The Earl of Oxford's Steward to the 'Black Knight'

  • Medieval Family Life
You may need to log in to continue. Access the full document and its details.
Title
The Earl of Oxford's Steward to the 'Black Knight'
Reference
Add. 34889, f. 138
Library / Archive
  • The British Library
Transcript location(s) in printed volume(s)
Gairdner, Vol VI, item 1073; Fenn, Vol IV, Edward IV item 110
Transcript from John Fenn, 'Original Letters, written during the reigns of Henry VI., Edward IV., and Richard III…. Volume IV' (1st transcript)

LETTER CX.

 

Sinescallus Comitis Oxonie nigro militi.

 

       NON decet sinescallo tam magni comitis
           Ut Comes Oxonie verbis in Anglicis
Scrittere epistolas vell suis in nuncijs
Aliquid p'ponere si non in latinis

 

igitr ille pauprculus p'dicti Comitis
Magnus sinescallus magni comtatis
Nuncupatr noff latins in verbis
Apd Knapton in curia in forma Judicis

 

Tibi nigro Militi falt'm et omib'
Notisico quod langdon ille homunculus
Nullam pecuniam lib'are vult gentib'
Quod est Magnu Impedimentu n'tris opib'

 

idcirco tibi mando sub pena Contemptus
quod tu indilate p'prijs Manub'
Scrbos tuas lettras q'ille homunculus
copiam pecunie deliberet gentib'

 

Sin autem p'littras has n'ras patentes
Ego et op'arij q' sunt consencientes
Omes vna voce p'memus suos dentes
Nisi liberet pecunism cu sumus egentes

 

Teste me?po ap Knapton p'dicta
Est et michi testis Maria benedicta
Quod vicesimo die Julij non in derelicta
Erat s?ma solidi res hec non est ficta.

           

          8 ? by 12.

 

    These facetious Verses seem to have been written without any regard to quantity, the
rhiming of the lines in each Stanza appears to be all that was attended to ; they are here
prjoduced only as a specimen of the Latin Poetry of the age, for other merit of any kind
they have none, as they abound in false quantity, false concord, &c. &c. They were
written by the Seneschal of the Earl of Oxford, but to whom, unless by the Black
Knight we may suppose Sir John Paston to be intended, it is not to be discovered.

Transcript from John Fenn, 'Original Letters, written during the reigns of Henry VI., Edward IV., and Richard III…. Volume IV' (2nd transcript)

LETTER CX.

 

Senescallus Comitis Oxni? nigro Militi.

 

      NON decet Senescallo tam magni Comitis
           Ut comes Oxoni? verbis in Anglicis
Scribere epistolas, vel suis in nuncijs
           Aliquid proponere si non in Latinis.

 

Igitur ille pauperculus pr?dicti Comitis
           Magnus Senescallus magni comitatis
Nuncupatur Norff. Latinis in verbis
           Apud Knapton in curia in forma Judicia.

 

Tibi nigro militi salutem, et omnibus
           Notifico, quod Langdon ille homunculus
Nullam pecuniam liberare vult gentibus,
           Quod est magnum impedimentum nostris operibus ;

 

Idcirco tibi mando sub p?n? contempt?s,
           Quod tu indilate pjroprijs manibus
Scribas tuas litteras, quod ille homunculus
           Copiam pecuni? deliberat gentibus :

 

Sin autem per litteras has nostras patentes
           Ego and operarij, qui sunt consentientes
Omnes un? voce pjromemus suos dentes
           Nisi liberet pecuniam, cum simus egentes.

 

Teste meipso apud Knapton predicta,
           Est et mihi testis Maria Benedicta,
Quod vicesimo die Julij non inderelicta
           Erat summe kjlsolidi, res h?c non est ficta.

 

 20th of July.

 

    These facetious Verses seem to have been written without any regard to quantity, the
rhiming of the lines in each Stanza appears to be all that was attended to ; they are here
prjoduced only as a specimen of the Latin Poetry of the age, for other merit of any kind
they have none, as they abound in false quantity, false concord, &c. &c. They were
written by the Seneschal of the Earl of Oxford, but to whom, unless by the Black
Knight we may suppose Sir John Paston to be intended, it is not to be discovered.

Transcript from James Gairdner, 'The Paston Letters, A.D., 1422-1509, New Complete Library Edition, Volume VI'

1073

 

THE EARL OF OXFORD’S STEWARD TO THE
’BLACK KNIGHT’1

 

Sinescallus Comitis Oxoniæ Nigro Militi.

       NON decet Sinescallo tam magni Comitis
                       Ut Comes Oxoniæ verbis in Anglicis
                  Scrittere epistolas, vel suis in nuncijs
                       Aliquid proponere si non in Latinis.

 

         Igitur ille pauperculus prædicti Comitis
              Magnus Sinescallus magni Comitatis
         Nuncupatur Norff. Latinis in verbis
              Apud Knapton in curia in forma Judicis.

 

         Tibi nigro militi salutem, et omnibus
              Notifico, quod Langdon ille homunculus
         Nullam pecuniam liberare vult gentibus,
              Quod est magnum impedimentum nostris operibus.

 

         Idcirco tibi mando sub pœna contemptus,
              Quod tu indilate proprijs manubus
         Scribas tuas lettras, quod ille homunculus
              Copiam pecuniæ deliberet gentibus.

 

         Sin autem per littras has nostras patentes
              Ego et operarij, qui sunt consentientes
         Omnes una voce promemus suos dentes
              Nisi liberet pecuniam, cum simus egentes.

 

         Teste meipso apud Knapton prædicta,
              Est et michi testis Maria Benedicta,
         Quod vicesimo die Julij non inde relicta
              Erat summa solidi, res hæc non est ficta.

     1 [From Fenn, iv. 458.] The ‘Black Knight,’ to whom this facetious doggrel
was addressed, seems to me to have been most probably the later Sir John Paston,
whose services the Earl of Oxford, as the reader is aware, continually made use of.
The manor of Knapton came to John, 12th Earl of Oxford, who died in 1462, by his
marriage with Elizabeth, grand-daughter of Sir John Howard.