Sir John Paston to John Paston

LETTER LXIII.

To ye Ryght worshypfull John Paston Esq’er at Norwych, or To
     hys modr Margreet Paston in bys absence in haste.

I Recomande me to yow praying yow hertely y^t I maye have
     weetyng when y^t my Lorde and Lady of Norff shalle be at
London and howgh longe they shall tery theer and in especiall
my Lorde of Norff ffor uppon ther comyng to London wer it
ffor me to be guydyd Neu’thelesse I wolde be soory to come theer
but iff I neds most I thynke it wolde be to yow ouyr erksom a
labor to solycyte the maters atwyen them and me but iff I weer
theer myselffe wherffor iff ye thynke it be convenyent that I
com thyddr I praye yow sende me worde as hastely as ye maye
and by what tyme ye thynke most convenyent y^t I sholde be
theer and off all suche coūfforte as ye ffynde or heer off the
towardnesse theroff. and when also y^t ye shall be theer yowr selffe.
For it is so y^t as to morow I p’pose to ryde in to Flaundrys to
p’veye me off horse and herneys. and p’ case I shall see the
assege at ¹ Nwse er I come ageyn iff I have tyme, wherffor iff I
so doo by lyklyhod it woll be a xiiij dayes er I be heer ageyn
and afftr as I heer ffrom yowe and other ther uppon that at the
next passage and God woll I p’pose to come to London warde
God sende me goode spede, in cheff ffor y^e mat’ above wretyn
and secondly ffor to appoynt w^t the Kyng and my Lorde ffor
suche retynwe as I sholde have now in thees werrys in to
Frawnce wherffor I praye yow in Norff and other places comon
w^t suche as ye thynke lykly ffor yow and me y^t ar dysposyd to
take wags in Gentylmenns howsys and ellys wher so y^t we maye
be the moor redy when y^t nede is neu’thelesse at thys owr I
wolde be gladde to have w^t me deyly iij or iiij mor than I have
suche as weer lykly ffor I lakke off my retynwe y^t I have neer
so many. I praye yow sende me som tydyngs suche as ye heer
and howghe y^t my brother Edmonde dothe.

     For as ffor tydyngs heer ther be but ffewe saffe y^t the assege
lastyth stylle by the Duke off Burgoyn affoor Nuse and the
² Emp’or hathe besegyd also not fferr from these a Castell and an
other town in lyke wyse wher in y^e Dukys men ben. And also
y^e Frenshe Kynge men seye is comyn ryght to the wat’ off
³ Somme w^t iiij^{ml 4} spers and som men trowe y^t he woll at y^e
daye off brekyng off ⁵ trewse or ellys byffoor sette uppon the
Duks Contreys heer. When I heer moor I shall sende yowe
moor tydyngs.

     The Kyngs Inbassators S^r Thomas Mongom’e and y^{e 6} Mast^r
off the Rolls be comyng homwards ffrom ⁷ Nuse and as ffor me
I thynke y^t I sholde be fek but iff I see it.

     Syr John off Parre and Willm Berkeley com thys weye to
Flaundrs ward to by them horse and ⁸ herneys and made S^r J.
Parr goode cheer as I cowde ffor yowr sake and he tolde me
y^t ye made hym haulte cheer &c. at Norwyche. No moor.
Wretyn at Caleys the xvij daye off Janeu’ A^o Edwardi iiij^ti. xiiij^o.

        11 ½ by 8 ½.

  Calais,
               Tuesday, 17th of January,
               1474, 14 E. IV.

     Though this Letter has no signature, yet it is written by Sir John Paston, Knight.
Pl. IV. N^o 9.

     The business mentioned in the first part of this Letter, on which Sir John was so
anxious to attend the Duke and Duchess of Norfolk, was relative to Caister, &c.

     And his journey into Flanders to purchase horse and harness, was in consequence of
the Treaty entered into between Edward and the Duke of Burgundy, which would be
productive of a war with France.

     ¹ Nuys, is a Town in Germany, in the circle of the Lower Rhine, and Electorate of
Cologn, on the West side of the Rhine.

     ² Frederick III. of Austria, Emperor of Germany.

     ³ A River running through Picardy, in France.

     ⁴ Soldiers armed with Spears, &c.

     ⁵ This Truce between Louis XI. King of France, and the Duke of Burgundy, was
to be at an end in the beginning of the summer in 1475.

