Friar Brackley to John Paston

LETTER XCVI.

               To my Mayst’
               jon Pastone
               Esqwyer be this
               lett’ p’sentid.

     IH’s Maria, &c.

RYTE Rev’ent Sire aft’ du r’c’me’dacyon we sey i’ this
     cu’tre that Heydon is for Barkschir i’ the Comon hows
And the ¹ lady of Suffolk hath sent up hyr ² sone and hise wyf
to my lord of York to aske grace for a schir’ve the next yer Sta-
pilton Boleyn or Tyrel q’ absit God send zow Pony’g WP. W.
Rokewode or Arblast’ ze haf myche to done jhu spede zow ze
haf many good preyers what of the Covent cyte And cu’tre
god safe o’ good lords Warwik alle hise brey’ Salisbury &c. fro
al fals covetyse and favo’ of extorcyon as they will fle uttyr
schame And co’fusyon God save hem and preserve fro treson
and poyson lete he’ be war her of for the pite of god for yf owt
Come to my lord Warwik but good far weel ze far weel j And
al o’ fr’nds for be the weye of my sowle this lond wer uttirly on
done as god forbede her enmyes bosty’ w^t. good to come to her
favo’ but god defende hem and zeve hem grace to knowe her
fr’nds fro her enmyes and to cherisch and preferr her fr’nds and
lesse the myte of alle her e’myes thorw owt the schiris of the
lond And my good lord Warwik w^t. my lord hise broy’ Cha’n-
celer And my lord her fadyr woldy’ opposyn as dede danyel
Fortesku Alisa’ndir Hody Docto’ Aleyn, Heydon And thorp of
the ³ writy’g made be hem at covy’tr’ p’leme’t. they schuld an-
swer wers tha’ ⁴ s’b cino or sub privo And this g’naly wold j sey
at Powlys cros &c. And j schuld Come ther’ &c. It is v’ifyed
of he’ 1° Jer’mie 8° v’e me’daciū op’at’ e’ stil’ me’dax scribaru’
&c. And thi’k of two vers of zo’ Sawter Sc’bant’ h’ i’ g’n’a^oc
alt’a. h^s. s. p’liame’ti & p’p^s q’ cr’abit’ laudab^t d’n’m &c. Delea’t’
ecia’ t’les p’v’si sc’ptor’s de lib^o vive’ ciu’ & cu’ iust’s no’ sc’bant’
& no’ pl’ra sz yos v’ros & v’ra c’servet ihs g’c’ose i’ prosp’is & g’
co’sius dirigat i’ age’d’s Ex Norwico Fe’ 4’. nūc’o festina’te.

     And j pr’y zow for godds sake to be good mayst’ to jo’ lyster
&c. And j pr’y zow thi’k i’ this p’leme’t of the text of holy
sc’pt’e-q’ cunqz fec’it c’tra lege’ dei & c’t’ lege’ r’g’s judi^m fiet de
eo l i’ c’de’pnac’oz s’bstan^e ei^s vel i’ carc’em l i’ exiliu’ l i’ morte’
p^o esdre vij^o & p’ti 2° esdre 8°.

    8 ½ by 5 ¾.

     Paper Mark,
Bull’s Head and Star.
     Pl. VIII. N^o 2.
       Norwich, Thursday
             1460. 39 H. VI.

     ¹ Alice, Duchess of Suffolk, Widow of William, Duke of Suffolk, beheaded at Sea,
in 1450.

     ² John de la Pole, Duke of Suffolk, married Elizabeth, Daughter of Richard Plan-
tagenet, Duke of York.

     ³ This relates to the Bill of Attainder mentioned in the preceding Letter.

     ⁴ Q? The meaning of this expression. Autograph. Pl. xx. N^o 25.

LETTER XCVI.

To my Master John Paston, Esq. be this Letter presented.

      Jesu, Maria, &c.

RIGHT reverend Sir, aster due recommendation; we say
     in this country that Heydon is for Berkshire in the Com-
mons House, and the ¹ Lady of Suffolk hath sent up her ² Son
and his Wife, to my Lord of York, to ask grace for a Sheriff
the next year, Stapilton, Boleyn, or Tyrel, qui absit. God send
you Poynings, W. Paston, W. Rokewood, or Arblaster, ye have
much to do; Jesu speed you; ye have many good prayers,
what of the Convent, City and Country; God save our good
Lords Warwick, all his brethren, Salisbury, &c. from all false
covetise (covetousness) and favour of extortion, as they will flee
utter shame and confusion; God save them and preserve (them)
from treason and poison, let them beware thereof, for the pity
of God; for if ought come to my Lord Warwick but good,
farewell ye, farewell I, and all your friends; for by the way of
my soul, this land were utterly undone, as God forbid their
Enemies boasting with good to come to their favour, but God
defend them, and give them grace to know their Friends from
their Enemies, and to cherish and prefer their Friends, and lesse
(lessen) the might of all their Enemies throughout the Shires of
the land, and (of those who) my good Lord Warwick with my
Lord his Brother (the) Chancellor, and my Lord their Father
would oppose, as did Daniel, Fortescu, Alexander, Hody, Doctor
Aleyn, Heydon and Thorpe; of the ³ writing made by them at
Coventry Parliament, they should answer worse than ⁴ sub cino
or sub privo, (or prino) and this generally would I say at Paul’s
Cross, &c. and (if) I should come there, &c.

