John Willoughby to Lord Beaumont

33

JOHN WILLOUGHBY TO LORD BEAUMONT¹

To my ryght noble and ryght [dra]dde lord, my Lord Beaumont.

     RYGHT wursshipfull sire, my ryghte noble, and ryghte
        dradde lorde, after dyw recommendacion to yowr
        reverens, please hit yow to know that yowr lordes-
ship luste to empointe me to abyde yowr noble avys touching
the landis of Latemer, which my Lorde Latemer holdith ate
this day. My lord, I muste, and owe of dywte, abyde yowre
empoyntement, and shall; how be hit I have be confortid to
complaine me to my lordis and yow of the grete wronge that
I have. But, sir, y have soe verray truste one yowre lordes-
ship that I refuse all counsaille, abyding yowre empointemente
and rewell, as my diwte is to doo; byseching yow, my lord,
to remembre yow and compasse of yowre servaunt, and that
ye lust of yowr grace to comyne with my Lord of Salisbury,
and to fele him in the mater, and as ye fele him, hit please
yowre lordesship I may have knowlege; and whate yowre
pore bedman may do to yowre plesire, I ame redy ate yowre
comaundement ate all howris, which knowith God, Hoe have
yow, my ryghte noble lord, in His blessid gouvernauns.

Write ate Broke, the v. day of Marche.

                     Your pore bedman and servant,

                                                                     JOHN WYLUGHBY.

     ¹ [From Paston MSS., B.M.] The writer of this letter was the father of Robert,
first Lord Willoughby de Broke, who afterwards laid claim to the barony of Latimer,
as being descended from Elizabeth, sister and sole heir of John Nevill, fifth Lord
Latimer, who died in 1430. He was, however, unsuccessful, as the title had been
revived in 1432 by a writ of summons to George Nevill, a son of Ralph, first Earl of
Westmoreland. This George died in 1469, and was succeeded by his grandson,
Richard Neville, then an infant of two years old, who had summons to Parliament as
Lord Latimer in 1492. The Lord Latimer here spoken of seems to be George
Nevill, and it is probable that the letter was written between 1432 and 1440, as John,
Lord Beaumont, was created Viscount in the latter year, while he is not so addressed
here.

1432-40