John Paston to Sir John Paston

LETTER XCIX.

           To my mastr Sr
           John Paston in Flettstret.

      RIGHT worchepfull Sr J recomand on to you prayig yow
          that ye wyll in all hast send me word how y^t ye wyll y^r
S^r John Style John Pampyng W. Mylsent Nycolas Mondonet
T. tomson shall be rwlyd and whedyr y^t they shall sek hem
newe seruysys or not and mathewe bedford also for he hathe be
w^t me y^is seso and is fro my modyr And if so be y^t ye wyll
haue thes to abyde w^t yow or eny of them send word whyche
y^t they be for betwyx thys and halowmas my modyr is agreyd
that they shall haue met and drynk of hyr syche a serteyn
wekly as my modyr and yu and J can acord when we met not-
wtstadyg if ye kowd get Barney or eny of thes seyd folkys whyche
y^t ye wyll not kepe eny seruyse in the mene seson it wer more
worchep for yow then to put them from yow lyek masterles
hondys For by my trowthe they ar as good menys bodys as eny
lelue and specyally S^r John Stylle and Iohn Pampyg And I wer
of power to kepe them and all thes befor rehersyd by trowthe
they shold neuer depert fro me whyll I leveyd if ye send me
word that J shall come to yow to london for to Comon wt yow
of eny mater so god help me I haue neythyr mony to Com up
w^t nor for to tery w^t yow when J am ther but if ye send me
some for by my trowthe thes werkys haue causyd me to ley owt
for yow bettyr then x or xij li besyd y^t money y^t J had of my
modyr whyche is abowt on viij li god amend defowts but y^is I
warant yow w^t out y^t it be Mathew whyche ye sent woord by
Iohn Thressher that ye wold haue to awayt on yow ther is no
man y^t was hyryd for the tyme of thys sege that wyll axe yow
a peny. Also J pray yow send downe acomandment to Stut-
vylle or to some awdyter to take acomptys of dawbneys byllys
for hys executors ar sore callyd upon for to admynyst^r by y^e
bythe byshop or ellys he seythe that he wyle seqwest^r Dawbeney
set in hys dett that ye owt hym xij li and x^s whedyr it be so or
nowt hys byllys of hys owne hand wyll not lye for he mad hys
byllys clere or then the sege Com abowt us. As for the euydence
of bekh'm my modyr sent to Calle for hem. And he sent hyr
woord that he wold make hys acompts and delyu^r the Euydence
and all to gedyr. My modyr hathe sent to hym ayen for hem
thys day if she sped they shall be sent to yow in all hast or ellys
and ye send for me J shall bryng hem w^t me send my modyr
and me word who ye wyll y^t haue the rwyll of yo^r lyuelod her
in thys Contre and in what forme y^t it shall be delt w^t. J wyll
not make me mastyrfast wt my lord or Norff. nor wt non othyr
tyle J spek w^t yow and ye thynk it be to be don get me a mastyr.
Dell corteysly wt the qwen and y^t felawshep and w^t Mastras
Anne Hawte ¹ for Wappys tyll J spek w⁶t zow. Wretyn on
Seynt feythys euyn.

                                                                                       ³ J. Paston.

    by sent Georg J and my felawshep stand in fer of my lord
of Norff. men for we be thret sore not wtstandyg the same gardys
y^t my felawshep haue as for me J haue non nor non of yo^r how-
sold men nor non wyll haue it wer ² shame to take it.

                       11 ? by 8 ?.

    The advice given to Sir John Paston by his brother relative to his servants, who had
faithfully served him during the siege, &c. shews the goodness of his heart, and interests
the reader in wishing that he had been of ability to have retained them himself.

    It seems odd that a man who had so lately commanded a garrison against the forces of
the Duke of Norflok, should, so immediately after the surrender to the place, have any
thoughts of engaging himself in his grace's service, as it fully appears by this Letter
that J. Paston had.

    We learn from it however, that, in disputes of this kind, whenever the cause of dis-
pute was ended, all animosity ceased, and the different parties forgot they had so lately
been enemies.

