John Paston to Sir John Paston

LETTER X.

To my Mast^r S^r John
     Paston Knyght be thys
     delyuerd in hast.

As I was wryghty˜g y^is bylle Mastresse Jane Harsset
Comandyd me streyghtly that I shold recomend hyr to
yow in hyr best wyse and she sendyth yow word she wold
be as fayne to here fro yow as an other pore body.

     Syr it is so that my Cossyn John ¹Bleuerhasset is
enformyd that for verry serteyn he is chosyn to be on of
the colectours of the Taske in Norff. wher in v’ry trowthe
he hathe not afoot of lond w^tin the shyer wherfor I
beseche you that as hastyly as ye may aftyr y^e syght of thys
bylle y^t it may please yow to take the labore to comon w^t
S^r Rycherd Harrecorte and to let hym haue knowlage y^t thys
gentyllman hathe nowght w^t in the Shyer And y^t ye tweyne
may fynd the meane to get hym owght of y^t thanklesse
offyce for I promyse yow it encomberthe hym euyll and my
Mastresse hys wyffe and alle us hys frendys here And if
so be y^t ye and S^r R. Harcorte may not fynd the meane
betwyx yow that then it may please yow to meve my lord
Chamberleyn w^t thys mater And so prayithe yow Mast^r
Harsset and Mastresse Jane hys wyff also for she lyckyth
no thyng by the ofyce It is thowght her amonge us y^t
Haydons be y^e causers y^t he was set in J prey you enqwer
of S^r R. Harcort who was the cause and y^t it may be wyst
in y^e next byll y^t ye send me for if they wer the causers it
lythe in my Cosyn Harsett’s pewer to qwyte theym we have
no tydy˜gs to send but y^t our ²Frenshemen whyche kepte
our Costs her ar home into France for lake of vytayll we
saye. ³Hogan is put in y^e gyldhalle in Norwyche and shal
be browght up to london for reporty˜g of hys old talys he
varythe not no more but I prey god send yow the holy gost
amonge yow in the p^rlement howse and rather y^e devyll we
sey then ye shold gate eny more taskys Wretyn y^e day next
aftyr ou^r lady day the Annoncyacyon A^o xiij E iiij^ti yong
Heydon laborythe all y^t he can to ma˜y hys doughter to
yonge ⁴John Berney by y^e mean of W. Calthorp.

                                                                                 J. P.

11 by 4¼.

          On the back of this letter a memorandum is made of the day on which it
was received, in these words, “xxviij^o die Marcij A^o. xiij^o. E iiij^ti.”

     The first sentence likewise was added after the letter was written.

     I have inserted this letter not only to show how disagreeable the Tasks or
Subsidies, granted by Parliament, were to the people, but likewise to show
how difficult it was to get any one willing to collect them, though most pro-
bably a salary was annexed to that office.

     ¹ John Blennerhasset, Bleverhasset, and (for shortness) often called
Harsset, of Frens, married, 1st. Jane, daughter of Thomas Higham, Esq.;
and 2dly, Jane, daughter of Sir Thomas Tindal, of Hockwold, Kt. He
died in 1510, aged 87.

     ² These were probably some French vessels that infested the coast.

     ³ Hogan pretended to foretell commotions and rebellions, &c.

     ⁴ This marriage never took effect.

     Autograph, Pl. XXV. No. 21.

LETTER X.

To my Master Sir John Paston, Knight, be this delivered
in haste.

As I was writing this bill, Mistress Jane Harsset command-
ed me straitly that I should recommend her to you in her
best wise, and she sendeth you word she would be as fain
[glad] to hear from you as another poor body.

     Sir, it is so that my cousin John ¹Bleverhessat is informed
that for very certain he is chosen to be one of the Collectors
of the Task in Norfolk, whereas in very truth he hath not a
foot of land within the shire: wherefore I beseech you, that
as hastily as ye may, after the sight of this bill, that it may
please you to take the labour to commune with Sir Richard
Harcourt, and to let him have knowledge that this gentle-
man hath nought within the shire; and that ye twain may
find the mean to get him out of that thankless office, for I
promise you it encumbereth him evil, and my mistress his
wife, and all us his friends here; and if so be that ye and
Sir Richard Harcourt may not find the mean betwixt you,
that then it may please you to move my Lord Chamberlain
with this matter, and so Master Harsset prayeth you,
and Mistress Jane his wife also, for she liketh nothing by
the office.

     Item, it is thought here among us, that Heydons be the
causers that he was set in: I pray you enquire of Sir
Richard Harcourt who was the cause, and that it may be
wist [known] in the next bill that ye send me: for if they
were the causers, it lieth in my cousin Harssett?s power to
quit [be even with] them.

