T Daverse to Sir John Paston
- Medieval Family Life
- Title
- T Daverse to Sir John Paston
- Reference
- Add. 34889, f. 55
- Date
- ?29 January 1467
- Library / Archive
-
- The British Library
- Transcript location(s) in printed volume(s)
- Gairdner, Vol IV, item 660; Fenn, Vol IV, Edward IV item 48
- Transcript from John Fenn, 'Original Letters, written during the reigns of Henry VI., Edward IV., and Richard III…. Volume IV' (1st transcript)
-
LETTER XLVIII.
To my right good Mayter
Sr John Paston Knyght.MY right especiall good Mayster J recomand me to yow.
Thankyng you right hertely of your gentell letter late
send to me. And as to Pynchester mater &c. J wulde I were
youre nyght kynnesman yef hit plesed good and than shuld I know
yef hit shuld greve your herte asmeche as hit dothe other of my
kynne and Frendes to see me thus Cowardly hurte by Pynches-
ter causeles And of myn entente in yt mater Wyll'm Rabbes
shall telle you more all so I beseche yow to recomand me to my
lordes good grace as to hym whom of erthely estates next my
dewte J moste love and drede and that shuld he well knowe and
hit lay in my power. p'ying you hertely to declare his lordship
such mater as Wyll'm Rabbes shall enfourme yow and to send
me my lordes answere. All so in asmoche as I understode by
yow that money shuld cause you Conclusion in your mater this
next terme And ye wull be at london on Monday at Nyght or
Tewsday by none I truste yt J haue studyed such a mene yt
up on Surete as ye may make to gete yow an C li or CC m'rk
to be lante un to yow for an halfe yere wt onte any cheuys-
shaunce or losse of good by yow as Wyll'm Rabbes shall telle
you more &c. And as to ouyde de arte Amandi J shall send hym
you ys next weke for J have hyt not now redy but me thenkeyth
Ouide de remedio were more mete for yow but yesf ye purposid
to falle hastely in my lady Anne P. lappe as white as whales bon
&c. ye be the best cheser of a gentell woman yt I knowe &c.
And I p'y you to recomaunde me to my lord of Oxfor and to
my goods Maysters Nedeh'm Richemond Chyppenh'm Stavely
Bloxh'm Sturad and Jngulton in speicall and all other good
mastrs and Frendes in generall &c. And sr Maystres Gaydade
recomaud me to yow and said bessyng fare for Charite and shesaid me she wuld fayne haue a new felet &c. Wreten at london
ys xxix day in Janyver.Wt hte and srvyse
Your
T. D.
Paper Mark.
A Ring.
Pl. XXII. No 17.It is very difficult to fix any date to this Letter, as not only the writer of it, but the per-
sons mentioned in it, are new to us.The injury sustained by T. Daverse from Pinchester is likewise inexplicable.
Who is Lady Anne P, and how are we to explain the expression " as white as whale's
bone?"The mention of Ovid's works is curious, and the application humorous and witty.
The subscription to this Letter is T. D. which is explained by "T. Daverse," being
written under the direction, I believe, by the hand of the receiver. Autograph. Pl XXV.
No 22.The family of Davers are of considerable standing in the county of Suffolk, and ad-
vanced to the dignity of baronet in 1682. - Transcript from John Fenn, 'Original Letters, written during the reigns of Henry VI., Edward IV., and Richard III…. Volume IV' (2nd transcript)
-
LETTER XLIII.
To my right good Master Sir John Paston, knight.
MY right special good master, I recommend me to you, thank-
ing you right heartily of your gentle letter late sent to
me; and as to Pinchester's matter, &c. I would I were you nigh
kinsman if it pleased God, and then should I know if it should
grieve your heart as much as it doth other of my kin and friends
to see me thus cowardly hurt and maimed by Pinchester, cause-
less; and of mine intent in that matter William Rabbes shall
tell you more; also I beseech you to recommend me to my
Lord's good grace, as to him whom of earthly estates next my
duty I most love and dread, and that should he well know and
it lay in my power, praying you heartily to declare (to) his Lord-
ship such matter as William Rabbes shall inform you, and to
send me my Lord's answer.Also in as much as I understand by you that money should
cause you conclusion in your matter this next term, and ye would
be at London on Monday at night or Tuesday by noon, I trust
that I have studied such a mean, that, upon surety as ye may
make, to get you an hundred pounds or two hundred marks
(133l. 6s. 8d.) to be lent unto you for and half year, without any
chevisance or loss of goods by you, as William Rabbes shall tell
you more, &c.And as to Ovid "De Arte Amandi," I shall send him you the
next week, for I have him not now ready; but me thinketh Ovid
"De Remedio" were more meet for you, but if (unless) ye pur-
posed to fall hastily in my Lady Anne P's lap as white as whale's
bone, &c. ye be the best chooser of a gentlewoman that I know,
&c. and I pray you to recommend me to my Lady of Oxford,
and to my good masters, Needham, Richmond, Chippenham,
Staveley, Bloxham, Stuard, and Ingultonin speical, and all other
good master and friends in general, &c. And, Sir, Mistress
Gaydade recommend me (q ? her) to you and said bussing fare
for chartiy, and she said (to) me she would fain have a new fil-
let, &c.Written at London the 29th day in Jaunary.
