Henry Wyndesore to John Paston

LETTER VIII.

To my full worshipfull speciall gode Maist’ John Paston Squyer
abidyng at Norwich.

   RIGHT worshipfull S^r. and some tyme my moost speciall
     gode Master I recom’aunde me unto yo^r gode Maistership
w^t all my pour s’uice if it may in any wise suffice and farther
more S^r. I beseche you nowe beyng in your countre where ye
may deily call unto you my Maist’ S^r. Thomas ¹ Howys, ones
to remembre my pour mater and by your discretions to take
such a direction theryn and so to conclude, as may be to your
discharge and to my furtherance, accordyng to the will of hym
that is passed unto Gode, whose saull I p’y Jh’u p’done, ffor
truly S^r. ther was in hym no faute but in me onely yf it be
not as I have remembred your Maistership affore thy tyme ffor
truly S^r. I der say I shuld have had as speciall and as gode a
Maister of you as any pour man as I am w^tyn England shuld
have hadd of a worshipfull man as ye ar yf ye had neu’ medulled
the godes of my Maister ff, and as moche ye wold have done
and labored fore me in my right if it hadde byn in the handes
of any oder man than of your self anely. But I truste in Gode
at your next comyng to have an answere such as I shalbe
content w^t. And yf it may be so, I am and shalbe your f’uñt
in that I can or may, that knoith our Lord Jh’u whom I besech
save and send you a gode ende in all your maters to your pleiser
and worship eu’lastyng, Amen Writton at London iiij^to die
Octobr.

     As fore tidyngs the Kyng wolbe at London w^tyn iij deies
next comyng, and all the Castelles and Holdes in South Wales
and in North Wales ar gyfen and yelden up into the Kynges
hand, and the Due of ² Excestre and Therle of ³ Pembrok ar
floon and taken the Mounteyns and dyūs Lordes w^t gret puissans
ar after them, and the moost p’t of Gentilmen and men of
worship ar comen yn to the Kyng and have g’ce of all Wales.

The Duc of ⁴ Som’s’ the Lord ⁵ Hungerford Robt Whityng-
ham and oder iiij or v Squyers ar comen into Normandy out of
Scotland and as yette they stand strete under arest, and as
M’chauntes that ar comen late thens sey, they ar like to be demed
and jugged prison’s, my Lord ⁶ Wenlok, S^r. John Cley and the
Dean of Seynt Seu’yens have abiden at Cales thise iij Wikes and
yette ar there, abidyng a saufconduit, goyng uppon an Am-
bassate to the ffrenshe ⁷ Kyng, and S^r. Wauter ⁸ Blount Tre-
sorer of Cales w^t a grete feleship of Souldeours of Cales and
many oder men of the Marches have l’eyn and yette doo at a
Seege afore the Castell of Hampmes by side Cales and deily
make gret werre either p’te toother. Itm I send unto you a Copy
of a Lett’ that was taken uppon the See, made by the Lord
Hungerford and Whytyngh’am. It’ we shall have a gret Am-
bassate out of Scotland in all hast of Lordes.

                                   At your comaundement and Servaunt,

                                                                                  Henry Wyndesore.

             11 ½ by 10 3/2

                  Paper Mark,
          Bull’s Head and Star.
                  Pl. x. N^o 1.

                London,
               4th of October, 1461,
               1 E. IV.

     The Writer (Pl. III. N^o 32,) in the former part of this Letter seems to accuse his
Master Paston of delay, in fulfilling the trusts in Sir John Fastolf’s Will, to whom he was
executor.

 ¹ Sir Thomas Howys was Parson of Blofield, in Norfolk.

   ² Henry Holland, he married Lady Anne, Sister to Edward the IVth. but continued
firm to the interest of the House of Lancaster. He lived and died abroad, in great poverty
and distress. Some say his Corpse was found on the Sea shore in Kent.

 ³ Jasper Tudor, of Hatfield, half-brother to Henry VI. he was afterwards Duke of
Bedford.

 ⁴ Henry Beaufort, he was beheaded in 1463, after the battle of Hexham.

