Sir John Paston to John Paston

LETTER XIII.

To John Paston Esq’er

RYGHT wyrshippfull and well belovyd brother I recomaund
me to yow letyng yow weet y^t J sende yow her w^t j sitacon
wher in ben my moodre and yee wherof I praye yow y^t I
maye have hasty Answeer the effecte therof is no moor but
ye bothe most sende answer and make yow a proctor heer
and that most Come hyddr ondre a Notaryes syngne
affermyng that ye make suche a man Mast^r John Halsnothe
or ellis yf ye will do y^e Cost to sende som other hyddr yowr
proctor to take Admynyst’con or to refuse and what so he
dothe ye to holde it for ferme and stable than most my
moodr and ye wryght a lettre vndre my moodr seall and
yowr syngne Manuell to me and Mast^r John Halsnothe Jn
thys forme (we gret you well letyng you weet y^t we have
made yow Mast^r John Halsnothe our proctor in the testament
of John Paston husband and fadre to yow wherin we wyll y^t
on owr behalf ye refuse the Admynest’con of the seyde testa-
ment and thys Wryghtyng is to yow warantt and dyscharge
and also the verry wyll of vsse) thys most we have for owr
dyscharge.

     It’m I pray yow take good hedde to my sost^{r 1}Anne lesse
the olde love atwyen hyr and Pampy˜g renewe It’m I pray
yow sende me worde howe my Moodr is dysposyd to hyr
wards and iffe so weer that a good maryage myght be had
what she wolde dep’t w^t.

     It’m I praye yow y^t ye r’membr hyr for the Tombe of my
fadr at Bromholme and also the chapell at Mavteby and
sende me worde how she is dysposyd her in.

     It’m if I have Cast^r ageyn whethyr she wolle dwelle ther
or nott and I wyll fynde hyr a prest towards at my charge
and geve hyr the dovehowse and other Comodites ther and
if any hossekep’ on myn lye ther J wolle paye for hys borde
Also as weell as for the prests.

     It’m if my modr sholde have a new prest I thynk y^t my
brother S^r J goos weer a metly man to be ther he wolde also
doo as ye wolde have hym nowe ber the ²cuppe durn˜, as
what calle ye hym seyde to Aslake. be war of myners fro
hense forthe and sende me worde how ye trist Doctor
Pykenh’m I wolde if he wolde doo owght for my Moodr
that he hastyd the soner to paye me the C li so y^t I myght
pledge owt Sporle.

     It’m as for other tydyng the Erle of ³Oxenforthe is stille
besegyd Neu^rthelesse onys he issued owt and toke a Jentyl-
man and haue hym w^tin but now of late he was besye and
on espyed hym and shott at hym and strake in the verry
fase w^h an Arowe J sye thys daye y^e same man and theere I
leef hym if Arblast^r come to yow ye maye see hys lett^r sente
to hym by me wherin J have wretyn y^t he scholde take
yowr advyc but I praye you above all thyngs that me make
hast so y^t I heer from you ageyn by thys day vij nyght at
london the xxv daye of Novembr

                                                                 ⁴JOHN PAST’ K

      11 ½ by 10½.

             Paper Mark,
              Wheels, &c.
             Pl. x. No. 9.

      From the process relative to John Paston’s will, it should seem as if this
letter had been written soon after his death in November 1466; but from the
mention of the Earl of Oxford being besieged, it could not have been written
before 1473, when he was besieged in St. Michael’s Mount, in Cornwall: the
preceding Letter likewise fixes it to 1473.

     Sir John’s mentioning his repossessing Caister also carries the date to 1473.
See Letter LIX. vol. ii. pp. 156 and 157.

     ¹ Anne Paston afterwards married William Yelverton of Rougham, Esq.
grandson of Sir William Yelverton the Judge. She died about 1500, leaving
no issue.

     ² This refers to some well known saying, implying submission and docility,
at this time; but the word after cup is unintelligible.

