The Prior of Bromholm to John Paston

LETTER CI.

        Amicabil magro nro
        Iohi Paston Armiger’

FUL rev^rend and worshipful after all dewe rev^rence and re-
     cōmendacion yo^r pore p’ste besecheth humble it plese yo^r
good maystirship to understande be yis simple bylle yat on ye
Friday next after ye feste of ye conu^rsion of feynt poule laste paste
I was at yo^r place at Castre to a tolde yow what answer I hadde
of Sir Thom’ Howis p^r Son of Blofeld and in as moche as ye
wer not at hoom I tolde it to my mastras yo^r wyfe And god
yanke her of her jentilnes she made me grete cher. And mor ou^r
a vysed me to sende yow a bille yer of to lundon. yis was his
answer whan I had talked to hym as I cowde in lyke wyse as ye
au’ted me to do. he answered a geyn in yese wordes. nere is my
kyrtyl but nerre is my smok. And yis was his menyng yat ye
schulde be mor ner us and tender to us yan he and yat ye schulde
rather owe us good wyl yan he and yat we schulde labour rather
to yowr maystirship yan to hym and also yat good yat he had to
dispose he had be sette it and of passel he tolde me he had de-
lyu^red ye abbot of ¹ langele fourescor. li. Wher of as he seyd
to me ye grutched and wer in man^r displesed. not withstandyng
ye seyd a geyn to hym ye shulde geue as moche. And he seyd
to me ye named ye places wher. And yerfor he avysed me to
labo^r effectualy to y^r good maystirship for ye mych helpe no
wele for he seyd ye had moche good of ye dede to dispose what
of yo^r. fader god blisse yat sowle what of Berney and what now
of his good mayst^r Fastolfe. And as for Sir John Fastolfe on
hoose sovle jhu have m^rcy he seyd to me ye had of his good fovr
fovr and fovr mor yan he in yese same termes w^t owte ony sūme.
And after all oder talkyngs he tolde me he shulde be w^t yow at
lundon hastyly and yat he wolde sey good worde to yow to re-
leue our poor place. Sir I beseche bethe not displesed for truly
and j woste to haue yo^r heuy mayst^rship y’for I had leu^r it had
bene on yoght. And is this yat whan Sir Thom’ Howes and ye
be saunne at lundon We myght be so in yo^r good g’ce yat o^r
place myght be broder to langele for yat shulde glade us mor
yan ye cōmission yat ye bysshop of  ² Norwich sente us on Thrus-
day laste paste to gader the dymes for yat is a shrewde labo^r for
us a grete coste and a shrewe juparde Ou^r mor yat hy and
myghty celestial p’nce p’serue yow body and sowle and sende yow
coūforte of ye holy goost wele to p^rforme all yo^r hertis desir in
all yo^r materes to his plesaunce and yo^r wurship and solace to
alle yo^r welle wyllers. Wretyn at Bromholm on ye Saturday
next after ye feste of ye Conu^rsion of Seynt Povle laste paste.

                                        ffrom yo^r preste and bedeman

                                                             ³ John P’our of Bromholm.

          11 ? by 7.
           Paper Mark,
              A Ring.
           Pl. XXI. N^o 4.

       Bromholm,
           Saturday 31 January,
           1469. 39 H. VI.

     In those days few persons died without bequeathing something to the Church, to be
distributed at the pleasure of their Executors. This trust seems to have been reposed in
J. Paston by several, though it appears he was slow in disposing of the money, as his
father had been dead now above fifteen years, and a part of his good so bequeathed re-
mained still in his hands; as appears by this letter.

¹ The Abbey of Langley in Norfolk was founded by Sir Robert de Clavering, in
1198, 9. R. I. And about the time here mentioned Nicholas —— was Abbot.

 ²   Walter Hart became Bishop of Norwich in 1446, and died in 1472.

     ³  This Priory was founded by William de Glanville, in the reign of Henry I. and in
the year 1113. John Titreshale was at this time Prior. Autograph Pl. XX. N^o 33.

LETTER CI.

Amicabili magistro nostro Johanni Paston Armigero.

FULL reverend and worshipful, after all due reverence and
     recommendation, your poor Priest beseecheth humbly it
please your good Mastership to understand by this simple bill,
that on the Friday next after the feast of the Conversion of Saint
Paul last past, I was at your place at Caister to have told you,
what answer I had of Sir Thomas Howes, parson of Blofield, and
in as much as ye were not at home, I told it to my mistress your
wife, and God thank her of her gentleness, she made me great
cheer; and moreover advised me to send you a bill thereof to
London. This was his answer, when I had talked to him asI could,
in like wise as ye adverted me to do; he answered again in these
words, “Near is my Kirtle but nearer is my smock;” and this
was his meaning, that ye should be more near us, and tender to us
than he, and that ye should rather owe us good will than he, and
that we should labour rather to your mastership than to him;
And also that Good that he had to dispose he had beset it, and of
parcell, he told me, he had delivered the Abbot of ¹ Langley
fourscore pounds, whereof as he said to me, ye grudged and
were in manner displeased, notwithstanding ye said again to him,
ye should do as much; And he said to me ye named the places
where; and therefore he advised me to labour effectually to
your good mastership, for ye might help us well; for he said ye
had much Good of the dead to dispose, what of your father, God
bless that soul, what of Berney, and what now of his good ma-
ster Fastolf. And as for Sir John Fastolf, on whose soul Jesu
have mercy! he said to me, ye had of his good four, four, and
four more than he, in these same terms without any sum.