    We find a great deal of similar behaviour between the partizans of the Whit and Red
Rose, during the civil wars of this distant period.

    ¹ This expression "for wappys" I do not understand.

    ² J. Paston's honour and courage are apparent from his thinking a safeguard shameful.

    ³ Autograph. Pl. IV. No 12. Seal, a Fleur-de-lys and Annulet. Pl. XIV. No 22.

LETTER XCIX.

To my Master Sir John Paston, in Fleet-street.

RIGHT worshipful Sir, I recommend ( me ) unto you, pray-
    ing you that ye will in all haste send me word how that
ye will that Sir John Styll, John Pamping, William Milisent,
Nicholas Maudent, ( and ) T. Tomson shall be ruled, and whetehr
that they shall seek them new services, or not ; and matthew
Bedford also, for he hath been with me this season, and is from
my mother ; and if so be that ye will have these to abide with
you, or any of them, send word which that they be, for betwixt
this and Hallowmas my mother is agreed that they shall have
meat and drink of her for such a certain weekly as my mother
and ye and I can accord when we meet, notwithstanding if ye
will not keep, any service in the mean season, it were more wor-
ship for you than to put them from you like masterless hounds,
for by my troth they are as good men's bodies as ever live, and
specially Sir John Still and John Pamping ; and ( if) I were of
power to keep them and all these before rehearsed, by troth
they should never depart from me while I lived.

    If ye send me word that I shall come to you to London for to
commune with you of any matter, so God help me, I have
neither money to come up with, nor for to tarry with you when
I am there, but if ( unless ) ye send me some, for by my troth
these works have caused me to lay out for you better than ten or
twelve pounds, besides that money that I had of my mother,
which is about an eight pound ; God amend defaults, but this I
warrant you, without that it be Matthew, which ye sent word
by John Thresher that ye would have to await on you, there is
no man that was hired for the time of this siege, that will ask
you a penny.

    Also, I pray you send down a commandment to Stutevylle,
or to some auditor, to take accounts of Dawbeney's bills, for his
Executors are sore called upon for to administer by the Bishop,
or else he faith that he will sequester ; Dawbeney set in his debts
that ye owed him twelve pounds and ten shillings, whether it
be so or not, his bills of his own hands will not lie, for he made
his bills clear, or then ( before ) the siege came about us. As for
the evidence of Beckham, my mother sent to Calle for them,
and he sent her word that he would make his accounts and de-
liver the evidence and all together.

    My mother hath sent to him again for them this day ; if she
speed, they shall be sent to you in all haste, or else, and ( if ) ye
send for me, I shall bring them with me. Send my mother
and me word who ye will that ( shall ) have the rule of your
livelihood here in this country, and in what form that it shall
be dealt with. I will not make me masterfast with my Lord of
Norfolk, nor with none other till I speak with you ; and ye
think it be to be done, get me a master.

    Deal courteously with the Queen and that fellowship, and with
Mistress Anne Hawte ¹ for wappys till I speak with you. Writ-
ten on Saint Faith's Even.

                                                                                              ³ JOHN PASTON.

    By Saint George I and my fellowship stand in fear of my
Lord of Norfolk's men, for we be threastened sore, notwith-
standing the safeguards that my fellowship have; as for me I
have none, nor none of your household men, nor none will
have; it were ² shame to take it.

    Thursday, 5 October.
         1469. 9 E. IV.

    The advice given to Sir John Paston by his brother relative to his servants, who had
faithfully served him during the siege, &c. shews the goodness of his heart, and interests
the reader in wishing that he had been of ability to have retained them himself.

    It seems odd that a man who had so lately commanded a garrison against the forces of
the Duke of Norflok, should, so immediately after the surrender to the place, have any
thoughts of engaging himself in his grace's service, as it fully appears by this Letter
that J. Paston had.

    We learn from it however, that, in disputes of this kind, whenever the cause of dis-
pute was ended, all animosity ceased, and the different parties forgot they had so lately
been enemies.

    We find a great deal of similar behaviour between the partizans of the Whit and Red
Rose, during the civil wars of this distant period.

