Sir John Paston to John Paston

LETTER XI.

To John Paston esqer

BEST belovyd brother I recomend me unto you, letyng yow
weet y^t as for tydynges heer the Kynge rydeth fresselye
thys daye to Northamton warde ther to be thys est^rne and
after est^rne he p’posythe to be moche at leysettr and in
leysettr shyr eu˜y man seythe y^t we shall have a doo or
maye passe Hogan the prophet is in the Tower he wolde
fayne speke w^t y^e Kyng but the Kynge seythe he shall not
avaunt y^t euyr he spake w^t hym It’m as for me J most nedys
to Caleyse warde to morowe I shall be heer ageyn if I maye
thys next terme John Myryell Thyrston and W. Woode be
goon from me I shrewe them My modre dothe me moor
harme than good I wende she wolde have doon for me
playter wroot to me y^t she wolde have leyde owt for me
C li and receyvyd it ageyn in v yer of the man^r of Sporle
wherto I trustyd whyche if she had p^rformyd I had nott ben
in no Iop^rte of the man^r of Sporle Neu˜thelesse I shall do
whatt J kan yitt I pray yow calle uppon hyr for the same
remembre hyr of that promyse It’m J preye yow remembre
hyr for my fadrys tombe at bromholme she dothe ryght nott
J am afferde of hyr y^t she shall nott doo weell bedyngfelde
shall mary S^r Iohn Skotts doghtr as I suppose It’m Ianor
lovedaye shall be weddyd to on denyse a ffuattyd gentylman
w^t S^r G. brown nowther to weell ner to ylle It’m as for me if
I had haddy˜ vj dayes leyser mor than I hadd and other also
I wolde haue hopyd to haue ben delyu˜yd of Mestresse
Anne Hault hyr Frends the quyen and Attcliff agreyd to
comon and conclude w^t me if I can fynde the means to
dyscharge hyr concyence whyche I trust to god to doo.

     No mor to yow but wretyn at london the xij daye of
Apryll A^o E iiij^ti xiij^o

       11 ½ by 8½.

                 Paper Mark,
                 Vine branch,
           and Bunch of Grapes.
                 Pl. x. No. 2.

     This letter shows the state was far from quiet; tumults were feared, perhaps
from the disputes between the Dukes of Clarence and Gloucester, who had
been for some time at variance on the latter’s marriage with Ann, the Duchess
of Clarence’s sister.

     The King’s answer to Hogan’s petition seems dictated by propriety and
good sense.

     Sir Edmund Bedingfield, of Oxborough, Knt. married Margaret, daughter
of Sir John Scott, Marshal of Calais.

     The nature of the connexion between Sir John Paston and Mistress Ann
Hault, so often mentioned in these Letters, is very difficult to ascertain: from
the Queen’s interference, she could never have been his mistress.

     Q.? the meaning of the word ffuatted?

LETTER XI.

To John Paston, Esq.

BEST beloved brother, I recommend me unto you, letting
you weet that as for tidings here, the King rideth fresselye
[briskly] this day to Northamptonward, there to be this
Easter; and after Easter he purposeth to be much at
Leicester, and in Leicestershire. Every man saith that we
shall have ado [a tumult] ere May pass: Hogan the prophet
is in the Tower, he would fain speak with the King, but the
King saith he shall not avaunt [boast] that ever he spake
with him.

     Item, as for me I must need to Calais ward to-morrow:
I shall be here again, if I may, this next term. John Myryel,
Thyrston, and W. Wood be gone from me, beshrew them!

  My mother doth me more harm than good; I wend
[thought] she would have done for me: Playters wrote to
me that she would have laid out for me an 100l. and received
it again in five years off the manor of Sporle, whereto I
trusted; if she had performed, I had not been in no jeopardy
of the manor of Sporle, nevertheless I shall do what I can
yet: I pray you call upon her for the same, remember her
of that promise.

     Item, I pray you remember her of my father’s tomb at
Bromholm, she doth right nought; I am afraid of her, that
she shall not do well. Bedingfeld shall marry Sir John
Scot’s daughter, as I suppose. Item, Janor Loveday shall
be wedded to one Dennis, a ffuatted gentleman, with Sir
George Browne, neither too well nor too ill.