With heart and service.
Your.
THOMAS DAVERSE.
London, 29 January,
Between 1463 and 1469.
3 and 9 E. IV.It is very difficult to fix any date to this Letter, as not only the writer of it, but the per-
sons mentioned in it, are new to us.The injury sustained by T. Daverse from Pinchester is likewise inexplicable.
Who is Lady Anne P, and how are we to explain the expression " as white as whale's
bone?"The mention of Ovid's works is curious, and the application humorous and witty.
The subscription to this Letter is T. D. which is explained by "T. Daverse," being
written under the direction, I believe, by the hand of the receiver. Autograph. Pl XXV.
No 22.The family of Davers are of considerable standing in the county of Suffolk, and ad-
vanced to the dignity of baronet in 1682. - Transcript from James Gairdner, 'The Paston Letters, A.D., 1422-1509, New Complete Library Edition, Volume IV'
-
660
T. DAVERSE TO SIR JOHN PASTON1
To my right good mayter, Sir John Paston, Knyght.
MY right especiall good mayster, I recomand me to yow,
thankyng you right hertely of your gentell letter late
send to me. And as to Pynchester mater, &c., I
wulde I were youre nygh kynnesman, yef hit plesed God, and
than shuld I know yef hit shuld greve your herte asmeche as
hit dothe other of my kynne and frendes to see me thus
cowardly hurte and maimed2 by Pynchester, causeles; and of
myn entente in that mater, Wylliam Rabbes shall telle you
more. All so I beseche yow to recomand me to my Lordes
good grace, as to hym whom of erthely estates, next my dewte,
I moste love and drede, and that shuld he well knowe and hit
lay in my power, praying you hertely to declare his Lordship
such mater as Wylliam Rabbes shall enfourme yow, and to
send me my Lordes answere.All so in asmoche as I understode by yow that money
shuld cause you conclusion in your mater this next terme, and
ye wull be at London on Monday at nyght or Tewsday by
none, I truste that I have studyed such a mene that, up on
surete as ye may make, to gete yow an Cli. or CC. mark to
be lante un to yow for an halfe yere, with oute any chevys-
shaunce or losse of good by yow, as Wylliam Rabbes shall telle
you more, &c.And as to Ovyde ‘De Arte Amandi,’ I shall send hym
you this next weke, for I have hyt not now redy; but me
thenkeyth Ovide ‘De Remedio’ were more mete for yow, but
yef [unless] ye purposid to falle hastely in my Lady Anne P.1
lappe, as white as whales bon, &c. Ye be the best cheser of
a gentell woman that I knowe, &c. And I pray you to re-
comaunde me to my Lord of Oxford,2 and to my goods
Maysters Nedeham, Richemond, Chyppenham, Stavely, Blox-
ham, Stuard, and Ingulton in speciall, and all other good
masters and frendes in generall, &c. And, sir, Maystres
Gaydade recomand me [? her] to yow and said bessyng fare
for charite, and she said me she wuld fayne have a new
felet, &c.Wreten at London, this xxix. day in Janyver.
With herte and servyse your,
T. D.3
1 [From Fenn, iv. 172.] The precise date of this letter is by no means certain.
Fenn dates it merely between 1463 and 1469; but if it be ‘my Lady of Oxford,’ and
not ‘my Lord,’ who is spoken of near the end (see page 268, footnote 2), it may be
many years later. The Earl of Oxford was committed to the Tower in the latter
part of the year 1468. In 1470 he took part in the brief restoration of Henry vi.,
and on the return of Edward IV. he was obliged to quit the country. If the Earl,
therefore, is alluded to as living in England, the date cannot well be later than 1468.
Probably it is about the year 1467. In that year the 29th January fell on a Thurs-
day, which would allow a reasonable time for the writer to suggest to Sir John Paston
the expediency of his being in London on Monday or Tuesday following.2 The words ‘and maimed’ are inserted from the right-hand copy in Fenn.
They are not in the left-hand copy, having been overlooked, apparently, by the
transcriber.1 Who my Lady Anne P. was I cannot tell. The expression ‘as white as whale’s
bone’ is rather a strange one.2 The modern version in Fenn reads ‘my Lady of Oxford,’ but ‘my Lord of
Oxford’ is right.3 Fenn says this subscription is explained by ‘T. Daverse’ being written under
the direction, as he believes, in the hand of the receiver.1467(?)
JAN. 291467(?)
JAN. 29