John Paston to Sir John Paston

Add. 34889, f. 58

April 1467

Gairdner, Vol IV, item 666; Fenn, Vol IV, Edward IV item 85

L E T T E R LXXXV.

SYR pleslyth yow to weet y^t my modyr and I comonyd y^is day
w^t freyr mowght to undyrstand what hys seyiig shall be in
the Coort when he Comyth up to london wheche is in yⁱ wyse
he sey^t at syche tyme as he had I shreuyn master Brakley and
howsyllyd hym bothe he let hym wet that he was ensormyd by
dyu's personys that the seyd master Brakley owt for to be in gret
donsyens for syche thyngys as he had doone and seyd and causyd
my Fadyr whom god asoyle for to do and seye also in prouig of
S^r Iohn Fastolfys wyll to whom the seyd mastyr Brakley answerd
thus agayne. I am ryght glad that it Comyth to yow in mynd
for to meue me w^t thys mater in dyschargyng of my consyens
ayenst god seyīg ferther mor to the seyd freyr mowght bethe
wey y^t hys fowle shold to that the wyll y^t my fadyr put into the
Coort was as v^ryly Syr Iohn Fastolfys wyll as it was trew that
he shold onys deye. thys was seyd on the Sondāy when y^e seyd
Brakley wend to haue deyid then on the Monday he reuyud
a yen and was well amendyd tyll on the Wednysday and on the
Wednysday he sekyn'd a yen supposyg to haue dyeyd forthe w^t
And in hys syknes he callyd freyr Mowght whyche was Con-
fessor on to hym of hys owne mosyon seyg on to hym in thys
wyse Syr wher as of yor owne mosyon ye meuyd me the last day
to tell you aftyr my consyens of Sr John Fastolfys wyll lyek
wyse as I knew and now of myn owne mocyon and in dischar-
gyg of my sowle for I know well y^t I may not askape but y^t I
must dye in hast Wharfor I desyr you that wyll report aftyr my
dethe yt I took it upon my sowle at my dyig y^t that wyll y^t Iohn
Paston put into be prouyd was syr Iohn Fastolfys wyll and the
seyd had Rychard Calle to yow as on Sonday last past it was
thys twyisday or I had yor lettyr and wher as it plesyth yow for
to wyshe me at Eltam at the ² Tornay for the good syth yt was
ther by trowththe J had leuer se yow onys in Cast' halle then to
se as many kygs tornay as myght be betwyx eltam and london
And syr whar as it lyekyth yow to desyir to haue knowlage how
y^t I haue don w^t y^e lady ³ boleyn by my feythe I haue don nor
spokyn nowght in yt mater nor not wyll do tyll tyme yt ye
com hom and ye com not thys vij yer not wtstandyng ye lady
boleyn was in Norwyche in the week aftyr Estern fro the Sater-
day tyll the Wednysday and Heydons wyfe and mastras Alys
bothe and I was at Cast' and wyst not of it. hyr men seyd yt she
had non othyr erend to the Towne but for to sport hyr bot so
god help me J suppose y^t she wend I wold haue ben in Nor-
wyche for to haue sen hyr dowghter J beseche yow w^t all my
hart hye yow hom thow ye shold tery but a day for I promyse
yow yo^r folk thynk y^t ye haue forgetyn hem and the most part
of them must depart at Whytsontyd at the ferthest they wyll no
lenger abyd and as for R Calle we can not get half a q'rt^r y^e
mony y^t we pay for y^e bare housold besyd menys wagys. Daube
nor I may no mor w^t owt Coynage.

Yo^r

⁴ J. Paston.

11 ? 8 ?.

This curious Letter furnishes us with the solemn declarations of a sick man on his
death-bed, relative to the authenticity of the Will of Sir John Fastolf, which was proved
by John Paston, and which was reported not to have been the real Will of that Knight.

The Pastons had many long and expensive suits at law on this account, which were not
finished either in the life-time of John Paston, or in that of his Son sir John Paston.

