Richard Bingham to Sir John Fastolf

308

RICHARD BINGHAM TO SIR JOHN FASTOLF¹

Copie of my fader Bynghames lettre to my fadre F.

   RIGHT honorable and reverend maistre, after due and
     hertely recomendacion, I thank yow als hertily as I
     can that it likith your gode maisterschip, of your god-
nesse, to let to ferme to my son Scrope the pouer enheritance
that he schal enherit after your decesse, if God will that he
life therto. And I hafe for my saide son comonde with my
maistres of your counsell, that is to sey, Paston and other, and
I fynde them not straunge, bot right streyte to dele with in
the mater; and therfore my saide sone, and I for hym, must
sue to the well of mercy, that is to say, to your honurable
person, where is special refuge for my saide son in this cas.
My saide son is and hath be, and will be to hys lifes ende,
your true lad and servaunt, and glad and well willed to do that
myght be to your pleaser, wirschip, and profit, and als loth to
offend yow as any person in erth, gentill and well disposid to
every person. Wherfore I besech your gode grace that ye
will vouchesafe remember the premissez, my saide sons age, his
wirschipfull birth, and grete misere for verrey povert, for he
hath had no liflode to life opon sithen my lady his moder deed,
safe x. marc of liflode that ye vouched safe to gife hym this last

yer, and therfore to be his good maister and fader. And thof
he be not worthy to be your son, make hym your almesman,
that he may now in his age life of your almesse, and be your
bedeman, and pray for the prosperite of your noble person.
And if I durst, for your displesance, I wolde besech yow that
ye wolde vouchesafe lat my saide son hafe the saide lifelode
to ferme for terme of your life, payng to yow therfore yerely
CC. marc at ij. festes of the yere, that is to say, Cristemasse
and Middesomer, and ye schall be paied hit truly at London,
in Hillary terme for the feste of Cristemasse, and Trinite terme
for the feste of Midsomer; and I will be bounden for hym and
[i.e. if] your maisterschip will vouchesafe to take me, and he
and I schall ever pray for yow. And thof the saide lifelode
be better to yow in availl yerely then I offer yow therefore,
this summe of CC. marc schal be truly paid to yow yerely;
and God, that rewardeth every gode dede, schal pey for hym
the remenant to yow, for every peny an C., in relesyng of yow
in Purgatory, or ellys encresyng of your merite in Heven.
And how your maisterschip will that my saide son schall do
in this mater, I besech yow that he may be certified be your
writing.

     ¹ [From Castlecombe MSS., Add. 28,212, f. 26, B.M.] This letter has been
printed by Mr. Poulett Scrope in his privately printed History of Castle Combe. From
evidences contained in other of the family muniments, Mr. Scrope supposes it to have
been written about the year 1455, which is probably not far from the true date.
Compare Letter 349 following.

About
1455

About
1455