     We have no tidings to send, but that our ²Frenchmen,
which kept our coasts here, are home into France, for lack
of victuals, we say.

     ³Hogan is put into the Guildhall in Norwich, and shall
be brought up to London for reporting of his old tales; he
varyeth not. No more; but I pray God send you the
Holy Ghost among you in the Parliament house, and rather
the devil, we say, than ye should grant any more tasks.
Written the day next after Our Lady day the Annuncia-
tion, the 13th of Edward IV.

  Young Heydon laboureth all that he can to marry one
of his daughters to young ⁴John Berney by the mean of
W. Calthorpe.

                                                                        JOHN PASTON.

        Friday, 26th March,
            1473. 13 E. IV.

On the back of this letter a memorandum is made of the day on which it
was received, in these words, ?xxviij^o die Marcij A^o. xiij^o. E iiij^ti.?

     The first sentence likewise was added after the letter was written.

     I have inserted this letter not only to show how disagreeable the Tasks or
Subsidies, granted by Parliament, were to the people, but likewise to show
how difficult it was to get any one willing to collect them, though most pro-
bably a salary was annexed to that office.

     ¹ John Blennerhasset, Bleverhasset, and (for shortness) often called
Harsset, of Frens, married, 1st. Jane, daughter of Thomas Higham, Esq.;
and 2dly, Jane, daughter of Sir Thomas Tindal, of Hockwold, Kt. He
died in 1510, aged 87.

     ² These were probably some French vessels that infested the coast.

     ³ Hogan pretended to foretell commotions and rebellions, &c.

     ⁴ This marriage never took effect.

     Autograph, Pl. XXV. No. 21.

829

JOHN PASTON TO SIR JOHN PASTON²

To my Master, Sir John Paston, Knyght, be thys
delyverd in hast.

AS I was wryghtyng this bylle, Mastresse Jane Harsset
     comandyd me streyghtly that I shold recomand hyr
     to yow in hyr best wyse, and she sendyth yow word
she wold be as fayne to here fro yow as an other poore body.

     Syr, it is so that my cosyn John Blenerhasset¹ is enformyd
that for verry serteyn he is chosyn to be on of the colectours
of the taske in Norffolk, wher in verry trowthe he hathe not
a foot of lond with in the shyer; wherfor I beseche yow that,
as hastyly as ye may aftyr the syght of thys bylle, that it may
please yow to take the labore to comon with Sir Rychard
Harrecorte, and to let hym have knowlage that thys gentyll-
man hathe nowght with in the shyer, and that ye tweyne may
fynd the meane to get hym owght of that thanklesse offyce,
for I promyse yow it encomberthe hym evyll, and my mastresse
hys wyffe, and alle us hys frendys here; and if so be that ye
and Sir R. Harcorte may not fynd the meane betwyx yow,
that then it may please yow to meve my Lord Chamberleyn
with thys mater, and so Master Harsset prayithe yow, and
Mastresse Jane, hys wyff also, for she lyekyth no thyng by
the ofyce.

     It is thowght her amonge us that Heydons be the causers
that he was set in. I prey yow enqwer of Sir R. Harcort who
was the cause, and that it may be wyst in the next byll that ye
send me; for if they wer the causers, it lythe in my cosyn
Harsettes power to qwytte theym.

     We have no tydynges to send, but that our Frenshemen²
whyche kepte our costs her ar home into France, for lake of
vytayll, we saye.

     Hogan³ is put in the Gyld Halle in Norwyche, and shalbe
browght up to London for reportyng of hys old talys. He
varythe not. No more, but I prey God send yow the Holy
Gost amonge yow in the Parlement Howse, and rather the
Devyll, we sey, then ye shold grante eny more taskys.

     Wretyn the day next aftyr our Lady Day, the Anuncya-
cyon, Anno xiij. E. iiij^ti.

     Yong Heydon laborythe alle that he can to mary on
of hys doughtyr to yonge John Barney¹ by the mean of
W. Calthorpp.

                                                                                               J. P.

     ² [From Paston MSS., B.M.] This letter is endorsed with what appears to have
been the date of its receipt—’xxviij^o die Marcii A^o xiij^o E. iiij^ti.’

     ¹ John Blennerhasset, Bleverhasset, and (for shortness) often called Harsset, of
Frens, married first Jane, daughter of Thomas Higham, Esq., and secondly Jane,
daughter of Sir Thomas Tindal of Hockwold, Knight. He died in 1510, aged
87.—F.

     ² The French vessels that infested the coast, as mentioned in the preceding letter.

     ³ Hogan pretended to foretell commotions and rebellions, etc.—F.

                ¹ This marriage never took effect.—F.

MARCH 26

1473

MARCH 26