     It is verified of them (Jeremiah viii. 8.) “vere mendacium
operatus est stilus mendax Scribarum, &c.” And think of two
verses of your Psalter “Scribantur hæc in generatione alterâ
(hujus, scilicet, parliamenti) et populus qui creabitur laudabit
Deum.” (Psal. ci. cii. v. 18.) “Deleantur etiam tales perversi
scriptores de libro viventium & cum justis non scribantur” (Psalm
lxviii. lxix. v. 28.) Et non plura, sed vos, vestros & vestra con-
servet Jesus graciose in prosperis & graciosius dirigat in agendis.
Ex Norwico feria 4^ta, nuntio festinante.

     And I pray you for God’s sake to be good Master to John
Lyster, &c. And I pray you think in this parliament of the
text of Holy Scripture “quicunque fecerit contra legem Dei,
& contra legem Regis, judicium fiet de eo, vel in condemna-
tionem substantiæ ejus, vel in carcerem, vel in exilium, vel in
mortem,” I^mo Esdræ vii. v. 26, & p. 2^o Esdræ. 8vo.

                                                                JOHN BRACKLEY.

     8 ½ by 5 ¾.

     Paper Mark,
Bull’s Head and Star.
     Pl. VIII. N^o 2.
       Norwich, Thursday
             1460. 39 H. VI.

     ¹ Alice, Duchess of Suffolk, Widow of William, Duke of Suffolk, beheaded at Sea,
in 1450.

     ² John de la Pole, Duke of Suffolk, married Elizabeth, Daughter of Richard Plan-
tagenet, Duke of York.

     ³ This relates to the Bill of Attainder mentioned in the preceding Letter.

     ⁴ Q? The meaning of this expression. Autograph. Pl. xx. N^o 25.

415

FRIAR BRACKLEY TO JOHN PASTON¹

To my Mayster Jon Pastone, Esqwyer, be this letter
presentid.

               Jesus, Maria, &c.

      RYTE reverent Sire, after du recommendacion, we sey in
          this cuntre that Heydon is for Barkschir in the Comon
          Hows. And the Lady of Suffolk ² hath sent up hyr
sone³ and hise wyf to my Lord of York to aske grace for a
schireve the next yer, Stapilton, Boleyn, or Tyrel, qui absit.
God send zow Ponyng, W. P., W. Rokewode, or Arblaster.
Ze haf myche to done; Jesu spede zow. Ze haf many good
preyers, what of the covent, cyte, and cuntre. God safe our
good Lords, Warwik, alle hise brether, Salisbury, &c., fro al
fals covetyse and favour of extorcyon, as they wil fle uttyr
schame and confusyon. God save hem, and preserve fro
treson and poyson; lete hem be war her of for the pite of
God; for yf owt come to my Lord Warwik but good, far
weel ze, far weel I, and al our frends ! for be the weye of my
sowle, this lond wer uttirly on done, as God forbede. Her
[their] enmyes bostyn with good to come to her favour; but
God defende hem, and zeve hem grace to knowe her frends
fro her enmyes, and to cherisch and preferr her frends and
lesse the myte of alle her enmyes thorw owt the schiris of the
lond. And [i.e. if] my good Lord Warwik, with my Lord
his brother Chaunceler⁴ and my Lord her fadyr⁵ woldyn
opposyn, as dede Danyel, Fortesku, Alisaunder, Hody,
Doctor Aleyn, Heydon, and Thorp, of the writyng made be
hem at Covyntre Parlement, they schuld answer wers than sub

cino or sub privo (?), and this generaly wold I sey at Powlys
Cros, etc., and [i.e. if] I schuld come there, &c. It is verifyed
of hem, 1^o Jeremiae, 8^o, Vere mendacium operatus est stilus
mendax scribarum, &c. And think of two vers of zour
Sawter, Scribantur hoec in generatione altera (hujus scilicet
parliamenti) et populus qui creabitur laudabit Dominum,¹ &c.
Deleantur etiam tales perversi scriptores de libro viventium et cum
justis non scribantur.² Et non plura, sed vos, vestros et vestra con-
servet Jesus graciose in prosperis et graciosius dirigat in agendis.

     Ex Norwico, feria quarta,³ nuncio festinante.

     And I prey zow for Godds sake to be good mayster to
Jon Lyster, &c. And I prey zow think, in this Parlement,
of the text of Holy Scripture, Quicunque fecerit contra legem
Dei et contra legem Regis judicium fiet de eo, vel in condemnationem
substantioe ejus, vel in carcerem, vel in exilium, vel in mortem
(Primo Esdrae, vij., et parti 2^o Esdrae 8^o).

     ¹ [From Fenn, iii. 382.] This letter appears to have been written just before the
sitting of the Parliament of October 1460, of which John Paston was a member.
Warwick?s brother was then Chancellor. No signature is attached to this letter in
Fenn?s literal copy, although the name is appended to the modern transcript.

     ² Alice, widow of William, Duke of Suffolk.

     ³ John de la Pole, second Duke of Suffolk. He married Elizabeth, the Duke of
York?s daughter.

     ⁴ George Nevill, Bishop of Exeter.            ⁵ Richard Nevill, Earl of Salisbury.

    ¹ Psalm ci. (or cii.) 18.                                           ² Psalm lxviii. (or lxix.) 28.

     ³ ‘Feria quarta? means Wednesday.

1460
OCT.

1460
OCT.