Sir John Paston to John and Edmund Paston

LETTER XXIII.

To John Paston or to
     hys brother Edmond
     Paston at y^e George
     at Powles Wharf

BROTHER Edmonde it is soo y^t J heer telle y^t ye be in hope
to come hyddr and to be in suche wags as ye shall com lyve
lyke a Jentylman Wherof I wolde be gladde Wherfor for
yowr bett^r speede I lete yow weete y^t Heugh Scamond is
deed Wherfor I wolde ye had hys Roome nowe or neu^r if ye
can brynge it abowt ellys if ye dispose yowe to abyde in
Jnglonde syns it is so y^t the bysshop of Lynkolne is Chaun-
celer hys servyce is the meter for yow he is next Neyghbor
to Norff of any Astate god sende yow som good warde of
hys J praye you of yowr leyser be ther aftr to remembr
Towneshende y^t he w^t the advyse and assystence of my
Mast^r of y^e Rollys have on daye of Marche w^t y^e slowe
byshop of Wynchest^r y^t he maye kepe me hys promyse y^t
is to seye to entrete y^e Duke and Duchesse of Norff For
Castr he p’mysed to doo it and to ley owt on C li for y^e
same It’m I praye yow sende me som tydyngs w’in v dayes
aftr y^t ye see thys bylle Wretyn at Caleys y^e xiij daye of
June.

                                                               JOHN PASTON, K.

       11½ by 5.

           Paper Mark,
    Bull’s-head and Star.
           Pl. x. No. 1.

     The contents of this Letter are not very interesting; but as it shows there
was a connexion between the Pastons, the Bishop of Lincoln, and the Master
of the Rolls, I have inserted it.

     Thomas Rotherham, bishop of Lincoln, was appointed Lord Chancellor in

1475, and in 1480 was consecrated Archbishop of York. He died of the
plague in 1500, being then seventy-six years old.

     John Morton was at this time Master of the Rolls; he became afterwards
successively Bishop of Ely, Lord Chancellor, Archbishop of Canterbury, and
a Cardinal.

     Autograph, Pl. iv. No. 9.

LETTER XXIII.

To John Paston, or to his Brother Edmund Paston, at the
George, at Paul’s Wharf.

BROTHER Edmund, it is so that I hear tell that ye be in
hope to come hither, and to be in such wages as ye shall
come [and] live like a gentleman, whereof I would be glad;
wherefore for your better speed, I let you weet that Hugh
Seamond is dead; wherefore I would ye had his room,
[place] now or never, if ye can bring it about; else if ye
dispose you to abide in England, since it is so that the
Bishop of Lincoln is Chancellor, his service is the meeter
for you, he is next neighbour to Norfolk of any estate: God
send you some good ward of his.

     I pray you, if your leisure be thereafter to remember
Townshend, that he, with the advice and assistance of my
Master of the Rolls, have one day of march with the slow
Bishop of Winchester, that he may keep his promise, that is
to say, to entreat the Duke and Duchess of Norfolk for
Caister; he promised to do it, and to lay out an 100l. for the
same.

     Item, I pray you send me some tidings within five days
after that you see this bill. Written at Calais, the 13th
day of June.

                                                           JOHN PASTON, Kt.

              Calais,
    Tuesday, 13th June,
        1475. 15 E. iv.

    The contents of this Letter are not very interesting; but as it shows there
was a connexion between the Pastons, the Bishop of Lincoln, and the Master
of the Rolls, I have inserted it.

     Thomas Rotherham, bishop of Lincoln, was appointed Lord Chancellor in

1475, and in 1480 was consecrated Archbishop of York. He died of the
plague in 1500, being then seventy-six years old.

     John Morton was at this time Master of the Rolls; he became afterwards
successively Bishop of Ely, Lord Chancellor, Archbishop of Canterbury, and
a Cardinal.

     Autograph, Pl. iv. No. 9.

873

SIR JOHN PASTON TO JOHN AND EDMUND
PASTON¹

To John Paston, or to hys brother Edmond Paston,
at the George, at Powles Wharf.

BROTHER Edmonde, it is soo that I heer telle that ye
            be in hope to come hyddre, and to be in suche wages
           as ye schall come lyve lyke a jentylman, wheroff I
wolde be gladde. Wherffor, for yowr better speede, I lete
you weete that Heugh Beamond is deed; wherffor I wolde
ye had hys roome nowe or never, iff ye can brynge it abowt;
ellys iff ye dispose yowe to abyde in Inglonde, syns it is so
that the Bysshop of Lynkolne² is Chaunceler, hys servyse is
the meter for yow; he is next neyghbour to Norffolk off any
astate. God sende yow some good warde of hys.

     I praye you, iff yowr leyser be ther aftre to remembre
Towneshende, that he, with the advyse and assystence of my
Master of the Rollys,³ have one daye off marche with the
slawe Bysshop of Wynchester, that he maye kepe me hys
promyse, that is to seye, to entrete the Duke and Duchesse of
Norffolk for Caster. He promysed to doo it, and to ley owt
an Cli. for the same.

     Item, I praye yow sende me some tydynges within v.
dayes aftre that ye see thys bylle.

     Wretyn at Caleys, the xiij. daye off June.

                                                                        JOHN PASTON, K.

     ¹ [From Paston MSS., B.M.] This letter must have been written in the year
1475, when, as will be seen by No. 871, some of Sir John Paston’s brothers, among
whom doubtless were both John and Edmund, to whom this letter is addressed, were
going over to Calais. The Bishop of Lincoln (Rotherham) was Chancellor in 1475.
It is true the Great Seal was taken from him on the 27th April, and given to Alcock,
Bishop of Rochester, until the 28th September, when it was restored to Rotherham.
But it is certain this letter could not have been written in a later year, as the Duke of
Norfolk died in January 1476.

     ² Thomas Rotherham.                                                    ³ See p. 219, Note 2.

1475
JUNE 13