The Old and New Bailiffs of Yarmouth to Sir John Paston

LETTER XXVII.

To oure right
      reu˜ent and w˜shipfull
      and special good Maist^r
      Maist^r Paston

RIGHT reu^rent and w^rshipfull S^r and oure veray lovyng and
curteys good Mayst^r We recomaund us on to you in as
feythefull wyse as on oure part ap^rteynith and hertely we
thanke you for your labour and letter whiche ye sent to vs
be your s˜uaunt be the whiche we wer ass^rteynid of the
kyngs pleasur and to aco˜plyshe the same we w^t the Assis-
tens of youre Maistirship wyll put us Jn oure devoir We
wer at your Manoir of Castir to haue sen yo^r Maistirshyp
but ye wer departyd as well from Yermouth yistirday as thus
day from Castr We wole haue ben Joyous to haue seen
your Maistirship if o^r fortune so had ben S^r we be Jnfo^rmyd
that o’re old speciall good lord of Oxford Jn whom we
founde as gret fauo^r be the Mediation of your Maystirship
as eu^r we had of any creatur as we haue wryting to shewe
Jn recompens of whiche at all tymes sethyn hise lordshyp
hathe had our preyeris and now we wold haue waytid upon
hise lordshyp but yo^r Maystirship knewith well we may not
be absent on Mychilmesse day for dyu’se consederaciens.
Wherfor we beseke your good Maystirshyp ye lyke of your
Jentilnesse to recomaund vs unto our seyd good lord and to
make our exkuse to hym and to do hyse lordshyp be pre-
sentyd w^t a p’peyse whiche we send yow be the brynger of
thys and if we had any othyr deyntes to do hym apleasur
we wold that knowyth god whom we beseke of hyse infenit
m^rcy to p^rs^rue the Kyng our sou^rayn lord and oure seyd good
lord and you and all the ffrutys of you from all Adu^rsite

                                   Youre louers and bedmen the old baliffs
                                   of Yermouth and the newe balyffs that
                                   now shalbe.

    11¾ by 9.

             Paper Mark,
               A Chalice.
           Pl. xxxiii. No. 5.

     Seal, the Letter R, surmounted by a Coronet. Pl. xxxiv. No. 9.

     We have here a most respectful and kind letter from the Bailiffs of Yar-
mouth to Sir John Paston, acknowledging great kindnesses received through
his mediation both from the King and Lord Oxford, to the latter of whom they
send, as a rare dainty, a Porpoise.

     The conclusion, wherein they pray to God to preserve the King, the Lord
Oxford, and Sir John Paston, “and all the frutys of you” [all their descendants]
from all adversity, is very particular.

  Several ordinances respecting Corporation business made by the men of
Yarmouth, through Sir John Paston and Lord Oxford’s attention to them, re-
ceived the King’s assent by his Attorney General in 1491. It was for their
activity in those matters, I presume, that this letter of thanks, &c. was addressed
to Sir John.

     In our ancient feasts the Porpoise often makes his appearance as a fish in esti-
mation; when George Neville gave his grand Installation feast, as Archbishop
of York, in 1466, four Porpoises were placed on the tables.

     Autograph, Pl. xxxi. No. 25.

LETTER XXVII.

To our right reverend and worshipful and special good Master,
Master Paston.

RIGHT reverend and worshipful Sir, and our very loving
and courteous good Master, we recommend us unto you in
as faithful wise as on our part appertaineth; and heartily we
thank you for your labour, and letter which ye sent to us by
your servant; by the which we were ascertained of the
King’s pleasure; and to accomplish the same, we with the
assistance of your Mastership will put us in our devoir.

     We were at your Manor of Caister, to have seen your
mastership, but ye were departed as well from Yarmouth
yesterday, as this day from Caister.

     We would have been joyous to have seen your mastership,
if our fortune so had been.

