Fastolf to Sir Thomas Howys

162

FASTOLF TO SIR THOMAS HOWYS²

To my ryght trusty and welbelovyd frendys, Sir Thomas, Parson
off Castellcombe.

RYGHT trusty frendys, I grete you well. And lete you
     wete that I have resseyved your lettre thys day, which
     was wryt xv. day of December, and undre[stand] well
your ryght gode mocions and causes shewed of inconvenients
that myght fall, yff the shyreve have not a gode undreshyreff
whyche were not enclynyng to the partie of T. H.³ And
there as ye meoffe me to wryte to ij. Lordys for the said
cause, they be both forth to theyr contre, and shall therfor
wryte unto hem uppon the tenor of your lettrez in that at y
can or may, as forre as reson and justice wolle, for such an
officer as woll not, for no mede, hate, or losse, execut¹ dewlye
his office to the weele of the contre.

     Item, the day of thys lettre wrytyng, John Bokkyng ys
com to me, and hath expressley enformyd me by mouth as by
wrytynges the greete labour and diligence whych ye have take
uppon yow, seth Martismasse, in especiall, abowte the ex-
pedition of my processe of oyer and terminer before the
Kyngs Commyssioners attained; and I vele ryght well by
the avauncement of my processe your faithfull diligence, for
whych y can you ryght gode thank, and trustyng uppon your
gode continuance. And seth the Commissioners shall sytt at
Lynne after the Epiphanye, such of my maters as have take
none ende, but hang yn processe for deffaut of aunsuer or
apparaunce of my partie, I pray you that the said maters may
be called uppon of the new, and dew processe had as ferre as
justice and gode concience wolle.

     Item, it ys so, as I undrestand, that the Lord Scalys woll
be at Lynne thys Cristmasse, and at the oyer and terminer
halden there, and Sir Thomas Tuddenham and Heydon wolle
appere, of which I am well content; and it ys lyke that grete
labour and speciall pursute shall be made to the Lord Scalys
that he wolle meynteyn the said Tuddenham and Heydon in
all he can or may, and thus I have herd sey. Wherfor such
persones as have founde hem soore greved by extorcion as I
have ben, and have processe or wolle hafe processe before the
Commissioners, they most effectuelly labour to my Lord
Oxford, and to my brothyr Zelverton, Justice, that they wolle
as ferre as justice, reson, and concience do that justice may
[be] egallie mynistred, and not to wythdrawe theyr couragez
well sett from the pore peple; for and they hald not the hand
well and stedfast yn thys mater from hens forth whyle it shall
dure, as they have herebefore, the pore peple and all the grete
part of both shyres of Norffolk and Suffolk be destroyed.
For it shewyth well by what manyfold undewe menys of
extorcion they have lyved yn myserie and grete pouverte by
manye yeers contynewed that the moste part of the comyners
have litill or nought to meynteyn their menage and housold,
ne to pay the Kyngs taskys, nothyr theyr rents and servises
to the Lordz they be tenants un too, as it shewyth daylie to
all the world, whych ys overe a grete pitie to thynk. And
when the said pore peple have be by such injuries overladd and
so undoon, nedz most the gentlemen that have they pore
lyvelode amongs hem be gretely minisshed and hyndered of
their increse and levyng.