These solemn assertions of a priest, and a man of learning and character, thus consci-
entiously declared, must have had great weight in clearing the character of J. Paston
from these soul aspersions, especially as they came from so respectable a man as Friar
Mowth or Mowght, who was a Brother of consequence in the Monastery at Norwich.
( See Letter XII. Vol. I. p. 256, 259. )

¹ The meaning of this is, after he had heard his consession, and administered the ex-
treme Sacrament to Master Brackley.

² Sir John Paston is said to have been the King's Champion at this Tournament at
Eltham.

³ Anne, daughter and heir of Thomas Lord Hoo and Hastings, married Sir Gessrey
Boleyn, knight, Lord Mayor of London, whose widow she now was, and by whom she
had several children. One of her daughters married Sir John Heydon, of Baconsthorpe,
and Alice ( another here mentioned ) became afterwards the wise of Sir John Fortescue,
knight.

This Lady Boleyn was great grandmother to Queen Anne Boleyn, wise of Henry VIII.
and the young Ladies her daughters, here introduced, were her great Aunts.

Some pedigrees mention Sir Geossry to have had a second wise, who was the mother
of these dauighters, if so, the Lady Boleyn here mentioned must be her.

⁴ Autograph. PI. IV. No 12.

LETTER LXXXV.

John Paston, to his Brother Sir John Paston.

SIR, please it you to weet that my Mother and I communed
this day with Friar Mowght, to understand what his saying
shall be in the court when he cometh up to London, which is in
this wise : he say that at such time as he had I shriven Master
Brackley, and howselled him both, he let him weet that he was
informed by divers persons, that the said Master Brackley ought
for to be in great conscience for such things as he had done and
said, and caused my Father, whom God assoil ! for to do and say,
also in proving of Sir John Fastolf's Will ; to whom the said
Master Brackley answered thus again ; " I am right glad that it
cometh to you in mind for to move me with this matter in dis-
charging of my conscience against God ; " saying furthermore to
the said Friar Mowght, by the way that his soul should to, that
the Will that my Father put into the court was as verily Sir John
Fastp;f's Will, as it was true that he should once die. This
was said on the Sunday when the said Brackley wend ( thought )
to have died then ; on the Monday he revived again, and was
well amended till on the Wednesday, and on the Wednesday he
sickened again, supposing to have died forthwith, and in his
sickness he called Friar Mowght, which was confessor unto him,
of his own motion, saying unto him in this wise, " Sir, whereas
of your own motion ye moved me the last day to tell you after
my conscience of Sir John Fastolf's Will likewise as I knew ;
and now of mine own motion, and in discharging of my soul,
for I know well that I may not escape, but that I must die in
haste, wherefore I desire you that ( you ) will report after my
death, that I took it upon my soul at my dying, that that will
that John Paston put in to be proved was Sir John Fastolf's
will ;" and the said Brackley died the same Wednesday.

And Whereas ye would have had Richard Calle to you as on
Sunday last past, it was this Tuesday ere I had your Letter ;
and whereas it pleaseth you for to wish me at Eltham, at the
² Tournay, for the good sight that was there, by truth I have
lever ( rather ) see you once in Caister-hall than to see asmany
King's tourney as might be betwixt Eltham and London.

And, Sir, whereas it liketh you to desire to have knowledge
how that I have done with the Lady ³ Boleyn, by my. faith I
have done nor spoken nought in that matter, nor nought will do
till time that ye come home, and ( if ) ye come not this seven
year ; notwithstanding the Lady Boleyn was in Norwich in the
week after Easter, from the Saturday till the Wednesday, and
Heydon's wife and Mistress Alice both, and I was at Caister, and
wist not of it ; her men said that she had none other errand to
the Town but for to sport her, but so God help me, I suppose
that she wend (thought) I would have been in Norwich for to
have seen her daughter ; I beseech you with all my heart hie
you home, though ye should tarry but a day, for I promise you
your folk think that ye have forgotten them, and the most part
of them must depart at Whitsuntide at the furthest, they will no
longer abide ; and as for R. Calle we cannot get half a quarter
the money that we pay for the bare household, beside men's
wages. Daubeney nor I may no more without coinage.

Your

⁴ JOHN PASTON.

April, 1469. 9 E, IV.