John Wykes to Margaret Paston

LETTER XXXIX.

     Unto my maystres
     Margageret Paston
     be thys letter delyvryd
     in bast &c.

RYGHT Wyrshypsull Maystres I recomaund me un to your
gode Maystreshyp please it you towyte that my Mayster
your hosbond my Malystres youre moder my mayster * S^r John
M' Wyllyam M' Clement and all ther men wer in gode helth
whon thys letter was wryten thankyd be Ihu and also ther
maters be in a gode wey for my lord Chaunseler ys ther syngeler
gode lord in thys mater at thys tyme and that it pjrovyth so
he was yesterday in the Escheker and other he had a foren hym

alle the Iuges all the Barons of the Escheker and all the Shur-
gents and ther argued wher that the Barons of the Escheker
shold award any such ¹ Comyssyon or not and uppon that the
seyd comyssyon shull be broght uppon Fryday unto the Chunsery
and ther to be provyd wher it be lafull or not &c.  It' and yf please
it you to gyve Daveney knowlych that ther ys Jugement gyven
uppon the Condempnacon a yenst Hall that he claymed for hys
bond man and the Jugemet ys gyven a yenst Daveney Ric Call
and Thom's Bon and ther ys Comen owte proces for to take ther
bodys thys same day and if thay or any of them be taken thay
shull neur gon ovte of p'son on to the tyme that they haue sates-
syed the ² party of viij ^xx marc and ther for lete them be ware and
The holy trinyte haue you in hys kypyng Wryten at london
uppon Thursday next after the Pur' of our lady &c.

                                               By your srvut

                                                                                 ³ John writs.

     11 3/4 by 5 1/2.

     This Letter would not have found a place here, but at the request of some Friends demi-
nent in the Law, who wished that every Letter, wherein any law proceedings were men-
tioned, might be given to the public.

      George Neville, Bishop of Exeter ( or Archbishop of York ) was Lord Chancelldor at
this time.

     * It appears from this Letter that Sir John Paston was knighted in the life-time of his
Father.

    ¹ We do not learn what this Commission related to.

    ²  The Costs on this process in savour of the Bondman appear large.

    ³ Autograph.  PI. v. No 16.  See Letter XI. Vol.  I. p. 252.

LETTER XXXIX.

      Unto my Mistress Margaret Paston, be this Letter delivered in baste.

RIGHT worshipful mistress, I recommend me unto your
good Mistressship, please it you to weet that my master
your husband, my mistress your mother, my master * Sir John,
master William, master Clement, and all their men were in
good health when this Letter was written, thanked be Jesu, and
also their matters be in a good way, for my Lord Chancellor is
their singular good Lord in this matter at this time, and that it
proveth so, he was yesterday in the Exchequer, and there he had
afore him all the Judges, all the Barons of the Exchequer, and
all the Serjeants and there argued where ( whether ) that the
Barons of the Exchequer should award any such  ¹ Commission
or not, and upon that the said Commission shall be brought
upon Friday into the Chancery and there to be proved, whether
it be lawful or not, &c.

     Item, and if it please you to give Daveney knowledge that
there is judgment given upon the condemnation against Hall,
that he claimed for his Bondman, and the judgment is given
against Daveney, Richard Call and Thomas Bon, and there is
coming out process for to take their bodies this same day, and
if they or any of them be taken they shall never go out of prison
unto the time that they have satisfied the party of eight score
² Marks ( 1061. 13 s. 4d. ) and therefore let them beware, &c. The
Holy Trinity have you in his keeping.  Written at London,
upon Thursday next after the purisication of our Lady, &c.

                                          By your Servant

                                                                                      ³  JOHN WYKES.11 3/4 by 5 1/2.

    Thursday, February,

          between 1462 and 1465.

          2 and 5 E.  IV.

     This Letter would not have found a place here, but at the request of some Friends demi-
nent in the Law, who wished that every Letter, wherein any law proceedings were men-
tioned, might be given to the public.

 George Neville, Bishop of Exeter ( or Archbishop of York ) was Lord Chancelldor at
this time.

     * It appears from this Letter that Sir John Paston was knighted in the life-time of his
Father.

    ¹ We do not learn what this Commission related to.

    ²  The Costs on this process in savour of the Bondman appear large.

    ³ Autograph.  PI. v. No 16.  See Letter XI. Vol.  I. p. 252.

576

JOHN WYKES TO MARGARET PASTON¹

Unto my maystres, Margageret Paston, be thys letter
delyveryd in hast, &c.

RYGHT wyrshypfull maystres, I recomaund me un to
          your gode maystresshyp. Please it you to wyte that
          my mayster your hosbond, my maystres youre moder,
my mayster Sir John, Mr. Wyllyam, Mr. Clement, and all
ther men, wer in gode helth, whon thys letter was wryten,
thankyd be Jesu, and also ther maters be in a gode wey, for
my Lord Chaunseler ys ther syngeler gode Lord in thys mater
at thys tyme; and that it provyth, for he was yesterday in the
Escheker, and ther he had a foren hym alle the Juges, all the
Barons of the Escheker, and all the Shurgents, and ther argued
wher that the Barons of the Escheker shold award any such
Comyssyon or not, and uppon that the seyd Comyssyon shull
be broght uppon Fryday unto the Chaunsery, and ther to be
provyd, wher it be lafull or not, &c.

     Item, and yf it please it you to gyve Daveney² knowlych
that ther ys jugement gyven uppon the condempnacion a
yenst Hall,³ that he claymed for hys bond man, and the
jugement ys gyven a yenst Daveney, Ric. Call, and Thomas
Bon, and ther ys comen owte proces for to take ther bodys
thys same day, and if thay or any of them be taken thay shull
never gon oute of prison on to the tyme that they have sates-
fyed the party of viij^xx marc, and ther for lete them be ware.
And the Holy Trinyte have you in Hys kypyng. Wryten at
London, uppon Thursday next after the Purificacion of our
Lady, &c.

                                By your Servaunt,                         JOHN WYKS.

     ¹ [From Fenn, iv. 134.] This letter must be later than the year 1463, as Sir John
Paston does not appear to have been knighted so early as February in that year. But
as John Paston, the father, was at Caister and not at London in the early part of the
year 1464, it cannot be that year. Neither can we assign it to 1466, the last year of
John Paston’s life, as it appears by a letter written on the 17th February in that year
that although John Paston was in London, his son Sir John could not have been there
for some time before. We are therefore shut up to the year 1465 as the only possible
date for this letter.

     ² So in Fenn, but the name ought certainly to be Daubeney, perhaps spelt
Dabeney.

     ³ Robert Hall. I find that he brought an action in Trinity term, 3 Edward IV.,
against John Daubeney of Norwich, gentleman, and Thomas Boon and Richard Call
of Norwich, yeomen, for having, in conjunction with William Daubeney of Sharyng-
ton, Norfolk, Esq., unlawfully imprisoned him at Norwich for three hours on the 20th
February, 39 Hen. VI. (1461), until he gave them a bond of £100 for his ransom.

1465
FEB. 7

1465
FEB. 7