Roger Taverham to John Paston

Add. 34888, f. 196

n.d.

Gairdner, Vol IV, item 490; Fenn, Vol IV, Edward IV item 64

LETTER LXIV

    To my rev^rent and most be trusted
    maist^rer Iohn Paston esquyer Duelling
    in trhe Juner Temple be this dely^red.

RYGHT reverent and most be trusted maist^r I recomaunde-
me in the most lowly wise un to yo^r good and prevyd
maysterchep and desiring many days to here of yo^r welfare
whiche I be seche god encrese un to his plesauns and un to the
p^'sp^rite and welsare of your p^rson and of all youres And I be-
feche you of the good cotynuanuce of your maysterchep at diu^rses
tymes befor this writing shewed un to me And s^r ther is non
man a lyve that I trust more to than I doo un to you And I am
yor bedman and so shall remayn be the grace of god all the days
of myn liff And s^rI suppose I shall nev^r see you no more nor
non of mynn frendes Whiche is to me the grettest lamentacon
that myght come un to myn herte For s^r by the grace of god I
shall go to Rome and in to oder holy places to spende myn dayes
of this p^rsent liff in the s^rvise of god For I hadde lever liffe in
gret tribulacon in the s^rvice of god in this prsent liff that for to
folowe the wretchednesse of this worlde And syr of on thing I
be seche specially yo^r good maysterchep that ye wolle shew yo
good maistrshep un to my sader in tyme of his nede And that
ye wolle recomaunde me in the most lowly wise w^t all reverence
un to his good faderhode he sechyng hym that he wole yeff me
evry day duringthe dayes of his liff his paternall blissing And I
haue m^rvayle san that I have writen so many leters un to hym
be for this tyme that I hadde nev^r non letter Ageyn Whiche is
to me the greattest lamentacon that ev^r come to my hert And
nowe knowing that I shall nevr see hym more nor you nor non
other of my frendes mrvayle ye not thow forowe is imprended in
myn hert but revrent maister myn singuler trust remayneth nowe
in yo^r p^rson for s^r And it please you I most nedes write un to
your good maistchep in the whiche my most trust remayneth for
Syr And it please you as for myn inheritaunce And other things
which shulde come to me after the deth of my sader whoes liff
god preserve to his long plesauns knowing that I shall nev^r come
ther I hadde lev' that by yo^r good A vise that ye wolde take it
unto you for I hadde lev' that ye hadde it rather than nay p^rson
in the worlde during my liff w^t all the p'sites ther of And if
that ye wole make as good evidences for you in that partye as
ye can And I shall a seale hem and as you semeth best and in
the most secret wise rewle you in this mater And Sr I be seche
you to recomaunde me in the most lowly wise to myn rev^rent
maistr Will'm Lumno^r seyeng hym that I am and shall be his
prpetuall bedman And as ye yenk best ye may telle hym of all
these maters And syr I be seche you to recomanude me w^t all

revrence un to my masteras yo^r wiff And to all other maysters
And frendes ther And sir that ye wolle thank the bringer of this
letter which hathe ben in my great tribulacon my good frende
And Sir whan ye speke w^t my sader recomaunde me un to hym
wr all revrence And sey un to hum I shall send hym a letter in all
hast possible and syr as for this mater demene you as ye wolle
And I shall doo yor Plesauns as moche as in me is And revrent
maist^r remitte me sume letter by the bringer her of of all thes
maters for he duellith w^t my lorde and he is ryght moche be
trusted for I knowe wele he wole yef a tendaunce un to you for
to have fume letter from you For syr jt shall not be longe or that
I go to Rome by the Grace of God And as sone as I have a let-
ter from you at this tyme I shall send you a noder Ageyn No
more at this tyme but the holy Trinite haue you in his blissed
keping Wreten at Sar' the monday after mydsomer day and lete
these maters be kept secrete by yo^rbest A vise.

Be your pours s^rvut
Doger Iaberham.

12 by 8 ?.

This and the following Letter were written by Roger Taverham, a descendant of a
Family of that name, long before this time seated at Taverham, in Norfolk. He was
now resident at Salisbury, and was going on a pilgrimage to Rome and other holy Places,
with an intention never to return to England, The style and spelling of the Letters come
near to those of modern times.

The methods then in use by which property was conveyed are here fully related, and,
are matters worthy attention of the Lawyer and Antiquary, and on that account I have
thought the contents of these Letters worth preserving.

