Sir John Paston to John Paston

LETTER XIX.

To hys brother John Paston
     or to hys oncle W’ll’m Paston
     in Werwyk Lane or to Edmond
     Paston at y^e George at Powlys
     Wharfe to delyu^r any of them

RYGHT worshypfull I recomaunde me on to yow letyng
yow weete y^t J thynke longe y^t J heer natt from yow syns
Crystmesse nor have no serteyn knowleche whether y^t
Towneshend hathe p^rformyd hys promysse or nott ner of
my brother Johnys beyng at london ner of my lord or lady
of Norfolks comyng to london at whoys comyng sholde be
y^e cheffe labor and sewte y^t I or or any for me sholde labor
it was soo god thanke you bothe y^t iche of yow at my last
beyng w^t yow grauntyd me to take labor uppon yow and
iche of yow for the hauyng ageyn of my place in Castr Now
it is soo y^t wher my verry p’pose was to have Comyn to
london now w^t the Mast^r of the rollys and S^r Thom’s
Mengom’e demyng to fynde the kyng at the p^rlement and
also y^t my lord and lady of Norff. sholde nott by lyklyhod
fayle to be there also Wherfor me thoght the tyme was
Convenyent but it happyd so y^t suche tydyngs Come hyddr
of the Frenshe Kyngs hasty Comyng in to thees Marchys of
Pykardye whyche cawsyd my lords depute and Cownsell
here to desyr and charge me soo streyghtly y^t in noo wyse
I maye tyll I heer other tydyngs dep^rte from hense. Not-
w^tstaneyng the Marchall and Consell heer have wretyne to
my lorde lywe tenant for me and moor ou^r desyryd bothe
Mast^r of y^e rollys and S^r T. Mongom’e to remembr my
maters bothe to y^e Kynge and to my lorde in so meche y^t if
the season be convenyent both y^e seyd Mast^r and S^r T
Mongom’e wille labor bothe the Kynge and my lorde to
entrete my lorde of Norff. my lady hys wyff and ther Con-
sell to do for me all that reason wyll of whoys good wills
and labor her in J ame bett^r ensuryd of than I kan for lakke
of leyser at thys tyme wryght yowe wetyng of Wherfor I
praye yow and iche of yow if the season be Convenyent to
take the labor that theese Jentylmen maye do for me and to
my profyght like as I feelle them dysposyd to doo and
mooreov^r I have somwhatt informyd them both therin and
also y^t I maye hastyly heer from yow and jff it Come to
y^t any mony most be geuyn to my lorde or lady of Norff.
For a plesyr herfor I woll uppon as J heer from yow
Come to yow in alle hast possible all thyngs leyde a parte
It’m if any lett^r be req^esyth to be hadde Jn lyke forme as
onys ther was from the Kyng to my lorde of Norff. S^r T
Mon’gom’e will by your advics opteyne yow suche on of
yowr entents to my p’fyghte in the p’myssys and by thys
my wryghtyng I bynde me to repaye yowe if any suche
lett^r or wryghtyng be opteyned what so eu^r it coste No
mor for lakke of leysor Wretyn at Caleys the v day of
Fev’er A^o Eiiij xiiij^o as for tydyngs heer my Mast’is them-
bassators S^r T Mongom’e and the Mast^r of the Rollys kom
streyght from the Duke at hys assege at Nywysse whyche
wyll nott yitt be wone

                                                             Your JOHN PASTON, Kt.

    11¾ by 8½.

               Paper Mark,
          A Katharine Wheel.
            Pl. xxxii. No. 7.

   The contents of this Letter are not very interesting; but as they related to
the means and the persons Sir John Paston had employed to endeavour to
have Caister restored, I thought it should be inserted.

    The tidings from abroad are likewise confirmed by other letters.

 Autograph, Pl. iv. No. 9.

LETTER XIX.

To his Brother John Paston, or to his Uncle William Paston,
     in Warwick Lane, or to Edmund Paston, at the George, at
     Paul’s Wharf, to deliver (to) any of them.

RIGHT worshipful, I recommend me unto you, letting you
weet that I think long that I hear not from you since Christ-
mas, nor have no certain knowledge whether that Towns-
hend hath performed his promise or not, nor of my brother
John’s being at London, nor of my Lord or Lady of
Norfolk coming to London, at whose coming should be the
chief labour and suit that I or any for me should labour.

     It was so, God thank you both, that each of you, at my
last being with you, granted me to take labour upon you;
and each of you, for the having again of my place in Caister.
Now it is so, that where [as] my very purpose was to have
come to London now with the Master of the Rolls and Sir
Thomas Montgomery, deeming to find the King at the Par-
liament; and also that my Lord and my Lady of Norfolk
should not by likelihood fail to be there also: wherefore
me thought the time was convenient; but it happened so
that such tidings come hither of the French king’s hasty
coming into these parts of Picardy, which caused my Lord
Deputy and Council here to desire and charge me so
straitly, that in no wise I may, till I hear other tidings,
depart from hence. Notwithstanding the Marshal and
Council here have written to my Lord Lieutenant for me,
and moreover desired both the Master of the Rolls and Sir
Thomas Montgomery to remember my matters both to the
King and my Lord, insomuch that, if the season be conve-
nient, both the said Master and Sir Thomas Montgomery
will labour both the King and my Lord to entreat my Lord
of Norfolk, my Lady his wife, and the counsel, to do for me
all that reason will; of whose good wills and labour herein
I am better insured of, than I can for lack of leisure at this
time write you weeting [an account] of; wherefore I pray
you and each of you, if the season be convenient, to take
the labour, that these gentlemen may do for me, and to my
profit, like as I feel them disposed to do; and moreover I
have somewhat informed them both therein: and also that
I may hastily hear from you, and if it come to that any
money must be given to my Lord or Lady of Norfolk for a
pleasure herefore, [as a gratuity on this account,] I will,
upon [according] as I hear from you, come to you in all
haste possible, all things laid apart.

