John Clopton to John Paston

Add. 34888, f. 97

about 1454

Gairdner, Vol II, item 242; Fenn, Vol III, Henry VI item 46

LETTER XLVI.

Un to Ryth rev^rent S^r and my
good Mayst^r Iohn Paston,

RYTH wurthy and wurchypfull S^r and my ryth good mayst^r
I recomaunde me on to you thankyng you eu^rmore of your
gret jentylness and good maystyrhod shewyd on to me at all
tymys and specyally now to my herthys ease qwyche on my part
can nowt be rewardyd but my sympyll seruice is eu^r redy at your
comaundement ferthemor as for y^e mat^r y^t ye wete of I have la-
boryd so to my feydr y^t your entent as for y^e Jounto^r xal be ful-
fellyd And S^r I besheche you sethyn y^t I do my part to fullefelle
your wyll y^t ye wolle shew me your good maystyrhod in here
¹ chambyr as my full trust js jn so moche y^t jt xall nowth hurthe
you nor non of youris And y^e p’fite ther of xal be on to y^e
Avayle of my maystress your suster and to me and to non odyr
creature And also my maystress your modyr xall nouth be char-
chyd y^e w^t her bourd aftyr y^e day of y^e mariage but I to dis-
charge her of here p^rsone And to ease me y^t hat here chambyr
may be non cōtradiccon And S^r I am redy & alwey wolle to
p^rforme y^t I have seyd on to you, &c. Ferthemor lykyd you to

wete I was a Thursday last passyd at Cavendyshe to dylyver
An astate to Wentworth in y^e londe y^t was my brothyr ² Caven-
dyche As I tolde you wan I was last w^t you and ther I spak w^t
² Crane and he be sowthe me y^t I wolde sende ov^r to my maystress
your modyr for his excuse for he myth nowth be w^t here at this
tyme but on y^e sat^rday I est^rne wyke he wolle nouth fayll to be
w^t her so he Counsellyd me y^t I and my brothyr ³ Denston xulde
mete w^t hym there and so w^toute your better avyse I and my
brothyr purpose us to be w^t you ther at y^t tyme for y^e sonner y^e
levyr me for as to my Conceythe y^e dayys be waxyn wondyrly
longe in a scorte tyme qwerfor I besheche you sende me your
auyse how ye wolle have me rewlyd, &c.

No more I wrythe to you at yis p^rsent tyme but be schechyng
you to recomaunde jn y^e lowlyest wyse and y^e t’nite p’serve you
body and sowle Wret[SYM] w^t my chauncery hand in ryth gret haste
on y^e Fryday be forn Palmesoneday.

Your,

⁴ John
Clopton.

11 ½ by 6 ½.

Friday 12 April,
1454. 32 H. VI.

This Letter, from a Lover to the brother of his Mistress, seems dictated by good sense,
and a proper regard for the Lady; it shews his anxious wish that all preliminaries should
be settled to the satisfaction of the Lady’s friends, and hints at his own impatience for a
speedy conclusion in the following expressive words, “as to my conceythe y^e dayys be
waxyn wonderly longe in a schorte tyme.”

On the back of the Letter is written, in an ancient hand, “A l’re somewhat touchyng
a mariage y^t should have been betwen the wt^h in named John Clopton and Elizabeth
Paston sole daughter to Willm Paston Justice. Sed non cep^t effe’m.”

John Clopton, Esq. was one of those convicted on suspicion of receiving Letters from
Queen Margaret with Sir Thomas Todenham, &c. before the Earl of Worcester, in Feb.
1461, when all of them, except Clopton, were beheaded. He married Alice, sister to
Sir Robert Darcy, of Malden in Essex, and was alive in 1488. His father, Sir William
Clopton, had estates at Long Melford, &c. in Suffolk.

¹ Perhaps it means, some Expences for the accommodation of the Bride.

² The Cavendishes and Cranes were respectable families in the County of Suffolk.

³ John Denston, Esq. of Denston in Suffolk, married Catharine, daughter of Sir Wil-
liam Clopton, and sister to John Clopton.

⁴ Autograph. Pl. XVIII. N^o 12.

LETTER XLVI.

Unto (my) right reverend Sir, and my good Master, John Paston.

RIGHT worthy and worshipful Sir, and my right good mas-
ter, I recommend me unto you, thanking you evermore
of your great gentleness and good masterhood shewed unto me
at all times, and specially now to my heart’s ease, which on my
part cannot be rewarded, but my simple service is ever ready at
your commandment; furthermore as for the matter that ye weet
of, I have laboured so to my father that your intent as for the
jointure shall be fulfilled; and Sir I beseech you since I do my
part to fulfil your will, that ye will shew me your good master-
hood in her ¹ chamber as my full trust is, insomuch that it shall
nought hurt you nor none of your’s, and the profit thereof shall
be unto the avail of my mistress your sister, and to me, and to
none other creature.

And also my mistress your mother shall not be charged
with her board after the day of the marriage, but I to discharge
her of her person; and to ease me that hath her chamber may be
none contradiction.