     Item, where as I undrestand by a lettre sent to me from
my welbelovyd frende Maister John Botewryght, that grete
extorcion have be don by the officers of the duchee in
takyng awey cxl. acres pasture at Swaffam, whych ys of the
Kyngs demeynz and of hys enheritaunce as of the duchee of
Lancaster, for whych pastures, yff it com not ynne ayen,
it woll be grete disheritaunce to the Kyng, and fynall destruc-
cion of the tenauntes there, for whych the said Maistre John
desyryth and prayeth of remedie yn the name of all the toune
of Swaffam. As to thys such as wold here the encrese and
wellfare of hym, of hys parysshons, and off all thoose mysdon
untoo, most by the avice of som lerned man to put theyr
oppressions and grevaunces in wrytyng, well grounded, and as
the trouth of the mater ys, and that the said wrytyng or bille
may be enseled wyth the seles of such gentlemen that have
lyvebode there, and wyth the men that be cowthest knowen,¹
and that wrytyng so enseled to be directed to the Kyng, and
to the Lordz of hys Councell. And then it ys and woll be of
more credence to the Kyng and the Lordys then a simple
lettre. And thys doon wyth the labours that they may make
there in shewyng theyr grevaunces to the Commissioners; and
the seid grevaunces shewed also here amongs the Kyng and
the Lordz, it ys verrayly to thynk that they shall be purveyd
of a remedie. And foryete not to sende or wryte to Maister
Botewryght in goodly haste of thys article wyth your correccion
to be had where the avertisementes of you and my frendz that
have more particuler knowlege yn such maters.

     Item, I have grete mervaylle that yong Jenney, whych ys
of my Lord Cromewell councell, and Robert Ledam, also off
hys councell, and hys man be not spoke with there, that they
doo not attaine an accion ayenst Sir Thomas Tudden[ham],
Heydon, and John Gent, whyche have and wold dayly labour
to disseisse my Lord Cromewell of a knyghten service in
Saxthorp, which ye have ryght suffisaunt evidenses by an
endentures of Kyng Edward iij^d dayes enseled, as of Kyng
Herry dayes the iiij^the, that the seid maner ys hald by the iiij^the
part of a knyzt fee¹ of my Lord Cromewell as of the maner
of Tateshale. And the seid Tuddenham and Heydon wold
after theyr voulente have it hald yn meen of the maner of
Hetersete, whych sufficient evidenses that ye have specifyeth
no thyng soo. And I have lost xx^li. yeerly yn approwement²
of my chatell, for cause my Lord Cromewell, throw neglicence
of hys officers in Norffolk, have not meynteyned hys ryght.
And there as John Bokkyng seith that John Jenney hath no
commaundment of my Lord to pursue hys ryght, it shewyth
off reson that seth he ys of hys councell in especiall for that
shyre, he ought doo hys ryzt to be savyd and kept of hys
dewtee. And thertoo he knouyth well that my said Lord
hath commaunded hym dyvers tymys to take kepe hys ryzt
be savyd in thys mater. Wherfor I pray you requyre hym
on my Lord ys behalf³ to compleyn to Justice at thys oyer
[and terminer for a] remedie, and that the [bi]lle be made yn
my Lordys name. And then to. . . . . . have commaund-
ment ryzt sone of my Lord eftsonys, and [i.e. if] he wolle
sende unto hym by suche as goth dayly into that contre to
Tateshale. And I had send hym hys speciall [com]maund-
ment, had he sent me suche word betyme whyle he was heere.
I pray you remembre ye so John Jenney and Robert Ledham
as I have no cause to [wri]te more, ne to compleyn to my
Lord of theyr necligence.

     Item, Sir Parson, where it ys soo that my cosyn Boys ys
passed to God, whoos soule God assoyle, ye shall fynde
amonges my bokes of accomptes at Castre, or amonges othyr
wrytynges, he owed me money for a ferm he heeld of me, as
Watkyn Shypdam ys remembred; and also I lent hym xl^s.
whych I shuld have an obligacion at Castre off, praying you
to inquire off thys dewteez, and see recuvere may be made
off it.

     Item, I seende a lettre at thys tyme to my cosyn Wychyng-
ham, to hys modre also, for a mater that touchyth my cosyn
Robert Fitzrauff ys amercement, and the partie also. Whych
lettre I woll ye breke to undrestand my wrytyng and the
substaunce off it the more. And y pray you hertly to speke
wyth the partie at Norwych as well as wyth my ryght
welbelovyd cosyn Sir Herry Inglose, and wyth my cosyn
Wychyngham assone as ye goodly may. And meoffe ye the
said mater yn such wyse as your discrecioun can well consider
that the rathyr the said mater may take a gode ende, yff it
may be yn ony wyse; yn whych mater ye shall do me ryght
singler plesyr, and that thys be not slewthed, for taryeng
drawth perell. I wryte but briefflye, for I . . . . . . . . . .¹