     And after all other talkings he told me he should be with you
at London hastily, and that he would say good word to you to
relieve our poor place; Sir I beseech (you) be not displeased,
for truly and (if) I wist to have your heavy mastership therefore,
I had lever (rather) it had been unthought. And is this, that
when Sir Thomas Howes and ye be soon at London we might
be so in your good grace, that our place might be brother to
Langley, for that should glad us more than the commission that
the Bishop of ² Norwich sent us on Thursday last past to gather
the Dymes (Tenths) for that is a shrewd labour for us, a great
cost and a shrewd jeopardy.

     Evermore that high and mighty celestial Prince preserve you
body and soul, and send you comfort of the Holy Ghost well to
perform all your heart’s desire in all your matters to his plea-
saunce (pleasure) and your worship, and solace to all your
well-willers. Written at Bromholm on the Saturday next after
the feast of the Conversion of Saint Paul last past.

From your Priest and Beadsman,

                                                   ³ JOHN, Prior of BROMHOLM.

           11 ? by 7.
           Paper Mark,
              A Ring.
           Pl. XXI. N^o 4.

       Bromholm,
           Saturday 31 January,
           1469. 39 H. VI.

 In those days few persons died without bequeathing something to the Church, to be
distributed at the pleasure of their Executors. This trust seems to have been reposed in
J. Paston by several, though it appears he was slow in disposing of the money, as his
father had been dead now above fifteen years, and a part of his good so bequeathed re-
mained still in his hands; as appears by this letter.

¹ The Abbey of Langley in Norfolk was founded by Sir Robert de Clavering, in
1198, 9. R. I. And about the time here mentioned Nicholas —— was Abbot.

 ²   Walter Hart became Bishop of Norwich in 1446, and died in 1472.

     ³  This Priory was founded by William de Glanville, in the reign of Henry I. and in
the year 1113. John Titreshale was at this time Prior. Autograph Pl. XX. N^o 33.

431

THE PRIOR OF BROMHOLM TO JOHN PASTON¹

Amicabili magistro nostro, Johanni Paston, armigero.

      FUL reverend and worshipful, after all dewe reverence
           and recommendacion, your pore Preste besecheth
           humble it plese your good maystirship to understande
be this simple bylle that on the Friday next after the Feste of

the Conversion of Seynt Poule laste paste I was at your place
at Castre to a tolde yow what answer 1 hadde of Sir Thomas
Howis, parson of Blofeld; and in as moche as ye wer not at
hoom, I tolde it to my mastras your wyfe; and God thanke
her of her jentilnes, she made me grete cher, and mor over a
vysed me to sende yow a bille ther of to Lundon. This was
his answer, whan I had talked to hym as I cowde in lyke wyse
as ye averted me to do. He answered a geyn in these wordes,
’Nere is my kyrtyl, but nerre [nearer] is my smok.’ And this
was his menyng that ye schulde be mor ner us and tender to
us than he, and that ye schulde rather owe us good wyl than
he, and that we schulde labour rather to yowr maystirship than
to hym; and also that good that he had to dispose he had be
sette it, and of passel he tolde me he had delyvered the Abbot
of Langele fourescor li., wher of, as he seyd to me, ye grutched
and wer in maner displesed, not withstandyng ye seyd a geyn
to hym ye shulde geve as moche. And he seyd to me ye
named the places wher; and therfor he avysed me to labour
effectualy to your good maystirship, for ye mych [might] helpe
us¹ wele. For he seyd ye had moche good of the dede to
dispose, what of your fader, God blisse that sowle, what of
Berney, and what now of his good Mayster Fastolfe. And as
for Sir John Fastolfe, on hoose soule Jesu have mercy! he seyd
to me ye had of his good four, four, and four mor than he in
these same termes with owte ony summe.

     And after all oder talkyngs he tolde me he shulde be with
yow at Lundon hastyly, and that he wolde sey good worde to
yow to releve our poor place. Sir, I beseche bethe not dis-
plesed, for truly and I woste to have your hevy maystership
therfor, I had lever it had bene on thoght. And is this that
whan Sir Thomas Howes and ye be saunne at Lundon, we
myght be so in your good grace, that our place myght be
broder to Langele, for that shulde glade us mor than the com-
mission that the Bysshop of Norwich sente us on Thrusday

laste paste to gader the dymes, for that is a shrewde labour for
us, a grete coste and a shrewe juparde.

     Over mor that hy and myghty celestial Prince preserve
yow body and sowle, and sende yow coumforte of the
Holy Goost wele to performe all your hertis desir in all
your materes to his plesaunce, and your wurship, and solace to
alle your welle wyllers.

     Wretyn at Bromholm, on the Saturday next after the Feste
of the Conversion of Seynt Poule laste paste.

                             From your Preste and Bedeman,

                                                    JOHN, PRIOUR OF BROMHOLM.

     ¹ [From Fenn, iii. 404.] As executor to Sir John Fastolf, Paston must have
taken possession of Caister soon after his death. The Duke of Norfolk, however,
pretended a title to it, and, as we shall find hereafter, had dispossessed Paston by June

1461. This letter, dated on Saturday after the Feast of the Conversion of St. Paul,
must therefore have been written in January 1461, as in 1460—the only other probable
year—that feast (25th January) fell on Friday, and a letter written on Saturday after
the feast would not have referred to the Friday after the same feast as a past date.

     ¹ us. The word is no in Fenn’s literal copy, which must be a misprint.

JAN.31

1461
JAN.31

1461
JAN.31