The Letters seem written from the heart, and express the gratitude of one who in his
youth had received countenance and protection from the person to whom he now wishes
to return the obligations he thought due to him.

It does not appear with what Lord, he now dwelt at Salisbury.

Autograph . Pl. XXV. No 19. Seal imperfect.

LETTER LXIV.

To my reverend and most betrusted Master, John Paston, Esquire,
dwelling in the Inner Temple, be this delivered.

RIGHT reverend and most betrusted Master, I recommend
me in the most lowly wise unto your good and proved
mastership, and desiring many days to hear of your welfare,
which I beseech God increase unto his pleasaunce (pleasure) and
unto the prosperity and welfare of your person, and of all yours.
And I beseech you of the good continuance of your mastership
at divers times before this writing shewed unto me; and, Sir
there is none man alive that I trust more to than I do unto you
and I am your Beadsman, and so shall remain, by the grace of
God, all the days of mine life; and , Sir I suppose I shall never
see you no more , nor none of mine friends, which is to me the
greatest lamentation that might come unto mine heart, for, Sir by
the grace of God I shall go to Rome, and into other holy places
of spend mine days of this present life in the service of God; for
I had lever (rather) live in great tribulation in the service of
God in this present life, than for to follow the wretchedness of
this world.

And, Sir of one thing I beseech specially your good mastership,
that ye will shew your good mastership unto my Father in time
of his need, and that ye will recommend me in the most lowly
wise with all reverence unto his good fatherhood, beseeching him
that he will give me every day, during the days of his life, his
paternal blessing; and I have marvel fan (since) that I have writ-
ten so many letters unto him before this time, that I had never
none letter again, which is to me the greatest lamentation that
ever came to my heart; and now knowing that I shall never see
him more, nor you, nor none other of mine Friends, marvel ye
not that sorrow is imprended (impressed) in mine heart.

But reverend Master mine singular trust remaineth now in your
person, for sir and (if) it pl ase you, I must needs write unto
your good mastership, in the which my most trust remaineth;
for, Sir, and (if) it please you as for mine inheritance and other
things which should come to me after the death of my Father,
whose life God preserve to his long pleasaunce! knowing that I
shall never come there, I had lever that by your good advice
that ye would take it unto you, for I had lever that ye had it
rather than any person in the world, during my life, with all the
profits thereof, and if that ye will make as good evidences (title)
for you in that part as ye can, and i shall seal them; and as to
you seemeth best, and in the most secret wise, rule you in this
matter.

And Sir, I beseech you to recommend me in the most lowly wise
to mine reverend Master William Lumnor, saying him (telling
him) that I am and shall be his perpetual beadsman, and as ye
think best ye may tell him of all these matters; and Sir, I beseech

you to recommend me with all reverence unto my Mistress your
wise, and to all other Masters and Friends there; and for that
ye will thank the bringer of this Letter which hath been, in my
great tribulation, my good Friend; and , Sir when ye speak with
my Father recommend me unto him with all reverence, and
say unto him, I shall send him a Letter in all haste possible.

And, Sir as for this matter demean you as ye will, and I shall
do you pleasaunce as much as in me is; and, reverend Master,
remit me some Letter by the bringer hereof of all these matters,
for he dwelleth with my Lord, and he is right much betrusted,
for I know well he will give attendance unto you, for to have
some Letter from you; for, Sir it shall not be long ere that I go
to Rome by the grace of God; and as soon as i have a Letter
from your at this time, I shall send you another again.

No more at this time, but the holy Trinity have you in his
blessed keeping. Written at Sarum, the Monday after Mid-
summer day, And let these matters be kept secret by your best
advice.

By your poor Servant
ROGER TAVERHAM,.

Salisbury, Monday, June,
before 1466. 6. E. IV.

This and the following Letter were written by Roger Taverham, a descendant of a
Family of that name, long before this time seated at Taverham, in Norfolk. He was
now resident at Salisbury, and was going on a pilgrimage to Rome and other holy Places,
with an intention never to return to England, The style and spelling of the Letters come
near to those of modern times.

The methods then in use by which property was conveyed are here fully related, and,
are matters worthy attention of the Lawyer and Antiquary, and on that account I have
thought the contents of these Letters worth preserving.

The Letters seem written from the heart, and express the gratitude of one who in his
youth had received countenance and protection from the person to whom he now wishes
to return the obligations he thought due to him.

