James Gloys to John Paston

 LETTER XVI.

     To the right rev^rent
     and wurchepfull S^r and
     any gode mayst^r. John Paston esquyer.

RIGHT rev^rent and wurchepfull S^r I recomaud me to
yo^r gode mayst^rshep p'yng yot to wete y^t I was at Blakkes
and spake w^t his wisse and she seth he was not at hame this
iij weks he ridith up y^e Countre to take accompts of Balys and
y^t y^is day sevennyght he shuld haue satyn in Caystr by you up
on accounts and fro thens he shuld haue redyn to lynne And y^t
he shall be at home un Monday at nyght next comyng Wherfor
I haue left my heraund w^t her but she seth y^t he shal not mown
comyn to you for my lady haue sent for hym in gret hast bothyn
be a lett^r. and be a tokyn to comyn to her as hastly as he may
notw^t standyng she shall do the herand to hym As for Yelv^rton I
dede a gode fele to enquer of yemmys Skynn^r whan y^e seid
Yelv^rton shuld go to london he seid not this sevynnyght he
cowde not tell what day till he had spokyn w^t his Son his Sone
shuld come to hym or his mast^r shuld ridyn I shall enquer mor
at Walsyngh'm And for godds loue be not to longe fro London

for men seyn ther as I haue be y^t my lord of Glowcetir shuld
haue Cayst^r And y'is gret noyse of this revell y^t was don in
Suffolk be Yelv^rton and Ieney And yo^r wele willers thynkyn y^t
if their myght p'vayle in this thei wold attempt you in other but
seas ther pore and malyce and p'serve you from all evill And at
y^e reu^rence of god lete fū int^rp'con go a twix you and my mastres
yo^r mod^r or ye go to London and all y^t ye do shall spede the
bett^r for she is set on gret malyce and eu^y man y^t she spekith w^t
knowith her hert and it is like to be a fowle noyse all y^e countre
w^t aught it be sone sesid Also S^r it is told me that my lord of
Norfolk is Comyn to Framygh'm And y^t ye be gretly Comen-
dyd ī his howshold therfor it wer wele do me semyth y^t ye
spake w^t hym The holy Trynyte kepe you Wretyn at Norwich
ye Thursday next aft^r Sent Mathewe.

                                        Yo^r poer Prest,                       

                                                                             James Gloys.

      11 ? by 6 ?.

           Paper Mark,

     Bull's Head and Star.

           Pl. VIII. No 2.

           Seal:

           A Rose.

     Pl. XIV. No 5.

     This Letter contains little matter of curiosity, and had it not been for the mention of
the Duke of Gloucester's being to have Caister, I should not have inserted it.

     Every Anecdote of this Prince, of whose private affairs so little is known, the Historian
will be thankful for.

     Blake seems to have been concerned in taking accounts of Goods imported or export-
ed, on account of the3 duties paid to the Crown.

     We are here also informed of some disagreement subsisting between John Paston and
his Mother Dame Agnes Paston.

     On the back of this Letter in a hand of that time, is the following Memorandum, &c.
Which ascertains the date.

     "Rico Calle p ord'm b'm p ij annis t^rminatis ad mīc A^o primo r. r. E. iiij . . . . .
xxvj^s. viijd."

     Autograph. P1.  xxv. No 16. 

                                                  LETTER XVI.

              To the right reverend and worshipful Sir, and my good Master
                                         John Paston, Esquire.

RIGHT reverend and worshipful Sir, I recommend me to
your good mastership, praying you to weet that I was at
Blakes and spake with his Wife, and she faith he was not at
home this three weeks, he rideth up the Country to take ac-
counts of Bales, and that this day sev?night he should have
sate in Caister by you upon accounts, and from thence he should
have ridden to Lynn, and that he shall be at home on Monday
at night next coming; wherefore I have lest errend with
her; but she faith that he shall not mown coming (be able to
come) to you, for my Lady have sent for him in great haste,
both by a Letter and by a token to come to her, as hastily as he
may, notwithstanding she shall do the errand to him.

     As for Yelverton I did a good feel to enquire of James Skinner
when the said Yelverton should go to London; he said not this
sev'night, he could not tell what day till he had spoken with his
Son, his Son, should come to him ere his Master should ride; I
shall enquire more at Walsingham; and for God's love be not
 

too long from London, for men say there, as I have been
(Informed) that my Lord of Gloucester should have Caister, and
there is great noise of this revel that was done is Suffolk by
Yelverton and Jenney; and your well-willers think that if they
might prevail in this, they would attempt you in others, but
cease their power and malice, and preserve you from all evil,
and at the reverence of God let some interposition go a-twixt
you and my mistress your Mother ere ye go to London, and all
that ye do shall speed the better, for she is set on great malice,
and every man that she speaketh with, knoweth her heart, and
it is like to be a foul noise (over) all the Country without it be
soon ceased.

