John Paston to Sir John Paston

Add. 34889, f. 120

23 January 1472

Gairdner, Vol V, item 796; Fenn, Vol IV, Edward IV item 101

LETTER CI.

     To my Ryght worchepfull
     brodyr Syr John Paston Knyght
     be thys delyryd.

RYGHT worchepfull Syr J recomand me to yow in my best
wyse, lyekyth yow to wet that
J have thys day delyu^ryd yo^r mantyll yo^r ^I Raye gowne and yo^r
Crosbowys w^t telers and wyndas and yo^r normandy byll to Kerby
to bryng w^t hym to london. Jt' in eny wyse and ye can axethe
probate of my fadyrs wyll to be geuyn yow wt the bargayn y^t
ye make w^t my lord of Cantrbery and J can thynk that ye may
haue it and as soone as it is preuyd ye or J may haue a lettyr
of mynystracyon up on the same and A qwetance of my lord
Card'nalle euyn foorthe w^t and thys wer on of the best bar-
gaynys that ye and thys ij yer J enswyr yow and he may make
yow Aqwetance or get yow on of the bysheop of Wynchestyr
for Sr John Fastolfys Goodys also and in my reson thys wer
lyght to be browgth a bowght w^t the same bargayn And ye
p'pose to bargayn wt bym y had need to hye yow for it is told
me that my lord of Norff. wyl entyr in to it hastyly an dif he
so doo it is the wers for yow and it wyll Cawse them to profyr
the lesse syluyr Jt' J pray yow send me some secret tydygs of
the lyklyed of the world by the next messenger that Comyth
between that J may be eythyr myryer or ellys mor sory then I
am and also y^t I may gwyd me ther aftyr Jt' as for S^r R.
Wyngfeld J can get no x li of hym but he seyth y^t J shall haue
the fayirest harneys that I can bye in london for syluyr but
moeny can J non get I can not yet make my pesse w^t my lord
of Norff. nor my lady by no meane yet eury man tellyth me that
my lady seyth paseygly well of me allweys notwtstandyg I trowe
y^t they wyll swe the apell thys term yet ther is no man of us
Jndytyd but if it wer doon a for the crowners er then we Cam
owte of y^e plase ther is now but iij men in it and the bryggs
alwey drawyn. Nor mor but god lat yow myn her ² Wretyn
the Twysday next aftyr seyt Agnet y^e ³ fyrst.

⁴ J.P.

Jt. yestyrday W. Gornay entryd in to Saxthorp and ther was
he kepyg of a coort and had the tenuts attounyd to hym but er
the coort was all doon I came thedyr w^t a man w^t me and no more
and ther befor hym and all hys feluwschep Gayne Bomsted &c.
I chargyd the tenūts that they shold proced no ferther in ther
coort upon peyn y^t myght folle of it and they lettyd for a seasen
but they sye that I was not abyll to make my partye good and so
they prosedyd ferther and J sye that and set me downe by the
stward and blottyd hys book w^t my fyngyr as he wrot, so that all
tenuts afermyd that the coort was enterupte by me as in yow^r
ryght that J reqwered them to record that ther was no pesybyll
coort kept and so they seyd they wold.

          11 ? by 14 ?.
             Paper Mark,
       Bull's head and Star.
              Pl. X. N^o. 1.

As this Letter contains a variety of matter I have given it to the reader. The bargain
with the Archbishop was I suppose relative to the expences attending the probate of the
will, &c.

It seems extraordinary that the Norfolk family should speak favourably of J. Paston,
and yet pursue the appeal against him for murder.

His device to interrupt the keeping of the Court at Saxthorp desersves notice, and
shews the plain dealing of the times.

¹ This means a gown made of cloth that was never either coloured of dyed.

² This sentence I wish to have explained.

