John Paston, Junior, to his father

LETTER XV.

To my ryth reu’ent and worchepfull fadyr John Paston be thys
delyu’yd in hast.

   RYTH reu’ent and worchepfull fadyr I recomand me
     on to yow beseech[SYM]g yow lowly of yo^r blyss[SYM]g, Plesyt
you to have knowlage y^t my Lord is p’posyd to send for my

¹ Lady and is lyke to kepe his Crystmas her in Walys for the
K[SYM]g hathe desyered hym to do y^e same wherfor I beseche yow y^t
wole wychesave to send me sume mony by the berer herof for in
good feythe as it is not on know[SYM]g to yow y^t I had but ij
² noblys in my purse whyche y^t Rychard Call took me by yo^r
comandement when I dep’tyd from yow owt of Norwyche the
berer herof schuld bye me a gowne w^t pert of the mony if it
plese yow to delyu’ hym as myche mony as he may bye it w^t
for I have but on gowne at ³ Fram[SYM]gh’m and an other her’ and
y^t is my ⁴ leu’e gowne and we must wer’ hem eu’y day for y^e
mor p’t and on’ gowne w^towt change wyll sone be done. As for
tyd[SYM]gys my Lord of Warwyk yed forward in to Scotland
as on sat’day last past w^t xx m¹ men and Syr Wyll’m Tunstale
is tak w^t y^e garyson of ⁵ Bamborowth and is lyke to be hedyd
and by the menys of S^r. Rychard ⁶ Tunstale is owne brodyr.
As sone as I her any more tyd[SYM]gys I schall send hem yow by y^e
g’ce of God who have yow in hys kep[SYM]g. Wretyn in hast at the
cast.’ of y^e Holt’ upon halowmas daye.

                                                 Yo^r sone and lowly Serūnt,

                                                                          J. Paston, Jun^r.

                11 ? by 3 ?.

             Holt,
                 1st of November, 1462,
                 2 E. IV.

     John Paston (PI. IV. N^o 9, or 11,) appears, according to the commendable custom of
those times, to have been brought up in the family of John Mowbray, Duke of Norfolk,
and at this time, when he was scarcely twenty years of age, to have been an attendant
upon him at his Castle of Holt, in Denbighshire.

     ¹ Elizabeth, Duchess of Norfolk, was Daughter of John Talbot, the first Earl of
Shrewsbury.

     ² A Noble is 6s. 8d.

     ³ Framlingham Castle, in Suffolk, was the residence of the Duke of Norfolk.

     ⁴ We learn from hence that the young Gentlemen attending upon the great men were
generally obliged to appear drest in their Livery Gowns.

     ⁵ Bamborough Castle, in Northumberland, was taken by Queen Margaret, and garri-
soned with Scots.

     ⁶ Sir William Tunstall was taken in the garrison on King Edward’s part, whilst his
Brother Sir Richard, was in the army of Queen Margaret.

     The Impression on the Seal of this Letter is a Fleur de Lys.

LETTER XV.

To my right reverend and worshipful Father, John Paston,
be this delivered in baste.

   RIGHT reverend and worshipful Father, I recommend me
     unto you, beseeching you lowly of your blessing. Please
it you to have knowledge, that my Lord is purposed to send for
my ¹ Lady, and is like to keep his Christmas here in Wales;
for the King hath desired him to do the same, wherefore I beseech
you, that (you) would vouchsafe to send me some money by the
bearer hereof; for, in good faith, as it is not unknown to you,
that I had but two ² Nobles in my purse, which (was) that
(which) Richard Calle took (delivered) me by your command-
ment, when I departed from you out of Norwich.

     The Bearer hereof should buy me a Gown with part of the
money, if it please you to deliver him as much money as he may
buy it with; for I have but one gown at ³ FramlLngham and
another here, and that is my ⁴ Livery Gown, and we must wear
them every day for the more part, and one Gown without change
will soon be done.

