Sir John Paston to John Paston

LETTER XXXV.

. . . . . . . . . . . Paston, &c.

BROTHER I comand me to yow, &c. (here follows an
     order about searching for some Writings, &c.) Also telle
John Pampyng that the mayde at y^e Bulle at Cludeys at Westm’
sent me on a tyme by hym to the moor a rynge of goolde to
a tookne whyche I hadde not off hym wherffor I wolle he
scholde sende it hyedre ffor sche most have itt ageyn or ellys v^e.
ffor it was not hyrrys. Itm I praye yow be redye the mater
qwykennythe bothe ffor yowe and yowres as well as ffor us and
howrys.

     As ffor tydynges my Lorde ¹ Erchebysshop is at the Moor but
ther is beleffte w^t hym dyverse off the Kynges s’vantes and as
I understond he hathe lysence to tarry ther tyll he be sente ffor.
Ther be many ffolkes uppe in the northe soo y^{t 2} Percy is not
able to recyst them and soo the Kynge hathe sente ffor hys
ffeeodmen to koom to hym for he woll goo to putt them downe
and soom seye y^t the Kynge sholde come ageyn to London
and that in haste and as it is sayde ³ Cortenayes be londyd in
Devenschyr and ther rewle. It’m that y^e Lordes ⁴ Clarance and
Warwyk woll assaye to londe in Inglonde evyrye daye as ffolkes
ffeer.

     I praye yow late not John Mylsent be longe ffrom me w^t
as moche as can be gaderyd and also that ye wryght to me off
all thynges that I have wretyn to yow ffor so that I may have
answer off ev[SYM] thynge.

     Other thynges Bacheler Walter berer heroff schall informe yow.

     Wretyn at London the Sondaye nexte beffor Seynt ⁵ Law-
rence daye.

     Also my brother Edmonde is not yet remembryd he hathe not
to lyff w^t thynk on hym, &c.

                                                                          John Paston, Kt.

          12 by 10.
        Paper Mark,
        The Letter R.
         Pl. IX. N^o 16.

             London,
                 Sunday, 5th of August,
                 1470, 10 E. IV.

     This Letter was written at a time when the nation was in a most unsettled state, the
late King’s Adherents every day expecting the arrival of the Duke of Clarence and the
Earl of Warwick, their new Friends. Some expressions in this Letter seem to insinuate
that Sir John Paston (Pl. IV. N^o 9.) wished well to their cause; and by his putting
himself, as soon as the Revolution in the Government happened, under the Protection of
the Earl of Oxford, shows he did so.           

     ¹ This must mean George Neville, Archbishop of York, and Brother to the Earl of
Warwick, who seems to have been suspected by the King, and left at the Moor as a
kind of State Prisoner.

     ² Henry Percy, the lately created Earl of Northumberland.
     ³ The Courtneys were late Earls of Devonshire.

     ⁴ These Noblemen landed about the beginning of the month following.

     ⁵ St. Laurence’s day is the 10th of August.

                                                LETTER XXXV.

                                           To J. Paston, &c.

BROTHER, I commend me to you, &c. (Here follows an
     order about searching for some Writings, &c.) Also tell
John Pampyng that the Maid at the Bull at Cludeys at West-
minster, sent me, on a time by him, to the Moor, a Ring of
Gold to a token, which I had not of him; wherefore I would
that he should send it hither, for she must have it again, or
else 5^s. for it was not hers. I pray you be ready, the matter
quickeneth both for you and yours, as well as for us and
ours.

     As for tidings, my Lord ¹ Archbishop is at the Moor, but
there is beleft with him diverse of the King’s servants; and,
as I understand, he hath licence to tarry there till he be sent for.
There be many Folks up in the North, so that ² Percy is not
able to resist them; and so the King hath sent for his Feodmen
to come to him, for he will go to put them down; and some
say, that the King should come again to London, and that in
haste; and as it is said, ³ Courtneys be landed in Devonshire,
and there rule.

     Item, that the Lords ⁴ Clarence and Warwick will assay to
land in England every day, as Folks fear.