     ³ John Earl of Oxford, after the beheading of his father and brother in 1461,
suffered many and great hardships for his loyalty to the House of Lancaster.
He was an active assistant in replacing Henry VI. on the throne in 1470;
but after the restoration of Edward IV. fled, and by surprize took St. Michael’s
Mount, in Cornwall, where he was besieged, and his men being induced to
submit, he surrendered, and was committed prisoner to the Castle of Hommes,
in Picardy, where he remained a prisoner many years (see Letter LXXXV.
vol. ii. pp. 274 and 275). He escaped from that fortress in 1484, and joining
the Earl of Richmond, attended him in his expedition into England; by whom,
when King, he was reinstated in all his honours and estates, and served him
faithfully during his whole reign. He was also in great favour with Henry
VIII. but died in the fourth year of that King’s reign (1512), aged about
seventy-four years.

     ⁴ Autograph, Pl. iv. No. 9.

LETTER XIII.

To John Paston, Esq.

RIGHT worshipful and well-beloved brother, I recommend
me to you, letting you weet that I send you herewith one
citation, wherein be my mother and ye, whereof I pray you
that I may have hasty answer; the effect thereof is no more,
but ye both must send answer, and make you a Proctor here;
and that must come hither under a Notary’s sign, affirming
that ye make such a man, Master John Halsnothe, or else,
if ye will do the cost, to send some other hither; your Proc-
tor to take administration, or to refuse; and what so he doth,
ye to hold it for firm and stable: then must my mother and
ye write a letter, under my mother’s seal and your sign
manual, to me and Master John Halsnothe, in this form,

     “ We greet you well, letting you weet that we have
“ made you, Master John Halsnothe, our Proctor, in the
“ Testament of John Paston, husband and father to you [us,
“ it should be], wherein we will that on our behalf ye refuse the
“ administration of the said Testament, and this writing is to
“ you warrant and discharge, and also the very will of us.”

     This must we have for our discharge.

     Item, I pray you take good heed to my sister ¹Anne, lest
the old love atween her and Pamping renew.

     Item, I pray you send me word how my mother is
disposed to her wards; and, if so were that a good marriage
might be had, what she would depart with.

Item, I pray you that ye remember her for the tomb of my
father at Bromholm, and also the chapel at Mauteby; and
send me word how she is disposed herein.

     Item, if I have Caister again, whether she will dwell there
or not, and I will find her a priest towards at my charge, and
give her the dove-house, and other commodities there; and
if any horsekeeper of mine lie there, I will pay for his board
also, as well as for the priest’s.

     Item, if my mother should have a new priest, I think that
my brother Sir J. Goos were a meetly man to be there; he
would also do as ye would have him, “now bear the ²cup
dur˜n,” as what call ye him said to Aslake.

     Beware of miners from henceforth, and send me word how
ye trust Doctor Pykenham: I would, if he would do ought
for my mother, that he hasted the sooner to pay me the 100l.
so that I might pledge out Sporle.

     Item, as for other tidings, the Earl of ³Oxford is still be-
sieged; nevertheless once he issued out, and took a gentle-
man, and has him within: but now of late he was busy, and
one espied him, and shot at him, and struck him in the very
face with an arrow. I saw this day the same man, and there
I leave him.

     If Arblaster come to you, ye may see his letter sent to
him by me, wherein I have written that he should take your
advice; but I pray you, above all things, that me [ye] make
haste, so that I hear from you again by this day sev’night.
At London, the 25th day of November.

                                                              ⁴ JOHN PASTON, Knight.

                London,
   Thursday, 25th November,
           1473. 13 E. iv.

 From the process relative to John Paston’s will, it should seem as if this
letter had been written soon after his death in November 1466; but from the
mention of the Earl of Oxford being besieged, it could not have been written
before 1473, when he was besieged in St. Michael’s Mount, in Cornwall: the
preceding Letter likewise fixes it to 1473.

     Sir John’s mentioning his repossessing Caister also carries the date to 1473.
See Letter LIX. vol. ii. pp. 156 and 157.

     ¹ Anne Paston afterwards married William Yelverton of Rougham, Esq.
grandson of Sir William Yelverton the Judge. She died about 1500, leaving
no issue.

     ² This refers to some well known saying, implying submission and docility,
at this time; but the word after cup is unintelligible.