    ¹ This expression "for wappys" I do not understand.

    ² J. Paston's honour and courage are apparent from his thinking a safeguard shameful.

    ³ Autograph. Pl. IV. No 12. Seal, a Fleur-de-lys and Annulet. Pl. XIV. No 22.

735

JOHN PASTON TO SIR JOHN PASTON¹

To my master, Sir John Paston, in Flett-Stret.

RYGHT worchepfull sir, I recomand on to you, praying
     yow that ye wyll in all hast send me word how that ye
     wyll that Sir John Style, John Pampyng, W. Mylsent,
Nycolas Mondonet, T. Tomson shall be rwlyd, and whedyr
that they shall sek hem newe servysys or not; and Mathewe
Bedford also, for he hathe be with me this seson, and is fro
my modyr. And if so be that ye wyll have thes to abyde
with yow, or eny of them, send word whyche that they be;
for. betwyx thys and Halowmas my modyr is agreyd that they
shall have met and drynk of hyr for syche a serteyn wekly as
my modyr and yu and I can acord when we met. Notwith-
standyng, if ye kowd get Barney or eny of thes seyd folkys,
whyche that ye wyll not kepe, eny servyse in the mene seson,
it wer more worchep for yow then to put them from yow lyek
masterles hondys [hounds]; for by my trowthe they ar as good
menys bodys as eny leve, and specyally Sir John Stylle and
John Pampyng. And I wer of power to kepe them and all
thes befor rehersyd, by trowthe they shold never depert fro
me whyll I leveyd.

     If ye send me word that I shall come to yow to London
for to comon with yow of eny mater, so God help me, I have
neythyr mony to com up with, nor for to tery with yow when
I am ther but if [unless] ye send me some; for by my trowthe
thes werkys have causyd me to ley owt for yow bettyr then x.
or xijli., besyd that money that I had of my modyr, whyche is
abowt on viijli. God amend defowts; but this I warant yow,
with out that it be Mathew, whyche ye sent woord by John
Thressher that ye wold have to awayt on yow, ther is no man
 

that was hyryd for the tyme of thys sege that wyll axe yow a
peny.

     Also I pray yow send downe acomandment to Stutvylle,
or to some awdyter, to take acomptys of Dawbneys byllys;
for hys executors ar sore callyd upon for to admynyster by the
Byshop, or ellys he seythe that he wyle seqwester. Dawbeney
set in hys dett that ye owt hym xijli. and xs. Whedyr it be
so or nowt, hys byllys of hys owne hand wyll not lye, for he
mad hys byllys clere or then the sege com abowt us.

     As for the evydence of Bekham, my modyr sent to Calle
for hem; and he sent hyr woord that he wold make hys
acompts, and delyver the evydence and all to gedyr. My
modyr hathe sent to hym ayen for hem thys day. If she sped,
they shall be sent to yow in all hast, or ellys, and ye send for
me, I shall bryng hem with me. Send my modyr and me
word who ye wyll that have the rwyll of your lyvelod her in
thys contre, and in what forme that it shall be delt with. I
wyll not make me mastyrfast with my Lord of Norff., nor
with non othyr, tyle I spek with yow; and ye thynk it be to
be don, get me a mastyr.

     Dell corteysly with the Qwen and that felawshep, and
with Mastras Anne Hawte for Wappys,¹ tyll I spek with zow.
Wretyn on Seynt Feythys Evyn.

                                                                                   J. PASTON.

 By Sent George, I and my felawshep stand in fer of my
Lord of Norff. men, for we be thret sore, not withstandyng
the save gardys² that my felawshep have. As for me, I have
non, nor non of your howsold men, nor non wyll have; it wer
shame to take it.

     ¹ [From Fenn, iv. 412.] This is a letter desiring instructions about the garrison
of Caister after its surrender.

¹ This expression ‘for Wappys’ I do not understand.—F. Perhaps Wappys may
be a proper name.

     ² Save gardys. This is printed ‘same gardys’ in Fenn, but is evidently a
misreading; in the right-hand copy the word is ‘safeguards.’

1469
OCT. 5

1469
OCT. 5