Two letters from William Ebesham to Sir John Paston

                                          LETTER XXIV

To my moost  worshupfull  Maist’ S^r.  John  Paston, knyght.

MY moost woorshupfull and moost speciall Maist’ with all
     my s’vyce moost lowly I recomande unto your gode
Maistirship besechyng you moost tendirly to see me sumwhat
rewardid for my labour in the Grete Booke which I wright unto
your seide gode Maistirship I have often tymes writyn to Pam-
pyng accordyng to yo^r desire to enfo’me you hou I have
labourd in wrytyngs for you. And I see wele he speke not to
your Maist’ship of hit and God knowith I ly in ¹ Seint warye
at grete costs and amongs right unresonable askers, I movid
this mat’ to S^r. Thomas late and he tolde me he wolde move
your Maistirship therein, which S^r. Thomas desirid me to re-
membir wele what I have had in money at soondry tymes of hym.

      (Then comes the Account, as stated more at large in the fol-
lowing Bill.)

     And in espīall I beseche you to sende me for Almes oon of yo^r
olde Gownes which will coūtirvale much of the p’mysses I wote

wele, and I shall be yours while I lyve and at yo^r comandement
I have grete myst of it God knows whom I beseche p’s’ve you
from all adu’site, I am sumwhat acqueyntid with it.

                                                                    Yo^r. verry mā,

          8 ¼ by 10 ¼.

                                                                                     W. Ebesham.

  About 1469,
                9 E. IV.

 Wheels, &c. are a part of the Paper
              Mark, the other Part is cut off.
                            Pl. x. N^o 7.

            About 1469,
                9 E. IV.

^*Folowyng apperith p’celly dyvers and soondry maner of Wri-
     tyngs which I William Ebesham have wreetyn for my gode
     and woorshupfull Maistir S^r. John Paston and what money I
     have Resceyvid and what is unpaide.

                                                                          William Ebesham.

 8 ? by 11 ?
               Paper Mark,
          Bull’s Head and Star.
                 Pl. X. N^o 1.

     Before the invention of Printing, the number of Writers and Copiers was very great;
most monasteries and religious houses having an office called a Scriptorium, wherein several
Writers were almost constantly employed in copying Books on various subjects, Missals
and Books of Psalms, &c. richly and elegantly adorned with Illuminations, &c. Men
of Fortune and Learning likewise occasionally employed Copyiers to transcribe Books for
their Libraries.

W.  Ebesham, (Pl. V. N^o 20.) was one of those who pursued this employment, and
wrote a good hand ; he complains of poverty, and petitions to have his Account dis-
charged.

     One of the Articles in the bill is dated 30th of October 1468, 8 E. IV. what follows
therefore was done after that day, so that perhaps the bill was not delivered, nor this
Letter written, before the next year, 1469.

     ¹ Why he was in Sanctuary I know not, but it appears that it was expensive being
there.

 ^* We are here furnished with a curious Account of the Expences attending the transcrib-
ing of Books previous to the noble art of Printing. At this time the common wages of a
Mechanic were with diet 4d. and without diet 5d. ½ or 6d. a day, we here see that a Wri-
ter received 2d. for writing a folio leaf, three of which he could with case finish in a day,

and I should think that many quick writers at that time would fill four, five, or even six
in a day, if so, the pay of these greatly exceeded that of common handicrast men.

     ¹ Some Grant, or other matter, which was to pass the Privy Seal.

     ² The Depositions of Witnesses.

     ³ This exactly ascertains the Date of this Receipt to be the 30th of October, 1468,
8 E. IV.

     ⁴ This Great Book seems to have contained various Treatises.

     ⁵ Othea means a Treatise on Wisdom.

     ⁶ De Regimine Principum.—A Treatise concerning the Government of Princes, and
by being written for a penny each leaf, I suppose it was in quarto.

     ⁷ This either means ornamenting the whole with red Capital Letters, or writing the
heads of the several Treatises or Chapters in red Letters.

                  ^* “Und p’o m^o libro script’ xxvij^s cu’ diu’ chal.” This in the Original follows “Sum’
non sol. 41^s. 1^d.”

     The following Account of Payments for Writing, &c. is extracted from an Original
Quarto, M. S. in the Editor’s possession, containing
The various Expences of Sir John Howard, Knight, of Stoke by Neyland, in Suffolk,
                                          (afterwards Duke of Norfolk.) p. 136.

     Item the vij^th yere of Kynge  Edward y^e iiijth and y^e xxviij day of July (1467.)
My Mast’ rekened w^t Thomas Lympno^r. of Bury and my Mast’ peid hym

     This is an Account of a Limner or Illuminator of Manuscripts, who resided at Bury.

     ¹ Borders, Flowers, or Flourishes at the beginning of a Book, Chapter, &c.

     ² xv^c and dī = 1500 and an half.

     ³ lxiij^c = 6300.

     ⁴ A Quire of Velum from this entry seems to consist of four leaves, and his receiving only 3d.
for noting two leaves might be accounted for, by the last leaf not being full; the Drawing and
Flourishing of the Capital Letters seems very cheap.

     ⁵ 12s. appears a great price for binding a Book, but it is so stated in the original account.

                                              LETTER XXIV

   To my most worshipful Master, Sir John Paston, Knight.