     As for tidings, my Lord of Warwick yed (went) forwards
into Scotland, as on Saturday last past with twenty thousand
men, and Sir William Tunstall is taken with the garrison of
⁵ Bamborough and is like to be headed, and by the means of Sir
⁶ Richard Tunstall his own brother.

     As soon as I hear any more tidings, I shall send them you by
the grace of God, who have you in his keeping. Written in
haste at the Castle of the Holt, upon Holymas day.

                                        Your Son and lowly Servant,
                                                                 J. PASTON, Junior.

            11 ? by 3 ?.

             Holt,
                 1st of November, 1462,
                 2 E. IV.

     John Paston (PI. IV. N^o 9, or 11,) appears, according to the commendable custom of
those times, to have been brought up in the family of John Mowbray, Duke of Norfolk,
and at this time, when he was scarcely twenty years of age, to have been an attendant
upon him at his Castle of Holt, in Denbighshire.

     ¹ Elizabeth, Duchess of Norfolk, was Daughter of John Talbot, the first Earl of
Shrewsbury.

     ² A Noble is 6s. 8d.

     ³ Framlingham Castle, in Suffolk, was the residence of the Duke of Norfolk.

     ⁴ We learn from hence that the young Gentlemen attending upon the great men were
generally obliged to appear drest in their Livery Gowns.

     ⁵ Bamborough Castle, in Northumberland, was taken by Queen Margaret, and garri-
soned with Scots.

     ⁶ Sir William Tunstall was taken in the garrison on King Edward’s part, whilst his
Brother Sir Richard, was in the army of Queen Margaret.

     The Impression on the Seal of this Letter is a Fleur de Lys.

532

JOHN PASTON, JUNIOR, TO HIS FATHER²

To my ryth reverent and worchepfull fadyr, John Paston,
be thys delyveryd in hast.

RYTH reverent and worchepfull fadyr, I recomand me
     on to yow, beseechyng yow lowly of your blyssyng.
     Plesyt you to have knowlage that my Lord³ is pur-
posyd to send for my Lady, and is lyke to kepe his Crystmas
here in Walys, for the Kyng hathe desyered hym to do the
same. Wherfor I beseche yow that [ye]⁴ wole wychesave to
send me sume mony by the berer herof; for, in good feythe,
as it is not on knowyng to yow that I had but ij. noblys
in my purse, whyche that Rychard Call took me by your
comandement, when I departyd from yow owt of Norwyche.
The berer herof schuld bye me a gowne with pert of the
mony, if it plese yow to delyver hym as myche mony as he
may bye it with; for I have but on gowne at Framyngham
and an other here, and that is my levere gowne, and we must
were hem every day for the mor part, and one gowne with-
owt change wyll sone be done.

     As for tydyngs, my Lord of Warwyk yed forward in to
Scotland as on Saterday¹ last past with xx.^ml. [20,000] men;
and Syr Wylliam Tunstale is tak with the garyson of Bam-
borowth, and is lyke to be hedyd, and by the menys of Sir
Rychard Tunstale² is owne brodyr.

     As sone as I here any more tydyngys, I schall send hem
yow by the grace of God, who have yow in Hys kepyng.
Wretyn in hast, at the Castle of the Holte,³ upon Halowmas
Daye.

                    Your sone and lowly servaunt,

                                                                          J. PASTON, Junior.

     ² [From Fenn, i. 266.] In the month of October 1462, as we learn from William
Worcester, Margaret of Anjou came out of France, whither she had fled in spring,
with a force of 2000 men, landed on the coast of Northumberland, and laid siege to
Bamborough, which she took and placed in the keeping of the Duke of Somerset.

     ³ The Duke of Norfolk.                                             ⁴ Omitted in original.

   ¹ 30th October.

     ² Sir Richard Tunstal was on Queen Margaret’s side, while his brother William,
it seems, was on that of King Edward.                                 ³ In Denbighshire.

NOV. 1

1462
NOV. 1