     Item, as for me, if I had had six days leisure more than I
had, and other also, I would have hoped to have been deli-
vered of Mistress Ann Hault, her friends, the Queen and
Attcliff agreed to commune and conclude with me, if I can
find the means to discharge her conscience, which I trust to
God to do.

     No more to you, but written at London, the 12th day of
April, in the 13th year of Edward IV.

                                                                JOHN PASTON, Kt.

           London.
     Monday, 12th April,
        1473. 13 E. iv.

 This letter shows the state was far from quiet; tumults were feared, perhaps
from the disputes between the Dukes of Clarence and Gloucester, who had
been for some time at variance on the latter’s marriage with Ann, the Duchess
of Clarence’s sister.

     The King’s answer to Hogan’s petition seems dictated by propriety and
good sense.

     Sir Edmund Bedingfield, of Oxborough, Knt. married Margaret, daughter
of Sir John Scott, Marshal of Calais.

     The nature of the connexion between Sir John Paston and Mistress Ann
Hault, so often mentioned in these Letters, is very difficult to ascertain: from
the Queen’s interference, she could never have been his mistress.

     Q.? the meaning of the word ffuatted?

831

SIR JOHN PASTON TO JOHN PASTON²

To John Paston, Esquier.

BEST belovyd brother, I recomend me on to yow, letyng
     yow weet that I receyvyd on Wednysday last past yow
     angery lettre towchyng the troble that Sandre Kok is
in, wherein I have largely comonyd with John Russe, and
advysed hym to take a curteys weye with Sandre, for yowre
sake and myn. He seythe he wold not dysplease yow by hys
wyll, and that he purposythe to entrete yow and wolde deserve
it to yowe. He undrestod that ye had large langage to the
jurye that passyd again Saundre. I lete hym weete that ye
weer wrothe, and that he shall nowther please yowe ner me,
but iff he dele curteyslye with Saundre. I tolde hym as for
the condempnacion uppon the accion off trespasse I thoght it
nowther good ner worshypfull. Also I have wretyn to the
person of Maultby to dele curteyslye with Saundre, iff he woll
please yow or me.

     Item, I sende yow herwythe the supercedyas for Saundre;
so that iff ye fynde any meane for the condempnacions that
than ye maye ease therwith the suerte off pease. John Russe,
as I suppose, is att home thys daye.

     Item, as for tydynges heer, the Kynge rydeth fresselye
thys daye to Northamton warde, there to be thys Esterne, and
after Esterne he purposythe to be moche at Leysettre, and in
Leysettre shyre. Every man seythe that we shall have a doo
or Maye passe. Hogan the prophet is in the Tower; he
wolde fayne speke with the Kyng, but the Kynge seythe he
shall not avaunt that evyr he spake with hym.

     Item, as for me, I most nedys to Caleyse warde to
morowe. I shall be heer ageyn, if I maye, thys next terme.
John Myryell, Thyrston, and W. Woode be goon from me, I
shrewe them.

     My modre dothe me moor harme than good; I wende she
wolde have doon for me. Playter wroot to me that she
wolde have leyde owt for me Cli., and receyvyd it ageyn in v.
yer of the maner of Sporle, wherto I trustyd, whyche if she
had performyd, I had nott ben in no juperte of the maner of
Sporle. Neverthelesse I shall do whatt I kan yitt. I preye
yow calle uppon hyr for the same, remembre hyr of that
promyse.

     Item, I preye yow remembre hyr for my fadrys tombe at
Bromholme. She dothe ryght nott [naught]; I am afferde of
hyr that she shall nott doo weell. Bedyngfelde shall mary Sir
John Skottes doghtre, as I suppose.

     Item, Janore Lovedaye shall be weddyd to one Denyse, a
ffuattyd (?) gentylman, with Sir G. Brown, nowther to weell
ner to ylle.

