The Queen to the Earl of Oxford

LETTER VI.

To oure right trusty and
     enterly beloued Cosyn Therll
     of Oxon

BY THE QUENE

RYGHT trusty and entierly beloued Cosyn We grete you
well lattyng you wete hou it is co˜men un to oure knowlege
that where as ye newly entred upon oure welbeloued
Symon Blyant gentilman in to the Maner of He˜nals in Cot-
ton descended and belongyng vnto hym by right of enhe-
ritance as it is seid z^e ther upon desired the same Symon to
be agreable for hys part to put all maters of Variance
thenne dependyng atwene hym and oon Sir Iohn Paston
Knyght p’tendyng a title vnto the seid Maner into thaword
and Jugement of twe lenerd men by you named and chosen
as arbritrours atwene them. And in Case that the same
arbritrours of and upon the p’misses neither yaue oute nor
made suche awarde be for the brekyng up of Pasch terme
nowe last passed ze of yo^r owne offre graunted and pro-
mysid unto the seid Symon as w^e be enformed to restore
hym forwyth there upon unto hys possession of the seid
Maner And how it be that the same Symon at youre mocion
and for the pleasir of youre lordshyp as he seith aggreed on
to the seid compromyse And ther vpon brought and shewed
hys evydence concernyng and sufficiently provyng hys ryght
in the seid Maner un to the seid arbritrours and that they
haue not made nor yolden out betwene the said parties any
suche award. Yet haue not ze restored the same Symon
unto hys possession of the seid Man^r but contynuelly kepe
hym owt of the same wich yf it so be is not only to hys right
grete hurt and hinderance but also oure m˜vaile Wherfore
we desire and pray you right affectueusly that ze woll the
rather at the co˜templacion of thees oure Ires shew unto the
said Symon in hys righfull int’esse and title in the seid
Maner all the fauorable lordshyp that ze goodely may
doyng hym to be restored and put in to hys lawfull and
peasible possession of the same as fer as reason equite and
good conscience shall require and youre seid promise Jn
suche wyse that he may undyrstond hym selfe herynne to
fare the better for oure sake as oure verray trust is in you
Yeuen vnder oure signet at my lords palois of Westmynster
the xxv day of Juyn

          ELESEBETH.

     11½ by 4¾.

      We see here the interposition of the Queen in favour of a person who seems
to have acted fairly and honourably respecting the Manor in dispute between
him and Sir J. Paston. Whether the Earl of Oxford withheld his promise, to
favour Sir John, or whether he wished to keep possession of the Manor for
himself, does not appear.

     The Queen’s letter is open and generous; she however gives the Earl a hint,
that his not having performed his promise is “to oure marvaile.” She was
daughter and heir to Edward IV. and was married to Henry VII. in 1485-6.
She died in childbed, in the Tower of London, in 1503, and was buried in
Henry VII.th’s Chapel at Westminster.

     Under her signature is written in an ancient but different hand from the
letter, “subskrybyd w^t y^e Quenys hand.”

     Autograph, Pl. xxx. No. 2.

LETTER VI.

To our right trusty and entirely beloved Cousin the Earl of
Oxenford.

BY THE QUEEN.

RIGHT trusty and entirely beloved Cousin, We greet you
well, letting you weet how it is come unto Our knowledge,
that whereas ye newly entered upon Our well-beloved
Simon Bryant, Gentleman, into the Manor of Hemnals in
Cotton [in Suffolk], descended and belonging unto him by
right of inheritance; as it is said, ye thereupon desired the
same Simon to be agreeable for his part to put all matters
of variance then depending atween [between] him and one
Sir John Paston, Knight, pretending a title unto the said
Manor, into the award and judgement of two learned men
by you named and chosen as arbritrours [arbitrators] atween
them; and in case that the same arbritrours of and upon
the premisses neither gave out nor made such award before
the breaking up of Pasche [Easter] term, now last passed,
ye of your own offer granted and promised unto the said
Simon, as we be informed, to restore him forthwith there-
upon unto his possession of the said Manor; and how it be
that the same Simon, at your motion, and for the pleasure
of your Lordship, as he saith, agreed unto the said compro-
mise, and thereupon brought and showed his evidence con-
cerning, and sufficiently proving his right in the said Manor
unto the said arbritrours; and that they have not made nor
yolden out [given out] between the said parties any such
award; yet have not ye restored the same Simon unto his
possession of the said Manor, but continually keep him out
of the same, which, if it so be, is not only to his right great
hurt and hindrance, but also our marvel; wherefore We de-
sire and pray you right effectuously that ye would the rather,
at the contemplation of these Our letters, show unto the
said Simon, in his rightful interest and title in the said
Manor, all the favourable Lordship that ye goodly may,
doing him to be restored and put into his lawful and peace-
able possession of the same as far as reason, equity and good
conscience shall require, and your said promise; in such
wise that he may understand himself herein to fare the
better for Our sake, as Our very trust is in you.

