Friar John Mowth to John Paston

LETTER XII.

To my worchepful Mayst’ John Paston y^e holdest be y^is left’
delyu’yd in hast.

   RYTH reu’rent and worchepful S^re I hartyly Recomōde me
     on to yo^r Reu’ens thanky’g yow for the gret cher and
comfortabyll words that ye yov[SYM] on to me wat tyme y^t I was last
[SYM] yo^r p’sens, desyry’g ful specyaly of alm’ty God owt of al yo^r
wordly t’bulacyonys and adu’syte gracyowus delyu’ans, and yn
all u’tuows p’sp’ite good encres and cōtyn’ans. If yt leke yo^r
Mayst’chep to know y^e cause of y^s wryty’g it ys thys, it is
nowthn know on to yow y^t Mayst’ Brakle cryst rest hys sowle
delyu’yd to Wyllam Paston yo^r brod’ c’tayn oblygacyonys of y^e
weche y^e dute xuld grow to my Cōvent yn Norwyche, I have
spoke on to Wyllām Paston her of and he excuseth hym and
seyth on y^s wyse y^t be y^e wyl of Mayst’ ¹ Brakle, wat tyme y^t
S^re Tomas ² Todenh’m knyth xuld be put on to hys deth he
delyu’yd hē on to hys c’fessor y^e weche as he seth xuld a be Grey
fryer hows name he knowyth nowt, also he seyth y^t aft’ y^e deth
of y^e forseyd knyt, he spake w^t y^e fryer cōfesso^r on to y^e knyth
and hasked hym aftyr y^e forseyd oblygacyonys and as he seyth y^e
fryer seyd on to h[SYM] y^t he had delyu’yd hē on to knyth m’chall,
werfor I beseche you as specyaly as I may y^t now wyl yo^r brod’
is at London y^t ye of yo^r grace wyl know y^e trowthe in y^s mat’
for y^e cōfort of ye dede and p’fyth of my cōvēt, nomor at y^s
tyme but y^t I be seche Almyty God in t’nyte c’serve yo^r and
kepe yow in all v’tuows p’sp’ite Amē.

     Wret[SYM] at Heylysdon in gret hast y^e xij day of May in yo^r
man^r aftyr mete, the cause wy y^e Mayst’ delyveryd hē to h[SYM] mor
than to yow was as he seyd on to me, for as meche as ye
had so many maters yn hand for yo^r self and also for y^e dede y^t
he durst not attēpt yow w^t all and al so be cause he had lesse
for to do hys hope was y^t he xuld asped yt mor r’dyly.

     Frre Will’m Thorp dwellyng at Salisbury.

                                             By yo^r por’ orator and bedmā.

                                                                         ³ Frier Jan Mowth.

              11 ? by 6 ?.

           Hellesdon,
               12th of May, 1462,
               2 E. IV.

     This Letter exhibits to us the style of Ecclesiastics to their Patrons, and varies some-
what from the generality of this Collection in its spelling and contractions.

     ¹ John Brakle, a Fryer of the Monastery at Norwich—in a Letter to J. Paston, he
signs himself “Minimorum Minimus.”

     ² Sir Thomas Todenham, Knight, was born in 1399, and, before he was at age, married
Anne, Daughter of John Wodehouse, Esquire, from whom in 1436, he was divorced
on proof, and on her own confession, of Adultery, she having before left him and become
a prosessed Nun, at Crabhouse, in Wigenhall, in Norfolk.

     In February, 1461, he, together with John de Vere, Earl of Oxford, Aubrey de
Vere, his Son and Heir, Jobn Clopton, John Montgomery, and William Tyrrel, Esq.
were arrested by John, Earl of Worcester, Constable of England, on suspicion of having
received Letters from Margaret, Queen of King Henry VI. and being convicted before
the said Earl, were all beheaded (except Clopton) on Tower Hill, 22d of February, 1461.

