[The Earl of Oxford] to Sir Edmund Bedingfield

LETTER VIII.

WHERE AS J und^rstonde by your late Wrytyng un to me y^t
y^e haue Ryght well endevyr’d you to thexecwsion of the
kyngs Comission and Comawndme’t in preparyng yo^r self w^t
y^e Jentylme˜ And oy^r of the Contre to be redy to do y^e
Ky˜g s^rvyce whyche I haue shewid on to y^e Kyngs hyghnes
So y^t hys grace ys Ryght well co˜tent And ryght thankfully
acceptyth y^e same und^rstondynge ye Ryght good myndys
And dysposyschon of you and off oy^r Ientylmen there to-
wards hys grace how be yt hys hyghnes wull not as zytte
put you to ony fury˜ labur or charge for someche as hys
Rebellys and enemyes be Jn to Jrlande Neu˜y^elesse hys g’ce
wuld y^t the Contre be redy at all tymis to do hys hyghnes
s^ruyce up on resonabull Warnyng for so moche as the
Kyngs grace Jntendythe to make p’uysyon to sende an
armi Jn to Jrlende Jn haaste Nat knowyng as zytte whey^r
y^t y^e and oy^r aboute you shall be desyred to bere ony charge
y’ to or no And where as yt ys mervellyd that y^e had not
the Kyngs Comyssyon Und^r hys gret seall J send y^t to you
w^t thys my wrytyng wyllynge you nat to p’cede fury˜ to eny
execushon therof tyll swyche tyme as y^e haue oy^r wise Jn
comawndme’t Alwey thankyng hertyly the Jentylmen And
all oy^r for y^e good wyllys towards me.

     8½ by 3½.

     The copy of this letter was enclosed in the foregoing from Sir Edmund Be-
dingfeld to J. Paston, and appears to have been written by the Earl of Oxford,
or some other nobleman in the King’s confidence, but being a copy, it has no
name to it.

     It informs us of the orders issued by the king, that an army might be easily
raised on the invasion of the rebels, or sent after them into Ireland, if they
continued there.

     The writer expresses his satisfaction at the conduct and behaviour of the
Norfolk gentry, both towards the King and himself.

LETTER VIII.

The Earl of Oxford to Sir Edmund Bedingfeld.

WHEREAS I understand by your late writing unto me that
ye have right well endeavoured you to the execution of the
King’s commission and commandment, in preparing yourself
with the gentlemen, and other of the country, to be ready
to do the King service, which I have showed unto the King’s
Highness, so that his Grace is right well content, and right
thankfully accepteth the same, understanding the right
good minds and disposition of you, and of other gentlemen
there towards his Grace; howbeit his Highness will not as
yet put you to any further labour or charge for somuch as
his rebels and enemies be into Ireland; nevertheless his
Grace will that the country be ready at all times to do his
Highness service upon reasonable warning, for so much as the
King’s Grace intendeth to make provision to send an army
into Ireland in haste, not knowing as yet whether that ye,
and other about you, shall be desired to bear any charge
thereto or no. And whereas it is marvelled that ye had not
the King’s Commission, under his Great Seal, I send it to
you with this my writing, willing you not to proceed farther
to any execution thereof till such time as ye have otherwise
in commandment, alway thanking heartily the gentlemen,
and all other, for their good wills towards me.

       May, 1487.
        2 H. vii.

    The copy of this letter was enclosed in the foregoing from Sir Edmund Be-
dingfeld to J. Paston, and appears to have been written by the Earl of Oxford,
or some other nobleman in the King’s confidence, but being a copy, it has no
name to it.

     It informs us of the orders issued by the king, that an army might be easily
raised on the invasion of the rebels, or sent after them into Ireland, if they
continued there.

     The writer expresses his satisfaction at the conduct and behaviour of the
Norfolk gentry, both towards the King and himself.

1015

[THE EARL OF OXFORD?] TO SIR EDMUND
BEDINGFIELD²

      WHERE AS I understonde by your late wrytyng un
           to me, that ye have ryght well endevyrd you to
           th’execusion of the Kynges comission and comawnd-
ment, in preparyng your selffe with the jentylmen and other of
the contre, to be redy to do the Kyng servyce, whyche I have
shewid un to the Kynges Hyghnes, so that hys Grace ys ryght
well content and ryght thankfully acceptyth the same, under-
stondynge the ryght good myndys and dysposyschon off you
and off other jentylmen there towardes hys Grace. How be
yt, hys Hyghnes wull not as zytte put you to ony further
labur or charge, for somoche as hys rebellys and enemyes be in
to Irlande; neverthelesse hys Grace wull that the contre be
redy at all tymis to do hys Hyghnes servyce up on resonabull
warnyng; for so moche as the Kynges Grace intendythe to
make provysyon to sende an armi in to Irlonde in haaste, nat
knowyng as zytte whether that ye, and other aboute you shall
be desyird to bere ony charge there to or no. And where as
yt ys mervellyd that ye had not the Kynges comysshon, under
hys gret seall, I send yt to you with thys my wrytyng, wyll-
ynge you nat to procede further to eny execushon theroff tyll
swyche tyme as ye have other wise in comawndment, alwey
thankyng hertyly the jentylmen, and all other for ther good
wyllys towardes me.

     ² [From Paston MSS., B.M.] The MS. from which this letter was printed was
evidently the copy of a letter, which was enclosed in the preceding. Fenn supposes
with great probability that the writer was the Earl of Oxford, but the MS. being only
a copy, there is no signature attached. Commissions of array were issued on the 7th
April 1487 for the counties of Suffolk, Norfolk, and Essex, with special instructions
for repairing and guarding the beacons for fear of an invasion. The Commissioners
for the County of Norfolk were John, Duke of Suffolk, John, Earl of Oxford, John
Radcliff, Lord Fitzwalter, and fifteen others, among whom was John Paston.—See
Patent Roll, 2 Hen. VII., p. 2, m. 6, in dorso.

MAY (?)

1487
MAY (?)