     ⁶ Dr. John Morton, afterwards Bishop of Ely, Lord Chancellor, Archbishop of Can-
terbury, and Cardinal.

     ⁷ The Duke persisted in this Siege, though the Emperor, with a large force, was in the
neighbourhood, much to his own disadvantage, as it prevented his meeting the King of
England; and at last the Siege was raised on certain conditions.

     ⁸ This term implies a complete suit of armour.

LETTER LXIII.

To the right worshipful John Paston, Esquire, at Norwich, or
To his Mother Margaret Paston, in his absence, in haste.

I Recommend me to you, praying you heartily, that I may
    have weeting (knowledge) when that my Lord and Lady of
Norfolk shall be at London, and how long they shall tarry there,
and in efpecial my Lord of Norfolk; for upon their coming to
London were it for me to be guided; nevertheless I would be
forry to come there but if (unless) I needs must. I think it
would be to you over irksome a labour to solicit the matters
atween them and me, but if (unless) I were there myself;
wherefore, if ye think it be convenient that I come thither, I
pray you send me word as hastily as ye may, and by what time
ye think most convenient, that I should be there; and of all
such comfort as ye find or hear of the towardness thereof, and
when also ye shall be there yourself; for it is so that as to-
morrow I purpose to ride into Flanders to purvey me of Horse
and Harness, and per case (perchance) I shall see the Siege of
¹ Nuys ere I come again, if I have time; wherefore, if I
so do, by likelihood it will be a 14 days ere I be here again;
and after, as I hear from you and others thereupon, that at the
next passage, and God will, I purpose to come to London ward:
God send me good speed; in chief for the matter above written;
and secondly, for to appoint with the King and my Lord, for
such Retinue as I should have now in these wars into France;
wherefore I pray you in Norfolk, and other places, commune
with such as ye think likely for you and me, that are disposed to
take wages in Gentlemen’s Houses and elsewhere, so that we
may be the more ready, when that need is; nevertheless at this
hour, I would be glad to have with me daily three or four more
than I have, such as were likely; for I lack of my Retinue,
that I have here, so many.

     I pray you send me some tidings, such as ye hear, and how
that my brother Edmund doth; for as for tidings here, there be
but few, save that the Siege lasteth still by the Duke of Bur-
gundy afore Nuys, and the ² Emperor hath besieged also, not
far from thence, a Castle, and another Town in like wise,
wherein the Duke’s men be.

     And also, the French King, men say, is coming nigh to the
water of ³ Somme with 4000 ⁴ Spears, and some men trow
(think) that he will, the day of breaking of ⁵ Truce, or else
before, set upon the Duke’s Countries here.

     When I hear more, I shall send you more tidings.

     The King’s Ambassador Sir Thomas Montgomery and the ⁶ Mas-
ter of the Rolls be coming homeward from ⁷ Nuys, and as
for me, I think that I should be sick but if (unless) I see it.

     Sir John of Parre and William Berkeley come this way to
Flanders ward to buy them Horse and ³ Harness, and (1) made
Sir J. Parr (as) good cheer as I could for your sake; and he told
me, that ye made him haulte (hearty) cheer, &c. at Norwich;
no more. Written at Calais, the 17th day of January, in the
14th year of Edward IV.

11 ½ by 8 ½.

  Calais,
               Tuesday, 17th of January,
               1474, 14 E. IV.

     Though this Letter has no signature, yet it is written by Sir John Paston, Knight.
Pl. IV. N^o 9.

     The business mentioned in the first part of this Letter, on which Sir John was so
anxious to attend the Duke and Duchess of Norfolk, was relative to Caister, &c.

     And his journey into Flanders to purchase horse and harness, was in consequence of
the Treaty entered into between Edward and the Duke of Burgundy, which would be
productive of a war with France.

     ¹ Nuys, is a Town in Germany, in the circle of the Lower Rhine, and Electorate of
Cologn, on the West side of the Rhine.

     ² Frederick III. of Austria, Emperor of Germany.

     ³ A River running through Picardy, in France.

     ⁴ Soldiers armed with Spears, &c.

     ⁵ This Truce between Louis XI. King of France, and the Duke of Burgundy, was
to be at an end in the beginning of the summer in 1475.

