Thomas Playter to John Paston

500

THOMAS PLAYTER TO JOHN PASTON¹

To John Paston, the older, in hast, and if he be not at London,
than to be delyvered to Clement Paston in hast.

LYKE your maisterchip wete that at the last cessyons
     Erpyngham hundred and other hundredys ther aboute
     were not warned, and the schreff excused hym be
cause he cowde not knowe who was officer there. Item,
Yelverton lete the pepoll understand that the Kyng wold have
his lawes kept, and that he was dysplesed with the maner of
ther gaderyng, and that he wold have it amendyd; for he con-
ceyveth that the hole body of the shire is well dysposed and
that the ille dysposed pepoll is but of a corner of the hole
shire; and yet that ther mysdoyng growyth not of ther owyn
dysposysyon but of the abbettement and steryng of sum ille
dysposed persones whiche is understand and knowe to the
Kynges hygthnesse. Item, he lete hem wete that the Kyng
had commandyd hym to sey if ther were any man, pore or
ryche, that had cause to complayne of any person that he
schuld put up his bylle to the shref and hym, and they schuld
set a reule be twyx hem; and if he wold not abyde ther reule
they schuld delyver the sayd bylle of compleynt to the Kynges
hignesse, and he schuld set the rewle and suche dyreccion that
the party compleynaunt or defendaunt schuld be punysshed for
his dysobeysauns of the said rewle if the case requyred; and
also more over, if ther were ony person that put up ony suche
bylle, and it mygth apere to them by ther examinacion or other
wyse fals or untrewe, or elles be cause of malyce, that than
suche compleynaunts schuld sharpely be punysshed. And than
whan he had sayd this and moche more, in dyscoragyng to the
pepoll to put bylles, as after my conseyt, he reported hym to
the schref ther present, that the Kyng thus comanded hem thus
to sey, desyreng the said schref if ony thyng of the Kyngs
comaunded were be hynd unspoken by hym self that he wold
remembre and helpe forthe to telle it. And than the schref
said, lyke as he rehersed the Kyng comanded, and more over
that the Kyng named ij. men, by name Tudenham and Haydon,
and if ony man wold put bylles a yens them, he said in feyth-
full wyse he wold help hem, and ferther the mater to the Kyng
higthnesse. And for his demenyng ther every man thougth
hym rigth wel dysposed; but Yelverton had for yeten to
expresse the names of Tudham and Haydon.

     Item, the schref desyred the jentylmen to go with [him] to
Felbryg Halle, and specially he requyred Mr. John P., the
younger; but he cowde no pepoll gete, and so he cam not
there. Item, there was a bylle set up on the shirehous dore,
and the content ther of was but of the favour to you ward,
Barney, Knyvet and Felbrygge, and of the hatered of other;
it was but of sum lewde dysposed person it semeth. Item, sir,
at the last shire was moche pepoll and ille governed for they
wold not be rewled be no body, they had almost a slayne the
underschref, for they told hym wryttes of eleccion was sent
doun and he kept it on syde to be gyle hem, and to make hem
labour ayen, and ther for he that kepyth it is to blame, me
thynketh. Item, sir, please you to telle Mr. Clement, we
have goten a reles of al maner accions and appelles of Margret
Clerk, made to Gymmyngham, on of the pryncypalles, and
that he woll inquyre wheder it be suffycyant for alle, and send
me word, and weder it dyvers fro trespas and dette, wher
damages is to be recovered, for in this appell is no damages
to be recovered, but only an execucion, whiche non of them
may be contributory to other execucion as is in other cases.
Nevertheles, I hope it be sufficiant for all, for sche is in the
cas to have the lyf in stede of damages.

                                                                              Your THOMAS PL.

     ¹ [From Paston MSS., B.M.] The mention of Tuddenham and Heyden in this
letter proves that it cannot be of later date than the year 1461, as the former was
executed in February 1462. At the same time the reference to John Paston, Junior,
could not be much earlier, and the message from the King to the people of Norfolk
certainly could not have come from Henry VI. only a year or two before. The
date must therefore be 1461 precisely.

1461
DEC.

1461
DEC.