Sir John Fastolf to Thomas Howys

251

SIR JOHN FASTOLF TO THOMAS HOWYS¹

To my ryght trusty frende Sir Thomas Howys,
Parson of Castelcombe.

   RYGHT trusty frende, I grete you well, and wolle ye
     wete that I thynk it to greete merveylle of your trouth
     and wysdom that ye shuld haf, that ye hafe noysed
me, and seyd to John Andreus at Yeppyswych, in presence of
dyvers men, that ye have suffisaunt waraunts undre my lettre
and sele to safe you harmlese, in case ye be condempned yn the
somme this Andreus sewyth you for. And know for certeyn,
there passed no such warauntis undre my sele; nothyr I
comaunded you not for to labour ne do thyng that shuld be
ayenst the law, nether unlawfully ayenst ryght and trouth.
And therfor y ought not ne wolle not pay for yow. Wherfor
I charge you sende me your warauntis and lettres or acomp
of them, and of whoos hand wrytyng they ben; and whate
evidences, instruccions and informacions ye had and by whom,
as well as of my lerned councell as of othyrs. And also that
ye comyn with my cosyn John Paston, &c., and take his gode
avice whate remedie ys best, whethyr to sew an atteynt ayenst
th’enquest a decies tantum in your oune name or by the parle-
ment; for y wolle do seke all the remedies that may be had
ayenst the seyd Andreus. And kepe ye close and sure from
hym in all maner wyse, for your oune welfare; for know ye
for certeyn that Andreus wolle ley all the wayt and aspies of
such as ye wene to take for your true frendys to arrest you;
and then be ye as it were be thout remedie, for ye not be
tyme to sende me the materes abofe specyfied.

     Item, Robert Inglose hath spoke wyth me and hath offred
me to by lond to satisfye my dewtee that lyeth in Rakhyth,
and y am avysed to by it, if ye can send thedre som trusty
man that can telle whate it ys worth cleerly, and off whome
it ys halde, and also yf it be sure lyvelode, and your avice
wythall; but beware that ye com not owt, God kepe you.
Wryt at London in haste the xij. day of Julle, A^o. xxxij^do.
Regni Regis Henrici VJ.                        JOHN FASTOLF, ch’l’r.

¹ [Add. MS. 34,888, f. 102.]

1454
JULY 12

1454
JULY 12

35

ABSTRACT¹

     Draft Lease by Sir Simon Felbrygge; Oliver Groos, Esq.; John Berney
of Redham, Esq.; William Paston of Paston; Thomas Stodhagh; Roger
Taillour of Stafford Bernyngham; and Thomas Newport of Runham, executors
of Robert Mawteby and John his son, to Margery, widow of the said John,
of ?two parts of manors, &c.? and the reversion, &c., which they lately held
along with Sir Miles Stapleton, Sir William Argenten, Sir John Hevenyngham,
Sir John Carbonell, Sir William Calthorpe, John Boys, Esq., and William
Caston, Esq., now deceased, by deed of Robert Mawteby. The remainder,
after Margery?s death, is to go to Margaret, daughter of the said John and
Margery, and the heirs of her body; then to Peter Mauteby, son of Robert and
uncle of Margaret; then to Alianora, widow of Robert; then to Alianora,
widow of William Calthorp and sister of Robert Mawteby, with reversion to
the trustees to fulfil the will.

     [This paper is addressed to John Berney of Reedham, and appears, by an
endorsement, to have been transmitted along with a letter of William Paston.
The date is fixed by the contents within pretty narrow limits, for it is after the death
of John Boys, Esq., which was in August 1439 (Inquis. post mortem, 18 Hen. VI.,
No. 2), and before that of Sir Simon Felbrigg in 1442 (Inquis. p. m., 21 Hen. VI.,
No. 33). It is easy to see, in fact, that the document had something to do with
the marriage settlement of John Paston and Margaret Mauteby, which was about
1440.]

¹ [From Paston MSS., B.M.]

About
1440