453, 32 H. VI.

     ² John Kemp, Archbishop of Canterbury, Cardinal, &c. died on the 22d of March,
1453.

 ³ William de Wainsleet, Lord Bishop of Winchester.

     ⁴ Robert Botill, Lord Prior of Saint John’s, of Jerusalem, in Middlesex.

     ⁵ Greenwich was at this time the residence of the Court, in which Edmund Clere,
the Writer of this Letter, had an appointment. He was a younger Son of John Clere

by Elizabeth, Daughter of Sir Philip Branch, Kt. and by the Gift of his Mother
possessed Manors and Estates in Norfolk and Suffolk. Pl. III. N^o 31.

     This ancient Family was seated at Ormsby, in Norfolk.

     The Spelling, &c. in this Letter, differs very little from that of modern times.

     The Letter has the Impression of a Rose on the Seal.

LETTER XVIII.

To my well beloved Cousin John Paston, be this delivered.

       RIGHT well beloved Cousin, I recommend me to you,
            letting you weet such tidings as we have.

     Blessed be God! the King is well amended, and hath been
since Christmas-day; and on Saint John’s day, commanded his
Almoner to ride to Canterbury with his offering, and commanded
the Secretary to offer at Saint Edward’s.

     And on the Monday afternoon, the Queen came to him and
brought my Lord ¹ Prince with her, and then he asked what the
Prince’s name was, and the Queen told him Edward; and then
he held up his hands, and thanked God thereof.

     And he said, he never knew him till that time; nor wist not
what was said to him, nor wist not where he had been, whilst
he hath been sick till now; and he asked who were Godfathers,
and the Queen told him, and he was well apaid (content).

     And she told him that the ² Cardinal was dead; and he said,
he knew never thereof till that time; and he said, one of the
wisest Lords in this land was dead.

 And my Lord of ³ Winchester, and my Lord of ⁴ Saint John’s,
were with him on the morrow after Twelfthday, and he speak
to them as well as ever he did; and when they came out, they
wept for joy.

     And he saith he is in Charity with all the world, and so he
would all the Lords were.

     And now he saith Matins of Our Lady, and Evensong, and
heareth his Mass devoutly.

     And Richard shall tell you more tidings by mouth.

     I pray you recommend me to my Lady Morley and to Master
Prior, and to my Lady Felbrigg, and to my Lady Hevening-
ham, and to my Cousin your Mother, and to my Cousin your
Wife.

     Written at ⁵ Greenwich, on Thursday after Twelfthday.

                                                         By your Cousin,

                                                                    EDMUND CLERE.

 11 ? by 7.      

    Greenwich,
               Thurday, 10th of
               January, 1454,
               33 H. VI.

 This short, though curious Letter, conveys to us a very particular account of the
King’s Disorder from himself; he mentions his total loss of memory, which, from the
circumstances here related, appears to have commenced about October, 1453, and to
have continued till Christmas, 1454

From this Letter, likewise, we may form a true judgement of this King’s Character
and Disposition, as to Charity, Devotion, and Meekness.

     ¹ Prince Edward was born at Westminster, in October, 1453, 32 H. VI.

     ² John Kemp, Archbishop of Canterbury, Cardinal, &c. died on the 22d of March,
1453.

 ³ William de Wainsleet, Lord Bishop of Winchester.

     ⁴ Robert Botill, Lord Prior of Saint John’s, of Jerusalem, in Middlesex.

     ⁵ Greenwich was at this time the residence of the Court, in which Edmund Clere,
the Writer of this Letter, had an appointment. He was a younger Son of John Clere

by Elizabeth, Daughter of Sir Philip Branch, Kt. and by the Gift of his Mother
possessed Manors and Estates in Norfolk and Suffolk. Pl. III. N^o 31.

     This ancient Family was seated at Ormsby, in Norfolk.

     The Spelling, &c. in this Letter, differs very little from that of modern times.

     The Letter has the Impression of a Rose on the Seal.

270

EDMUND CLERE TO JOHN PASTON¹

To my welbeloved cosyn, John Paston, be this delivered.

   RIGHT welbeloved cosyn, I recomaund me to you, latyng
     you wite such tidings as we have.

     Blessed be God, the Kyng is wel amended, and hath
ben syn Cristemesday, and on Seint Jones day² comaunded
his awmener [almoner] to ride to Caunterbury wyth his offryng,
and comaunded the secretarie to offre at Seint Edwards.

     And on the Moneday after noon the Queen came to him,
and brought my Lord Prynce with her. And then he askid
what the Princes name was, and the Queen told him Edward;
and than he hild up his hands and thankid God therof. And
he seid he never knew til that tyme, nor wist not what was
seid to him, nor wist not where he had be whils he hath be
seke til now. And he askid who was godfaders, and the Queen
told him, and he was wel apaid.

     And she told him that the Cardinal³ was dede, and he seid
he knew never therof til that tyme; and he seid oon of the
wisist Lords in this land was dede.

     And my Lord of Wynchestr⁴ and my Lord of Seint Jones⁵
were with him on the morow after Tweltheday, and he speke
to hem as well as ever he did; and when thei come out thei
wept for joye.

     And he seith he is in charitee with all the world, and so

he wold all the Lords were. And now he seith matyns of Our
Lady and evesong, and herith his Masse devoutly; and Richard
shall tell yow more tidings by mouth.

     I pray yow recomaund me to my Lady Morley,¹ and to
Maister Prior,² and to my Lady Felbrigge,³ and to my Lady
Hevenyngham,⁴ and to my cosyn your moder, and to my
cosyn your wife.

     Wreten at Grenewich on Thursday after Twelftheday.

                                           Be your cosyn,

                                                                                 EDMUND CLERE.

     ¹ [From Fenn, i. 80.] There is no doubt about the date of this letter. The King
fell ill at Clarendon in the autumn of 1453, and remained in a state of utter imbecility
during the greater part of the year 1454, so that in March a deputation from the
House of Peers, sent to communicate with him on the death of his Chancellor, Car-
dinal Kemp, was obliged to report that they had been utterly unable to obtain from him
any answer or sign that he understood the least thing said to him. It appears from
this letter that his recovery was about Christmas, when he heard for the first time of
the birth of his son fourteen months before, and of the death of Cardinal Kemp nine
months before.

     ² Dec. 27.                ³ John Kemp, Cardinal Archbishop of Canterbury.

     ⁴ William Waynflete, Bishop of Winchester.

     ⁵ Robert Botyll, prior of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem

     ¹ See vol. ii. p. 84, Note 2.                                 ² Probably the Prior of Bromholm.

     ³ See p. 12, Note 3.

     ⁴ Sir John Heveningham married Elizabeth, daughter of Sir John Reedesham.
Unless he married a second time, this Elizabeth was now his widow.

1455
JAN. 9

1455
JAN. 9