Sir John Paston to Margaret Paston

Add. 43491, f. 10

[October] 1469

Gairdner, Vol V, item 736; Fenn, Vol I, Edward IV item 21

LETTER XXI.

To Mestresse Margret Paston be thys delyu’yd.

RYGHT Worchypfull Moodre I comand me to yow and
beseche yow of yowr blyssyng and Gods thanke yow ffor
yowr tendrenesse and helpe bothe to me my brother and servants.

(Then follows an Account of Monies, Debts, &c. a Dispute
with his Uncle William and a desire to defer his Sister Margery’s
Marriage with Richard Calle till Christmas, &c.)

The Kynge is comyn to London, and ther cam’ w^t hym
and roode ageyn him the Duke of ¹ Glowcestr the Duke of
²Suffolke y² Erle of ³Aroundell the Erle of ⁴ Northumbreland the
Erle of ⁵ Essex, the Lordes Harry and John of ⁶ Bokyngh’m the
Lord ⁷ Dakres the Lorde ⁸ Chambreleyn the Lorde ⁹ Montjoye,
and many other knyghtys and Sqwyers, the Meyr of London xxij
Aldremen in skarlett and of the Crafftys men of the town to y^e
nombre of CC all in blewe. The Kynge come thorow Chepe
thowe it wer owt of hys weye be cawse he wold not be seyn, and
he was acompanyed in all peple w^t m¹ horsse som harneysyd and
som nat. My Lorde ¹⁰ Archebysshop com w^t hym ffrom Yorke
and is at y^{e 11} Moor and my Lorde of ¹² Oxenfford roode to
have mett y^e Kyng and he is w^t my Lorde Archebysshop at y^e
moor and com nat to town w^t the kynge som sey y^t they wer
yest’daye iij myle to y^e Kyng wards ffrom the moor and that the
Kyng sent them a massangr that they scholde come when y^t he
sent ffor them. I wot not what to suppose therin, the Kyng
hymselffe hathe good langage of the Lords of ¹³ Clarance of
¹⁴ Warwyk and of my Lords of York of Oxenfford seyng they be
hys best ffrendys, but hys howselde men have other langage
so that what schall hastely ffalle I cannot seye.

My Lorde of ¹⁵ Norff schall be her thys nyght, I schall sende
yow mor when I knowe mor.

Itm iff ¹⁶ Ebysh’m come not home w^t myn oncle W. y^t
than ye sende me y^e ij ffrenshe bookys y^t he scholde have wretyn
y^t he may wryght them her.

John Paston, Kt.

8 ½ by 11 ¾.

             Paper Mark,
        A Bunch of Grapes.
             Pl. x. NO 4.

This Letter, of Sir John Paston, (Pl. IV. N^o 9.) to his mother, appears to have been
written between the years 1466 and 1469, after King Edward’s marriage, and the con-
sequent displeasure of the Earl of Warwick; but as it has no date the precise time cannot
be ascertained, nor have our Histories mentioned any public entry of the King into
London, on his coming from York, about this Period.

Here is no mention of any of the Queen’s Relations as attendant on the King, who
is said to speak of the Duke of Clarence, the Earls of Warwick and Oxford, and the
Archbishop of York as his best Friends, though those of his Household knew he regarded
them in a very different light.

¹ Richard Plantagenet, Duke of Gloucester, afterwards Richard III.

² John de la Pole, Duke of Suffolk, he married Elizabeth, Sister of Edward IV.

³ William Fitzalan, Earl of Arundel, married Joan, Daughter of Richard Neville,
Earl of Salisbury.

⁴ John Neville, Earl of Northumberland, from 1463 to 1469.

⁵ Henry Bourchier, Earl of Essex, he married Cecily, Aunt to Edward IV.

⁶ These two Lords were of the family of Stafford, Duke of Buckingham.

⁷ Richard Fynes, Lord Dacre.

⁸ William, Lord Hastyngs.

⁹ Walter Blount, created Lord Montjoy, in 1465.

¹⁰ George Neville, Archbishop of York.

¹¹ The Moor, a Seat of the Archbishop’s in Hertfordshire.

¹² John de Vere, Earl of Oxford.

¹³ George Plantagenet, Duke of Clarence.

¹⁴ Richard Neville, Earl of Warwick.

The Seal is round, having a Fleur de Lys in the centre,
surrounded by ten small ones each in a circle.

¹⁵ John Mowbray, Duke of Norfolk.

¹⁶ Ebysham was a Transcriber of Books, an Employment much patronised before the
invention of Printing.

LETTER XXI.

To Mistress Margaret Paston, be this delivered.

RIGHT worshipful Mother, I commend me to you, and
beseech you of your blessing and God’s; thank you for
your tenderness and help both to me, my brother, and Servants.
(Then follows an Account of Money, Debts, &c. a Dispute with
his Uncle William, and a desire to defer his Sister Margery’s
marriage with Richard Calle till Christmas, &c.)

The King is come to London, and there came with him, and
rode again (in company with) him, the Duke of ¹ Gloucester, the
Duke of ² Suffolk, the Earl of ³ Arundel, the Earl of ⁴ Nor-
thumberland, the Earl of ⁵ Essex; the Lords Harry and John of
⁶ Buckingham, the Lord ⁷ Dacre, the Lord ⁸ Chamberlain, the
Lord ⁹ Montjoy and many other Knights and Esquires; the
Mayor of London, 22 Aldermen, in scarlet, and of the Crafts-
men of the Town to the number of 200, all in blue.

The King came through Cheap, though it were out of his
way, because (if he had not) he would not be seen; and he was
accompanied in all people with 1000 horse, some harnessed and
some not.