     Item, as for me, iff I had hadd vj. dayes leyser more than I
hadd, and other also, I wolde have hopyd to have ben de-
lyveryd of Mestresse Anne Hault. Hyr frendes, the Quyen
and Attclif agreyd to comon and conclude with me, if I can
fynde the meanes to dyscharge hyr concyence, whyche I trust
to God to doo.

     i. Item, I praye yow that ye take a leyser thys Estern
halydayes to ryde to Sporle and sende for John Osberne, and
I wolde ye sholde conclude a bergayn with one Bocher, a
woode byer, whyche Mendham that was my fermor ther can
fecche hym to yow.

     ii. And thys is myn entent. I wolde have the dykes to
stonde stylle, acordyng as John Osberne and I comonyd, I
trow xij. foothe with in the dyke.

     iij. Item, that the standardes off suche mesur as he and I
comonyd off maye also be reservyd. I suppose it was xxx.
inche, abowt a yerde from the grownde.

     iiij. Item, that it be surely fencyd at the cost off the
woode byer in any wyse with a sure hedge, bothe hyghe and
stronge.

     v. Item, that ther be a weye taken with the fermores for
the undrewood, so that I lesse not the ferme therffore yerly.
Item, John Osbern can telle yow the meanys howe to entrete
the fermores, for Herry Halman hath pleyed the false shrowe
and fellyd my woode uppon a tenement off myn to the valew
off xx. marke, as it is tolde me. I praye yow enquire that
matre and sende me worde and dele with hym ther afftre.

     vj. Item, iff the seyde wood clere above alle charges
excep as is above, be made any better than CC. marke, I
wolle seye that ye be a good huswyff. John Osberne seythe
that he woll do me a frendes turne ther in and yitt gete hym
self an hakeneye.

     vij. Memorandum, that he have nott past iij. or iiij. yere
off untraunce at the ferthest.

     viij. Item, thatt I have payement off the holl as shortly as
ye kan, halffe in hande, the remenaunt at halffe yeer, or ellys
at ij. tymes with in one yere at the ferthest by mydsomer xij.
monyth.

     ix. And that ye make no ferther bergayn than Sporle
woode and the lawnde, not delyng with noon other woode,
nowther in the maner, nor ellys wher in none other tenement.

     x. Item, that ye have sufficient sewerte for the monye,
with penaltes iff nede be, some other men bonden with hym
for the payement.

     xj. Item, I wolle well be bownde to waraunt it to hym.
     Item, I sende yow herwith a warant to yow and John
Osberne joyntlye to bergayn. Comone and conclude that
bergayn.

     xij. Item, I suppose he woll, iff he conclude with yow,
desyre to felle thys Maye, and I to have mony soon afftre. I
reke not thowe he fellyd not tyll thys wynter; but iff he woll
nedes begyn thys Maye, therffor I wryght yow thus hastely
entrete hym, iff ye can, that he felle not tyll wynter.

     xiij. Item, be ware how ye bergeyn, so that he felle nott
butt in sesonable tyme and sesonable wood, for he maye felle
no undrewood thys Maye, as I trowe

     Item, as for yowr costes late th . . . . . . .
newe fynde yow mete, and I woll allow it there, or ellys
make me a bylle what it dra[weth to] . . . . . . . .
yow.

     Item, I praye yow iff ye g . . . . . for me as ye
can. I made my Lady heer but easy cheer, neverthelesse I
gaff hyr . . . . . ys.

     I promysed hyr to purveye hyr . . . . weselys, but
I was deseyvyd; yit I wend to have had one.

     My Lord of Norffolk hathe ben mevyd for Caster by my
Lord Cardenall and the Bysshop of Wynchester, but it woll
take non effecte . . . my Lady come. God gyff grace
that she brynge auctoryte when she comythe thys next terme
to common ther in and conclude, and so I prey yow advyse
hyr. Itt may haply paye for hyr costes.

     No mor to yow, but wretyn at London, the xij. daye of
Apryll, Anno E. iiij^ti xiij^o.

     I sende yow her with ij. letteris from John Osbern to me,
wherby and by hys billes ye may undrestond the verry valewe
off the wood.

     I praye yow sende me wryghtyng ageyn by the Mondaye
vij. nyght afftre Ester; iff Hoxon or the goode man off the
Goot have it, they shall conveye it welle.

     ² [From Paston MSS., B.M.]

APRIL 12

1473
APRIL 12

1473
APRIL 12