³ The festival of St Agnes, the first (and the most noted of the two), was kept on the
21st of January; her second festival was on the 28th of the same month, which it is
to be observed was not the octave of the former, but a distinct feast upon a different oc-
casion, and it is sometimes written " Agnetis Nativitas;" but it was on account of a
miracle wrought at her tomb that this second feast was instituted.

⁴ Autograph. Pl. XXV. No 21.

LETTER CI.

To my Right worshipful Brother Sir John Paston, Knight,
be this delivered.

RIGHT worshipfull Sir, I recommend me to you in my best
wise. Liketh it you to weet that I have this day delivered
your mantle, your¹ ray gown, and your cross-bows with telers
and windlase, and your Normandy bill to Kerby to bring with
himt to London.

Item in any wise and (if) ye can, ask the probate of my father's
will to be given you with the bargain that ye make with my
Lord of Canterbury, and I can think that ye may have it, and
as soon as it is proved ye or I may have a Letter of Administra-
tion upon the same, and an acquittance of my Lord Cardinal
even forthwith; and this were one of the best bargains that ye
made this two year I assure you; and he may make you ac-
quittance, or get you one of the Bishop of Winchester for Sir
John Fastolf's goods also, and in my reason this were light to
be brought about with the same bargain; and (if) ye purpose to
bargain with him ye had need to hie you, for it is told me that
my Lord of Norfolk will enter into it hastily, and if he so do,
it is the worse for you, and it will cause them to proffer the
less silver.

Item, I pray you send me some secret tidings of the likelihood
of the world by the next messenger that cometh between, that I
may be either merrier of else more sorry than I am, and also
that I may guide me thereafter.

Item, as for Sir Robert Wingfield, I can get no ten pounds
of him, but he saith that I shall have the fairest harness that I
can buy in London for silver, but money can I none get.

I cannot yet make my peace with my Lord of Norfolk nor
my Lady by no means, yet every man telleth me, that my Lady
faith passingly well of me always; notwithstanding I trow that
they will sue the appeal this term, yet there is no man of us
indicted, but it (unless) it were done afore the Coroners ere then
we came out of the place; there is now but three men in it,
and the Bridges always drawn. No more but God lat you mine
her². Written the Tuesday next after Saint Agnes the ³ first.

⁴ JOHN PASTON.

Item, yesterday W. Gornay entered into Saxthorp, and there
was he keeping a Court, and had the tenants attourned to him;
but ere the court was all done, I came thither with a man with
me and no more, and there before him and all his fellowship,
Gayne, Bomsted, &c. I charged the tenants that they should pro-
ceed no further in their court upon pain that might fall of it; and
they letted for a season, but they saw that I was not able to make
my party good, and so they proceeded further: I saw that and, sat
me down by the steward and blotted his book with my singer as
he wrote, so that all the tenants affirmed that the Court was in-
terrupted by me as in your right, and I requested them to record
that there was no peaceable court kept, and so they said they
would.

                       Tuesday,
           23 January, 1469-70.
                       9 E. IV.

As this Letter contains a variety of matter I have given it to the reader. The bargain
with the Archbishop was I suppose relative to the expences attending the probate of the
will, &c.

It seems extraordinary that the Norfolk family should speak favourably of J. Paston,
and yet pursue the appeal against him for murder.

His device to interrupt the keeping of the Court at Saxthorp desersves notice, and
shews the plain dealing of the times.

1This means a gown made of cloth that was never either coloured of dyed.

² This sentence I wish to have explained.

³ The festival of St Agnes, the first (and the most noted of the two), was kept on the
21st of January; her second festival was on the 28th of the same month, which it is
to be observed was not the octave of the former, but a distinct feast upon a different oc-
casion, and it is sometimes written " Agnetis Nativitas;" but it was on account of a
miracle wrought at her tomb that this second feast was instituted.

⁴ Autograph. Pl. XXV. No 21.

796

JOHN PASTON TO SIR JOHN PASTON¹

To my ryght worchepfull brodyr, Syr John Paston, Knyght,
be thys delyveryd.

