Friar Brackley to John Paston
- Medieval Family Life
- Title
- Friar Brackley to John Paston
- Reference
- Add. 34888, f. 139
- Date
- 1459
- Library / Archive
-
- The British Library
- Transcript location(s) in printed volume(s)
- Gairdner, Vol III, item 383; Fenn, Vol III, Henry VI item 85
- Transcript from John Fenn, 'Original Letters, written during the reigns of Henry VI., Edward IV., and Richard III…. Volume III' (1st transcript)
-
LETTER LXXXV.
To my May’str. Jon Pastone Esqwyer be this lettr. p’sentid.
Jhu m’cy.
RYTE rev’ent mayst’ &c. as sone as ze may goodly comyth
to castre and zelv’ton wt zow and ze thi’k it to be don’.
And sendyth home zo’ men and hors. tyl ze haf do here, &c.
And by grace of god And zo’ polityk Wisdh’m ze schal co’clude
mor’ effectualy in gret maty’s of substans to my mayst’ys and zo’
worschip and profyte It is hey tyme he drawyt fast home ward.
And is ryte lowe browt And sore weykid and feblyd, &c. And
ze muste bryng wt zow a forme of a supplicacyon made at lon-
don in what man’ wyse M. R. popy a cu’ny’g and a crafty man
schal presenty’ and purposy’ to the ky’g for the inmorteysig’ of
Castr’ to seynt benet, &c. Which he p’mittyd up a c’teyn mony,
&c. And undirtoke it, &c. And fond that tyme no bonys i’ the
mat’e, &c. And now he seyth he wil labo’ and ryde and do hise
part, &c. And he wold haf me to help hy’ &c. q’ no’ fiet, &c.
or ell’ a man of credens of my mast’ys &c. q’ dubito fieri &c.
god bry’g zow sone hidyr &c. for j am weri tyl ze come Sir
tho’s the p’son zor owne most tr’we &c. be my’ tr’wthe. And j
zo’ bedema’ and zowrs at zo’ coma’ndme’t i’ zo’ lett’ haf no mor’
towchid of the mat’ &c. to my mayst’ &c. Ev’y day this v dayes
he seyth god send me sone my good cosyn paston for I holde hy’a
a feythful man And ev’ on man. Cui ego. that is soth &c. &
ille Schew me not the mete schew me the man h’ v’ba replicat
sepis cu’ mago stòcho &c. Colins Gallics dt i’ Iernemuta & aiis loc’s
se ee executor’z &c. Dixt ecia’ heri coram plr’ibz si semel fu’it
london’ nu’ q’ wlt vider’ Norfolchia’ &c. Dt ecia’ v’bi executors
c’ du’t se habituros claves &c. p’ morte’ alii habeburt claves. ita
b’n’ sic illi &c. falsissis e’ & ego b’n’ dixi ī partem suam i’t’ ip’m &
me &c. p’pt’ deu’ faciatis Spirly’g ve’irc jux’ p’mism’ in f’cū
&c. Gallics ip’e maxie odit rector’m & vellz supplantar’ eu’ &c.
It’ valde desiderat suu’ quiet e’ q’ absit &c. he’ric Todyh’m c’ti’e
aspirat p’ morte’ magr’i cu’ mille habeat oc’los nocendi &c. si
qo ru’ duos dep’der’t nulls cet’os timeret &c.8 ½ by 5 ½.
Paper Mark,
Bull’s Head and Star.
Pl. VIII. No 2.1459. 37 H. VI.
This Letter appears to have been written not long before the death of Sir John Fas-
tolf, which happened in November 1459. He here expresses his anxiety for the settle-
ment of his Estate at Caister for the purposes of religion, and wishes much for the pre-
sence of his Cousin Paston.The style of the Letter is particular, and the language a mixture of Latin and English.
Colinus Gallicus means William Worcester, of whom Dr. Brackley does not seem to
have had a good opinion.On the back of the Letter is written in an ancient hand, “Lrā f’ris Doctoris Brackley
p quā patet Jo. Fastolf valde desiderasse p’sentiam consanguinei sui Jo. Paston.”Autograph. Pl. XX. No 25.
- Transcript from John Fenn, 'Original Letters, written during the reigns of Henry VI., Edward IV., and Richard III…. Volume III' (2nd transcript)
-
LETTER LXXXV.
To my Master John Paston, Esq. be this Letter presented.
Jesu mercy.
RIGHT reverend Master, &c. as soon as ye may goodly
come to Caister and Yelverton with you, and ye think it
be to done and send home your men and horses till ye have done
here, &c. and by grace of God and your politic wisdom ye shall
conclude more effectually in great matters of substance to my
Master’s and your worship and profit. It is high time, he draw-
eth fast homeward, and is right low brought, and sore weykid
(weakened) and feblyd (enfeebled) &c. And ye must bring with
you a form of a Supplication made at London, in what manner
wise Master R. Popy, a cunning and a crafty man, shall present
and purpose to the King for the amortising of Caister to Saint
Bennet’s, &c. which he promitted up (promised upon) a certain
money, &c. and undertook it, &c. and found (at) that time no
bones in the matter, &c. And now he saith he will labour and
ride and do his part, &c. and he would have me help him, &c.
quod non fiet, &c. or else a man of credence of my Master’s &c.