My Lord ¹⁰ Archbishop came with him from York, and is at
the ¹¹ Moor, and my Lord of ¹² Oxford rode to have met the
King, and he is with my Lord Archbishop at the Moor; and
came not to town with the King. Some say, that they were
yesterday three miles to the King wards from the Moor; and
that the King sent them a Messenger, that they should come
when that he sent for them.

I wot (know) not what to suppose therein.

The King himself hath good language of the Lords of ¹³ Cla-
rence, of ¹⁴ Warwick, and of my Lords of York and of Oxford,
saying, they be his best friends; but his household men have
other language, so what shall hastily fall I cannot say. My
Lord of ¹⁵ Norfolk, shall be here this night. I shall send you
more when I know more.

Item, if ¹⁶ Ebysham come not home with my Uncle William,
that then ye send me the two French Books, that he should
have written, that he may write them here.

JOHN PASTON, Knight.

           12 by 10 ?.
             Paper Mark,
            A Demy Bull.
             Pl. X. N^o 5.

This Letter, of Sir John Paston, (Pl. IV. N^o 9.) to his mother, appears to have been
written between the years 1466 and 1469, after King Edward’s marriage, and the con-
sequent displeasure of the Earl of Warwick; but as it has no date the precise time cannot
be ascertained, nor have our Histories mentioned any public entry of the King into
London, on his coming from York, about this Period.

Here is no mention of any of the Queen’s Relations as attendant on the King, who
is said to speak of the Duke of Clarence, the Earls of Warwick and Oxford, and the
Archbishop of York as his best Friends, though those of his Household knew he regarded
them in a very different light.

¹ Richard Plantagenet, Duke of Gloucester, afterwards Richard III.

² John de la Pole, Duke of Suffolk, he married Elizabeth, Sister of Edward IV.

³ William Fitzalan, Earl of Arundel, married Joan, Daughter of Richard Neville,
Earl of Salisbury.

⁴ John Neville, Earl of Northumberland, from 1463 to 1469.

⁵ Henry Bourchier, Earl of Essex, he married Cecily, Aunt to Edward IV.

⁶ These two Lords were of the family of Stafford, Duke of Buckingham.

⁷ Richard Fynes, Lord Dacre.

⁸ William, Lord Hastyngs.

⁹ Walter Blount, created Lord Montjoy, in 1465.

¹⁰ George Neville, Archbishop of York.

¹¹ The Moor, a Seat of the Archbishop’s in Hertfordshire.

¹² John de Vere, Earl of Oxford.

¹³ George Plantagenet, Duke of Clarence.

¹⁴ Richard Neville, Earl of Warwick.

The Seal is round, having a Fleur de Lys in the centre,
surrounded by ten small ones each in a circle.

¹⁵ John Mowbray, Duke of Norfolk.

¹⁶ Ebysham was a Transcriber of Books, an Employment much patronised before the
invention of Printing.

736

SIR JOHN PASTON TO MARGARET PASTON¹

To Mestresse Margret Paston, be thys delyveryd.

RYGHT worchypfull Moodre, I comand me to yow, and
beseche yow of yowr blyssyng and Gods. Thanke
yow for yowr tendrenesse and helpe bothe to me, my
brother, and servants.²

. . . . . . .

The Kynge is comyn to London, and ther came with hym,
and roode ageyn hym, the Duke of Glowcestr, the Duke of
Suffolke, the Erle of Aroundell, the Erle of Northumbreland,
the Erle of Essex, the Lordes Harry and John of Bokyngham,
the Lord Dakres, the Lorde Chambreleyn, the Lorde Montjoye,
and many other Knyghtys and Sqwyers, the Meyr of London,
xxij. Aldremen, in skarlett, and of the Crafftys men of the
town to the nombre of CC., all in blewe. The Kynge come
thorow Chepe, thowe it wer owt of hys weye, be cawse he wold
not be seyn, and he was accompanyed in all peple with m^1.
horsse, som harneysyd and som nat. My Lorde Arche-
bysshop³ com with hym from Yorke, and is at the Moor,⁴
and my Lorde of Oxenfford roode to have mett the
Kyng, and he is with my Lorde Archebysshop at the Moor,
and come nat to town with the Kynge; some sey that they wer
yesterdaye iij. myle to the Kyng wards from the Moor, and
that the Kyng sent them a massangr that they scholde com
when that he sent for them. I wot not what to suppose
therin; the Kyng hymselffe hathe good langage of the Lords
of Clarance, of Warwyk, and of my Lords of York [and] of
Oxenford, seyng they be hys best frendys; but hys howselde
men have other langage, so that what schall hastely falle I
cannot seye.

My Lorde of Norffolke schall be her thys nyght. I schall
sende yow mor when I knowe mor.

Item, iff Ebysham come not home with myn oncle W.,
that than ye sende me the ij. Frenshe bookys that he scholde
have wretyn, that be may wryght them her,

JOHN PASTON, Kt.

¹ [From Fenn, i. 292.] The allusion in an unprinted passage in this letter to the
approaching marriage of Richard Calle with Margery Paston proves it to be of the year
1469. In that year it appears by the dates of the privy seals that Edward IV. remained
during the whole of September in Yorkshire, having been detained by Warwick at
Middleham as a prisoner during the month of August; but he was in London as early
as the 13th October.

² Here, according to Fenn, follow passages touching ‘an account of monies, debts,
&c., a dispute with his uncle William, and a desire to defer his sister Margery’s
marriage with Richard Calle till Christmas.’

³ George Nevill, Archbishop of York.

⁴ See p. 20, Note 3.

1469
[OCT.]