Sir John Paston to John Paston

LETTER LXXVIII.

     To myght' well belouyd
     Brother Iohn Paston or to
     John Dawbeney in his absence.

RYGHT worschypful and well beloyd brother J comand
     me to yow letyng yow wete y^t S^r Thom's Howes hadde
a free Chapell in Castr wher of y^e gyfte longyth to me whyche
Chapell as I understande scholde be in the olde tyme er the place
at Cast^r wer bylte wt in the motte wherfor J ame but the bett^r
pleased and soo it is now yt at the speciall request of the qwen
and other especiall good lordes of myn I haue geuyn it to y^e
berer her of Callyd mast^r John Yotton a Chapleyn of y^e qwenys
neurthelle in tyme passyd J p'posyd that J mast^r of the colegg
scholde haue hadd it and so er longe to J hope he schall wher-
for J thynke he most take possession and that is the Cawse of hys
Comyng wherfor I pray yow make hym good Cher he is in-
formyd that it scholde be worthe Cⁱ be yer whyche I belyue not
J thynke it der jnow xl^s by yeer he most haue it as it was hadde
befor. It'm thys daye I understonde that ther be comen lett'is
from my moder and yow and Dawbeney wherin J schall sende
yow answer when J haue seyn them No mor at y^is tyme for wtin
this iij dayes J shall lette yow haue kneleche of other mat'rs
Wretyn the xviij day of Marche. Whether he nedyth indoccion
or institucion or non J wot not if it nede brother ye may seale
any suche thynge as well as J mast^r Steuiyn kan tell all suche
thynges.

                                                                        John Paston, It.

         12 by 7.

     Paper Mark,

          A Ring.

     PI. XXII. No 17.

     At a time when his keeping possession of Caister was doubtful, it was a stroke of policy
in Sir John Paston to gain the good will of the Queen, by presenting her Chaplain to the
free Chapel at Caister, though his intention had been to have united it to the mastership
of his College there, and this he does not now despair of accomplishing, as it was pro-
bable that the Queen's Chaplain, would soon have such preserment as would induce him
to resign this !

     The difference of opinion between the parson who was to receive the money, and him
who was to pay it, is a curious anecdote, and the cautious determination of Sir John
likewise is worthy observation, that this Priest " must have it as it was hadde befor. "

The following Entry is taken from the Institution Books of the Bishop of Norwich.
?Cantaria in Cayster-hall."

     ?Lib. XI. p. 170. 21 Mar. 1468. M^r. Iohes Yetton S. T. P. ad col. Epi p^r laps."

     By which it appears that Sir John Paston's  presentation either was not allowed, or was
not made out in time, and that the Bishop presented by a lapse.

     Autograph. Pl. IV. No 9. Seal, a Fleur de Lys in the centre, surrounded by nine
others. Pl. XIV. No 23.

LETTER LXXVIII.

To my well-beloved Brother, John Paston, or to John Dawbeney,
in his absence.

RIGHT worshipful and well-beloved Brother, I commend
     me to you, letting you weet that Sir Thomas Howes had
a free Chapel in Caister, whereof the gift belongeth to me, which
Chapel as I understand should be in the old time, ere the place
at Caister were built, within the moat, wherefore I am but the
better pleased; and so it is now that at the special request of the
Queen and other especial good Lords of mine, I have given it to
the bearer hereof called Matter John Yotton, a Chaplain of the
Queen?s; nevertheless in time past I purposed that the Matter
of the College should have had it, and so ere long to, I hope he
shall, wherefore I think he must take possession, and that is the
cause of his coming; wherefore I pray you make him good
cheer; he is informed that it should be worth an hundred shil-
lings by year, which I believe not ; I think it dear enough (at)
forty shillings by year; he must have it as it was had before.
            Item, this day I understand that there be come Letters from
my Mother and you, and Dawbeney, wherein I shall send you
answer when I have seen them.

     No more at this time, for within this three days I shall let you
have knowledge of other matters.

     Written the 17th day of March.

     Whither he nfeedeth induction, or institution, or none, I wot
not ; if it need, brother ye may seal any such thing as well as I.
Master Stephen can tell all such things.

