John Paston to -

LETTER LXIII.

S^r I p’y yow ye will send sum chyld to my lord of Buk
place and to ye Crown wich as I conseiue is called Gerards
Hall in bred stret to inquer whedir J haue any answer of
my lett^r sent to Caleys which ye know off and that ye will
Reme˜br my broyeris ston so y^t it myth be mad er I cu’m
ageyn and yat it be klenly wrowgth it is told me yat ye man
at Sent Bridis is no klenly port^ryer Therfor J wold fayn it
myth be port^ryed be sum odir man and he to g’ue it up.
S^r, It is informyd su˜ psones in yis cu˜tre yat ye know yat
the frer will sew a nodir Delegate fro Rome dyrekt to sum
byschop of i˜gla˜d to ame˜d his mat^r &c. and how be it yat it
may not gretly hurt yet ye seyd psones &c. wold not he
shuld have his entent inamoch as his suggestion is untrew
but rayer yey wold spend money to lette it. I suppose ye
Abbot of Bery shuld labor for him rather yn anodir because
ye sey Abbot is a reteynor to y^e Lord yat is y^e freris mayn-
tener &c. wherefor boy my M. and I p^ry yow to enquer
after a man callid Clederro whych is solisitor and attorne
with Mast^r Will Grey yat late was y^e ki˜ggs pktor at Rome
and y^e seyd Clederro sendith matiers and lett^rs owth of
ingeland to his seyd mast^r ev^y monith &c. he is well knowe
in London and amo˜g y^e lumbards and with y^e bischop of
Winchestres men but I wot not wher he dwellit in London
and I suppos if ye speke w^t him he knowith me. plese yow
to com˜e w^t him of y^is mat^r but let him not wete of y^e mat^r
atwix my modir and him but desir him to wryth to his
mast^r to lett y^is if it may be or ell to se y^e best wey yat he
have not his intent and to com˜e w^t y^e p’ktor of y^e Whith
Freris at Rome to hep forth for ye freris her have laborid
to my M and p^ryd her to lete his ontrewe inte˜t and have
wrete to her pketor befor yis &c. and I suppose if ye speke
to y^e p’or of y^e freris at London he will writh to her seyd
p’ktor &c. but tell y^e p^ror no word yat I know yerof but let
him wete if he will wryth to his p^rktor oder men shall help
forth. Morov^r yat ye will tell Cledero yat I am not seker
y^t the frer laborith yus but by talis of freres and oder nev^r-
theles let him writh to his mast^r yat for whatsomeveyr he
do herin he shall be truly co˜te˜t for his labor and costs and
if y^e thi˜k y^t Cledero will writh effectually herin geff hym j
noble bid hy˜ let his mast^r know yat my lord of Wynchest^r
and Danyell ow god will to y^e p^t that he shall labor for and
if ther be fown no sech swth be ye seyd frer yet wold I have
sum thi˜g fro Rome to anull ye old bull &c. or to open it if
it myth be do esely &c. and tydi˜g wheder yer be any sech
sute &c.

                                                                   Yo^r own &c.

     For how beit y^t it may nowyir avayl nor hurt yet my M.
will yis be do. I send yow y^e Cope of y^e bull and how ex-
ecucion was do and informacion of y^e mat^r in pte &c. and
S^r I sha conte˜t yo^r noble &c. and I pray yow red it ov^r and
spede yow homward and bri˜g yis lett^r hom w^t yow &c.

     8 by 5¾.

 This letter has no direction, so to whom it is written does not appear; nei-
ther is it subscribed by any one, though the writer was certainly J. Paston.

     It shows the care and attention of the surviving friends towards the properly
pourtraying the effigies of the deceased, when a skilful draughtsman was em-
ployed to make the drawing, which another was to engrave. It may be pre-
sumed, that in many cases where there remained a picture or likeness of the
deceased, that a copy from that was taken for the purpose of having it en-
graved; many brass plates therefore may at this day be real representations of
the persons whom they cover.

     The account which we have here of the business to be transacted at Rome
is both curious and full of information, as it describes the modes of proceeding
in the Pope’s court, &c.

LETTER LXIII.

SIR, I pray you that ye will send some child to my Lord of
Buckingham’s place, and to the Crown, which, as I con-
ceive, is called Gerard’s Hall, in Bread-street, to inquire
whether I have any answer of my letter sent to Calais,
which ye know of; and that ye will remember my brother’s
stone, so that it might be made ere I come again, and that
it be cleanly wrought; it is told me, that the man of Saint
Bride’s is no cleanly pourtrayer, therefore I would fain it
might be pourtrayed by some other man, and he to grave it
up.

     Sir, it is informed some persons in this country, that ye
know that the friar will sue another delegate from Rome,
directed to some bishop in England, to amend his matter,
&c. and howbeit that it may not greatly hurt, yet the said
persons would not he should have his intent, inasmuch as
his suggestion is untrue, but rather they would spend
money to let [hinder] it.

     I suppose the Abbot of Bury should labour for him ra-
ther than another, because the said abbot is a retainer to
the lord that is the friar’s maintainer, &c. wherefore both
my mother and I pray you to inquire after a man called
Clitheroe, which is solicitor and attorney with Master Wil-
liam Grey, that late was the king’s proctor at Rome, and
the said Clitheroe sendeth matters and letters out of Eng-
land to his said master every month, &c.; he is well known
in London and among the Lombards, and with the Bishop
of Winchester’s men, but I wot not where he dwelleth in
London; and I suppose, if ye speak with him, he knoweth
me; please you commune with him of this matter, but let
him not weet of the matter betwixt my mother and him,
but desire him to write to his master to let this, if it may
be, or else to see the best way that he have not his intent;
and to commune with the proctor of the White Friars at
Rome to help forth, for the friars here have laboured to my
mother and prayed her to help to let his untrue intent, and
have written to her proctor before this. And I suppose if
ye speak to the prior of the friars at London, he will write
to her said proctor, &c. but tell the prior no word that I
know thereof, but let him weet, if he will write to his proc-
tor, other men shall help forth.