     ⁵ Robert, Lord Hungerford, was beheaded in 1463, for endeavouring to restore
Henry VI.

     ⁶ John, Lord Wenlock, left the York Party, and joined that of Lancaster, but neg-
lecting to come up in time at the battle of Tewksbury, in 1471, Edmund, Duke of
Somerset, cleft him down with a battle ax.

 ⁷ Lewis XI.

     ⁸ He was created Lord Montjoy, in 1465, and obtained part of the Estates of the attainted
Thomas Courtney, Earl of Devonshire.

  LETTER VIII.

To my full worshipful, and special good Master, John Paston,
Esquire, abiding at Norwich.

   RIGHT worshipful Sir, and some time my most special
     good Master, I recommend me unto your good Master-
ship, with all my poor service, if it may in any wise suffice; and
farthermore Sir I beseech you, now being in your country,
where ye may daily call unto you, my Master Sir Thomas
¹ Howys, once to remember my poor matter; and by your dis-
cretions to take such a direction therein, and so to conclude, as
may be to your discharge, and to my furtherance; according
to the Will of him that is passed unto God, whose soul I pray
Jesu pardon! for truly, Sir, there was in him no fault, but in
me only; if it be not as I have remembered your Mastership
afore this time. For truly, Sir, I dare say I should have had as
special, and as good a Master of you as any poor man, as I am,
within England should have had of a worshipful man, as you are,
if ye had never meddled with the Goods of my Master Fastolf.

     And as much ye would have done, and laboured for me, in
my right, if it had been in the hands of any other man than of
yourself only. But, I trust in God, at your next coming, to
have an answer, such as I shall be content with; and if it may
be so; I am and shall be your Servant in that I can or may,
that knoweth our Lord Jesus, whom I beseech save, and send
you a good end in all your matters, to your pleasure and wor-
ship everlasting, Amen. Written at London, the 4th day of
October.

     As for Tidings, the King will be at London within three days
next coming, and all the Castles and Holds both in South Wales
and in North Wales are given, and yeilded up, into the King’s
hand; and the Duke of ² Exeter and the Earl of ³ Pembroke
are fled and (have) taken the Mountains, and divers Lords with
great puissance are after them. And the most part of Gentle-
men, and men of worship are come in to the King, and have
grace of all Wales. The Duke of ⁴ Somerset, the Lord ⁵ Hun-
gerford, and Robert Whityngham, and other four or five
Esquires, are come unto Normandy out of Scotland, and as yet
they stand strait under arrest; and as Merchants that are come
late thence say; they are like to be deemed and judged Prisoners.
My Lord ⁶ Wenlock, Sir John Cley, and the Dean of Saint
Severin’s, have abode at Calais these three weeks, and yet are
there abiding a fafe Conduct, going upon an Embassy to the
French ⁷ King. And Sir Walter ⁸ Blount, Treasurer of Calais,
with a great Fellowship of Soldiers of Calais, and many other
men of the Marches, have lain, and yet do, at a Siege afore the
Castle of Hammes, by-side Calais, and daily make great war,
either party to other.

     Item, I send unto you a Copy of a Letter that was taken upon
the Sea, made by the Lord Hungerford and Whityngham.

     Item, we shall have a great Embassy out of Scotland in all
haste of Lords.

                                 At your Commandment, and Servant,

                                                                  HENRY WYNDESORE.

              11 ½ by 10 3/2

                  Paper Mark,
          Bull’s Head and Star.
                  Pl. x. N^o 1.

                London,
               4th of October, 1461,
               1 E. IV.

The Writer (Pl. III. N^o 32,) in the former part of this Letter seems to accuse his
Master Paston of delay, in fulfilling the trusts in Sir John Fastolf’s Will, to whom he was
executor.

 ¹ Sir Thomas Howys was Parson of Blofield, in Norfolk.

   ² Henry Holland, he married Lady Anne, Sister to Edward the IVth. but continued
firm to the interest of the House of Lancaster. He lived and died abroad, in great poverty
and distress. Some say his Corpse was found on the Sea shore in Kent.

