The Abbot of St Benets to John Paston

LETTER LVIII.

        To my ryght well be lovyd
        John Paston esquyer be y^s
        deliv^red.

WURCHEPEFULL S’e and right well be louyd I grete
        yow well desyryng to here of youre well fare Praying
you interlych to bie w^t me at dyner on Seynt benett day the
whiche xall be on Friday next Comyng or ell in brief tyme
Couenable to your ease to thentent yat I may Co’moun wyth
yow of diuers maters the whiche I p’pose to haue a doo jn be
your good advyse and in on especyall as for the chirche of
Stokesby whiche J understand xall moche be reulyd aft^r your
advyse and Content tristyng our Co’municacon had in y^e seyd
xall cause pees and pleaser to all p’ties be leve of our lord the
whiche lord mote p’serue you in all goode Wreten in my moñ
the xvij day of Marche.

                                                         Be your good frend,

                                                                      The Abbot of St. benetts.

         11 ½ by 4.

        St. Benet’s Abby,
              Monday, 17th of March,
              1454-5. 33 H. VI.

  This Abbey was founded by King Canute, between the years 1020 and 1030 in a
low and marshy situation, in the parish of Ludham, in the County of Norfolk, and
was dedicated to St. Benedict.

     The Abbots of this monastery were mitred Abbots and Lords of Parliament, its reve-
nues were large, and its consequence considerable. John Martin was the Lord Abbot
at this time, having been elected in 1439; he died about 1459.

     In the year 1455 St. Benet?s day fell on a Friday (21 March.)?This day I suppose
was their grand foundation festival.

During the life of this Abbot there were several disputes between this Abbey and the
City of Norwich, it was therefore perhaps on some business of this kind that the Abbot
wanted to consult J. Paston.

     In 1455 the presentation to the living of Stokesby lapsed to the Bishop of Norwich.

     I have given this as a private Letter from a Lord Abbot, as having not the haughty
style of an ecclesiastic, but the polite one of a gentleman.

     Autograph. Pl. XIX. N^o 17.

LETTER LVIII.

To my right well beloved John Paston, Esq. be this delivered.

WORSHIPFUL Sir and right well beloved, I greet you
        well, desiring to hear of your welfare, praying you
entirely to be with me at dinner on Saint Benne’t’s day, the
which shall be on Friday next coming, or else in brief time con-
venable to your ease, to the intent that I may commune with
you of divers matters, the which I propose to have a do in by
your good advice, and in one especial. As for the Church of
Stokesby, which I understand shall be much ruled after your ad-
vice and content, trusting our communication had in the said
(same) shall cause peace and pleasure to all parties by leave of our
Lord, the which Lord mote (please to) preserve you in all good.

     Written in my Monastery, the 17th day of March, &c.

                                                                 By your good Friend,

                                                              The ABBOT of St. BENE’T’S.

        11 ? by 4.

        St. Benet’s Abby,
              Monday, 17th of March,
              1454-5. 33 H. VI.

  This Abbey was founded by King Canute, between the years 1020 and 1030 in a
low and marshy situation, in the parish of Ludham, in the County of Norfolk, and
was dedicated to St. Benedict.

     The Abbots of this monastery were mitred Abbots and Lords of Parliament, its reve-
nues were large, and its consequence considerable. John Martin was the Lord Abbot
at this time, having been elected in 1439; he died about 1459.

     In the year 1455 St. Benet?s day fell on a Friday (21 March.)?This day I suppose
was their grand foundation festival.

During the life of this Abbot there were several disputes between this Abbey and the
City of Norwich, it was therefore perhaps on some business of this kind that the Abbot
wanted to consult J. Paston.

     In 1455 the presentation to the living of Stokesby lapsed to the Bishop of Norwich.

     I have given this as a private Letter from a Lord Abbot, as having not the haughty
style of an ecclesiastic, but the polite one of a gentleman.

     Autograph. Pl. XIX. N^o 17.

274

THE ABBOT OF ST. BENET’S TO JOHN PASTON¹

To my ryght well be lovyd John Paston, Esquyer, be this delivered.

   WURCHEPEFULL Sire, and right well be lovyd, I
     grete yow well, desyryng to here of youre well
     fare, praying you interlych to bie with me at dyner
on Seynt Benett day, the whiche xall be on Friday next
comyng, or ell[es] in brief tyme covenable to your ease, to
th’entent that I may commoun wyth yow of divers maters,
the whiche I purpose to have a doo in be your good advyse,
and in on especyall as for the chirche of Stokesby, whiche I
understand xall moche be reulyd after your advyse and con-
tent; tristyng our communicacion had in the seyd [matters]
xall cause pees and pleaser to all parties be leve of our Lord,
the whiche Lord mote preserve you in all goode.

     Wreten in my Monastery the xvij. day of Marche.

Be your good frend,

                                                                              THE ABBOT OF S. BENETTS.

     ¹ [From Fenn, iii. 236.] This letter was written by John Martin, Lord Abbot
of St. Benet?s of Hulme. The heads of this monastery were mitred abbots, and sat
in Parliament. The date may be assigned to the year 1455 for two reasons?first,
that in that year St. Benet?s day (the 21st of March) fell on a Friday; and second,
that in the same year the living of Stokesby lapsed to the Bishop of Norwich.

1455
MARCH 17