RYGHT worchepfull syr, I recomand me to yow in my
best wyse, lykeyth yow to wet²
that I have thys day delyveryd yowr mantyll, yowr
ray gowne,³ and yowr crosbowys, wyth telers and wyndas, and
yowr Normandy byll to Kerby to bryng wyth hym to London.

Item, in eny wyse, and [if] ye can axe the probate of my
fadyrs wyll to be gevyn yow wyth the bargayn that ye make
wyth my Lord of Canterbery, and I can thynk that ye may
have it, and as soone as it is prevyd ye or I may have a lettyr
of mynystracyon upon the same, and a qwetance of my Lord
Cardinalle evyn foorthe wyth; and thys wer one of the best
bargaynys that ye mad thys ij. yer I enswyr yow, and he may
make yow aqwetance or get yow one of the Bysheop of Wyn-
chestyr for Syr John Fastolfys goodes also, and in my reson
thys wer lyght to be browght a bowght with the same bargayn.
And ye purpose to bargayn with hym ye had need to hye yow,
for it is tolde me that my Lord of Norffolk wyl entyr in to it
hastyly, and if he so doo, it is the wers for yow, and it wyll
cawse them to profyr the lesse sylvyr.

Item, I pray yow send me some secret tydyngs of the
lyklyed of the world by the next messenger that comyth
between, that I may be eyther myryer or ellys mor sory then I
am, and also that I may gwyd me ther aftyr.

Item, as for Sir R. Wyngfeld, I can get no x. li. of hym,
but he seyth that I shall have the fayirest harneys that I can
bye in London for sylvyr, but money can I non get. I can
not yet make my pesse wyth my Lord of Norffolk nor my
Lady by no meane, yet every man tellyth me that my Lady
seyth passyngly well of me allweys notwithstandyng. I trowe
that they wyll swe the apell¹ thys term, yet ther is no man of
us indytyd but if it wer doon a for the crowners er then
we cam owt of the plase; ther is now but iij. men in it,
and the brygges alwey drawyn. No mor, but God lant yow
myn her.²

Wretyn the Twysday next aftyr Seynt Agnet the fyrst.³

J. P.

Item, yestyrday W. Gornay entryd in to Saxthorp and ther
was he kepyng of a coort, and had the tenaunts attou[r]nyd
to him, but er the coort was all doon, I cam thedyr with a
man with me and no more, and ther, befor hym and all hys
feluwschep, Gayne, Bomsted, &c., I chargyd the tenaunts that
they shold proced no ferther in ther coort upon peyn that
myght folle of it, and they lettyd for a seasen. But they sye
that I was not abyll to make my partye good, and so they
procedyd ferther; and I sye that, and set me downe by the
stward and blottyd hys book wyth my fyngyr as he wrot, so
that all tenaunts afermyd that the coort was enterupte by me
as in yowr ryght, and I reqwered them to record that ther was
no pesybyll coort kept, and so they seyd they wold.

¹ [From Fenn, iv. 420.] It appears by a letter of the 17th February following
(No. 798), that at the beginning of the year 1472 the Pastons were endeavouring to
come to an understanding with the Duke of Norfolk by the intercession of the
Duchess. For further evidence of date, see the next letter.

² A blank occurs here in Fenn’s left-hand, or literal copy, which is not explained.

³ This means a gown made of cloth that was never either coloured or dyed.—F.
But according to Halliwell ‘ray’ means striped cloth.

¹ This must be the appeal of the two widows, though one of them is said to have
married again. See No. 783.

² This sentence I wish to have explained.—F.

³ The festival of St. Agnes, the first (and the most noted of the two), was kept
on the 21st of January; her second festival was on the 28th of the same month,
which it is to be observed was not the octave of the former, but a distinct feast upon
a different occasion, and it is sometimes written ‘Agnetis Nativitas’; but it was on
account of a miracle wrought at her tomb that this second feast was instituted.—F.

1472
JAN. 23