John Russe to John Paston

LETTER XXXII.

            To the right rev^rent and
            w^r shipfull S^r my right
            bono^rable Maystyr Iohn
            Paston.

   RIGHT w^rshipfull S^r and my right hono^rable Maistir I re-
     comaunde me to you my most humble wife And plese
it youre good maistirshyp to wete that it is seyd here that my
lord w^rcestre is lyk to tbe tresorer w^t whom I truste ye stonde
right wel in confeit w^t. whiche god conynwe wherfor I beseke
youre maistirshipp that if my seid lord have the seid office that it
lyke you to dedyre the nomynacion of on of the officez eythyr
of the countroller or S^r . chorship of Iernemuth for a s^rvaunt of
yowrez and I shuld so gyde me in the office as I truste shuld be
most p'fit to my seyd lord and if yo're maistirshyp lyked to gete
graunt thereof that than it plefyd you to lycense on of yo're
s^rvauints to take out the patent of the seyd office and if it cost v
or vj or viij marke I shal trewly contente it ageyn and yeerly as
longe as I myght have the officez or any of hem I shall geve my
maist^r youre Sone V marke toward an Haukeney it shuld be to
me right a good mean to stondyn as well in the turst as in the
Conseyt amongs marchaunts w^t whom and wt alle men I calle
myself a s^rvaunt of yo'rez and soo wil do if it plese you which
boldyth me the more to calle upon youre right wurshipful mais-
tyrshyp in this mater where in I beseke you to forgeve me my
boldneyse in thys behalve And if I knew that my lord shuld
haue the office in s^rtayn than I wold wayte upon youre good
maystyrshyp there to opteyne the patent if it plesyd youre good
maystirship to gete me the graunt &c. No more on to you my
right hono^rable maist^r at thys tyme but Ihu I beseke sende you a
good Conclucyon in all yore maters and graunt you ev^r yo're
herts desyre.

                        Yore contynwal Stvaunt and bedeman,

                                                                                    John Ausse.

   111/2 by 7.

                    Seal,
            A Cross Flory.
            Pl. XIV. No 21.

     This Letter contains a curious circumstance, it shews us a person petitioning for a place
and promising. if he should be successful, he would make the Son of the person, through
whose interest he obtained it, an annual present of five marks.

     May we not compare this transaction with those of modern times ? John Tiptost, Earl
of Worcester, was appointed Lord Treasurer in 1462, which office he had also before
held in the late King's reign. On the re-accission of Henry VI. he was taken prisoner,
unjustly acclused of cruelty, convicted, and in October 1470 beheaded.

     Autograph. PI. V. No 18.

LETTER XXXII.

          To the right reverend and worshipful Sir, my right honourable
                                            Master, John Paston.

   RIGHT worshipful Sir, and my right honourable Master,
     I recommend me to you in my most humble wife, and
please it your good mastership to weet, that it is said here, that
my Lord Worcester is like to be Treasurer, with whom I trust
ye stand right well in conceit, with which God continue; where-
for I beseech your mastership that if my said Lord have the said
office, that it like you to desire the nomination of one of the
offices, either of the Controuller or Searchership of Yarmouth
for a servant of yours ; and I should so guide me in the office as
I trust should be most profit to my said Lord ; and if your
mastership liked to get grant thereof, that then it please you to
licence one of your servants to take out the jpatent of the said
office, and if it cost five, or six, or eight Marks ( 3s. 6s. 8d. or 4s.
or 5s. 6s. 8d. ) I shall truly content it again ; and yearly as long
as I might have the offices, or any of them, I shall give my
master your son five marks ( 3s. 6s. 8d. ) toward an Hackney
( a pacing horse ).

     It should be to me right a good mean to stand as well in the
trust as in the conceit amongst merchants, with whom and with
all men, I call myself a servant of yours, and so will do, if it
please you, which boldeth ( emboldens ) me the more to call upon
your worshipful mastership in this matter, wherein I beseech you
to forgive me my boldness in this behalf. And if I knew that
my Lord should have the office in certain then I would wait
upon your good mastership there to obtain the patent, if it pleas-
ed your good mastership to get me the grant, &c.

     No more unto you my right honourable master at this time,
but Jesu I beseech send you a good conclusion in all your mat-
ters, and grant you ever your heart's desire.

                        Your continual Servant and Beadsman,

                                                                                    JOHN RUSSE.

    1462. 2 E. IV.

     This Letter contains a curious circumstance, it shews us a person petitioning for a place
and promising. if he should be successful, he would make the Son of the person, through
whose interest he obtained it, an annual present of five marks.

 May we not compare this transaction with those of modern times ? John Tiptost, Earl
of Worcester, was appointed Lord Treasurer in 1462, which office he had also before
held in the late King's reign. On the re-accission of Henry VI. he was taken prisoner,
unjustly acclused of cruelty, convicted, and in October 1470 beheaded.

     Autograph. PI. V. No 18.

515

JOHN RUSSE TO JOHN PASTON¹

To the rigth reverent and worshipfull sir, and my right
honourable maystyr, John Paston.

RIGHT worshipfull sir, and my right honourable maistir,
     I recomaunde me to you in my most humble wise.
     And plese it youre good maistirshyp to wete that it is
seyd here that my Lord Worcestre is lyk to be Tresorer, with
whom I truste ye stonde right wel in conseit, with whiche God
contynwe. Wherfor I beseke youre maistirshipp that if my
seid Lord have the seid office, that it lyke you to desyre the
nomynacion of on of the officez, eythyr of the countroller or
serchorship of Jernemuth, for a servaunt of yowrez, and I
shuld so gyde me in the office as I truste shuld be most profit
to my seyd Lord. And if youre maistirshyp lyked to gete
graunt thereof, that than it plesyd you to lycense on of youre
servaunts to take out the patent of the seyd office; and if
it cost v. or vj. or viij. marke, I shal trewly contente it ageyn;
and yeerly as longe as I myght have the officez, or any of
hem, I shal geve my maister youre sone v. marke toward an
haukeney.

     It shuld be to me right a good mean to stondyn as well in
the trust as in the conseyt amongs marchaunts, with whom
and with alle men I calle myself a servaunt of yourez, and soo
wil do, if it plese you, which boldyth me the more to calle
upon youre right wurshipful maistyrshyp in this mater, where
in I beseke you to forgeve me my boldneyse in thys behalve.
And if I knew that my Lord shuld have the office in sertayn,
than I wold wayte upon youre good maystyrshyp there to
opteyne the patent, if it plesyd youre good maystirship to gete
me the graunt, &c.

     No more on to you, my right honourable maister, at thys
tyme, but Jesu I beseke sende you a good conclucyon in
all yore maters, and graunt you ever youre herts desyre.

Yore contynwal servaunt and bedeman,

                                                              JOHN RUSSE.

     ¹ [From Fenn, iv. 112.] This letter must have been written before the 14th of
April 1462, on which day the Earl of Worcester was appointed Treasurer of the
Exchequer (Patent Roll, 2 Edw. IV., p. 1, m. 19).

APRIL(?)

1462
APRIL(?)