The Earl of Oxford to Sir John Paston

Add. 27446, f. 88

?about October 1491

Gairdner, Vol VI, item 1050; Fenn, Vol V, Henry VII item 28

LETTER XXVIII.

To the right Worshipfull
     and my right intierly welbelouyd
     Councellour S^r John Paston
     Knyght.

RIGHT Worshipfull and right intierly welbeloued Coun-
cello^r I comaund me to you And where as J undirstond by
your writing to me delyuerid by this berar the roborye and
dispoyling of certain Corvers of Holond and Seland done by
the Shipp callyd the Foole wherof Robert Spenser was
maister aswell in Herryng vitayle and takelyng as ye be en-
fo^rmyd by iij personnys of the same Shippe And of thentent
and disposicion of the Master and Feleship of the same
whiche shewe as ye write that Barkeley aswell with that
Shipp as with A prise that he hathe bought late takyn of the
Frenchemen were disposid and determenyd to do myche
harme Wherupon ye haue indevorid to breke the same how
be hit that the seid Barkeley hath be late with me and found
suertie in a C li to answer to all suche demeanyng when he
shall be callyd And therupon I wrote to you to suffer hym
his men and Shippis to departe at libertie yet neuyrtheless
concidering yo^r large Writing I can nat be Content in my
mynde to suche tyme as I may here bothe you and Barkeley
to geder Willing therfor that ye do kepe the Shippys and
goods in suertie and to be with me yo^rselfe . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . well may bringyng with you suche iij per-
sonnys as have . . . . . . . . . . . . . certainte of this mater And
so I haue wretin to Barkeley . . . . . . . . . . . . . to answer to
the same And god kepe you Wretin . . . . . . . . . . . . .
of Octobre Also yf the be eny of the Duchemen . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . any sute for ther gode that ye then cause
one of . . . . . . . . . . . . . to shewe and clayme ther owne.

OXYNFORD.

11½ by 8½.

              Paper Mark,
                 A Ship.
            Pl. xxxiii. No. 6.

This letter is imperfect, from a piece having been torn out of it. The date
is likewise uncertain; so I have placed it in the same year as others from the
Lord Admiral to Sir John Paston, his Vice Admiral.

Who the Berkeley here mentioned was must remain a doubt. There was a
Maurice Berkeley at this time, a brother of the Marquis Berkeley, who died
without issue in 1491, and by whom he was disinherited, for having married a
person of mean blood. It might be him.

As the letter concerned naval affairs, I thought it worth preserving.

Autograph, Pl. iv. No. 5.

LETTER XXVIII.

To the right worshipful and my right entirely well beloved
Counsellor, Sir John Paston, Knight.

RIGHT worshipful and right entirely well-beloved Counsel-
lor, I commend me to you; and whereas I understand, by
your writing to me delivered by this bearer, the robbery and
despoiling of certain Corvers of Holland and Zeland, done
by the ship called the Fool, whereof Robert Spenser was
master, as well in herring, victual, and tackling, as ye be
informed by three persons of the same ship, and of the in-
tent and disposition of the master and fellowship of the same,
which show, as ye write, that Berkeley, as well with that
ship as with a prize that he hath bought, late taken of the
Frenchmen, were disposed and determined to do much harm,
whereupon ye have endeavoured you to break the same;
howbeit that the said Berkeley hath been late with me, and
found surety in a hundred pounds to answer to all such de-
meaning, when he shall be called; and thereupon I wrote
to you to suffer him, his men, and ships, to depart at liberty;
yet nevertheless, considering your large writing, I cannot be
content in my mind till such time as I may hear both you
and Berkeley together; willing therefore that you do keep
the ships and goods in surety, and to be with me yourself
. . . . . . . . . . . . . well may bringing with you such
three persons as have certainty of this matter And so I have
written to Berkeley . . . . . . . . . . . . . wise to answer to the
same; and God keep you. Written this . . . . . . . . . . . . . day of
October. Also if there be any of the Dutchmen . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . any suit for their goods, that ye then cause one of
. . . . . . . . . . . . . to show and claim their own.

OXYNFORD.

October,
1491. 7 H. vii.

This letter is imperfect, from a piece having been torn out of it. The date
is likewise uncertain; so I have placed it in the same year as others from the
Lord Admiral to Sir John Paston, his Vice Admiral.

Who the Berkeley here mentioned was must remain a doubt. There was a
Maurice Berkeley at this time, a brother of the Marquis Berkeley, who died
without issue in 1491, and by whom he was disinherited, for having married a
person of mean blood. It might be him.

As the letter concerned naval affairs, I thought it worth preserving.

Autograph, Pl. iv. No. 5.

1050

THE EARL OF OXFORD TO SIR JOHN PASTON¹

To the right worshipfull and my right intierly welbelovyd
councellour, Sir John Paston, Knyght.

RIGHT worshipfull and right intierly welbeloved coun-
cellour, I comaund me to you. And where as I
undirstond, by your writing to me delyverid by this
berar, the roborye and dispoyling of certayn Corvers of
Holond and Selond, done by the shipp callyd the Foole, wherof
Robert Spenser was maister, aswell in herryng, vitayle, and
takelyng, as ye be enfourmyd by iij. personnys of the same
shippe, and of th’entent and disposicion of the master and
feleshyp of the same, whiche shewe, as ye write, that Barkeley,
aswell with that shipp as with a prise that he hathe bought,
late takyn of the Frenchemen, were disposid and determenyd
to do myche harme, wherupon ye have indevorid you to breke
the same; how be hit that the seid Barkeley hath be late with
me, and found suertie in a Cli. to answer to all suche demean-
yng, when he shall be callyd; and therupon I wrote to you to
suffre hym, his men, and shippis to departe at libertie; yet
nevyrtheless, concidering your large writing, I can nat be
content in my mynde to suche tyme as I may here bothe you
and Barkeley to geder; willing therf [or that ye do] kepe the
shippys and goodes in suertie, and to be with me your selfe
. . . . . . . . . . . well may, bringyng with you suche
iij. personnys as have . . . . . . . . . . . certaynte
of this mater; and so I have wretin to Barkeley . . . . . . . . . . .
se to answer to the same. And God kepe you.

Wretin . . . . . . . . . . . of Octobre.

Also yf the be eny of the Duchemen . . . . . . . . . . .
. . any sute for ther gode, that ye then cause one of . .
. . . . . . . . . . . to shewe and clayme ther owne.

OXYNFORD.

¹ [From Paston MSS., B.M.] See preliminary note to last letter.

About
1491 (?)
OCT.