Sir John Paston to John Paston

LETTER XXX.

To John Paston Esqēr beyng at Norwyche be thys Lett’ delyu’yd.

I Comande me to yow letyng yow wete, &c. (here follows
     an account of bills and receipts, &c.

     Itm As ffor Mestresse Kateryn Dudle I have many tymes
recomandyd yow to hyr and she is noo thynge displeasyd w^t
itt she rekkythe not howe many Gentylmen love hyr she is ffull
of love, I have betyn the mat’ ffor yow, your onknowleche as
I tolde hyr She answerythe me y^t sche woll noon thys ij yer
and I beleve hyr ffor I thynke sche hathe the lyffe y^t sche can
holde hyr content w^t I trowe she woll be a sore laboryng woman
y^is ij yer ffor made off hyr sowle.

     And Mestresse Gryseacreffe is sur’ to Selenger w^t my Lady of
¹ Exestr’ a ffowle losse.

     Itm I praye yow speke w^{t 2} Harcort off the Abbeye ffor a lytell
Clokke whyche I sent hym by James Gressh’m to amend and y^t
ye woll get it off hym and it be redy and sende it me and asfor
mony ffor hys labor he hathe another cloke off myn’ whyche S^r.
Thom’s Lyndes God have hys sowle gave me he maye kepe
that tyll I paye hym, thys Klok is my Lordys Archebysshopis
but late not hym note off it and y^titt easely caryed hyddr by yowr
advyse. Also as ffor Orenges I schall sende yow a Serteyn by
the next Caryer. And as for tydynge the berer hereoff schall
infforme yow ye most geve credence to hym.

     As for my goode spede I hope well I am offryd yit to have
Mestresse Anne Hault’ and I schall have helpe i nowe as some
seye.

(Here follows an account of some disputes between Sir William
Yelverton and Sir J. Paston, his Uncle William, &c. of no con-
sequence.)

     It’m it is soo y^t I am halffe in p’pose to com hom’ w^t in a
monythe her afftr or abowt med Leñte or beffor Esterne ondyr
yowr coreccon iff so be that ye deme y^t my moodr wolde helpe
me to my Costys x mrk or ther abowt I praye ffecle hyr dyspo-
sicon and sende me worde.

     It’m I cannot telle yow what woll ffalle off the Worlde ffor
the Kyng verrely is dysposyd to goo in to Lyncoln schyr and
men wot not what wyll ffalle ther off ner ther asstr’ they wene
my Lorde off Norffolke brynge x^ml men.

     It’m ther is comen a newe litell Torke whyche is a wele
vysagyd Felawe off the age off xl yer’ and he is lower than
Manuell by an hanffull and lower then my lytell Tom by the
schorderys and mor lytell above hys pappe and he hathe as he
seyde to y^e Kynge hymselffe iij or iiij Sonys chyldr’ iche on’ off
hem as hyghe and asse lykly as the Kynge hymselffe and he is
leggyd ryght i now and it is reportyd that hys pyntell is asse
longe as hys legge.

     It’m I praye yow schewe or rede to my moodre suche thynges
as ye thynke is ffor her to know afftr yowr dysoression and to
late hyr undrestond off the Article off the trete betwen Syr
Wyll’m Yelu’ton and me.

     It’m my Lorde of Warwyk as it is supposyd schall goo w^t
y^e Kynge in to Lyncolne schyre som’ men seye y^t hys goyng
shall doo good and som seye that it dothe harme.

     I praye yow evyr have an eyghe to Cast^r to knowe the
rewle ther and sende me worde and whyther my wyse Lorde
and my Lady be yit as sottyl uppon it as they wer’ and whether
my seyd Lorde resortythe thyddr as offte as he dyd or nott
and off the dysposycōn off the Contre.

                                                                                    J. P. K.

 11 ½ by 17 ½.
            A whole Sheet.

              Paper Mark,
           A Goat’s Head.
              Pl. x. N^o 8.

     ¹ Anne, Daughter of Richard, Duke of York, and Sister of King Edward IV. married
Henry Holland, Duke of Exeter, and in 1462 had possession of his forfeited Estates, and
remained with her brother, Edward IV. She afterwards married Sir Thomas St. Leger,
and died in 1475.

     ² This shews that our curious mechanical Arts were practised in the religious Houses,
and performed there by the Monks, &c. for money.

