John Dowbigging to John Paston

506

JOHN DOWBIGGING TO JOHN PASTON¹

To the ryght reverent and worship sir, John Paston, sum tyme
Lord of Gresham, and now fermour therof, as hit is seide.

PERYS of Legh come to Lynne opon Cristynmesse Even
     in the fresshest wise, and there he dyned so as was;
     bot when my Lorde of Oxenforde herde hereof he with
his feliship and suche as I and other your presoneres come
rydyng unto Lynne, and even unto the Bysshop gaole where
the seid Perys dyned with other of his feliship. My Lorde
pulled hym oute of the seid gaole and made to kest hym opon
an horse, and tyed an halter by his arme, and so ledde hym
furth like hym selff. And even furthwith the seid Bysshop,
the Mair, and other their feliship mette with my seide Lorde
and your presoneres, and also the seide Perys tyed by an
halter, the Bysshop havyng thies wordes unto my Lorde with
his pillion² in his handes, ‘My Lordes, this is a presoner, ye
may knowe bv his tepet and staff. What will ye do with
hym?’ Therto my Lorde seide, ‘He is my presoner nowe.’
Wherto the Bysshop seid, ‘Where is youre warraunt or com-
mission therto?’ My Lorde seide, ‘I have warraunt sufficiaunt
to me.’ And thus they departed, the Mair and all the
cominaltie of Lynne kepyng theire silence. Bot when we
weren goon, and Perys of Legh fast in Rysyng Castell, then
the yates of Lynne, by the Bysshop comaundement weren fast
sperred [shut] and keped with men of armes. And then the
Bysshop and his squyers rebuked the Mair of Lynne and seid
that he hade shamed both hym and his toun for ever, with
muche other langage, &c.

     The Bysshop shulde have keped his Cristenmesse at Gay-
wode, bot yet he come not oute of Lynne. In faith, my
Lorde dyd quyte hym als curageousely as ever I wist man do.
The Bysshop come to the toun with lx. persones the same
tyme, and made to sper the yates after hym, bot when we
mette, ther bode not with hym over xij. persones atte the
most, with his serjaunt of armes; whiche serjaunt was fayn
to lay doun his mase; and so atte the same yates we come in
we went oute, and no blode drawen, God be thanked.

     Yf ye will any thyng atte I may do, send me worde; hit
shall be doon to my power, &c. Comaunde me to my
maistresse your wyff, &c. And yf ye dar joperdie your
suyrtie of C. marc I shall come and se you. And elles have
me excused, for, &c.

                             From your oune,

                                                                     JOHN DOUEBIGGYNG.

¹ [From Paston MSS., B.M.] This letter is evidently earlier in date than the last,
and may perhaps have been written at the close of the year 1460, but as it refers to the
same prisoner as the preceding No. we place it here for convenience. It is printed in
the fifth volume of Fenn’s edition as a letter of Henry VII.’s time owing to a mis-
reading of the address, which might easily convey the impression that it was directed
to ‘Sir John Paston.’

     ² The hat worn by a Doctor of Divinity.