quod dubito fieri, &c. God bring you soon hither, &c. for I am
weary till ye come. Sir Thomas the parson your own most
true, &c. by my truth, and I your Beadsman, and yours at your
commandment in your Letter have no more touched of the
matter, &c. to my master, &c. Every day this five days he saith,
“God send me soon my good Cousin Paston, for I hold him a
faithful man, and ever one man cui ego, that is sooth, &c.” et
ille, “Shew me not the meat, shew me the man,” hæc verba
replicat fæpius cum magno stomacho, &c. Colinus Gallicus dicit
in Iernmuthia & aliis locis se esse executorem, &c. dixit etiam
heri coram pluribus si semel fuerit Londinum nunquam vult vi-
dere Norfolciam, &c. dixit etiam ubi executores credunt se habi-
turos claves, &c. post mortem alii habebunt claves, ita bene sicut
illi, &c. falsissimus est & ego bene dixi in partem suam inter
ipsum & me, &c. proper Deum faciatis Spirlyng venire juxta
promissum in .. .. &c. Gallicus ipse maxime odit rectorem &
vellet supplantare eum, &c. Item valde desiderat suum, quietus
est quia absit, &c.Henricus Todynham continue aspirat post mortem magistri
cum mille habeat oculos nocendi, &c. si quorum duos deperderit,
nullus cæteros timeret, &c.JOHN BRACKLEY.
8 ½ by 5 ½.
Paper Mark,
Bull’s Head and Star.
Pl. VIII. No 2.1459. 37 H. VI.
This Letter appears to have been written not long before the death of Sir John Fas-
tolf, which happened in November 1459. He here expresses his anxiety for the settle-
ment of his Estate at Caister for the purposes of religion, and wishes much for the pre-
sence of his Cousin Paston.The style of the Letter is particular, and the language a mixture of Latin and English.
Colinus Gallicus means William Worcester, of whom Dr. Brackley does not seem to
have had a good opinion.On the back of the Letter is written in an ancient hand, “Lrā f’ris Doctoris Brackley
p quā patet Jo. Fastolf valde desiderasse p’sentiam consanguinei sui Jo. Paston.”Autograph. Pl. XX. No 25.
- Transcript from James Gairdner, 'The Paston Letters, A.D., 1422-1509, New Complete Library Edition, Volume III'
-
383
FRIAR BRACKLEY TO JOHN PASTON2
To my Mayster, Jon Pastone, Esqwyer, be this letter presentid.
Jesu mercy.RYTE reverent mayster, &c., as sone as ze may goodly,
comyth to Castre, and Zelverton3 with zow, and ze
think it to be done; and sendyth home zowr men and
hors, tyl ze haf do here, &c. And by grace of God and zour
polityk wisdham, ze schal conclude more effectually in gret
matyers of substans, to my maysterys4 and zour worschip and
profyte. It is hey tyme; he drawyt fast home ward, and is
ryte lowe browt, and sore weykid [weakened] and feblyd, &c.
And ze must bryng with zow a forme of a supplicacyon made
at London in what maner wyse Mr. R. Popy, a cunnyng and
a crafty man, schal presentyn and purposyn to the Kyng for
the inmorteysing of Castre to Seynt Benet, &c., which he
promittyd up [promised upon] a certeyn mony, &c., and undir-
toke it, &c., and fond that tyme no bonys in the matere, &c.
And now he seyth he wil labour and ryde and do hise part, &c.
And he wold haf me to help hym, &c., quod non fiet, &c., or
elles a man of credens of my masterys, &c., quod dubito fieri,
&c. God bryng zow sone hidyr, &c., for I am weri tyl ze
come.Sir Thomas the parson, zowr owne most trewe, &c., be
myn trewthe, and I zour bedeman and zowrs at zour comaunde-
ment, in zour letter haf no more towchid of the mater, &c., to
my mayster, &c. Every day this v. dayes he seyth, ‘God send
me sone my good cosyn Paston, for I holds hym a feythful man,
and ever on man.’ Cui ego, ‘That is soth,’ &c. Et ille, ‘Schew
me not the mete, schew me the man.’ Haec verba replicat saepius
cum magno stomacho, &c. Colinus Gallicus dicit in Jernemuta
et aliis locis se esse executorem, &c. Dixit etiam heri coram
pluribus, si semel fuerit London’ nunquam vult videre Nor-
folchiam, &c. Dicit etiam, ubi executores credunt se habituros
claves, &c., post mortem alii habebunt claves, ita bene sicut illi,
&c. Falsissimus est, et ego bene dixi in partem suam inter
ipsum et me, &c. Propter Deum, faciatis Spirlyng venire
juxta promissum in f’cū [factum?], &c. Gallicus ipse maxime
odit rectorem et vellet supplantare eum, &c. Item, valde
desiderat suum, quietus est quia absit, &c.Henricus Todyham continue aspirat post mortem magistri
cum mille habeat oculos nocendi, &c., si quorum duos deper-
derit, nullus caeteros timeret, &c.2 [From Fenn, iii. 342.] No signature appears to be attached to this letter as
Fenn has printed it, but the style is unmistakably that of Brackley, to whom he
attributes it. The original was endorsed in an ancient hand, according to Fenn,
’Littera fratris Doctoris Brackley per quam patet Jo. Fastolf valde desiderasse pre-
sentiam consanguinei sui Jo. Paston.’ The date seems to be shortly before Sir John
Fastolf’s death, which happened on the 5th November 1459.3 William Yelverton. 4 Sir John Fastolf.
1459
1459