The Earl of Oxford to John Paston

LETTER LXXXIX.

            To our Right trusty and
            intierly welbeloved Iohn
            Paston Esquyer.

RIGHT trusty and Right intierly welbeloued We grete
     you hertly wele And it is so as ye know wele your self
We haf and long tyme haf had the s^ruice of Thomas Denyes by
Contynuance Wherof we wend to haf had his attendaunce at
our lust And neu^rthelesse We haf so strictly examynid his de-
menyng that we fele and pleynly conceyve that the love and
effeccon which he hath to a gentilwoman not ferre from yow
And which ye be p’vy to as we suppose causith hym alwey to
desire toward your Cuntre rath’r than toward suych ocupacon as
is behovefull to us We write therfore to yow prayng yow hertly
as ye love us that it like you to do that labo^r at our instaunce be
suych men as yo^r wisdom Can seme to meve that gentilwoman
in our behalf for the wele of this mater undirtakyng for us that
we wole shew our bounte to thaym bothe if it plese hir that this
mater take effect so that be reason she shall haf cause to take it
in gree. And if the Comyng thider of our p^rsone self shuld be
to plesir of hir we wole not leve our labo^r in that Wherfore we
p’y you that ye wole do yo^r part heryn as ye wole we do for yow
in tyme Comyng And that ye se us in hast The holy trinite
kepe yow Wretyn at Weuenho the xvij day of May.

                                The Erle of Oxenford.

                                                                                    Oxenford.

           11 ½ by 6 ½.

         Wevenhoe, in Essex,
              17th of May,
              before 1460. 38 H. VI.

     We have here the private Letter of a great nobleman, wherein he interests himself in
the welfare and happiness of his domestics in a manner so very pleasing, as to shew the
goodness of his heart, and the kind attention which he paid to those connected with
him.

     John de Vere, Earl of Oxford, an adherent to the House of Lancaster, was taken
and beheaded in 1461, when he was nearly 55 years old. He married Elizabeth, the
daughter and heir of Sir John Howard, by which marriage he became possessor of Estates
in Norfolk. Autograph. Pl. I. N^o 8.

LETTER LXXXIX.

To our right trusty and entirely well-beloved John Paston, Esq.

RIGHT trusty and right entirely well-beloved, we greet
     you heartily well, and it is so as ye know well yourself,
we have, and long time have had the service of Thomas Denyes,
by continuance whereof we wend (thought) to have had his at-
tendance at our lust (pleasure,) and nevertheless we have so straitly
examined his demeaning that we feel and plainly conceive that
the love and affection which he hath to a gentlewoman not far
from you, and which ye be privy to, as we suppose, causeth
him alway to desire towards your country, rather than towards
such occupation as is behoveful to us. We write therefore to you,
praying you heartily as ye love us, that it like you to do that
labour at our instance by such mean, as your wisdom can seem,
to move that gentlewoman in our behalf for the weal of this
matter, undertaking for us, that we will shew our bounty to them
both, if it please her that this matter take effect, so that by rea-
son she shall have cause to take it in gree (to be satisfied;) and if
the coming thither of our person self should be to (the) pleasure
of her, we will not leave our labour in that; wherefore we pray
you that ye will do your part herein, as ye will we do for you
in time coming, and that ye see us in haste. The Holy Trinity
keep you. Written at Wevenhoe, the 17th day of May.

                                                          The Earl of Oxford.

                                                                                             OXENFORD.

          11 ? by 6 ?.

         Wevenhoe, in Essex,
              17th of May,
              before 1460. 38 H. VI.

     We have here the private Letter of a great nobleman, wherein he interests himself in
the welfare and happiness of his domestics in a manner so very pleasing, as to shew the
goodness of his heart, and the kind attention which he paid to those connected with
him.

     John de Vere, Earl of Oxford, an adherent to the House of Lancaster, was taken
and beheaded in 1461, when he was nearly 55 years old. He married Elizabeth, the
daughter and heir of Sir John Howard, by which marriage he became possessor of Estates
in Norfolk. Autograph. Pl. I. N^o 8.

124

THE EARL OF OXFORD TO JOHN PASTON¹

To our right trusty and intierly welbeloved John Paston, Esquyer.

       RIGHT trusty and right intierly welbeloved, we grete you
            hertly wele. And it is so, as ye know wele your self,
            we haf and long tyme haf had the service of Thomas
Denyes, by continuance wherof we wend to haf had his atten-
daunce at our lust; and nevertheless we haf so strictly examynid
his demenyng that we fele and pleynly conceyve that the love
and effeccion which he hath to a gentilwoman not ferre from
yow, and which ye be privy to, as we suppose, causith hym
alwey to desire toward your cuntre, rather than toward suych
ocupacion as is behovefull to us. We write therfore to yow,
prayng yow hertly as ye love us, that it like you to do that
labour at our instaunce be suych men [mean] as your wisdom
can seme, to meve that gentilwoman in our behalf for the wele
of this mater, undirtakyng for us that we wole shew our bounte
to thaym bothe, if it plese hir that this mater take effect, so
that be reason she shall haf cause to take it in gree. And if
the comyng thider of our persone self shuld be to plesir of hir,
we wole not leve our labour in that: wherfore we pray you
that ye wole do your part heryn, as ye wole we do for yow in
tyme comyng, and that ye se us in hast. The Holy Trinite
kepe yow. Wretyn at Wevenho, the xvij. day of May.

                                The Erle of Oxenford.

                                                                                   OXENFORD.

     ¹ [From Fenn, iii. 360.] This letter cannot well be of the same year as the last,
but is probably not many years earlier, and certainly not many years later. The
reasons against its being of the same year are—first, that it seems to be implied in the
letter preceding that the Earl of Oxford was at Winch, near Lynn, in Norfolk, on the
13th May 1450, which makes it improbable that he would be at Wivenhoe in Essex
four days after; and, secondly, that he is not likely to have offered to go into Norfolk
(especially after having just come out of Norfolk) on a matter touching the private
affairs of one of his own adherents, when he declined to go to the Parliament at
Leicester.

Year
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tain

Year
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