     ³ John Earl of Oxford, after the beheading of his father and brother in 1461,
suffered many and great hardships for his loyalty to the House of Lancaster.
He was an active assistant in replacing Henry VI. on the throne in 1470;
but after the restoration of Edward IV. fled, and by surprize took St. Michael’s
Mount, in Cornwall, where he was besieged, and his men being induced to
submit, he surrendered, and was committed prisoner to the Castle of Hommes,
in Picardy, where he remained a prisoner many years (see Letter LXXXV.
vol. ii. pp. 274 and 275). He escaped from that fortress in 1484, and joining
the Earl of Richmond, attended him in his expedition into England; by whom,
when King, he was reinstated in all his honours and estates, and served him
faithfully during his whole reign. He was also in great favour with Henry
VIII. but died in the fourth year of that King’s reign (1512), aged about
seventy-four years.

     ⁴ Autograph, Pl. iv. No. 9.

843

SIR JOHN PASTON TO JOHN PASTON¹

To John Paston, Esquier.

RYGHT wyrshypfull and well belovyd brother, I re-
    comaund me to yow, letyng yow weet that I sende
    yow her with j. sitacion, where in ben my moodre
and yee, wheroff I praye yow that I maye have hasty answeer.
The effecte theroff is no moor, but ye bothe most sende answer,
and make yow a proctor heer, and that most come hyddre
ondre a notaryes syngne, affermyng that ye make suche a man,
Master John Halsnothe, or ellis, yf ye will do the cost, to
sende some other hyddre; yowr proctor to take admynystra-
cion or to reffuse, and what so he dothe, ye to holde it for
ferme and stable. Than most my moodre and ye wryght a
lettre, undre my moodre seall and yowr syngne manuell, to
me and Master John Halsnothe in thys forme:—’We gret
yow well, letyng yow weet that we have made yow, Master
John Halsnothe, our proctor in the testament of John Paston,
husband and fadre to yow, wherin we wyll that on owr be-
halff ye refuse the admynestracion of the seyde testament.
And thys wryghtyng is to yow warantt and dyscharge, and
also the verry wyll of usse.’ Thys most we have for owr
dyscharge.

     Item, I pray yow take good hedde to my soster Anne, lesse
the old love atwyen hyr and Pampyng renewe.

     Item, I pray yow sende me worde howe my moodre is
dysposyd to hyr wardes, and iffe so weer that a good mariage
myght be had, what she wolde depart with.

     Item, I praye yow that ye remembre hyr for the tombe off
my fadr at Bromholme, and also the chapell at Mauteby, and
sende me worde how she is dysposyd her in.

  Item, iff I have Caster ageyn, whethyr she wolle dwelle
ther or nott, and I wyll fynde hyr a prest towardes at my charge,
and geve hyr the dovehowse and other comodytes ther; and
if any horsekeper on myn lye ther, I wolle paye for hys borde
also, as weell as for the prestes.

     Item, iff my modre sholde have a new prest, I thynk that
my brother Syr J. Goos weer a metly man to be ther. He
wolde also doo, as ye wolde have hym nowe, ber the cuppe
evyn, as What-calle-ye-hym seyde to Aslake.

     Be war of Myneres fro hense forthe, and sende me worde
how ye trist Doctor Pykenham. I wolde, if he wolde doo
owght for my moodre, that he hastyd the soner to paye me
the Cli., so that I myght pledge owt Sporle.

     Item, as for other tydynges, the Erle of Oxenforthe is
stille besegyd. Neverthelesse, onys he issued owt, and toke a
jentylman, and hant [draggea] hym within; but now off late
he was besye, and one espyed hym, and shott at hym and
strake in the verry fase with an arowe. I sye thys daye the
same man, and theere I leef hym.

     Iff Arblaster come to yow, ye maye see hys letter sente to
hym by me, wherin I have wretyn that he scholde take yowr
advyce; but I praye you, above all thynges, that me make
hast so that I heer from yow ageyn by thys day vij. nyght.

     At London, the xxv. daye of Novembre.

                                                                        JOHN PASTON, K.

     ¹ [From Paston MSS., B.M.] The year in which this letter was written is clearly
shown, partly by the allusions made in it to several matters mentioned in previous
letters, and more especially by what is said of the Earl of Oxford. That nobleman
was besieged in St. Michael’s Mount, Cornwall, by Sir Henry Bodrugan during
October and November 1473.

1473
NOV. 25

1473
NOV. 25