John Bocking to William Wayte

LETTER XXXI.

To Wiliam Wayte.

RITH feithful and welbelouyd Broy^r Wiliam Wayte I co-
     maunde me to yow as y^e lord may to his ten’nt praying
you effectualy to recomaunde me to my sing’ler gode mayst^r
and yours excusyng me y^t I write not to hym for I dar not en-
volde me in the same And as for tydyngs her I certifye you y^t
all is no^t or will be no^t the kyng borweth hes exp’ns’ for
Cristemesse the ¹ kyng of Aragon y^e Duc of Myleyn y^e Due
of Ostrich y^e Due of Burgoyn wolde ben assistent to us to
make a conquest and noying is aunswered ner agreed in maner
saue abydyng the grete delib’acon y^t aty^e last zall spill all to
goder &c the ² chief Yistice hath waited to ben assauted all this
seuenyght myghtly in hes hous but noying Come as yett ye
more pite &c. On ³ Oyr & det^rnimer goth in to Kent & Com-
iffion’s my lord y^e Duc of York Bouchier my Mayst^r y^t will
not Come y’e de p’dic’oibz &c. but kent praeth hem to hang
no men when yei Com’e other tydyngs as yett can I non tell
you saue Ulueston is Styward of y^e mydill Jnne And Jsley of
the Jnner Jnne be cause thei wold have officz for excuse for
dwellyng this tyme from her wyves &c. S^r T. T. lost hes p’mer
at the tour hill and sent his man to seche it & a good felaw
wyshed hit in Norff. so he wold fetch hit y’e &c. ⁴ Men ween
y^t Norff. men wer hardier yanne yei be god graunte and at
the rev^rence of god help too y^t an outas and clamo^r be made
upon the lord scalez preying ym forwell of the Cuntre ney-
ther susteyn ner help hym ner Heydon in no wyse And y^t ye
crye upon my mayst^r and yours y^t he obeye not the Sy’corar
as yett as ye may se be hes lre from my mayst^r rudely
and in hast be me endited of which I p’y excuse &c. And
prey Blake to do Swafh’m men sey sum what to ye matier J wote
well T and H wil not Come y^re at this tyme as it is verily re-
ported &c. Mitte sapien’ &c. Brayn & J shalbe w^t you on Sat^rday
nest at Evyn with y^e grace of Jhu to whom J be take you in hast
at London the ij^de day of Ianuar.

                                                                                By

                                                                                         ⁵ J. Bockyng.

     The whole of this familiar letter wherein the writer mixes politics and pleasantry is not
entirely explicable; nor can the date be exactly ascertained; I have ventured to date it
between 1450 and 1454.

     ¹ The assistance offered by the Princes here named related to our wars in France.

     ² John Hody was Chief Justice of the King’s Bench, but I do not understand what is
here related.

     ³ By what is mentioned of the Commissions going into Kent to try those guilty of Trea-
sons &c. (if these were for that purpose) it appears as if it was not a great while after
Cade’s rebellion; and the Duke of York being one of the Commissioners, must have been
greatly in favour of the rebels, as his friends were said to have stirred up the insurrection.

     ⁴ It seems as if some robust exercises had been performed on Tower-hill wherein the
Norfolk men did not exert themselves in a manner that was expected from them.

     ⁵ J. Bocking was one in the houshold of Sir John Fastolf. Autograph. Pl. III. N^o 33

11 by 4¼

London
           2 Jan^y.
Between 1450 & 1454.
      29 & 34 H. VI.

LETTER XXXI.

To William Wayte.

RIGHT faithful and wellbeloved brother William Wayte, I
     I commend me to you, as the Lord may to his tenant,
praying you effectually to recommend me to my singular good
master and yours, excusing me that I write not to him, for I
dare not envolde [involve] me in the same; And as for tidings
here, I certify you that all is nought, or will be nought; the
King borweth [borroweth] his expences for Christmas; the
¹ King of Arragon, the Duke of Milan, the Duke of Ostrich,
the Duke of Burgoyn [Burgundy] would have been assistant to
us to make a conquest, and nothing is answered nor agreed in
manner, save abiding the great deliberation that at the last shall
spill all together, &c.

     ² The Chief Justice hath waited [expected] to have been as-
saulted all this sev’night nightly in his house, but nothing come
as yet, the more pity, &c. An ³ Oyer and Determiner goeth
into Kent, and Commissioners my Lord the Duke of York,
Bourchier, my master, that will not come there de proditioni-
bus, &c. but Kent prayeth them to hang no men when they come.

     Other tidings as yet can I none tell you, save Ulveston is Steward
of the Middle Inn, and Isley of the Inner Inn, because they
would have offices for excuse for dwelling this time from their
wives, &c. Sir Thomas Todenham lost his Primer at the Tower-
hill, and sent his man to seek it, and a good fellow wished it in
Norfolk, so he would fetch it there, &c. ⁴ Men ween that Nor-
folk men were hardier than they be. God grant, and at the
reverence of God help too that an outas (outcry) and clamour
be made upon the Lord Scales, praying him for weal of the
country, neither sustain nor help him nor Heydon in no wise, and
that ye cry upon my master and yours that he obey not the
Certiorari as yet, as you may see by his letter from my master
rudely and in haste by me endited, of which I pray excuse, &c.
And pray Blake to do Swaffham men say somewhat to the mat-
ter. I weet well Todenham and Heydon will not come there
at this time, as it is verily reported, &c. “Mitte sapientem, &c.”
Brayn and I shall be with you on Saturday next at even with
the grace of Jesu, to whom I betake you. In haste at London the
2d day of January.