     He made his Will in the Tower, the morning of his Execution, and at the same
time, I suppose, executed these Obligations containing something advantageous to the
Convent at Norwich.

     ³ Blomefield, in his valuable History of Norfolk and Norwich, in vol. ii. p. 434,
mentions John Molet, LL. D. as the late Sub Prior, and now Prior (1453—1471) of the
Monastery in Norwich, and speaks of him as a Favourite of John Paston. I should
suppose from the Expressions in this Letter of “my Convent” that John Mowth, the
writer of it was the Prior, and that Blomefield mistook the name; for the w in Mowth
may easily be mistaken for le by a person on a hasty inspection, and not entirely used to
decyphering the writing of those times; if so, he made the name Moleth, and softened
it into Molet: I only give this as a conjecture, arising from the above reason, the date,
and his intimacy with John Paston. Pl. v. N^o 17.

LETTER XII.

To my worshipful Master, John Paston the oldest, be this Let-
ter delivered in hast.

   RIGHT reverent and worshipful Sir, I heartily recommend
     me unto your Reverence, thanking you for the great cheer
and comfortable words that ye gave unto me what time that I
was last in your presence; desiring full specially of Almighty
God, out of all your worldly tribulations and adversity, gracious
deliverance, and in all virtuous prosperity, good increase and
continuance. If it like your Mastership to know the cause of this
writing, it is this; it is not known unto you, that Master Brakle,
Christ rest his soul! delivered to William Paston your brother,
certain obligations, of the which the duty should grow to my
Convent in Norwich.

     I have spoke to William Paston hereof, and he excuseth him
and saith on this wise; that by the Will of Master ^l Brakle,
what time that Sir Thomas ² Todenham Knight, should be put
unto his death, he delivered them unto his Confessor; the
which, as he saith, should be a Grey Friar, whose name, he
knoweth not. Also, he saith, that after the death of the foresaid
knight, he spake with the Friar, Confessor unto the knight, and
asked him after the foresaid obligations, and, as he saith, the
Friar said unto him, that he had delivered them unto (the)
Knight Marshall.

     Wherefore I beseech you, as specially as I may, that now while
your brother is at London, that ye of your grace will know the
truth in this matter, for the comfort of the dead, and profit of
my Convent.

     No more at this time, but that I beseech Almighty God in
Trinity conserve yours, and keep you in all virtuous prosperity.
Amen.

     Written at Hellesdon in great haste, the 12th day of May, in
your Manor after meat.

     The cause why the Master delivered them to him more than to
you, was, as he said unto me, for as much as ye had so many
matters in hand for yourself, and also for the dead, that he durst
not attempt you with all; and also because he had less for to do,
his hope was, that he should a sped (have done) it more readily.

     Friar William Thorp, dwells at Salisbury.

                             By your poor Orator and Beadman,

                                                        ⁵ FRIAR JOHN MOWTH.

          11 ? by 6 ?.

           Hellesdon,
               12th of May, 1462,
               2 E. IV.

     This Letter exhibits to us the style of Ecclesiastics to their Patrons, and varies some-
what from the generality of this Collection in its spelling and contractions.

     ¹ John Brakle, a Fryer of the Monastery at Norwich—in a Letter to J. Paston, he
signs himself “Minimorum Minimus.”

     ² Sir Thomas Todenham, Knight, was born in 1399, and, before he was at age, married
Anne, Daughter of John Wodehouse, Esquire, from whom in 1436, he was divorced
on proof, and on her own confession, of Adultery, she having before left him and become
a prosessed Nun, at Crabhouse, in Wigenhall, in Norfolk.

     In February, 1461, he, together with John de Vere, Earl of Oxford, Aubrey de
Vere, his Son and Heir, Jobn Clopton, John Montgomery, and William Tyrrel, Esq.
were arrested by John, Earl of Worcester, Constable of England, on suspicion of having
received Letters from Margaret, Queen of King Henry VI. and being convicted before
the said Earl, were all beheaded (except Clopton) on Tower Hill, 22d of February, 1461.

