Sir John Fastolf to John Paston

LETTER XLI.

To the worshipful and my right welbeloved Cosyn John Paston at
the Temple, or to William Barker at Suthwerk be y^s delu’ed.

   WORSHIPFUL Cosyn I comaunde me to yow and where
     as I late wrote unto yow in a l’re by Henre Hansson for
the Fundacōn of my College, I am soore sette therupon and
that is the cause I write now to remembre yow agayn to meve
my Lords of ¹ Cant’bury and ² Wynchestre for the licence to be
opteined that I might have the morteisyng withowte ony grete
fyne in recompence of my longe s’vise contynued and doon un to
the Kyng and to his noble Fader whom God assoile and neu’e
yette guerdoonned or rewarded.

     And now sithe I have ordeyned to make the Kyng Founder
and eu’e to be prayed fore and for his right noble p’genitors hise
³ ffader and ⁴ uncles me thinketh I shuld not be denyed of my
desire but the rather to be remembrid and spedde.

     Wherfore as I wrote un to yow I p’y yow acqueynte me and
yow for the rather spede here of with a Chapelleyn of my Lord
of Caunt’bury that in yo^r absence may remembre me and in
like wise with my Lord Chaunceller for seyng the Kyngs dispo-
sicon and also hise un to the edyfyeng of God is s’vice it myght
in noo bettyr tyme be mevid, &c.

     My Lord of ⁵ Norff is remevid from Framlyngh’m on foote
to goo to Walsyngh’m and deily I wayte y^t he wolde come hidre.

                                                                            Your Cosyn,

           11 ¾ by 5 ¼.

                                                                                    ⁶ J. Fastolf.

            Paper Mark,
     Bull’s Head and Star.
             Pl. VIII. N^o 2.

 Caister,
                18th of November,
                Before 1459, 38 H. VI.

     We here see the anxiety of an old man, wishing, according to the superstition of the
time, to be permitted to found a College to the health of his Soul, and his future
happiness.

     ¹ Thomas Bourchier.

     ² William de Wainfleet.

³ Henry V.

     ⁴ Thomas Duke of Clarence, slain in France in 1421.

John, Duke of Bedford, died at Rouen, in 1435.

Humphry, Duke of Gloucester, murdered at Bury, in 1446.

⁵ John Mowbray, Duke of Norfolk, on a pilgrimage to Walsingham.        

⁶ Autograph. Pl. II. N^o 15.

                                               LETTER XLI.

To the worshipful, and my right well beloved Cousin, John Paston, at
the Temple, or to William Barker, at Southwark, be this delivered.

   WORSHIPFUL Cousin, I commend me to you, and
     whereas I late wrote unto you, in a Letter by Henry
Hansson, for the foundation of my College; I am sore set
thereupon; and that is the cause I write now, to remember you
again to move my Lords of ¹ Canterbury and ² Winchester for
the License to be obtained, that I might have the amortizing
without any great Fine; in recompence of my long service
continued, and done unto the King, and to his noble Father,
whom God assoil, and never yet guerdoned (recompenced) or
rewarded.

     And now since I have ordained to make the King Founder,
and ever to be prayed for; and for his right noble Progenitors,
his ³ Father and ⁴ Uncles, methinketh I should not be denied of
my desire, but the rather to be remembered and sped.

     Wherefore, as I wrote unto you, I pray you acquaint me
and you, for the rather speed hereof, with a Chaplain of my
Lord of Canterbury, that in your absence may remember me,
and in likewise with my Lord Chancellor; for seeing the
King?s Disposition, and also his, unto the edifying of God?s
service, it might in no better time be moved, &c.

     My Lord of ⁵ Norfolk is removed from Framlingham on foot
to go to Walsingham, and daily I wait that he would come hither.

                                                                            Your Cousin,

                                                                                    ⁶ JOHN FASTOLF.

          11 ? by 5 ?. 

Paper Mark,
     Bull’s Head and Star.
             Pl. VIII. N^o 2.

 Caister,
                18th of November,
                Before 1459, 38 H. VI.

      We here see the anxiety of an old man, wishing, according to the superstition of the
time, to be permitted to found a College to the health of his Soul, and his future
happiness.

     ¹ Thomas Bourchier.

     ² William de Wainfleet.

³ Henry V.

     ⁴ Thomas Duke of Clarence, slain in France in 1421.

John, Duke of Bedford, died at Rouen, in 1435.

Humphry, Duke of Gloucester, murdered at Bury, in 1446.

⁵ John Mowbray, Duke of Norfolk, on a pilgrimage to Walsingham.        

⁶ Autograph. Pl. II. N^o 15.

351

SIR JOHN FASTOLF TO JOHN PASTON¹

  To the worshipful and my right welbeloved cosyn, John Paston, at
     the Temple, or to William Barker, at Suthwerk, be this
     delvered.

WORSHIPFUL cosyn, I comaunde me to yow. And
     where as I late wrote unto yow in a lettre by
     Henre Hansson for the fundacion of my college,
I am soore sette therupon; and that is the cause I write now,
to remembre yow agayn to meve my Lords of Canterbury²
and Wynchestre³ for the licence to be opteined, that I might
have the morteisying withowte ony grete fyne, in recompence
of my longe servise contynued and doon un to the Kyng, and
to his noble fader, whom God assoile, and nevere yette
guerdoonned or rewarded.

     And now sithe I have ordeyned to make the Kyng
founder, and evere to be prayed fore, and for his right noble
progenitors, hise fader, and uncles, me thinketh I shuld not
be denyed of my desire, but the rather to be remembrid and
spedde.

     Wherfore, as I wrote un to yow, I pray yow acqueynte

me and yow, for the rather spede here of, with a chapelleyn
of my Lord of Caunterbury, that in your absence may re-
membre me, and in like wise with my Lord Chaunceller;¹
for seyng the Kyngs disposicion, and also hise, un to the
edyfyeng of God is service, it myght in noo bettyr tyme be
mevid, &c.

     My Lord of Norffolk is remevid from Framlyngham on
foote to goo to Walsyngham,² and deily I wayte that he wolde
come hidre.

                                       Your cosyn,

                                                                                      J. FASTOLF.

     ¹ [From Fenn, i. 164.] This letter, as printed by Fenn, bears no date in itself,
but in the editorial note at the foot it is dated: ‘Caister, 18th of November.’
Probably this date is expressed in the original, but has been accidentally omitted in
the printing. If so, the year in which it was written must be either 1456 or 1457,
and most probably the former. In 1455 the Archbishop of Canterbury and my Lord
Chancellor were one and the same person, which they evidently are not here; and in
1458 it appears by the Castlecombe MSS. that Sir John Fastolf was in London on the
26th November, so that he is not likely to have been expecting a visit from the Duke
of Norfolk at Caister eight days before. On the other hand, if this was written in
the year 1456, it must be remembered that Archbishop Bourchier had been just
recently discharged of the office of Lord Chancellor, which was given to Bishop
Waynfleet on the 11th October, and it is highly probable that the Archbishop had
been already spoken to on the subject in his capacity of Chancellor.

     ² Thomas Bourchier, Archbishop.

     ³ William Waynfleet, Bishop.

    ¹ William Waynfleet, the Bishop of Winchester before mentioned.

     ² On pilgrimage to the famous shrine of Our Lady at Walsingham.

1456
NOV. 18

1456
NOV. 18