     I pray you let not John Mylsent be long from me, with as
much as can be gathered; and also that ye write to me of all
things that I have written to you for, so that I may have answer
of every thing.

     Other things Batchelor Walter, bearer hereof shall inform
you. Written at London, the Sunday next before Saint ⁵ Law-
rence’s day.

     Also my Brother Edmund is not yet remembered; he hath
not to live with, think on him, &c.

                                                    JOHN PASTON, Knight.

12 by 10.
        Paper Mark,
        The Letter R.
         Pl. IX. N^o 16.

             London,
                 Sunday, 5th of August,
                 1470, 10 E. IV.

     This Letter was written at a time when the nation was in a most unsettled state, the
late King’s Adherents every day expecting the arrival of the Duke of Clarence and the
Earl of Warwick, their new Friends. Some expressions in this Letter seem to insinuate
that Sir John Paston (Pl. IV. N^o 9.) wished well to their cause; and by his putting
himself, as soon as the Revolution in the Government happened, under the Protection of
the Earl of Oxford, shows he did so.           

     ¹ This must mean George Neville, Archbishop of York, and Brother to the Earl of
Warwick, who seems to have been suspected by the King, and left at the Moor as a
kind of State Prisoner.

     ² Henry Percy, the lately created Earl of Northumberland.
     ³ The Courtneys were late Earls of Devonshire.

     ⁴ These Noblemen landed about the beginning of the month following.

     ⁵ St. Laurence’s day is the 10th of August.

753

SIR JOHN PASTON TO JOHN PASTON¹

. . . . . Paston, &c.

BROTHER, I comand me to yow, &c. . . .² Also
     telle John Pampyng that the mayde at the Bulle at
     Cludeys at Westminster sent me on a tyme by hym to
the Moor a rynge of goolde to a tookne, whyche I hadde not
off hym. Wherffor I wolle he scholde sende it hyedre, ffor
sche most have itt ageyn, or ellys vs., ffor it was not hyrrys.
Item, I praye yow be redye; the mater qwykennythe bothe
ffor yowe and yowres as well as ffor us and howrys.

     As ffor tydynges, my Lorde Erchebysshop³ is at the Moor,
but ther is beleffte with hym dyverse off the Kynges servantes,
and as I understond he hathe lysence to tarry ther tyll he be
sente ffor. Ther be many ffolkes uppe in the northe, soo that
Percy⁴ is not able to recyst them; and soo the Kynge hathe
sente ffor hys ffeeodmen to koom to hym, for he woll goo to
putt them downe. And soom seye that the Kynge sholde
come ageyn to London, and that in haste, and as it is sayde
Cortenayes be londyd in Devenschyr, and ther rewle.

     Item, that the Lordes Clarance and Warwyk woll assaye
to londe in Inglonde evyrye daye, as ffolkes ffeer.

     I praye yow late not John Mylsent be longe from me, with
as moche as can be gaderyd: and also that ye wryght to me
off all thynges that I have wretyn to yow ffor, so that I may
have answer off every thynge. Other thynges Bacheler Walter,
berer heroff, schall informe yow

     Wretyn at London, the Sondaye nexte beffor Seynt
Lawrence Daye.¹

     Also my brother Edmonde is not yet remembryd. He
hathe not to lyff with, thynk on hym, &c.

                                                                            JOHN PASTON, KT.

     ¹ [From Fenn, ii. 46.] This letter, as it will be seen from the contents, was
written at the period just before the restoration of Henry VI.

     ² Here follows an order about searching for some writings, etc.—F.

     ³ This must mean George Neville, Archbishop of York, and brother to the Earl
of Warwick, who seems to have been suspected by the King, and left at the Moor as
a kind of state prisoner.—F.

     ⁴ Henry Percy, who was restored to the Earldom of Northumberland this year on
its surrender by John Nevill, Lord Montague. See No. 743.

    ¹ St. Laurence’s day is the 10th of August.

AUG. 5

1470
AUG. 5