     This Letter was written in February or March 1469, 1470, or 1471, for in these

years civil dissensions were on foot. The caution, respecting tidings, and the uncertainty
of what may befall, shews that this Letter was written during some convulsion of the State.
Autograph. Pl. IV. N^o 10.

     By the Earl of Warwick’s being supposed to go with the King into Lincolnshire, it
appears as if this Letter was written during the Restoration of Henry VI. and that their
going there was to oppose Edward’s return.

                                              LETTER XXX.

To John Paston, Esquire, being at Norwich, be this Letter delivered.

I Recommend me to you, letting you weet, &c. (Here follows
     an account of bills, and receipts, &c. of no consequence.)

     Item, as for Mistress Katherine Dudley, I have many times
recommended you to her, and she is nothing displeased with it ;
she rekkythe (careth) not how many Gentlemen love her, she
is full of love; I have betyn (enforced) the matter for you, your
unknowledge (without your knowledge) as I told her; she an-
swered me, that the would (have) no one this two years, and I
believe her; for I think, she hath the life that she can hold
her content with, I trow she will be a fore labouring woman
this two years for the meed of her Soul.

     And Mistress Gryseacress is sure to Selenger (St. Leger), with
my Lady of ¹ Exeter, a foul loss.

     Item, I pray you speak with ² Harcourt of the Abbey, for a
little clock, which I sent him by James Gresham to mend, and
that ye would get it of him, and (if) it be ready, and send it me;
and as for money for his labour, he hath another Clock of mine,
which Sir Thomas Lyndes, God have his Soul! gave me; he
may keep that till I pay him; this Clock is my Lord Archbi-
shop’s, but let not him weet of it, and that it (be) easily carried
hither by your advice.

     Also as for Oranges I shall send you a Serteyn by the next
Carrier, and as for Tidings the Bearer hereof shall inform you,
ye must give credence to him.

     As for my good speed, I hope well, I am offered yet to have
Mistress Anne Hault’, and I shall have help enough as some
say.

(Here follows an account of some disputes between Sir William
Yelverton, and Sir John Paston, his Uncle William, &c. of no
consequence.)

     Item, it is so that I am in purpose to come home within a
month hereafter, or about Midlent, or before Easter, under
your correction, if so be, that ye deem that my Mother would
help me to my Costs, 10 marks (6l. 13s. 4d.) or thereabouts,
I pray you feel her disposition and send me word.

     Item, I cannot tell you what will fall of the World, for the
King verily is disposed to go into Lincolnshire, and men wot
not what will fall thereof, nor thereafter, they ween my Lord of
Norfolk shall bring 10,000 men.

     Item, there is come a new little Turk, which is a well visaged
Fellow, of the age of forty years; and he is lower than Manuel
by an handful, and lower than my little Tom by the shoulders,
and more little above his Pap; and he hath, as he said to the
King himself, three or four Children, (Sons,) each one of
them as high and as likely as the King himself; and he is
legged right enough, and it is reported that his Pintel is as long
as his leg.

     Item, I pray you shew, or read to my Mother, such things,
as ye think are for her to know, after your discretion; and
to let her understand of the Article of the treaty between Sir
William Yelverton and me.

     Item, my Lord of Warwick, as it is supposed, shall go with
the King into Lincolnshire, some men say that his going shall
do good, and some say, that it doth harm.

     I pray you ever have an eye to Caister, to know the rule
there, and send me word, and whether my wise Lord and
my Lady be yet as sotted upon it (as fond of it) as they were;
and whether my said Lord resorteth thither as often as he did or
not; and of the disposition of the Country.

                                                            JOHN PASTON, Knight.

 11 ½ by 17 ½.
            A whole Sheet.

              Paper Mark,
           A Goat’s Head.
              Pl. x. N^o 8.

     ¹ Anne, Daughter of Richard, Duke of York, and Sister of King Edward IV. married
Henry Holland, Duke of Exeter, and in 1462 had possession of his forfeited Estates, and
remained with her brother, Edward IV. She afterwards married Sir Thomas St. Leger,
and died in 1475.

     ² This shews that our curious mechanical Arts were practised in the religious Houses,
and performed there by the Monks, &c. for money.

     This Letter was written in February or March 1469, 1470, or 1471, for in these

years civil dissensions were on foot. The caution, respecting tidings, and the uncertainty
of what may befall, shews that this Letter was written during some convulsion of the State.
Autograph. Pl. IV. N^o 10.