It does not appear with what Lord, he now dwelt at Salisbury.

Autograph . Pl. XXV. No 19. Seal imperfect.

490

ROGER TAVERHAM TO JOHN PASTON¹

To my reverent and most be trusted maister, John Paston, Esquyer,
duelling in the Inner Temple, be this delyvered.

RYGHT reverent and most be trusted maister, I recom-
maunde me in the most lowly wise un to your good and
prevyd maysterchep, and desiring many days to here of
your welfare, whiche I be seche God encrese un to his plesauns
and un to the prosperite and welfare of your person, and of all
youres. And I be seche you of the good contynuaunce of
your maysterchep at diverses tymes befor this writing shewed
un to me; and, sir, ther is non man a lvye that I trust more to
than I doo un to you, and I am your bedman, and so shall
remayn be the grace of God all the days of myn liff. And,
sir, I suppose I shall never see you no more, nor non of myn
frendes, whiche is to me the grettest lamentacion that myght
come un to myn herte; for, sir, by the grace of God, I shall go
to Rome and in to oder holy places, to spende myn dayes of
this present liff in the servise of God. For I hadde lever liffe
in gret tribulacion in the service of God in this present liff,
than for to folowe the wretchednesse of this worlde.

And, syr, of on thing I be seche specially your good
maysterchep that ye wolle shew your good maistershep un to
my fader in tyme of his nede, and that ye wolle recomaunde
me in the most lowly wise with all reverence un to his good
faderhode, be sechyng hym that he wole yeff me every day,
during the dayes of his liff, his paternall blissing. And I have
marvayle san that I have writen so many letters un to hym be
for this tyme, that I hadde never non letter ageyn, whiche is
to me the grettest lamentacion that ever come to my hert; and
nowe knowing that I shall never see hym more, nor you, nor
non other of my frendes, marvayle ye not thow sorowe is
imprended in myn hert.

But, reverent maister, myn singuler trust remayneth nowe
in your person, for, sir, and it please you, I most nedes write
un to your good maisterchep, in the whiche my most trust
remayneth. For, syr, and it please you, as for myn inheritaunce
and other things whiche shulde come to me after the deth of
my fader, whoes liff God preserve to his long plesauns, know-
ing that I shall never com ther, I hadde lever that by your
good a vise that ye wolde take it unto you, for I hadde lever
that ye hadde it rather than any person in the worlde during
my liff, with all the profites ther of; and if that ye wole make
as good evidences for you in that partye as ye can, and I shall
a seale hem. And as you semeth best, and in the most secret
wise, rewle you in this mater.

And, sir, I be seche you to recomaunde me in the most
lowly wise to myn reverent Maister William Lumnour, seyeng
hym that I am and shall be his perpetuall bedman, and as ye
thenk best, ye may telle hym of all these maters. And, syr, I
be seche you to recomaunde me with all reverence un to my
masteras your wiff, and to all other maysters and frendes ther.
And, sir, that ye wolle thank the bringer of this letter, whiche
hathe ben in my gret tribulacion my good frende; and, sir,
whan ye speke with my fader, recomaunde me un to hym with
all reverence, and sey un to hym I shall send hym a letter in all
hast possible.

And, syr, as for this mater, demene you as ye wolle, and I
shall doo your plesauns as moche as in me is. And, reverent
maister, remitte me summe letter by the bringer her of of all
thes maters, for he duellith with my Lorde, and he is ryght
moche be trusted, for I knowe wele he wole yef a tendaunce un
to you for to have summe letter from you; for, syr, it shall
not be longe or that I go to Rome, by the grace of God. And
as sone as I have a letter from you at this tyme, I shall send
you a noder ageyn.

No more at this tyme, but the Holy Trinite have you in
His blissed keping. Wreten at Sarum, the Monday aftyr
Mydsomer Day. And lete these maters be kept secrete by
your best a vise.

Be youre poure servaunt, ROGER TAVERHAM.

¹ [From Fenn, iv. 252.] This letter and the next are placed here merely for con-
venience. The two are evidently some years apart in point of date, and nothing is
quite clear about the date of either, except that the latter must have been written in
the reign of Edward IV., and of course before the death of John Paston in 1466.
This, which is several years earlier than the other, was almost certainly written in the
reign of Henry VI. The writer was probably the ‘old Taverham’ mentioned by
Margaret Paston in the last letter.

Year
uncer-
tain