Thomas Denyes to John Paston

LETTER JJJ.

        To my maistr Paston.

    RIGHT Wurshipfull and myn especiall good maister I
recomaund me to yow wt all my fruice besechyng you
hertily at the Reurence of god to helpe me now in the grettest
extremite that I cam at sith my greet trobil w^t Jngh'm It is not
oute of yor remenbraunce how Twyer jn Norff vexith me bothe
by noise and serchyng myn ho' for me so that theer I can not be
in quyete And all that I am verily acerteyned is by Heydens
Crafft And heer in the Kyngs house annenst Howard wher I had
hopid to a relevid myself I am supplanted and cast oute from
hym by a clamor of all his sruaunts at onys And newer oonly
that his disposicon acordyth not to my pou' Conceyte which
maketh me to gif lesse force be cause I desire not to dele ther
bribery is like to be vsid Ellis by my trouth This unhappy un-
kyndenes wold I trow a killed me I p'y yow at the revrence of
Jhu criste to enforme my lord of Warwyk of me p'de I haf do
hym srvice I was wt hym at Northampton that all men knew
And now agayn at seynt AIbones that knowt Iames Ratcliff And
ther lost I xx li. wurth horse herneys and mony And was hurte
in divrse placs I p'y yow to gete me his good lordship and that
I may be toward hym in Norff' in his Cotirts holdyng or ellis
if ony thyng he haf to do And that ye wole gete me a letter to
Twyer to late me sit in rest For now if I made any felaship
agayn Twyer I can haf no colour now the shirref and I be oute
so I must kepe me aparte which I am lothe to do be god if I
myght bettr do J besech yow to send me yor Intent by the next
man that come from yow I shuld a come to zow but so help me

god my purs may no ferther The holy trinite p'serve yow Wre-
tyn hastily at York, &c.

            Yor to his power,
                            Denyes.

    12 1/2 by 6.
     Seal,
    A T surmounted
     by a Coronet.
    Pl. XXXVIII. No I.

    This complaining Letter must have been written early in the reign of Edward IV. as
the writer mentions having been present at the battle of Northampton ( July, 1460 ) " and
now ( lately ) agayn at Seynt Albones" ( February, 1460-1).

    He looks up to the Earl of Warwick for relief in his distrefs, and seems to think himself
entitled to it for having sought under his banner in savour of the House of York.

    The contents are descriptive of the times when it was written, and therefore I have
given it.

 We have in these Letters seldom met with any expressions tending to oaths, in this the
writer first says perde, meaning par Dieu ; an excusable expression indeed : but a little
farther, he plainly writes " by God."

    Autograph. PI. III. No 35. And PI. xxv. No 2.

LETTER III.

    To my Master Paston

    RIGHT worshipful and mine especial good Master, I re-
commend me to you with all my service, beseeching you
heartily, at the reverence of God, to help me now in the greatest
extremity that I came at since my great trouble with Ingham.
It is not out of your remembrance how Twyer in Norfolk vexeth
 

me both by noise and searching mine house for me, so that there
I cannot be in quiet, and all that, I am verily ascertained, is by
Heydon's craft ; and here in the King's house anenst ( by means of )
Howard, where I had hoped to have relieved myself, I am sup-
planted and cast out from him by a clamour of all his Servants
at once ; and ne ( nothing ) were, only that his disposition accord-
eth not to my poor conceit, which maketh me to give less force,
because I desire not to deal there ( where ) bribery is like to be
used, else by my turth this unhappy unkindness would, I trow,
have killed me. I pray you at the reverence of Jesus Christ to
inform my Lord of Warwick of me ; perde ( par Dieu ) I have
done him service ; I was with him at Northampton, that all
men know, and now again at St. Alban's, that knoweth James
Ratcliffe, and there lost I twenty pounds worth ( of ) horse, har-
ness, and money, and was hurt in divers places. I pray you to
get me his good Lordship, and that I may be toward him in Nor-
folk in his Courts holding, or else, if any thing he has to do ;
and that ye will get me a Letter to Twyer to let me sit in rest,
for now if I made any fellowship against Twyer, I can have no
colour now the Sheriff and I be out, so I must keep me apart,
which I am loath to do, by God, if I might better do.