     By the Earl of Warwick’s being supposed to go with the King into Lincolnshire, it
appears as if this Letter was written during the Restoration of Henry VI. and that their
going there was to oppose Edward’s return.

742

SIR JOHN PASTON TO JOHN PASTON¹

To John Paston, Esquier, beyng at Norwyche,
be thys letter delyveryd.

I COMANDE me to yow, letyng yow wete, &c.²

. . . . . . .

     Item, as for Mestresse Kateryn Dudle, I have many
tymes recomandyd yow to hyr, and she is noo thynge dis-
 

pleasyd with itt. She rekkythe not howe many gentylmen
love hyr; she is full of love. I have betyn the mater for
yow, your onknowleche, as I told hyr. She answerythe me,
that sche woll noon thys ij. yer, and I beleve hyr; for I thynke
sche hathe the lyffe that sche can holde hyr content with; I
trowe she woll be a sore laboryng woman this ij. yer for mede
of hyr sowle.

     And Mestresse Gryseacresse is sure to Selenger, with my
Lady of Exestre, a fowle losse.

     Item, I praye yow speke with Harcort off the Abbeye, for
a lytell clokke, whyche I sent hym by James Gressham to
amend, and that ye woll get it off hym, and it be redy, and
sende it me; and as for mony for hys labor, he hathe another
cloke off myne, whyche Sir Thomas Lyndes, God have hys
sowle! gave me; he may kepe that tyll I paye hym. Thys
klok is my Lordys Archebysshopis, but late not hym wete off
it, and that itt [be] easely caryed hyddre by yowr advyse.

     Also as for orenges, I schall sende yow a serteyn by the
next caryer. And as for tydynge the berer hereoff schall
infforme yow; ye most geve credence to hym.

     As for my goode spede, I hope well. I am offryd yit to
have Mestresse Anne Haulte, and I schall have help i nowe, as
some say.¹

. . . . . . . .

     Item, it is soo that I am halffe in purpose to com home
with in a monythe her afftr, or abowt Med Lente, or beffor
Esterne, ondyr yowr coreccon, iff so be that ye deme that [my]
modre wolde helpe me to my costys, x. mark or ther abowt;
I praye feele hyr dysposicion and sende me worde.

     Item, I cannot tell yow what woll falle off the worlde, for
the Kyng verrely is dysposyd to goo in to Lyncoln schyr, and
men wot not what wyll falle ther off, ner ther afftre; they wene
my Lorde off Norffolke shall² brynke x.^ml. men.

     Item, ther is comen a newe litell Torke, whyche is a wele
vysagyd felawe, off the age off xl. yere; and he is lower than
Manuell by a hanffull, and lower then my lytell Tom by the
schorderys, and mor lytell above hys pappe; and he hathe, as
he seyde to the Kynge hymselffe, iij. or iiij. sonys, chyldre, iche
one off hem as hyghe and asse lykly as the Kynge hymselffe;
and he is leggyd ryght i now, and it is reportyd that hys pyntell
is as long as hys legge.

     Item, I praye yow schewe, or rede to my moodre suche
thynges as ye thynke is for her to know, afftre yowr dyscres-
sion; and to late hyr undrestond off the article off the trete
between Syr Wylliam Yelverton and me.

     Item, my Lorde of Warwyk, as it is supposyd, schall goo
with the Kynge in to Lyncolne schyre; some men seye that
hys goyng shall doo goode, and som seye that it dothe
harme.

     I praye yow evyr have an eyghe to Caster, to knowe the
rewle ther, and sende me worde, and whyther my wyse Lorde
and my Lady be yit as sottyt [? besotted] uppon it as they were;
and whether my seyd Lorde resortythe thyddre as offte as he
dyd or nott; and off the dysposycion off the Contre.

                                                                                          J. P., K.

     ¹ [From Fenn, ii. 28.] From the reference to the King’s being about to go into
Lincolnshire, and what is said of the Earl of Warwick, it may be clearly inferred that
this letter was written on the outbreak of the insurrection of Sir Robert Welles in the
beginning of March 1470.

     ² Here (according to Fenn) follows an account of bills and receipts, etc.

  ¹ Here (according to Fenn) follows an account of some disputes between Sir
William Yelverton and Sir John Paston, his uncle William, etc., of no consequence.

     ² shall. This word is not in Fenn’s left-hand or literal transcript, but is given as
part of the text in the right-hand copy.

MARCH

1470
MARCH

1470
MARCH