     Moreover, that ye will tell Clitheroe that I am not seker
[sure] that the friar laboureth this, but by tales of friars and
other; nevertheless let him write to his master, that what-
soever he do herein he shall be truly content for his
labour and costs; and if ye think that Clitheroe will write
effectually herein, give him one noble, and bid him let his
master know that my Lord of Winchester and Daniel owe
good will to the post that he shall labour for. And if there
be found no such suit by the said friar, yet would I have
something from Rome to annul the old Bull or to appeir
[lessen the effect of] it, if it might be done easily, &c. and
tidings whether there be any such suit, &c.

                                                             Your own

                                                                   JOHN PASTON.

      1479-80. 19 E. iv.

     For howbeit that it may neither avail nor hurt, yet my
mother will [that] this be done. I send you the copy of
the Bull, and how execution was done, and information of
the matter in part, &c. and, Sir, I shall content your noble,
&c. I pray you read it over, and speed you homeward,
and bring this letter home with you, &c.

   This letter has no direction, so to whom it is written does not appear; nei-
ther is it subscribed by any one, though the writer was certainly J. Paston.

     It shows the care and attention of the surviving friends towards the properly
pourtraying the effigies of the deceased, when a skilful draughtsman was em-
ployed to make the drawing, which another was to engrave. It may be pre-
sumed, that in many cases where there remained a picture or likeness of the
deceased, that a copy from that was taken for the purpose of having it en-
graved; many brass plates therefore may at this day be real representations of
the persons whom they cover.

     The account which we have here of the business to be transacted at Rome
is both curious and full of information, as it describes the modes of proceeding
in the Pope’s court, &c.

967

JOHN PASTON TO ——²

    SIR, I pray yow that ye will send sum chyld to my Lord
        of Bukingham place, and to the Crown, wich as I con-
        seive is called Gerardes Hall, in Bred Stret, to inquere
whedir I have any answer of my letter sent to Caleys, whech
ye know off; and that ye will remembre my brotheris ston,
so that it myth be mad er I cumm ageyn, and that it be klenly
wrowgth. It is told me that the man at Sent Bridis is no
klenly portrayer; [the]rfor I wold fayn it myth be portrayed
be sum odir man, and he to grave it up.

     Sir, it is informyd sum personis in this cuntre that ye
know that the frere will sew a nodir delegaci fro Rome, direkt
to sum byschop of Ingland, to amend his mater, &c.; and
how be it that it may not gretly hurt, yet the seyd persones,
&c., wold not he shuld have his entent, in asmoch as his
suggestion is untrew, but rather they wold spend mony to
lette it. I suppose the Abbot of Bery shuld labor for him
rather than anodir, becawse the sey Abbot is a perteynor to
the lord that is the freris mayntener, &c.; wherefor, ser, my
moder and I pray yow enquere after a man callid Clederro,
whych is solisitor and attorne with Master Will. Grey, that
late was the Kingges proktor at Rome, and the seyd Clederro
sendith matiers and letters owth of Ingelond to his seyd master
ever[y] monith, &c. He is well knowe in London, and among
the Lumbardes, and with the Bischop of Winchesteris men,
but I wot not wher he dwellit in London, and I suppos if ye
speke with him, he knowith me. Plese yow to comone with
him of this mater, but let him not wete of the mater atwix my
modir and him; but desir him to wryth to his master to lett
this, if it may be, or elles to se the best wey that he have not
his intent, and to comon with the proktor of the Whith Freris
at Rome to hep forth, for the freris here have laborid to my
moder, and praid her to lette his ontrewe intent, and have
wrete to her proketor befor this. And I suppose if ye speke
to the prior of the freris at London, he will writh to her seyd
proktor, &c., but tell the prior no word that I know [ther]of,
but let him wete if he will wryth to his proktor, odir men shall
help forth.

     More over, that ye will tell Cledero that I am not seker
that the frere laborith thus, but be talis of freris and odir;
nevertheles let him writh to his master that [for] whatsomevyr
he do herin, he shall be truly content for his labor and costes.
And if ye think that Cledro will writh effectually herin, geff
hym j. noble, [bid] hym let his master know that my Lord of
Wynchester¹ and Danyell ow godwill to the part that he shall
labor for. And if thar be fown no sech sewth be the seyd
[fre]re, yet wold I have sum thing fro Rome to anull the old
bull, &c., or to apeyr [impair] it [if] it myth be do esily, &c.,
and tyding wheder ther be any sech sute, &c.

Your own, &c.

     [For] how beit that it may nowthir avayl ner hurt, yet my
moder will this be do. [I] send yow the copi of the bull, and
how execucion was do, and informacion of the mater imparte,
&c. And, sir, I sha content your noble, &c. And I pray
yow red it over, and spede yow homeward, and bring this
letter home with yow, &c.

     ² [From Paston MSS., B.M.] As this letter refers to the making of a tombstone
for Sir John Paston, it may be presumed to have been written either at the end of the
year 1479, or in the course of the year 1480. The MS. is a rough draft, apparently
in the hand of Edmund Paston. It has been slightly mutilated, and apparently since
the letter was printed in Fenn’s fifth volume.

     ¹ William Waynflete, Bishop of Winchester.

1479-
80

1479-
80