     Also Sir it is told me, that my Lord of Norfolk is coming to
Framlingham, and that ye be greatly commended in his house-
hold, therefore it were well done, me seemeth that ye spake
with him.

     The Holy Trinity keep you. Written at Norwich, the
Thursday after St. Matthew.

                                        Your poor Priest,
                                                                                    JAMES GLOYS.

 Norwich,

         Thursday, 24th of September.

         1461. I E. IV.

     This Letter contains little matter of curiosity, and had it not been for the mention of
the Duke of Gloucester's being to have Caister, I should not have inserted it.

     Every Anecdote of this Prince, of whose private affairs so little is known, the Historian
will be thankful for.

     Blake seems to have been concerned in taking accounts of Goods imported or export-
ed, on account of the3 duties paid to the Crown.

      We are here also informed of some disagreement subsisting between John Paston and
his Mother Dame Agnes Paston.

     On the back of this Letter in a hand of that time, is the following Memorandum, &c.
Which ascertains the date.

     "Rico Calle p ord'm b'm p ij annis t^rminatis ad mīc A^o primo r. r. E. iiij . . . . .
xxvj^s. viijd."

     Autograph. P1.  xxv. No 16.                          

482

JAMES GLOYS TO JOHN PASTON¹

To the right reverent and wurchepfull Sir, and my gode
mayster, John Paston, Esquyer.

RIGHT reverent and wurchepfull sir, I recomand me to
     your gode maystershep, prayng you to wete that I was
     at Blakkes, and spake with his wiffe; and she seth he
was not at hame this iij. weks,—he ridith up the countre to
take accompts of balys [bailiffs],—and that this day sevennyght
he shuld have satyn in Caystr by you up on accounts, and fro
thens he shuld have redyn to Lynne, and that he shall be at
home un Monday at nyght next comyng. Wherfor I have
left my heraund with her. But she seth that he shall not mown
comyn [be able to come] to you, for my Lady² have sent for
hym in gret hast, bothyn be a letter and be a tokyn, to comyn
to her as hastly as he may; notwithstandyng she shall do the
herand to hym.

     As for Yelverton, I dede a gode fele to enquer of Yemmys
Skynner whan the seid Yelverton shuld go to London. He
seid not this sevynnyght. He cowde not tell what day till he
had spokyn with his son. His sone shuld come to hym or
his master shuld ridyn. I shall enquer mor at Walsyngham.
And for Godds love be not to longe fro London, for men seyn
ther, as I have be [told], that my Lord of Glowcetir³ shuld
have Cayster, and ther is gret noyse of this revell that was don
in Suffolk be Yelverton and Jeney; and your wele willers
thynkyn that if thei myght prevayle in this, thei wold attempt
you in other. But seas ther pore and malyce, and preserve
you from all evill. And at the reverence of God lete sum
interposicion go a twix you and my mastres your moder or ye
go to London, and all that ye do shall spede the better; for
she is set on gret malyce, and every man that she spekith with
knowith her hert, and it is like to be a fowle noyse [over] all
the countre with aught it be sone sesid.

     Also, sir, it is told me that my Lord of Norfolk is comyn
to Framlyngham, and that ye be gretly comendyd in his hows-
hold. Therfor it wer wele do, me semyth, that ye spake with
hym. The Holy Trynyte kepe you.

     Wretyn at Norwich, the Thursday next after Sent
Mathewe.

                              Your pore prest,               JAMES GLOYS.

     ¹ [From Fenn, iv. 58.] On the back of this letter is the following memorandum
in a contemporaneous hand:—’De Ric’o Calle pro ordio (i.e. hordeo) ibidem pro ij.
annis terminatis ad Mic’ anno primo regni Regis E. iiij., xxvjs. viijd.’ This shows that
the letter itself could not have been written later than 1461, and as there was no
’Lord of Gloucester’ before that year, it could not have been earlier.

     ² Alice, Duchess of Suffolk.

     ³ Richard, the King’s brother, afterwards Richard 111.

1461
SEPT. 24

1461
SEPT. 24