                                                                 By

                                                                          ⁵ J. BOCKING.

     The whole of this familiar letter wherein the writer mixes politics and pleasantry is not
entirely explicable; nor can the date be exactly ascertained; I have ventured to date it
between 1450 and 1454.

     ¹ The assistance offered by the Princes here named related to our wars in France.

     ² John Hody was Chief Justice of the King’s Bench, but I do not understand what is
here related.

     ³ By what is mentioned of the Commissions going into Kent to try those guilty of Trea-
sons &c. (if these were for that purpose) it appears as if it was not a great while after
Cade’s rebellion; and the Duke of York being one of the Commissioners, must have been
greatly in favour of the rebels, as his friends were said to have stirred up the insurrection.

     ⁴ It seems as if some robust exercises had been performed on Tower-hill wherein the
Norfolk men did not exert themselves in a manner that was expected from them.

     ⁵ J. Bocking was one in the houshold of Sir John Fastolf. Autograph. Pl. III. N^o 33

London
           2 Jan^y.
Between 1450 & 1454.
      29 & 34 H. VI.

169

JOHN BOCKING TO WILLIAM WAYTE¹

To William Wayte.²

RITH feithful and welbelovyd brother, Wiliam Wayte,
     I comaunde me to yow as the lord may to his tenant,
     praying you effectualy to recomaunde me to my
singuler gode mayster and yours, excusyng me that I write
not to hym, for I dar not envolde me in the same. And as
for tydyngs her, I certifye you that all is nowght, or will be
nowght. The Kyng borweth hes expense for Cristemesse;
the Kyng of Aragon,³ the Duc of Myleyn,⁴ the Duc of
Ostrich,⁵ the Duc of Burgoyn⁶ wolde ben assistent to us to
make a conquest, and nothyng is aunswered, ner agreed in
maner, save abydyng the grete deliberacon that at the last zall
spill all to goder, &c.

     The Chief Yistice⁷ hath waited to ben assauted all this
sevenyght nyghtly in hes hous, but nothing come as yett, the
more pite, &c. On oyr and determiner⁸ goth in to Kent, and
Commissioners my Lord the Duc of York, Bouchier, my
mayster,¹ that will not come there, de prodicionibus, &c., but
Kent praeth hem to hang no men when thei come.

     Other tydyngs as yett can I non tell you, save Ulveston is
Styward of the Mydill Inne, and Isley of the Inner Inne, be
cause thei wold have officz for excuse for dwellyng this tyme
from her wyves, &c. Sir T. T.² lost hes primer at the Tour
Hill, and sent his man to seche [fetch (?)] it, and a good felaw
wyshed hit in Norffolk, so he wold fetch hit there, &c. Men
ween that Norffolk men wer hardier thanne thei be.

     God graunte, and at the reverence of God help too that an
outas³ and clamour be made upon the Lord Scalez,⁴ preying
hym for well of the cuntre, neyther susteyn ner help hym ner
Heydon in no wyse, and that ye crye upon my mayster and
yours that he obeye not the syrcorar [certiorari] as yett, as ye
may se be hes lettre from my mayster, rudely and in hast be
me endited, of which I pray excuse, &c. And pray Blake⁵
to do Swafham men sey sum what to the matier.

     I wote well T. and H.⁶ wil not come there at this tyme, as
it is verily reported, &c. Mitte sapientem, &c. Brayn and I
shalbe with you on Saturday nest at evyn, with the grace of
Jesu, to whom I be take you. In hast, at London, the ij^de day
of Januar.

                                                                         By J. BOCKYNG.

     ¹ [From Fenn, iii. 134.] The evidence on which this letter has been assigned to
the year 1451 will be seen in a footnote.

     ² This is supplied by the Editor, there being no address in the MS. itself.

     ³ Alfonso v.

     ⁴ Francis Sforza, one of the most able and successful generals of the time. He
was a soldier of fortune, of peasant origin, and succeeded to the Duchy of Milan by
his marriage with Bianca Maria, natural daughter of Philip Maria, the preceding
Duke, whose interests he had at one time opposed as general of a league formed by
the Pope and the Venetian and Florentine Republics against the Duchy.

     ⁵ Albert, surnamed the Prodigal, brother of the Emperor Frederic III.

     ⁶ Philip the Good.

     ⁷ Sir John Fortescue.

     ⁸ A commission of oyer and terminer for Kent and Sussex was issued in December
1450 to Richard, Duke of York, Lord Bourchier, Sir John Fastolf, and others.—
Patent Roll, 29 Hen. VI. p. 1, m. 16 indorso.

                       ¹ Sir John Fastolf, whose servant Bocking was.

                       ² Sir Thomas Tuddenham.

                       ³ An outcry.

                       ⁴ See p. 196.

                       ⁵ Elsewhere mentioned as bailiff of Swaffham.

                       ⁶ Tuddenham and Heydon.

1451
JAN. 2

1451
JAN. 2