And Sir I am ready, and always will to perform that I have
said unto you, &c.

Furthermore liketh you to weet, I was on Thursday last past
at Cavendish to deliver an estate to Wentworth in the land that
was my brother ² Cavendish’s, as I told you when I was last with
you, and there I spake with ² Crane, and he besought me that I
would send over to my mistress your mother for his excuse, for
he might not be with her at this time; but on the Saturday in
Easter-week he will not fail to be with her, so he counselled me
that I and my brother ³ Denston should meet with him there,
and so without your better advice, I and my brother purpose us
to be with you there at that time, for the sooner the lever (better
for) me, for, as to my conceit the days be waxed wonderly
(wonderfully) long in a short time, wherefore I beseech you send
me your advice how ye will have me ruled, &c.

No more I write to you at this present time, but beseeching
you to recommend (me) in the lowliest wise, and the Trinity
preserve you body and soul.

Written with my chancery hand in right great haste on the
Friday before Palm Sunday.

Your

⁴ JOHN CLOPTON.

11 ? by 6 ?.

Friday 12 April,
1454. 32 H. VI.

This Letter, from a Lover to the brother of his Mistress, seems dictated by good sense,
and a proper regard for the Lady; it shews his anxious wish that all preliminaries should
be settled to the satisfaction of the Lady’s friends, and hints at his own impatience for a
speedy conclusion in the following expressive words, “as to my conceythe y^e dayys be
waxyn wonderly longe in a schorte tyme.”

On the back of the Letter is written, in an ancient hand, “A l’re somewhat touchyng
a mariage y^t should have been betwen the wt^h in named John Clopton and Elizabeth
Paston sole daughter to Willm Paston Justice. Sed non cep^t effe’m.”

John Clopton, Esq. was one of those convicted on suspicion of receiving Letters from
Queen Margaret with Sir Thomas Todenham, &c. before the Earl of Worcester, in Feb.
1461, when all of them, except Clopton, were beheaded. He married Alice, sister to
Sir Robert Darcy, of Malden in Essex, and was alive in 1488. His father, Sir William
Clopton, had estates at Long Melford, &c. in Suffolk.

¹ Perhaps it means, some Expences for the accommodation of the Bride.

² The Cavendishes and Cranes were respectable families in the County of Suffolk.

³ John Denston, Esq. of Denston in Suffolk, married Catharine, daughter of Sir Wil-
liam Clopton, and sister to John Clopton.

⁴ Autograph. Pl. XVIII. N^o 12.

242

JOHN CLOPTON TO JOHN PASTON¹

Un to ryth reverent Sir, and my good mayster, John Paston.

RYTH wurthy and wurchypfull Sir, and my ryth good
mayster, I recomaunde me on to you, thankyng
you evermore of your gret jentylness and good
maystyrhod shewyd on to me at all tymys, and specyally
now to my herthys ease, qwyche on my part can nowt be
rewardyd, but my sympyll service is ever redy at your
comaundement. Ferthemor, as for the mater that ye wete
of, I have laboryd so to my feydr that your entent as for
the jointoure xal be fulfellyd; and, Sir, I besheche you sethyn
that I do my part to fullefelle your wyll, that ye wolle shew
me your good maystyrhod in here chambyr, as my full trust
is, in so moche that it xall nowth hurthe you nor non of
youris, and the profite ther of xal be on to the avayle
of my maystress your suster, and to me, and to non odyr
creature.

And also my maystress, your modyr, xall nouth be
charchyd the with her bourd aftyr the day of the mariage,
but I to discharge her of here persone, and to ease me that
hat here chambyr may be non contradiccion.

And, Sir, I am redy, and alwey wolle to performe that I
have seyd on to you, &c.

Ferthemor, lykyd you to wete I was a Thursday last
passyd at Cavendyshe, to dylyver an astate to Wentworth
in the londe that was my brothyr Cavendyche, as I tolde you
wan I was last with you. And ther I spak with Crane; and
he be sowthe me that I wolde sende over to my maystress
your modyr for his excuse, for he myth nowth be with here
at this tyme, but on the Saterday in Esterne wyke he wolle
nouth fayll to be with her. So he counsellyd me that I and
my brothyr Denston xulde mete with hym there; and so,
withoute your better avyse, I and my brothyr purpose us to
be with you ther at that tyme; for the sonner the levyr me,
for, as to my conceythe, the dayys be waxyn wondyrly longe
in a scorte tyme. Qwerfor I besheche you sende me your
avyse how ye wolle have me rewlyd, &c.

No more I wrythe to you at this present tyme, but be
schechyng you to recomaunde in the lowlyest wyse. And the
Trinite preserve you body and sowle.

Wretyn with my chauncery hand, in ryth gret haste, on
the Fryday be forn Palmesoneday.

Your,

JOHN CLOPTON.

¹ [From Fenn, iii. 192.] The exact year of this letter is uncertain, but from
what John Paston writes to Lord Grey on the 15th of July 1454, about proposals
having been recently made for his sister, it is not unlikely to be that year.

About
1454