Sir John Paston to John Paston

                                       LETTER XL

                 A Johan Paston Esquier soit donê.

BROTHER I comande me to yow and praye yow to
     loke uppe my ¹ tēple off Glasse and send it me by the
berer herof.

     It’m as for tydyngs I have spoken w^t Mestresse Anne Hault
at a praty leyser and blyssyd be God we be as ffer fforthe
as we weer toffoor and so I hoope we schall contenew and I
promysed hyr that at the next leyser that I kowd ffynde therto
y^t I wolde come ageyn and see hyr whyche wyll take a leyser
as deeme now syn thys observance is over doon. I p’pose
nott to tempte God noo moor soo.

     Yist’day the Kynge the Qween my Lordes of Claraunce
and Glowcest’ wente to Scheen to pardon men sey nott alle in
cheryte what wyll falle men can nott seye.

     The Kynge entretyth my Lorde off Clarance ffor my Lorde

of Glowcest? and as itt is seyde he answerythe that he may
weell have my Ladye hys Sust? in lawe butt they schall parte
no lyvelod as he seythe so what wyll falle can I nott seye.

     Thys daye I p?pose to see my Lady off  ² Norff? ageyn in
goode howr be it.

     Ther is proferyd me Marchānts ffor Sporle woode God sende
me goode Sale whan I be gynne y^t poor woode is soor manashed
and thrett.

     Yitt woote I nott whether I come home beffoor Est?ne or nott.
I schall sende yow worde no moor, &c.

     Wretyn the ffyrst tewesdaye off Lenton.

                                                                  ³ John Paston, K.

11 ½ by 7 ½.

17th of February, 1471,
               11 E. IV.

     We have in this Letter a Clue to conduct us towards a discovery of the reason for the
Duke of Gloucester’s dislike to his Brother the Duke of Clarence, and if this Account
be true, it had a reasonable foundation.

     The Duke of Gloucester was desirous of marrying Anne (now the widow of Prince
Edward, so cruelly murdered at Tewksbury,) Daughter and Coheir of the great Earl of
Warwick, and Sister to Isabel, Duchess of Clarence.

     This Alliance we here find was opposed by the Duke of Clarence; not from any point
of delicacy, respecting the murder of this Lady’s late Husband, (for, according to our

Historians, he was equally concerned in that horrid act with his Brother,) but because
he did not relish the thought of parting with her share of the Possessions now vested in
him, by his wife Isabel, the eldest Daughter and Coheir of Richard Neville, Earl of
Warwick; his apparent design being to deprive the younger Daughter of her Moiety of
her paternal Inheritance, and retain it all himself.

     This was the part not only of a covetous, but of an unjust man, and very probably
produced that spirit of revenge, which afterwards ended in his destruction.

     ¹ A Poem, written either by Stephen Hawes, or John Lydgate, two Poets who flou-
rished in the 15th Century.

     ² Elizabeth, Duchess of Norfolk, was the Daughter of John Talbot, the first Earl of
Shrewshury.

Tuesday,               

      ³ Autograph. Pl. IV. N^o 9.

    LETTER XL

To John Paston, Esquire, be this Letter delivered.

BROTHER, I commend me to you, and pray you to
     look up my ¹ Temple of Glass, and send it me by the
Bearer hereof.

     Item, as for tidings, I have spoken with Mrs. Anne Hault,
at a pretty leisure, and blessed be God, we be as far forth
as we were tofore, and so I hope we shall continue; and I
promised her, that at the next leisure, that I could find thereto,
that I would come again and see her; which will take a leisure
as (1) deem now, since this observance is over done; I purpose
not to tempt God no more so.

     Yesterday the King, the Queen, my Lords of Clarence, and
Gloucester, went to Shene to pardon; men say, not all in
charity; what will fall, men cannot say.

     The King entreateth my Lord of Clarence for my Lord of

Gloucester; and as it is said, he answereth, that he may well
have my Lady his Sister in law, but they shall part no Live-
lihood, as he saith, so what will fall can I not say.