     Item, where as Brome ys not well wyllyng yn my maters,
whych for the wrong takyng and wyth haldyng my shepe I
ought take a accioun ayenst hym; for declaracioun in whate
wyse he dyd it, John Bele my sheperefe can enforme you best,
for he laboured about the recuvere of it. My Lady Norfolk
sent me a lettre viij. yere goon, whych I shuld hafe, desyryng
that the processe I was purposed take ayenst hym shuld be
respited, and all that reson wold he shuld obbey. I am
avysed therfor let som man about my Lord Norfolk and my
Lady have wetyng, or I begynne. Yhyt I wold ye had
declaracioun before of the conduyt and grounde of thys
mater.

     Item, where my cosyn Inglose avyse me fully to take a
speciall assise on the priorye of Hykelyng for my rent, I have
abydden uppon my cosyn Paston that he and I shuld take one
to ghedyr, and I vele hym no thyng spede in it. Let me
know how he woll doo thys next terme, for elles am I fully
avysed to take myne owt, and to traverse all iij. offices² for
Beyton, Bradwell, and Tychewell, wyth the help of my frendz,
Not elles at thys tyme; but I pray you comfort all thoo that
fynde hem greved to abyde by theyr ryzt, and that ye woll
contynew forth for my worshup and proffyt as ferre as ryzt
wolle. Whych I trust to God shall better have hys cours
then it hath beforn; who have you in hys kepyng. Wryt at
London, the xx. day of Decembre anno xxix^o regni Regis
H. VI.

     Item, that thys lettre commaund me to my cosyn John à
Berney.                                                                 J. FASTOLF.

     (On the back)—Item, I have sende ij. lettres to my Lord
Erle of Oxford, the ton by Robson ys man, a squyer of my
Lordys. And the grete substaunce of the lettre ys that the
issues forfeted may be sent upp be tyme to my Lord Tresorer;
for there shall be none assignment made, ne may not, till it
com yn wrytyng; it be don, had it be sent. Grete sute ys
made to pardon it, but the Kynges Councell woll not suffre it.
The ij. lettre Nicholas Bokkyng beryth for excuse of my
cosyn Inglose, because grete labor hath be made to my Lord
York ayenst my cosyn Inglose and Seggeford, that they shuld
endyte the Priour of Walsyngham tenaunt yn Salle. Wher-
uppon my Lord York, unadvertised of the trouth, sent a
lettre to my Lord Oxford to support the Pryor ys tenaunt
ayenst Seggeford namely.

     Item, I desyre that and John Berney or onye man can
mete wyth Dallyng, that fals undre eschetor, in onye place
proviable, that he may by force brought to Castre without
damage of hys bodye, and there to be kept yn hold, that he
may confesse the trouth of the fals office he forged off my
maner of Tychewell.

     Item, forasmoche as ye shall have to doon at Lynne for
my maters there as for Tychewell and othyr, therfor I wolle
that yee doo puryey of gode frendys as be aboute Flegg that
passen yn jureez, that they may wayt uppon yow there at
Lynne, and other suche trusty men that ye can ghete to spede
my processe. And that ye do hem goode chier and cost
uppon hem after that the case shall requyre. I commyt thys
mater to be ruled by your wysdom, that it be net forzeten.

     ² [From Paston MSS., B.M., and MS. Phillipps, 9735, No. 248.] The original of
this letter has been torn in two, and the first portion is now among the Paston MSS. in
the British Museum, while the latter part is in the library of Sir Thomas Phillipps at
Cheltenham.                                                               ³ Tuddenham and Heydon.

     ¹ ‘Forbear to execute’ doubtless was intended.

     ¹ Most publicly known.

     ¹ A knight’s fee was an amount of land sufficient to maintain a knight, and held
subject to a knight’s service.

     ² See p. 152, Note 3.                ³ Here begins the portion in the Phillipps MS.

     ¹ Three words indistinct.                          ² See p. 188, Note 2.

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