Thomas Denyes to Margaret Paston

LETTER V.

    To my Right noble and
    Wurshipsull Mastresse my
    Mastresse Paston or to
    William Paston if she
    be absent.

    RIGHT noble and Wurshipfull Mastresse I recomaund me
to yow wt my pour srvise and for so moche as I here no
thyng of my maist' yor housbonds comyng hastly home and
though he cam or come not it were expedient that the kyng
were infourmed of the demenyng of the Shire Therfore I send
to yow a testy monyall which is made by a greet assent of greet
multitude of Comons to send to the kyng I p'y you for the
good spede therof that in all hast possible ye like to send it to my
said Maistr if he be wt the Kyng Ellis fynde the meane to send
it to the Kyng thgh my Maistr be thens. Beside forthe that
ye vouchsauf to late diligent labor be made to a sufficient nombir
to assele for my Maistr Paston allone For if bothe holde not I
wolde oon helde I p'y yow that it lyke you to send for my
Maistr William Paston and shew hym all thys and that it were
hastid for on the Sdursaire prte Iudas slepith not Berney p'mised
to a sent but for our lords love trust not that for I se his slouthe

and sely labor which is no labour And I wold ful fayn speke w t
yow, &c. My Maist r yor husbond wole praventure blame us all
if this mat^r be not applied for he may not of reson do fo largely
heryn by his myght be cause he is elyted As the Cemons myght
wisely do w^t help of his favor if it wer wisely wrought If my
Maist^r W Paston ride hastly from a x daies to london J wole w^t
hym if he send me word The holy trinite p'serve yow Wretyn
rudely in hast the sunday, &c.

    Men sey send a wiseman on thy erand and sey
    litell to hym. Wherfor I write brefly
    and litell.

                                                            Thomas Denyes.

      11 [ill] by 6.

    This Letter was written in the beginning of July in the year 1461, I E. IV. and re-
lates to Election matters.

    The multitude of Commons must mean such as possessed freehold lands to the yearly
value of 40s. ; for in the eighth and tenth years of the reign of Henry VI. acts of parlia-
ments passed to restrain all those from voting for Knights of the Shire who did not possess
that property, &c. See 8 H. VI. c. vii. and 10 H. VI. c. ii.

 The last sentence is a prettily turned compliment upon his mistress Margaret Paston.
    Autograph. Pl. xxv. No 2.

    It appears from the following Letters that the writer of this was murdered a very sew
days after he wrote it, by a party in the interest of the House of Lancaster.

LETTER V.

To my right noble and worshipful Mistress my Mistress Paston, or
to William Paston if she be absent.

    RIGHT noble and worshipful mistress I recommend me to
you with my poor service, and for so much as I hear no-
thing of my master your husband's coming hastily home, and
though he come, or come not, it were expedient that the King
were informed of the demeaning of the shire ; therefore I send to
you a testimonial which is made by a great assent of great multitude
of Commons to send to the King ; I pray you for the good speed
thereof, that in all haste possible ye like to send it to my said master,
if he be with the King, else find the mean to send it to the King
though my master be thence ; beside forth that ye vouchsafe to
let diligent labour be made to a sufficient number to asseal for
my master alone, for if both hold not, I would one held.

    I pray you that it like you to send for my master William
Paston, and shew him all this, and that it were hasted, for, on
the Adversary's part, Judas sleepeth not.

    Berney promised to have sent, but for our Lord's love trust
not that, for I see his sloth and silly labour, which is no labour,
and I would full fain speak with you, &c.

My master, your husband, will peradventure blame us all, if
this matter be not applied, for he may not of reason do so
largely herein by his might, because he is elyted (elected,) as
the Commons might wisely do with help of his favour, if it
were wisely wrought. If my master William Paston ride
hastily from a x dayes (within ten days) to London, I will with
him, if he send me word. The Holy Trinity preserve you.

    Written rudely in haste the Sunday, &c.

    Men say, send a wiseman on thy errand and say little to him,
wherefore I write briefly and little.

                                                                                 THOMAS DENYES.

    Sunday,
        July, 1461. I E. IV.

    This Letter was written in the beginning of July in the year 1461, I E. IV. and re-
lates to Election matters.

    The multitude of Commons must mean such as possessed freehold lands to the yearly
value of 40s. ; for in the eighth and tenth years of the reign of Henry VI. acts of parlia-
ments passed to restrain all those from voting for Knights of the Shire who did not possess
that property, &c. See 8 H. VI. c. vii. and 10 H. VI. c. ii.

 The last sentence is a prettily turned compliment upon his mistress Margaret Paston.
    Autograph. Pl. xxv. No 2.

    It appears from the following Letters that the writer of this was murdered a very sew
days after he wrote it, by a party in the interest of the House of Lancaster.

463

THOMAS DENYES TO MARGARET PASTON¹

To my right noble and wurshipfull mastresse, my Mastresse
Paston, or to William Paston if she be absent.

RIGHT noble and wurshipfull mastresse, I recomaund
     me to yow with my pouer servise. And for so moche
     as I here no thyng of my maister your husbonds
comyng hastly home,?and though he cam or come not, it
were expedient that the Kyng were infourmed of the de-
menyng of the shire,?therfore I send to yow a testymonyall,
which is made by a greet assent of greet multitude of comons,
to send to the Kyng. I pray you for the good spede therof
that in all hast possible ye like to send it to my said maister,
if he be with the Kyng; ellis fynde the meane to send it to
the Kyng, thogh my maister be thens; beside forthe that ye
vouchsauf to late diligent labour be made to a sufficient nombir
to assele for my Maister Paston allone, for if bothe holde not,
I wolde oon helde.

     I pray yow that it lyke you to send for my Maister
William Paston, and shew hym all thys, and that it were
hastid; for on the adversaire parte Judas slepith not.

     Berney promised to a? sent, but for our Lords love trust
not that; for I se his slouthe and sely labour, which is no
labour. And I wold ful fayn speke with yow, &c.

     My maister your husbond wole peraventure blame us all,
if this mater be not applied; for he may not of reson do so
largely heryn by his myght, be cause he is elyted, as the
Comons myght wisely do with help of his favour, if it wer
wisely wrought. If my Maister William Paston ride hastly
from a x. daies to London, I wole with hym, if he send me
word. The Holy Trinite preserve yow. Wretyn rudely in
hast the Sunday, &c.

     Men sey, send a wiseman on thy erand, and sey litell to
hym, wherfor I write brefly and litell.

                                                                             THOMAS DENYES.

     ¹ [From Fenn, iv. 18.] This letter speaks of the county of Norfolk as being in
an unquiet state, and of John Paston as having been elected knight of the shire. It
will be seen by No. 458 that writs for an election were expected as early as the 5th of
June in 1461, and as I find that the writer of this letter was murdered on the 4th of
July following, the date is probably about the very beginning of that month. From
what is said at the beginning of the letter about Paston?s absence from home, it
was evidently some time after the last, which was written on the very day of his
departure.

1461
JULY

1461
JULY