Sir John Paston to John Paston

LETTER LII.

A son trescher & bon Ame Freer John de Paston esq’er.

WEELL belovyd Brother, I recomand me to yow letyng
     yow wete y^t at the request off Mestresse Jane Hassett
and yow I have laboryd y^e knyghtys off y^e sheer off Norff’ and
the knyghtys off y^e shyre off Suff’ I understond ther had ben
 

made labor y^t suche a thing shulde have ben as ye wrotte to me
off but now it is saff.

     Raff Blaundrehasset wer a name to styrte an hare I warrant
ther shall come no suche name in owr bokys ner in owr house,
it myght p’ case styrt xx^ti harys at onys, ware that j^{d 1} perse.
I redde ther in the bille off Norff’ off on John Tendall Esq’er.
but I suppose it be not ment by owr Tendall and iff it be he
shall not rest theer iff I maye helpe it.

     As for tydyngs the werst that I herde was that my Moodre
wyll not doo so moche ffor me as she put me in cōffort off.

     Other tydyngs I herd sey ffor serteyn y^t y^e Lady Fitzwat’ is
ded and y^t Mast’ Fytzwat’ shall have CCCC mrke ayer mor’
than he had I am not sory therffor.

     As ffor the worlde I woot nott what it menyth men seye heer
as weell as ² Hogan y^t we shall have adoo in hast I know
no lyklyhod but that suche a Rumor ther is.

     Men sey the Qwyen w^t the Prynce shall come owt off Walys
and kepe thys Esterne w^t the Kyng at Leycetr and som’ seye
nowther off them shall com ther.

     It’m off beyond y^e See it is seyd y^t the Frense Kyngs host
hathe kyllyd the Erle off ³ Armenak and all hys myry mene
som’ seye undre appoyntment and som’ seye they wer besegyd and
gotyn by pleyn assault.

 Ferthermoor men seye that the Frenshe Kynge is w^t hys ost
uppon the wat’ off ⁴ Some a lx myle froo Caleys I leve them
wheer I ffond them.

     I made yowr answer to y^e ffrends off Mestresse Jane Godnoston
accordyng to yowr Instrucions. As for me I am nott serteyn
whether I shall to Caleys to Leysetr or come home into Norff’
but I shall hastely send yow worde, &c.

     Wretyn y^e ij daye of Aprill A^o. E. iiij. xiij’.

10 by 5 ?.

       Part of the Paper Mark
           remaining is the bot-
           tom of the Letter P.
              Pl. XI. N^o 13.

Friday,
                2d of April, 1473,
                13 E. IV.

The business referred to, in the beginning of this Letter, is not mentioned; what is
said of Blenerhasset, seems to be meant as a pun upon the name, as written Blunder
hare set.

 ¹ It seems to mean, Beware of that covetous man; or of that poor man, which I
know not.

     ² Hogan’s Prophecy is mentioned in Letter LVI.

     ³ A Territory on the North-east side of Gaseony, in France.

     ⁴ A River which runs through Picardy, in France.
    Autograph. Pl. IV. N^o 9.

LETTER LII.

To his dear and well beloved Brother John Paston, Esquire.

WELL BELOVED Brother, I recommend me to you,
     letting you weet, that at the request of Mrs. Jane
Hassett and you, I have laboured both the Knights of the
Shire of Norfolk, and the Knights of the Shire of Suffolk; I

understand there had been made labour, that such a thing
should have been as ye wrote to me of, but now it is safe.

     Ralph Blaunderhassett were a name to start an Hare, I
warrant there shall come no such name in our Books, nor
in our house; it might per case start twenty Hares at once.
Beware that 1d. ¹ purse. I read there in the bill of Norfolk,
of one John Tendall, Esquire, but I suppose it be not meant
by our Tendall; and if it be, he shall not rest there, if I may
help it.

     As for tidings, the worst that I heard was, that my Mother
will not do so much for me as she put me in comfort of.

     Other tidings, I heard say for certain, that the Lady Fitz-
walter is dead, and that Master Fitzwalter shall have 400 marks
(266!. 13s. 4d.) a year more than he had: I am not sorry therefore.