     Sir, we be informed that our old special good Lord of
Oxford, in whom we found as great favour by the mediation
of your mastership, as ever we had of any creature, as we
have writing to show; in recompense of which at all times
since, his Lordship hath had our prayers; and now we would
have waited upon his Lordship, but your Mastership know-
eth well we may not be absent on Michaelmas day for divers
considerations. Wherefore we beseech your good Master-
ship, ye like of your gentleness to recommend us unto our
said good Lord, and to make our excuse to him, and to do
his Lordship be presented with a Porpoise, which we send
you by the bringer of this; and if we had any other dainties
to do him a pleasure, we would, that knoweth God, whom
we beseech of his infinite mercy to preserve the King, our
Sovereign Lord, and our said good Lord, and you, and all
the fruits of you from all adversity.

                                      Your Lovers and Beadsmen, the old
                                      Bailiffs of Yarmouth, and the new
                                      Bailiffs that now shall be.

          Yarmouth,
      September, 1491.
            7 H. vii.

    Seal, the Letter R, surmounted by a Coronet. Pl. xxxiv. No. 9.

     We have here a most respectful and kind letter from the Bailiffs of Yar-
mouth to Sir John Paston, acknowledging great kindnesses received through
his mediation both from the King and Lord Oxford, to the latter of whom they
send, as a rare dainty, a Porpoise.

     The conclusion, wherein they pray to God to preserve the King, the Lord
Oxford, and Sir John Paston, “and all the frutys of you” [all their descendants]
from all adversity, is very particular.

  Several ordinances respecting Corporation business made by the men of
Yarmouth, through Sir John Paston and Lord Oxford’s attention to them, re-
ceived the King’s assent by his Attorney General in 1491. It was for their
activity in those matters, I presume, that this letter of thanks, &c. was addressed
to Sir John.

     In our ancient feasts the Porpoise often makes his appearance as a fish in esti-
mation; when George Neville gave his grand Installation feast, as Archbishop
of York, in 1466, four Porpoises were placed on the tables.

     Autograph, Pl. xxxi. No. 25.

1048

THE OLD AND NEW BAILIFFS OF YARMOUTH
TO SIR JOHN PASTON²

To oure right reverent and worshipfull and special good
maister, Maister Paston.

RIGHT reverent and worshipfull sir, and oure veray
     lovyng and curteys good mayster, we recomaund us
     on to you in as feythefull wyse as on oure part aper-
teynith; and hertely we thanke you for your labour and letter,

whiche ye sent to us be your servaunt, be the whiche we wer
asserteynid of the Kynges pleasure, and to acomplyshe the
same, we with the assistens of youre maistirship wyll put us in
oure devoir.

     We were at your manoir of Castir to have sen your
maistirshyp, but ye were departyd as well from Yermouth
yistirday, as this day from Castre. We wold have ben joyous
to have seen your maistirship, if our fortune so had ben.

     Sir, we be enfourmyd that ore old special good Lord of
Oxford, in whom we founde as gret favour be the mediacion
of your maystirship, as ever we had of any creature, as we have
wryting to shewe, in recumpens of whiche at all tymes sethyn
hise lordshyp hathe had our preyeris; and now we wold have
waytid upon hise lordshyp, but your maystirship knowith well
we may not be absent on Mychilmesse Day for dyverse con-
sederacions. Wherfore we beseke your good maystirshyp, ye
lyke of your jentilnesse, to recomaund us unto our seyd good
lord, and to make our exkuse to hym, and to do hyse lord-
shyp [to be] presentyd with a porpeyse, whiche we send yow
be the brynger of thys; and if we had any othyr deyntes to
do hym a pleasure, we wold, that knowyth God, Whom we
beseke of Hyse infenit mercy to preserve the Kyng our
Soverayn Lord, and oure seyd good lord, and you, and all the
frutys of you from all adversite.

                                          Youre loveres and bedmen, the old
                                               Baliffes of Yermouth, and the newe
                                               Balyffes that now shalbe.

 ² [From Paston MSS., B.M.] ‘Several ordinances,’ says Fenn, ‘respecting cor-
poration business, made by the men of Yarmouth, through Sir John Paston and Lord
Oxford’s attention to them, received the King’s assent by his Attorney-General in
1491. It was for their activity in those matters, I presume, that this letter of thanks,
etc. was addressed to Sir John.’ The time of year appears by the letter itself to be
about Michaelmas.

1491
[SEPT.]

1491
[SEPT.]