Edward Plumpton to Sir Robert Plumpton

122 Edward Plumpton to Sir Robert Plumpton, 10 March 1496/7           (No.
        201, p. 139)

In my right^a [. . .]^b humble wyse I recomende me vnto your good
mastership & to my singuler good lady your wyfe; & wher it hath
pleased almyghty Jhesu of his grace, by meanes of my lovers & frinds,
to bryng me to þe sight & acquantance of a gentlewoman in London,
whose name is Agnes, late wife of Robt Drayate, gent., who is a woman
þat God hath indued with great grace & vertue. She is wyse & goodly &
of great substance, & able for a better man then I am. Notwithstanding
it pleaseth so þat I myght content hir frinds mynds, for hir [. . .]^c
<iointor> is xx marke by yere þat they demand of me. My answare is
to them þat I haue no lands but in reuersion, & þat yt pleaseth your
good mastership to giue my last wyfe xij marke by yeare out of your
lands;^d & my especyall trust is þat it will please your mastership, for
my promoton, & in especyall for my harts desir & wele, þat faythfull
is set vpon this sayd gentlewoman, to grant & make sure to hir a
ioyntor of xx marke yerely ouer all reprises during hir life, & I besech
you [so] to do, & þat þe [. . .]^e <berer> hereof may be certayne of your
mynd in the premysses, and also answere to them by your wrytting of
þe same. This don, incontinent after Easter, I trust in Jhesu to fynysh
this matter, for they demaund of me certayne lands & goods, as more
at larg appereth within a byll here inclosed, the which I obserued in
euery poynt to thaccomplishment of ther pleasures. Sir, you know I
haue no lands nor lyving in substaunce, but onely of you; & this hapen,
I shalbe more able to do your mastership service. From London, in
my sayd master lodging, þe x of March 1496.

Your humble servant     Ed: Plompton^f

John Chasser of Lyncolnes
Sir William Chamber, chaplaine
Edward Chesseman
Endorsed: To my singuler good master Sir Robart Plompton kt

     ^a Marginal note: 11 H.7 M.10.

     ^b honorable deleted.

     ^c 2 words deleted.

     ^d Marginal note: Edward Plo: a suter in Midlesex. Below: non nuptia 10 m.1496. 11 H.7.
Below: obiit 9 Aug. 1499 [illeg.].

     ^e better deleted.

     ^f Appended: Copied the 10 day of May 1613.

LETTER XCVII.

To my singular good master, Sir Robart Plompton, Kt.

In my right humble wyse I recomende me unto your good mas-
tership, and to my singular good lady, your wyfe; and wher it hath
pleased Almighty Jesu of his grace, by meanes of my lovers and
frinds, to bryng me to the sight and acquantance of a gentlewoman
in London, whose name is Agnes, late wife of Robert Drayate, gen-
tilman, who is a woman that God hath indued with great grace and
vertue. She is wyse and goodly, and of great substance, and able
for a better man then I am. Notwithstanding it pleaseth, so that
I myght content her frinds mynds for her joyntor of xx marke by
yere that they demand of me. My answare is to them, that I
have no lands but in revercion; and that yt pleaseth your good
mastership to give my last wyfe xii marke by yerar out of your
lands, and my especyall trust is, that it will please your master-
ship, for my promotion, and in especyall for my harts desir and
wele, that faythfull is set upon this sayd gentlewoman, to grant
and make sure to hir a jointer of xx marke yerely over all reprises,
during her life. And I besech you so to do, and that the berer
herof may be certayne of your mynd in the premysses, and also
answere to them by your wrytting of the same. This don, inconti-
nent after Easter I trust in Jesu to fynish this matter; for they
demaund of me certayne lands and goods, as more at large apper-
eth within a byll here inclosed, the which I observed in every
poynt to thaccomplishment of their pleasures. Sir, you know I
have no lands, nor lyving in substaunce, but onely of you; and this
hapen, I shall be more able to do your mastership service. From
London, in my sayd master lodging, the x of March, 1496.

    John Chasser of Lyncolnes.        Your humble servant,
    Sir William Chamber, Chaplaine,            ED. PLOMPTON.
    Edward Chesseman^a.

(10 March 1496-7.)

    ^a The names endorsed were apparently the friend of the lady, who intended to
communicate with Sir Robert Plumpton upon the proposed settlement. A plan for
their mystification is curiously developed in the next epistle of Edward Plumpton.