James Gresham to Simon Damme

670

JAMES GRESHAM TO SIMON DAMME²

To my worshipfull cosyn, Symond Damme, [at] Lyncoln Inne,
at London, [be] this delyvered.

RIGHT worshipfull sir, and as in my trost my veray
     speciall good maister, I recomande me to you with
     al the servyce I can and may. Lyke it you to wytte
that I have do my bysynes to enquere for suyche dedes as ye
wrot for on to me, and, so God me helpe, I can not wytte
where I shuld spede to have ony suyche dedes. I spak to a
persone that is your good lover, the whiche tolde me that ther
was a gret plee bytwene my Lord of Suffolk and Sir John
Fastolf for the maner of Drayton, for whiche matier William
Wysetre was sent to enquere for evydencez touchyng the
Pooles lyvelond in suyche places as thei were lords of in their
dayes. And the seid Wysetre fonde evydencez that touched
a maner called Mundham maner, sum tyme longyng to the
Pooles that were owenners of Drayton, the whiche evydences
eased meche Sir John Fastolf; but the seid persone that en-
fourmed me of this can not telle the armes, ne what evydencez
tho shuld be in certeyn, savyng he thynkyth indoubted that
William Worcetre shuld not be unremembred of this. Wher-
fore it is thought to the same persone that enfourmed me of
this and by me also, that it shuld be expedyent for you to
comune of this matier by your wysdam with the same William
Wysetre, now beyng at London, for he by lyklyhod can telle
you a certeynte. And as touchyng my maister, Sir Thomas
Mongomery, I trost veryly that he nothyr hath ne shall have
cause of grudger by my defaut, for I can not understond ony
cause of grudger; for ever whanne my cosyn Damme¹ hath
spoken with my seid maisters attourne to have knowelage by
writyng of what thyng shuld be the cause of callyng on you,
he answerith that my maister, W. Paston, hath a bille therof,
but my cosyn can non gete. Wherfor I deme that the seid
attourne meneth not weel. I entende noon other but in als
meche as in me is to se your indempnyte with the grace of
God, who ever mote be your guyde and protector. Wretyn
at Norwich the ij. day of Juylle.

                                         Your servaunt in that he can and may
                                                                 to his powar,

                                                                           I, JAMES GRESHAM.

     Cosyn, an noon after this was wretyn, had I knowelage of
the massageris comyng to London berar of this, and I had
thought to have wretyn the letter above wretyn newe, by
cause of the foule wrytyng and interlynyeng, but now I lakke
leyser. Wherfor I pray you understond the pyth of my seid
wrytyng, and enfourme my seid maister Sir John P. of the same,
for I wold fayne do that shulde please hym, &c. And the
persone that enfourmed me dar not be a knowe of his name,
ne he wold not it shuld be understond to them that be of
counsell ageyn my maister. It was the parson of Heylesdon,
&c. More over, as I have wretyn to you of late, Palmer,
undershireve of Norffolk, hath sent his letter to his depute to
acomplyssh our entent for Chyldes matier as ye and I were
accordet. This told Wykes me for verray certeyn, &c., the
ij. day of Juylle.

          ² [From Paston MSS., B.M.] As this letter has reference to the disputes between
the Duke of Suffolk and the Paston family about Drayton, it might be supposed to
have been written about the year 1464, but that the entire absence of any mention of
John Paston the father makes it probable that the true date is after his death. It is
therefore not unlikely to be of the same year as No. 671, in which Margaret Paston
mentions the probability of Hellesdon being taken again out of their hands, and also
desires an answer to a letter that she had sent to her son, Sir John, ‘by James Gresham’s
man.’

 ¹ As it appears by the postscript that this letter was hurriedly despatched, we may
perhaps presume that it was intended in the first instance for Sir John Paston, but
that as ‘my cousin Damme’ required to be informed of the same particulars, it was
afterwards addressed to him, with instructions to communicate the contents to Sir
John.

On the back of this letter are some scribblings in another hand, viz.:—First, a
partial copy of the address; second, the name ‘John Dode’; third, the following
inscription, ‘Orate pro anima Johnnes (sic) de Boys armenger de Londonn.’

1467(?)
JULY 2

1467(?)
JULY 2

1467(?)
JULY 2