 ³ Jasper Tudor, of Hatfield, half-brother to Henry VI. he was afterwards Duke of
Bedford.

 ⁴ Henry Beaufort, he was beheaded in 1463, after the battle of Hexham.

     ⁵ Robert, Lord Hungerford, was beheaded in 1463, for endeavouring to restore
Henry VI.

     ⁶ John, Lord Wenlock, left the York Party, and joined that of Lancaster, but neg-
lecting to come up in time at the battle of Tewksbury, in 1471, Edmund, Duke of
Somerset, cleft him down with a battle ax.

 ⁷ Lewis XI.

     ⁸ He was created Lord Montjoy, in 1465, and obtained part of the Estates of the attainted
Thomas Courtney, Earl of Devonshire.

483

HENRY WYNDESORE TO JOHN PASTON¹

To my full worshipfull, speciall gode maister, John Paston,
Squyer, abidyng at Norwich.

RIGHT worshipfull sir, and some tyme my moost speciall
     gode master, I recommaunde me unto your gode mais-
     tership, with all my pour service, if it may in any wise
suffice; and farthermore, sir, I beseche you, nowe beyng in your
countre, where ye may deily call unto you my maister Sir
Thomas Howys, ones to remembre my pour mater, and by
your discretions to take such a direction theryn, and so to
conclude, as may be to your discharge and to my furtherance,
accordyng to the will of hym that is passed unto Gode, whose
saull I pray Jesu pardone! for truly, sir, ther was in hym no
faute, but in me onely; yf it be not as I have remembred your
maistership affore thy[s] tyme. For truly, sir, I der say I shuld
have had as speciall and as gode a maister of you, as any pour man,
as I am, withyn England shuld have hadd of a worshipfull man,
as ye ar, yf ye had never medulled the godes of my maister F.,
and as moche ye wold have done, and labored fore me, in my
right, if it hadde byn in the handes of any oder man than of
your self anely. But, I truste in Gode, at your next comyng
to have an answere, such as I shalbe content with. And yf it
may be so, I am and shalbe your servaunt in that I can or may,
that knoith our Lord Jesu, whom I besech save and sende you
a gode ende in all your maters, to your pleiser and worship
everlastyng. Amen. Writton at London, iiij^to die Octobris.

     As fore tidyngs, the Kyng wolbe at London withyn iij.
deies next comyng; and all the castelles and holdes in South
Wales, and in North Wales, ar gyfen and yelden up into the
Kynges hand. And the Duc of Excestre¹ and th’erle of
Pembrok² ar floon and taken the mounteyns, and dyvers
Lordes with gret puissans ar after them; and the moost part
of gentilmen and men of worship ar comen yn to the Kyng,
and have grace, of all Wales.

     The Duc of Somerset, the Lord Hungerford, Robert
Whityngham, and oder iiij. or v. Squyers are comen into
Normandy out of Scotland, and as yette they stand strete
under arest; and as merchauntes that ar comen late thens sey,
they ar like to be demed and jugged prisoners. My Lord
Wenlok, Sir John Cley, and the Dean of Seynt Severyens, have
abiden at Cales thise iij. wikes, and yette ar there, abidyng a
saufconduit, goyng uppon an ambassate to the Frenshe Kyng;
and Sir Wauter Blount, Tresorer of Cales, with a grete feleship
of souldeours of Cales, and many oder men of the Marches,
have leyn, and yette doo, at a seege afore the Castell of
Hampmes, by side Cales, and deily make gret werre, either
parte toother.

     Item, I send unto you a copy of a letter that was taken
uppon the see, made by the Lord Hungerford and Whytyng-
ham.

     Item, we shall have a gret ambassate out of Scotland in all
hast of Lordes.

                      At your comaundement, and Servaunt,

                                                                  HENRY WYNDESORE.

¹ [From Fenn, i. 240.] For the date of this letter, compare No. 480.

     ¹ Henry Holland. He married Anne, sister of King Edward IV., but remained a
steady Lancastrian, and was attainted this year in Parliament.

     ² Jasper Tudor, half-brother of Henry VI.

OCT. 4

1461
OCT. 4