    I beseech you to send me your intent by the next man that
come from you ; I should have come to you, but, so help me
God, my purse may no farther.

The Trinity preserve you. Written hastily at York, &c.

                       Yours, to his Power,
                                                 THOMAS DENYES.

      York,
  Before July, 1461.
      1 Ed. IV.

This complaining Letter must have been written early in the reign of Edward IV. as
the writer mentions having been present at the battle of Northampton ( July, 1460 ) " and
now ( lately ) agayn at Seynt Albones" ( February, 1460-1).

    He looks up to the Earl of Warwick for relief in his distrefs, and seems to think himself
entitled to it for having sought under his banner in savour of the House of York.

    The contents are descriptive of the times when it was written, and therefore I have
given it.

 We have in these Letters seldom met with any expressions tending to oaths, in this the
writer first says perde, meaning par Dieu ; an excusable expression indeed : but a little
farther, he plainly writes " by God."

    Autograph. PI. III. No 35. And PI. xxv. No 2.

455

THOMAS DENYES TO JOHN PASTON¹

To my Maister Paston.

RIGHT wurshipfull and myn especiall good maister, I
     recomaund me to yow with all my service, besechyng
     you hertily, at the reverence of God, to helpe me now
in the grettest extremite that I cam at sith my greet trobil with
Ingham.² It is not oute of your remembraunce how Twyer
in Norff[olk] vexith me bothe by noise and serchyng myn
house for me, so that theer I can not be in quyete; and all
that, I am verily acerteyned, is by Heydens crafft. And heer
in the Kyngs house annenst Howard,³ wher I had hopid to a’
relevid myself, I am supplanted and cast oute from hym by a
clamour of all his servaunts at onys, and ne wer oonly that his
disposicion acordyth not to my pouer conceyte, which maketh
me to gif lesse force, be cause I desire not to dele ther [where]
bribery is like to be usid, ellis by my trouth this unhappy
unkyndenes wold I trow a’ killed me. I pray yow, at the
reverence of Jesu Criste, to enfourme my Lord of Warwyk of
me. Parde I haf do hym service; I was with hym at Nor-
thampton, that all men knew; and now agayn at Seynt
Albones, that knowth James Ratcliff; and ther lost I xxli.
wurth horse, herneys, and mony, and was hurte in diverse
places. I pray yow to gete me his good Lordship, and that I
may be toward hym in Norffolk in his Courts holdyng, or ellis,
if ony thyng he haf to do; and that ye wole gete me a letter
to Twyer to late me to sit in rest. For now if I made any

felaship agayn Twyer, I can haf no colour now the Shirref and
I be oute, so I must kepe me aparte, which I am lothe to do,
be God, if I myght better do.

     I besech yow to send me your intent by the next man that
come from yow. I shuld a’ come to zow, but, so help me
God, my purs may no ferther. The Holy Trinite preserve
yow.

     Wretyn hastily at York, &c.

                                Your to his power,                      DENYES.

     ¹ [From Fenn, iv. 10.] The writer of this letter speaks of having served with the
Earl of Warwick at the battle of Northampton in July 1460, and again at the second
battle of St. Albans in February 1461. We know from later letters that he was
murdered in the beginning of July following. As he dates from York, and speaks
of being ‘here in the King’s house,’ the date would appear to be about the 10th of
May, on which day we find by the dates of the Privy Seals that Edward IV. was
at York.

     ² See vol. ii. Nos. 238, 239.

     ³ Sir John Howard, who was sheriff of Norfolk this year.

1461
MAY

1461
MAY