                                                                JOHN PASTON, Knight.

     London,

         Friday, 17th of March,

         1468. 9 E. IV.

     At a time when his keeping possession of Caister was doubtful, it was a stroke of policy
in Sir John Paston to gain the good will of the Queen, by presenting her Chaplain to the
free Chapel at Caister, though his intention had been to have united it to the mastership
of his College there, and this he does not now despair of accomplishing, as it was pro-
bable that the Queen's Chaplain, would soon have such preserment as would induce him
to resign this !

     The difference of opinion between the parson who was to receive the money, and him
who was to pay it, is a curious anecdote, and the cautious determination of Sir John
likewise is worthy observation, that this Priest " must have it as it was hadde befor. "

The following Entry is taken from the Institution Books of the Bishop of Norwich.
?Cantaria in Cayster-hall."

     ?Lib. XI. p. 170. 21 Mar. 1468. M^r. Iohes Yetton S. T. P. ad col. Epi p^r laps."

     By which it appears that Sir John Paston's  presentation either was not allowed, or was
not made out in time, and that the Bishop presented by a lapse.

     Autograph. Pl. IV. No 9. Seal, a Fleur de Lys in the centre, surrounded by nine
others. Pl. XIV. No 23.

The following Entry is taken from the Institution Books of the Bishop of Norwich.
?Cantaria in Cayster-hall."

     ?Lib. XI. p. 170. 21 Mar. 1468. M^r. Iohes Yetton S. T. P. ad col. Epi p^r laps."

     By which it appears that Sir John Paston's  presentation either was not allowed, or was
not made out in time, and that the Bishop presented by a lapse.

     Autograph. Pl. IV. No 9. Seal, a Fleur de Lys in the centre, surrounded by nine
others. Pl. XIV. No 23.

703

SIR JOHN PASTON TO JOHN PASTON¹

To myght’ well belovyd brother, John Paston,
or to John Dawbeney, in his absence.

RYGHT worschypful and well belovyd brother, I comand
     me to yow, letyng you wete that Sir Thomas Howes
     hadde a free chapell at Castr, wher of the gyfte longyth
to me, whyche chapell, as I understande, scholde be in the olde
tyme, er the place at Caster wer bylte, with in the motte, wher-
for I ame but the better pleased; and soo it is now that at the
speciall request of the Qwen and other especiall good Lordes
of myn, I have gevyn it to the berer her of, callyd Master
John Yotton, a chapleyn of the Qwenys. Neverthelle[ss] in
tyme passyd I proposyd that the master of the colegg scholde
have hadd it, and so er longe to I hope he schall, wherfor
I thynke he most take possession, and that is the cawse of hys
comyng. Wherfor I pray yow make hym good cher. He is
informyd that it scholde be worthe Cs. be yer, whyche I belyve
not; I thynke it der jnow xls. by yeer. He most have it as
it was hadde befor.

     Item, thys daye I understonde that ther be comen letteris
from my moder and yow, and Dawbeney, wherin I schall sende
yow answer when I have seyn them.

     No mor at this tyme, for within this iij. dayes I shall lette
yow have kneleche of other maters.

     Wretyn the xviij. day of Marche.

     Whether he nedyth indoccion, or institucion, or non, I
wot not; if it nede, brother, ye may seale any suche thynge as
well as I. Master Stevyn kan tell all suche thynges.

                                                                               JOHN PASTON, K.

     ¹ [From Fenn, iv. 308.] Sir Thomas Howes appears to have died in the latter
part of the year 1468. Before the end of that year his living of Pulham was vacant,
and his death is alluded to in a letter of Margaret Paston’s, written on the 30th
September 1469, as having occurred ‘within this twelvemonth.’ It would appear by
the following extract, quoted by Fenn, from the Institution Books of the Bishop of
Norwich, that Sir John’s presentation referred to in this letter was not allowed, or was
not made out in time, and that the Bishop presented by a lapse:—

’Cantaria in Cayster-hall.

     ’Lib. xi. p. 170, 21 March 1468. Mr. Joh’es Yetton, S.T.P. ad col. Ep’i.
per laps’.’

MARCH 17

1469
MARCH 17