     ⁶ Dr. John Morton, afterwards Bishop of Ely, Lord Chancellor, Archbishop of Can-
terbury, and Cardinal.

     ⁷ The Duke persisted in this Siege, though the Emperor, with a large force, was in the
neighbourhood, much to his own disadvantage, as it prevented his meeting the King of
England; and at last the Siege was raised on certain conditions.

     ⁸ This term implies a complete suit of armour.

861

SIR JOHN PASTON TO JOHN PASTON²

To the ryght worshypfull John Paston, Esquier, at Norwych, or
to hys modr, Margreet Paston, in hys absence, in haste.

I RECOMANDE me to yow, praying yow hertely, that I
            maye have weetyng when that my Lorde and Lady of
            Norffolk shalle be at London, and howgh longe they
shall tery theer, and in especiall my Lorde of Norffolk; ffor
uppon ther comyng to London wer it ffor me to be guydyd.
Neverthelesse I wolde be soory to come theer but iff I neds
most. I thynke it wolde be to yow ovyr erksom a labor to
solycyte the maters atwyen them and me, but iff I weer theer
myselffe; wherffor, iff ye thynke it be convenyent that I com
thyddr, I praye yow sende me worde as hastely as ye maye,
and by what tyme ye thynke most convenyent, that I sholde
be theer; and off all suche coumfforte as ye ffynde or heer off
the towardnesse theroff, and when also that ye shall be theer
yowr selffe. For it is so that as to morow I purpose to ryde
in to Flaundrys to purveye me off horse and herneys, and
percase I shall see the assege at Nwse³ er I come ageyn, iff I
have tyme; wherffor, iff I so doo, by lyklyhod it woll be a
xiiij. dayes er I be heer ageyn; and afftr, as I heer ffrom yowe
and other ther uppon, that at the next passage, and God woll,
I purpose to come to London warde: God sende me goode
spede; in cheff ffor the mater above wretyn; and secondly,
ffor to appoynt with the Kyng and my Lorde, ffor suche
retynwe as I sholde have now in thees werrys in to Frawnce;
wherffor I praye yow, in Norffolk and other places, comon
with suche as ye thynke lykly ffor yow and me, that ar
dysposyd to take wages in gentylmenns howsys and ellys
wher, so that we maye be the moor redy, when that nede is;
neverthelesse at thys owr, I wolde be gladde to have with me
deyly iij. or iiij. mor than I have, suche as weer lykly; ffor I
lakke off my retynwe, that I have neer so many. I praye yow
sende me som tydyngs, suche as ye heer, and howghe that my
brother Edmonde dothe.

     For as ffor tydyngs heer, ther be but ffewe, saffe that the
assege lastyth stylle by the Duke off Burgoyn affoor Nuse,
and the Emperor¹ hathe besegyd also, not fferr from these, a
castell, and an other town in lyke wyse, wher in the Dukys
men ben. And also, the Frenshe Kynge, men seye, is comyn
ryght to the water off Somme with iiij^ml. [4000] spers; and
som men trowe that he woll, at the daye off brekyng off trewse,
or ellys byffoor, sette uppon the Duks contreys heer. When
I heer moor, I shall sende yowe moor tydyngs.

     The Kyngs inbassators, Sir Thomas Mongomere and the
Master off the Rolls² be comyng homwards ffrom Nuse; and
as ffor me, I thynke that I sholde be sek but iff I see it.

     Syr John off Parre and William Berkeley com thys weye
to Flaundrs ward to by them horse and herneys, and [I] made
Sir J. Parr goode cheer as I cowde ffor yowr sake; and he
tolde me, that ye made hym haulte cheer, &c. at Norwyche.
No moor.

     Wretyn at Caleys, the xvij. daye off Janever, anno Edwardi
iiij^ti xiiij^o.

     ² [From Fenn, ii. 174.] ‘Though this letter,’ says Fenn, ‘has no signature, yet
it is written by Sir John Paston, Knight.’

     ³ Neuss, not far from Diisseldorf, in the territory of Cologne, at this time besieged
by Charles the Bold, Duke of Burgundy.

    ¹ Frederick III. of Austria, Emperor of Germany.

     ² Dr. John Morton, afterwards Bishop of Ely, Lord Chancellor, Archbishop of
Canterbury, and Cardinal.

1475
JAN. 17

1475
JAN. 17