     Given under Our signet, at my Lord’s Palace of West-
minster, the 25th day of June.

           ELESABETH.

            25th June,
         Year uncertain,
     Between 1486 and 1503.
           2 and 18 H. vii.

     We see here the interposition of the Queen in favour of a person who seems
to have acted fairly and honourably respecting the Manor in dispute between
him and Sir J. Paston. Whether the Earl of Oxford withheld his promise, to
favour Sir John, or whether he wished to keep possession of the Manor for
himself, does not appear.

     The Queen’s letter is open and generous; she however gives the Earl a hint,
that his not having performed his promise is “to oure marvaile.” She was
daughter and heir to Edward IV. and was married to Henry VII. in 1485-6.
She died in childbed, in the Tower of London, in 1503, and was buried in
Henry VII.th’s Chapel at Westminster.

     Under her signature is written in an ancient but different hand from the
letter, “subskrybyd w^t y^e Quenys hand.”

     Autograph, Pl. xxx. No. 2.

1020

THE QUEEN TO THE EARL OF OXFORD¹

To oure right trusty and enterly beloved cosyn, Th’Erll of Oxon.

BY THE QUENE.

     RYGHT trusty and entierly beloved cosyn, we grete you
         well, lattyng you wete hou it is commen un to oure
         knowlege that where as ze newly entred upon oure
welbeloved Symon Blyant, gentilman, in to the maner of Hem-
nals in Cotton, descended and belongyng unto hym by right of
enheritaunce, as it is seid, ze ther upon desired the same Symon
to be agreable for hys part to put all maters of variance thenne
dependyng atwene hym and oon Sir John Paston, Knyght,
pretendyng a title unto the seid maner into th’award and juge-
ment of two lenerd men, by you named and chosen as arbritrours
atwene them; and in case that the same arbritrours of and upon
the premisses neither yave oute nor made suche awarde be for
the brekyng up of Pasche [Easter] terme nowe last passed, ze
of your owne offre graunted and promysid unto the seid Symon,
as we be enformed, to restore hym forwyth there upon unto hys
possession of the seid maner. And how it be that the same
Symon, at youre mocion and for the pleasir of youre lordshyp,
as he seith, aggreed un to the seid compromyse, and ther upon
brought and shewed hys evydence concernyng, and sufficiently
provyng hys ryght in the seid maner un to the seid arbritrours,
and that they have not made nor yolden out betwene the said
parties any suche awarde; yet have not ze restored the same
Symon unto hys possession of the seid maner, but contynuelly
kepe hym owt of the same, wich, yf it so be, is not only to hys
right grete hurt and hinderaunce, but also oure mervaile. Wher-
fore we desire and pray you ryght affectueusly that ze woll the
rather at the contemplacion of thees oure lettres, shew unto the
said Symon, in hys rightfull interesse and title in the seid
maner all the favorable lordshyp that ze goodely may, doyng
hym to be restored and put in to hys lawfull and peasible
possession of the same, as fer as reason, equite, and good
conscience shall require, and youre seid promise, in suche wyse
that he may undyrstond hym selfe herynne to fare the better
for oure sake, as oure verray trust is in you.

     Yeven under oure signet at my Lordes Palois of West-
mynstre, the xxv. day of Juyn.

                                                                         [ELEZEBETH.]¹

                                                       Subskrybyd with the Quenys hand.

     ¹ [From Paston MSS., B.M.] This letter and that which follows, relating to the
manor of Cotton, are both quite uncertain in point of date, except that they cannot be
earlier than 1487, when Sir John Paston was knighted, nor later than 1502, as the
Queen and Sir John Paston himself both died in the year following.

¹ This name is written in a different character, intended as a representation of the
Queen’s signature which it somewhat resembles. The writing, however, is crossed
out. It is probably the work of the same pen that wrote the words below, though
these are in a smaller hand.

1487-
1502

1487-
1502