     He made his Will in the Tower, the morning of his Execution, and at the same
time, I suppose, executed these Obligations containing something advantageous to the
Convent at Norwich.

     ³ Blomefield, in his valuable History of Norfolk and Norwich, in vol. ii. p. 434,
mentions John Molet, LL. D. as the late Sub Prior, and now Prior (1453—1471) of the
Monastery in Norwich, and speaks of him as a Favourite of John Paston. I should
suppose from the Expressions in this Letter of “my Convent” that John Mowth, the
writer of it was the Prior, and that Blomefield mistook the name; for the w in Mowth
may easily be mistaken for le by a person on a hasty inspection, and not entirely used to
decyphering the writing of those times; if so, he made the name Moleth, and softened
it into Molet: I only give this as a conjecture, arising from the above reason, the date,
and his intimacy with John Paston. Pl. v. N^o 17.

628

FRIAR JOHN MOWTH TO JOHN PASTON¹

To my worchepful mayster, John Paston the holdest,
be this letter delyveryd in hast.

      RYTH reverent and worchepful sire, I hartyly recomende
          me on to your reverens, thankyng yow for the gret
          cher and comfortabyll words that ye yovyn on to me
wat tyme that I was last yn yowr presens; desyryng ful
specyaly of Almity God, owt of al your wordly tribulacyonys
and adversyte, gracyowus delyverans, and yn al vertuows
prosperite, good encres and contynuans. If yt like your
maysterchep to know the cause of this wrytyng, it ys thys;
it is nowth unknow² on to yow that Mayster Brakle (Cryst
rest hys sowle!), delyveryd to Wyllam Paston, your broder,
certayn oblygacyonys, of the weche the dute xuld grow to my
convent yn Norwyche. I have spoke on to Wyllam Paston
her of, and he excuseth hym and seyth on this wyse; that
be the wyl of Mayster Brakle, wat tyme that Sire Tomas
Todenham,³ Knyth, xuld be put on to hys deth, he delyveryd
hem on to hys confessor; the weche, as he seth, xuld a be
Grey fryer, hows name he knowyth nowt; also he seyth that
after the deth of the forseyd Knyt, he spake with the Fryer,
confessor on to the Knyth, and hasked hym aftyr the forseyd
oblygacyonys, and as he seyth, the Fryer seyd on to hym that
he had delyveryd hem on to [the] Knyth Marchall. Werfor
I beseche you, as specyaly as I may, that, now wyl your broder
is at London, that ye of your grace wyl know the trowthe in
this mater, for the comfort of the dede, and profyth of my
convent. Nomor at this tyme, but that I be seche Almyty
God in Trinyte conserve your, and kepe yow in all vertuows
prosperite. Amen.

     Wretyn at Heylysdon in gret hast, the xij. day of May, in
your maner aftyr mete. The cause wy the mayster delyveryd
hem to hym mor than to yow, was, as he seyd on to me, for
as meche as ye had so many maters yn hand for yowr self, and
also for the dede, that he durst not attempt yow with all; and
al so be cause he had lesse for to do hys hope was that he xuld
asped yt mor redyly.

          Fr[e]re Willam Thorp dwellyng at Salisbury.

                         By yowr pore orator and bedman,

                                                                      FRIER JAN MOWTH.

     ¹ [From Fenn, i. 256.] Friar Brackley, who is here mentioned as dead, is spoken
of in John Paston’s deposition of December 1465, without any indication that he was
at that time deceased (see No. 606). We may presume, therefore, that he died
between that time and May 1466, in which month and year died John Paston, to
whom this letter is addressed.

     ² Nowth unknow. I believe this to be the true reading of the original MS. Fenn
prints it ‘nowthn know.’

     ³ He was beheaded on Tower Hill in February 1462.

1466
MAY 12

1466
MAY 12