John Paston to James Gresham

136

JOHN PASTON TO JAMES GRESHAM¹

The copie of the letter of J. P.

JAMES GRESHAM, I prey yow laboure forth to have
     answer of my bille for myn especial assise, and the oyer
     and termyner,² accordyng to my seid bille that I delyvered
to my Lord Chaunceler,³ letyng hym wete that his Lordship
conceyved the graunt of suyche a special matier myght cause a
rumour in the cuntre. Owt of dowte the cuntre is not so
disposed, for it is desired ageyn suche persones as the c[untre]
wolde were ponysshid; and if they be not ponysshid to refourme
that they have do amysse, by liklynesse the cuntre wole rise up
on th[em]. Men talke that a general oier and termyner is
graunted to the Duke of Norfolk, my Lord of Ely, the Erll
of Oxenford, the Lord Scales, Sir John Fastolf, Sir Thomas
Fulthorp, and William Yelverton, and men be right glad
therof. Yet that notwithstondyng, laboure ye forth for me.
F[or] in a general oyer and termyner a supersedeas may dassh
al, and so shall not in a special. And also if the justicez come
at my request, they shall sytte als long as I wole, and so shall
thei not by the generall. And as for commyssioners in myn,
&c., Sir John Fastolf must be pleyntyf als weel as I my self,
and so he may not be commyssioner; and as for alle the
remenant, I can thynke them indifferent inow in the matier,
except my Lord Scales, whos wyff is aunte to the Lady
Moleyns.

     And as for that the Lord Moleyns hath wretyn that he dar
put the matier in awarde of my Lord Chaunceler, and in what
juge he wole take to hym, &c. (which offre as I suppose shall
be tolde to yow for to make yow to cesse your labour), thanne
lete that be answerid, and my Lord Chaunceller enfourmed
thus: The matier was in trete by th’assent of the Lord
Moleyns a twene his counseil and myn, whiche assembled at
London xvj. dyvers dayes, and for the more part there was a
sergeant and vj. or vij. thrifty apprentisez; at whiche tyme the
Lord Moleyns title was shewed, and clerly answerid, in so
meche that his own counseil seide they cowde no forther in the
matier, desiryng me to ride to Salesbury to the Lord Moleyns,
promyttyng of their part that thei wolde moeve the Lord
Moleyns, so that thei trusted I shuld have myn entent or I
come thens; of whiche title and answer I send yow a copie
that hath be put in to the Parlement, the Lord Moleyns being
there present, whereto he cowde not sey nay. Also by fore
this tyme I have agreed to put it in ij. juges, so thei wolde
determyne by our evydences the right, moevyng nother partie
to yeve other by ony mene, but only the right determyned, he
to be fully recompensed that hath right. Whereto he wold
not agree, but alle tymes wolde that thoe juges shulde entrete
the parties as they myght be drawe to by offre and profre to
my conceyte as men bye hors. Whiche matiers considerid, my
counseil hath alwey conceyved that the tretees he offred hath
be to non othir entent but to delaye the matier, or ellis to
entrete me to relese my damages, for title hath he non. And
he knowith weel the title shall never better be undirstond
thanne it hath be by his counseil and myn atte seid comunyca-
cions. And also my Lord Chaunceler undirstond that the
Lord Moleyns men toke and bar away more than ccli. [£200]
worth of my goodes and catalles. Wherof I delyvered hym a
bylle of every parcell, wherto al the world knoweth he canne
make no title. And if he were disposed to do right, my
counseil thynketh he shuld restore that, for therfor nedith
nowthir comunycacion nor trete. And with owt he wole
restore that, I trowe no man can thynk that his trete is to no
good purpose.

     I preye yow hertily laboure ye so to my Lord Chaunceller
that owther he wole graunte me my desire, or ellis that he wole
denye it. And lete me have answer from yow in wrytyng how
ye spede. If my Lord Chaunceler hath lost my bille that I
delyvered hym, wherof I sende yowe a copie, that thanne ye put
up to hym an othir of the same, takyng a copie to your self.

     Recomand me to my cosyn William Whyte,¹ and prey hym
to gyf yow his help in this, and lete hym be prevye to this
letter. And lete hym w[ete] that my cosyn his suster hath
childe, a doughter. Wretyn at Norwich, the iiij. day of
Septembre.

     Dyverse men of my freendis avyse me to entre in to the
maner of Gresham by force of my writte of restitucion, whiche
I wole not do by cause the maner is so decayed by the Lord
Moleyns occupacion, that where it was worth to me 1. marks
clerly by yeer, I cowde not now make it worth xxli.; for
whiche hurt, and for othir hurtis, by this special assise I trust
to have remedye.

     ¹ [From Paston MSS., B.M.] It is evident that this letter was written partly in
answer to Gresham’s of the 19th August 1450. The year is therefore the same.
The letter is printed from a copy in Gresham’s handwriting.

     ² See p. 161, Note 3.                        ³ Cardinal Kemp.—See last No.

     ¹ Cardinal Kemp?s servant.?See No. 128.

1450
SEPT. 4

1450
SEPT. 4

1450
SEPT. 4