     Item, if any letter be requisite to be had, in like form as
once there was from the King to the Lord of Norfolk, Sir
Thomas Montgomery will by your advice obtain you such
one of your intents to my profit in the premises, and by
this my writing I bind me to repay you, if any such letter
or writing be obtained, whatever it cost.

  No more for lack of leisure. Written at Calais the 5th
day of February, in the 14th year of Edward IV.

     For tidings here, my masters the Ambassadors, Sir Tho-
mas Montgomery, and the Master of the Rolls, come strait
from the Duke at his siege of Nuys, which will not yet
be won.

                                                 Your JOHN PASTON, Kt.

                Calais.
         Sunday, 5th Feb.
          1474-5. 14 E. iv.

    The contents of this Letter are not very interesting; but as they related to
the means and the persons Sir John Paston had employed to endeavour to
have Caister restored, I thought it should be inserted.

    The tidings from abroad are likewise confirmed by other letters.

 Autograph, Pl. iv. No. 9.

864

SIR JOHN PASTON TO JOHN PASTON³

To hys brother John Paston, or to hy[s] oncle William Paston, in
     Werwyk Lane, or to Edmond Paston, at the George, at
     Powlys Wharfe, to deliver any of them.

RYGHT worshypffull, I recomaunde me on to yow, let-
         yng yow weete that I thynke longe that I heer nott
         from yow syns Crystmesse, ner have no serteyn know-
leche whether that Towneshend hathe performyd hys promysse
or nott, ner off my brother Johnys beyng at London, ner off
my Lord or Lady off Norfolkes comyng to London, at whoys
comyng sholde be the cheffe labor and sewte that I or or any
for me sholde labor. It was soo, God thanke you bothe, that
iche off yow, at my last beyng with yow, grauntyd me to take
labor uppon yow; and iche off yow, for the havyng ageyn off
my place in Castre. Now is it soo, that wher my verry pur-
pose was to have comyn to London now with the Master of
the Rollys¹ and Sir Thomas Mongomere, demyng to fynde
the Kyng at the Parlement; and also that my Lorde and Lady
off Norffolk sholde nott by lyklyhod fayle to be theer also:
wherffor me thoght the tyme was convenyent; but it happyd
so that suche tydynges come hyddre off the Frenshe Kynges
hasty comyng in to thees marchys of Pykardye, whyche cawsyd
my Lordes Depute and Cownsell heer to desyr and charge me
soo streyghtly, that in noo wyse I maye, tyll I heer other
tydynges, departe from hense. Notwithstondyng the Mar-
chall and Counsell heer have wretyne to my Lorde Lywe
tenant for me, and moor over desyryd bothe the Master of
the Rollys and Sir T. Mongomere to remembre my materes
bothe to the Kynge and to my lorde, in so moche that, iff the
season be convenyent, both the seyd Master and Syr T. Mon-
gomere wille labore bothe the Kynge and my lorde to entrete
my Lorde off Norffolk, my lady hys wyff, and ther consell, to
do for me all that reason wyll; of whoys good willes and
labor her in I ame better ensuryd off, than I kan for lakke
of leyser at thys tyme wryght yowe wetyng off; wherffor I
praye yow and iche of yow, iff the season be convenyent, to
take the labor, that theese jentyllmen maye do for me, and to
my proffyght, like as I feelle them dysposyd to doo; and
moore over I have somwhatt informyd them bothe ther in;
and also that I maye hastyly heer from yow, and iff it come
to that any mony most be gevyn to my Lorde or Lady off
Norffolk ffor a plesyr herffor, I woll, uppon as I heer from
yow, come to yow in alle hast possible, all thynges leyde a
parte.

     Item, iff any letter be requesyth to be hadde, in lyke
forme as oonys ther was from the Kyng to my Lorde off
Norffolk, Sir T. Montgomere will by your advyces opteyne
yow suche one off yowr entents to my proffyghte in the prem-
yssys, and by thys my wryghtyng I bynde me to repaye yowe,
iff any suche letter or wryghtyng be opteynyd, what so ever it
coste. No more for lakke off leysor.

     Wretyn at Caleys, the v. day of Feverer, Anno E. iiij.
xiiij^o.

     As for tydynges heer, my masteris th’embassatores, Sir T.
Mongomere, and the Master of the Rollys, kom streyght from
the Duke at hys assege at Nywysse, whyche wyll nott yitt be
wone.

                                                                      Yowr JOHN PASTON, K.

    ³ [From Paston MSS., B.M.]

    ¹ John Morton, afterwards Bishop of Ely.

FEB. 5

1475
FEB. 5

1475
FEB. 5