     This day I purpose to see my Lady of ² Norfolk again, in
good hour be it!

     There is proffered me Merchants for Sporle wood, God send
me good Sale, when I begin; that poor Wood is sorely ma-
naged and treated.

     Yet wot I not whether I come home before Easter or not,
I shall send you word; no more, &c.

     Written the first Tuesday of Lent.

                                                    ³ JOHN PASTON, Knight.

11 ½ by 7 ½.

17th of February, 1471,
               11 E. IV.

We have in this Letter a Clue to conduct us towards a discovery of the reason for the
Duke of Gloucester’s dislike to his Brother the Duke of Clarence, and if this Account
be true, it had a reasonable foundation.

     The Duke of Gloucester was desirous of marrying Anne (now the widow of Prince
Edward, so cruelly murdered at Tewksbury,) Daughter and Coheir of the great Earl of
Warwick, and Sister to Isabel, Duchess of Clarence.

     This Alliance we here find was opposed by the Duke of Clarence; not from any point
of delicacy, respecting the murder of this Lady’s late Husband, (for, according to our

Historians, he was equally concerned in that horrid act with his Brother,) but because
he did not relish the thought of parting with her share of the Possessions now vested in
him, by his wife Isabel, the eldest Daughter and Coheir of Richard Neville, Earl of
Warwick; his apparent design being to deprive the younger Daughter of her Moiety of
her paternal Inheritance, and retain it all himself.

     This was the part not only of a covetous, but of an unjust man, and very probably
produced that spirit of revenge, which afterwards ended in his destruction.

     ¹ A Poem, written either by Stephen Hawes, or John Lydgate, two Poets who flou-
rished in the 15th Century.

     ² Elizabeth, Duchess of Norfolk, was the Daughter of John Talbot, the first Earl of
Shrewshury.              

      ³ Autograph. Pl. IV. N^o 9.

798

SIR JOHN PASTON TO JOHN PASTON²

A Johan Paston, Esquier, soit doné.

BROTHER, I comande me to yow, and praye yow to
     loke uppe my Temple of Glasse,³ and send it me by
     the berer herof.

     Item, as for tydyngs, I have spoken with Mestresse Anne
Hault, at a praty leyser, and, blyssyd be God, we be as ffer
fforthe as we weer toffoor, and so I hoope we schall contenew;
and I promysed hyr, that at the next leyser that I kowd ffynde
therto that I wolde come ageyn and see hyr; whyche wyll take
a leyser as [I] deeme now; syn thys observance is over doon,
I purpose nott to tempte God noo moor soo.

     Yisterday the Kynge, the Qween, my Lordes of Claraunce
and Glowcester, wente to Scheen to pardon; men sey, nott
alle in cheryte; what wyll falle, men can nott seye.

     The Kynge entretyth my Lorde off Clarance ffor my
Lorde of Glowcester; and, as itt is seyde, he answerythe,
that he may weell have my Ladye hys suster in lawe, butt
they schall parte no lyvelod, as he seythe; so what wyll falle
can I nott seye.

     Thys daye I purpose to see my Lady off Norffolk ageyn,
in goode howr be it!

     Ther is proferyd me marchaunts ffor Sporle woode. God
sende me goode sale whan I be gynne; that poor woode is
soor manashed and thrett.

     Yitt woote I nott whether I come home beffoor Esterne or
nott, I schall sende yow worde. No moor, &c.

     Wretyn the ffyrst Tewesdaye off Lenton.

                                                                          JOHN PASTON, K.

     ² [From Fenn, ii. 90.] After the death of Prince Edward, the son of Henry VI.,
who is said to have been murdered just after the Battle of Tewkesbury in May 1471,
Richard, Duke of Gloucester, married his widow Anne, who was the daughter of
Warwick the Kingmaker. The reference to the proposed sale of Sporle wood goes
further to fix the date. See Letter 793, and Nos. 819 and 820 following.

     ³ A poem of Lydgate’s.

FEB. 17

1472
FEB. 17