Margaret Paston to John Paston

616

MARGARET PASTON TO JOHN PASTON¹

      ON Tuesday in the morwyn whas John Botiller, other-
          wyse callid John Palmer, and Davy Arnald your
          cook, and William Malthows of Aylsham, takyn at
Heylesdon be the balyf of Ey callid Bottisforth, and led for
to Cossey, and ther thei kepe hem yet with ought any warant
or autoryte of Justice of Peas. And thei saye thei will carie
hem forth to Ey preson, and as many as thei may gete more
of your men and tenaunts, that thei may know that owe yow
good wyll or hath be to you ward, thei be thret to be slayn or
presoned. The Duke came to Norwich² on Tuesday at x. of
clok with the nombre of v. hundred men. And he sent after
the Meyr and Alderman with the Sherefs desiryng hem in the
Kyngs name that thei shuld take an enqueraunce of the con-
stablys of every ward with in the cyte what men shuld a go on
your party to have holpyn or socowryd your men at any tyme
of thes gaderyngs, and if any thei cowde fynde, that thei shuld
take and arest hym and correct hym, and also certifie hym
the names on Wyndenesse day [Wednesday] be viij. of clok.
Which the Meyr dede, and wull do anythyng that he may for
hym and his. And her up on the Meyr hath arestid on that
was with me callid Roberd Lovegold, braser, and threte hym
that he shall be hanged be the nek; wherfor I wuld that ther
myght come down a writ to remeve hym if ye thynk it be to
do. He was not with me not save that Harleston and other
mad the assaught up on me and Lammesse; he is right good
and feythfull on to you, and therfore I wuld he had help. I
have non man at this tyme to avayte upon me that dare be
avowyd but Litill John. William Nawton is here with me,
but he dare not ben avowyd, for he is sore thret. It is told
me the old Lady and the Duke is set fervently ageyn us be
the enformacion of Harlesdon, the Bayly of Cossey and
Andrewys and Doget the balys sone, and suych other fals
shrewys the which wuld have thes mater born ought for ther
owyn pleser; the which causith an¹ evyll noyse in this contre
and other places. And as for Sir John Hevenyngham, Sir
John Wyndefeld and other wurchepfull men ben mad but her
doggeboldes;² the whiche I suppose wull turne hem to dis-
wurchep here after. I spake with Sir John Hevenyngham
and enformed hym with the trough of the mater, and of all
owyr demenyng at Drayton, and he seid he wuld that all
thyng wer wele, and that he wuld enforme my lord as I seid
to hym, but Harleston had all the words and the rewle with
the Duke here, and after his avyse and Doctor Aleynes he was
avysed here at this tyme.

     The logge and the remenaunte of your place was betyn
down on Tuesday and Wednesday, and the Duke rode on
Wednysday to Drayton and so for to Cossey whille the logge
at Heylesdon was in the betyng down. And this nyght at
mydnyght Thomas Sleyforth, Grene Porter, and Joh. Botes-
forth the Baly of Eye, and other, had a cart and fetched
awey fetherbeddes, and all the stuffe that was left at the
parsones, and Thom Wateres hows to be kept of owrs. I
shall send you billes er after, as ner as I may, what stuffe we
have forborn. I pray you send me word how ye will that I
be demened, wheder ye wull that [I]³ abide at Cayster or
come to you to London. I have no leyser to write more.
God have yow in His kepyng. Wretyn at Norwich on Sent
Lukes Evyn.                                                                     M. P.

     ¹ [From Paston MSS., B.M.] This letter is not addressed, but seems undoubtedly
to have been intended for the writer’s husband. The attack upon the lodge at
Hellesden here referred to was in 1465, as appears by the letter immediately following.

     ² ‘Norwich.’—This word is interlined, the writer having originally written ‘this
town,’ and afterwards struck out the word ‘town.’

     ¹ an—&, MS.

     ² The old word ‘dogbolt’ seems to have meant a servile follower, or one bound
to wait the commands of another. Thus in Lilly’s Tragicall Comedie of Alexander
and Campaspe, where Manes complains that he serves a master whose house is a tub,
Granichus remarks ‘That Diogenes that dog should have Manes that dogbolt it
grieveth nature and spiteth art.’                                    ³ Omitted in MS.

OCT. 17

1465

OCT. 17

1465
OCT. 17