     As for the world I wot not what it meaneth, men say here,
as well as ² Hogan, that we shall have ado (a commotion) in
haste; I know no likelihood, but that such a Rumour there is.
Men say, the Queen with the Prince shall come out of Wales,
and keep their Easter with the King at Leicester; and some say,
neither of them shall come there.

     Item, of beyond the Sea, it is said, that the French. King’s
Host hath killed the Earl of ¹ Armagnac and all his merry men;
some say, under appointment, and some say, they were besieg-
ed, and gotten by plain assault.

Farthermore men say, that the French King is with his Host
upon the water of ⁴ Somme a 60 miles from Calais: I leave
them where I found them.

     I made your answer to the friends of Mrs. Jane Godnoston
according to your Instructions; as for me, I am not certain
whether I shall to Calais, to Leicester, or come home into Nor-
folk, but I shall hastily send you word, &c.

     Written the 2d day of April, the 13th of Edward IV.

10 by 5 ?.

       Part of the Paper Mark
           remaining is the bot-
           tom of the Letter P.
              Pl. XI. N^o 13.

Friday,
                2d of April, 1473,
                13 E. IV.

The business referred to, in the beginning of this Letter, is not mentioned; what is
said of Blenerhasset, seems to be meant as a pun upon the name, as written Blunder
hare set.

 ¹ It seems to mean, Beware of that covetous man; or of that poor man, which I
know not.

     ² Hogan’s Prophecy is mentioned in Letter LVI.

     ³ A Territory on the North-east side of Gaseony, in France.

     ⁴ A River which runs through Picardy, in France.
    Autograph. Pl. IV. N^o 9.

830

SIR JOHN PASTON TO JOHN PASTON²

A son trescher & bon ame Freer, John de Paston, Esquier.

WEELL belovyd brother, I recomand me to yow,
     letyng yow wete that at the request of Mestresse
     Jane Hassett and yow, I have laboryd the knyghtys
off the sheer off Norffolk, and the knyghtys off the shyre of
Suffolk. I understond ther had ben made labor that suche a
thing shulde have ben as ye wrotte to me off, but now it is saff.

     Raff Blaundrehasset wer a name to styrte an hare. I
warrant ther shall come no suche name in owr bokys, ner in
owr house; it myght per case styrt xx^ti harys at onys; ware
that jd. perse.³ I redde ther in the bille off Norffolk, off one
John Tendall, Esquier, but I suppose it be not ment by owr
Tendall, and iff it be, he shall not rest theer, iffe I maye
helpe it.

     As for tydyngs, the werst that I herde was that my
moodre wyll not doo so moche ffor me as she put me in
comffort off.

     Other tydyngs, I herd sey ffor serteyn that the Lady Fitz-
water is ded, and that Master Fytzwater shall have CCCC.
mrke a yer more than he had. I am not sory therffor.

     As ffor the worlde I woot nott what it menyth, men seye
heer, as weell as Hogan, that we shall have adoo in hast; I
know no lyklyhod but that suche a rumor ther is.

     Men sey the Qwyen with the Prynce shall come owt off
Walys, and kepe thys Esterne with the Kyng at Leycetr, and
some seye nowther off them shall com ther.

     Item, off beyond the see, it is seyd that the Frense Kyngs
host hathe kyllyd the Erle of Armenak¹ and all hys myry
mene; some seye undre appoyntment, and some seye they
wer besegyd, and gotyn by pleyn assault.

     Ferthermoor men seye that the Frenshe Kynge is with
hys ost uppon the water off Some a lx. myle froo Caleys; I
leve them wheer I ffond them.

     I made yowr answer to the ffrends off Mestresse Jane
Godnoston accordyng to yowr instrucions. As for me, I am
nott serteyn whether I shall to Caleys, to Leysetr, or come
home into Norffolk, but I shall hastely send yow worde, &c.

     Wretyn the ij. daye of Aprill, Anno E. iiij. xiij^o.

                ² [From Fenn, ii. 122.]

                ³ ‘Ware that penny purse’—qu. that penurious fellow?

    ¹ John, Count of Armagnac, assassinated on the 6th March 1473.

APRIL 2

1473
APRIL 2