MY most worshipful and most special Master, with all my
     service, most lowly I recommend (me) unto your good
Mastership, beseeching you most tenderly to see me somewhat
rewarded for my labour in the Great Book which I wrote unto
your said good Mastership ; I have oftentimes written to Pam-
pyng, according to your desire, to inform you how I have
laboured in writings for you, and I see well he speak not to your
Mastership of it; and God knoweth I lie in ¹ Sanctuary at
great costs, and amongst right unreasonable askers.

     I moved this matter to Sir Thomas (Lewis) lately, and he told
me he would move your Mastership therein, which Sir Thomas
desired me to remember well what I have had in money at sun-
dry times of him.

     (Then comes the Account, as stated more at large in the fol-
lowing Bill.)

     And in especial I beseech you to send me for Alms one of
your old Gowns, which will countervail much of the premises I

wot well; and I shall be yours while I live, and at your
commandment; I have greatly missed of it God knows, whom I
beseech preserve you from all adversity; I am somewhat ac-
quainted with it.

  Your very man,

 8 ¼ by 10 ¼.

                                                                                 W^m. EBESHAM.

  About 1469,
                9 E. IV.

 Wheels, &c. are a part of the Paper
              Mark, the other Part is cut off.
                            Pl. x. N^o 7.

            About 1469,
                9 E. IV.

^* Following appeareth, parcelly, divers and sundry manner of
     Writings, which I William Ebesham have written for my
     good and worshipful Master, Sir John Paston, and what money
     I have received, and what is unpaid.

                                                                                      WILLIAM EBESHAM.

8 ? by 11 ?
               Paper Mark,
          Bull’s Head and Star.
                 Pl. X. N^o 1.

     Before the invention of Printing, the number of Writers and Copiers was very great;
most monasteries and religious houses having an office called a Scriptorium, wherein several
Writers were almost constantly employed in copying Books on various subjects, Missals
and Books of Psalms, &c. richly and elegantly adorned with Illuminations, &c. Men
of Fortune and Learning likewise occasionally employed Copyiers to transcribe Books for
their Libraries.

W.  Ebesham, (Pl. V. N^o 20.) was one of those who pursued this employment, and
wrote a good hand ; he complains of poverty, and petitions to have his Account dis-
charged.

     One of the Articles in the bill is dated 30th of October 1468, 8 E. IV. what follows
therefore was done after that day, so that perhaps the bill was not delivered, nor this
Letter written, before the next year, 1469.

     ¹ Why he was in Sanctuary I know not, but it appears that it was expensive being
there.

 ^* We are here furnished with a curious Account of the Expences attending the transcrib-
ing of Books previous to the noble art of Printing. At this time the common wages of a
Mechanic were with diet 4d. and without diet 5d. ½ or 6d. a day, we here see that a Wri-
ter received 2d. for writing a folio leaf, three of which he could with case finish in a day,

and I should think that many quick writers at that time would fill four, five, or even six
in a day, if so, the pay of these greatly exceeded that of common handicrast men.

     ¹ Some Grant, or other matter, which was to pass the Privy Seal.

     ² The Depositions of Witnesses.

     ³ This exactly ascertains the Date of this Receipt to be the 30th of October, 1468,
8 E. IV.

     ⁴ This Great Book seems to have contained various Treatises.

     ⁵ Othea means a Treatise on Wisdom.

     ⁶ De Regimine Principum.—A Treatise concerning the Government of Princes, and
by being written for a penny each leaf, I suppose it was in quarto.

     ⁷ This either means ornamenting the whole with red Capital Letters, or writing the
heads of the several Treatises or Chapters in red Letters.

                  ^* “Und p’o m^o libro script’ xxvij^s cu’ diu’ chal.” This in the Original follows “Sum’
non sol. 41^s. 1^d.”

     The following Account of Payments for Writing, &c. is extracted from an Original
Quarto, M. S. in the Editor’s possession, containing
The various Expences of Sir John Howard, Knight, of Stoke by Neyland, in Suffolk,
                                          (afterwards Duke of Norfolk.) p. 136.

     Item the vij^th yere of Kynge  Edward y^e iiijth and y^e xxviij day of July (1467.)
My Mast’ rekened w^t Thomas Lympno^r. of Bury and my Mast’ peid hym

     This is an Account of a Limner or Illuminator of Manuscripts, who resided at Bury.

     ¹ Borders, Flowers, or Flourishes at the beginning of a Book, Chapter, &c.

     ² xv^c and dī = 1500 and an half.

     ³ lxiij^c = 6300.

     ⁴ A Quire of Velum from this entry seems to consist of four leaves, and his receiving only 3d.
for noting two leaves might be accounted for, by the last leaf not being full; the Drawing and
Flourishing of the Capital Letters seems very cheap.

     ⁵ 12s. appears a great price for binding a Book, but it is so stated in the original account.

695

WILLIAM EBESHAM TO SIR JOHN PASTON¹

To my moost worshupfull maister, Sir John Paston,
Knyght.

MY moost woorshupfull and moost speciall maister, with
     all my servyce moost lowly I recomande unto your
     gode maistirship, besechyng you most tendirly to see
me sumwhat rewardid for my labour in the Grete Booke²
which I wright unto your seide gode maistirship. I have
often tymes writyn to Pampyng accordyng to your desire, to
enforme you hou I have labourd in wrytyngs for you; and
I see wele he speke not to your maistership of hit. And God
knowith I ly in seint warye [sanctuary] at grete costs, and
amongs right unresonable askers. I movid this mater to Sir
Thomas³ late, and he tolde me he wolde move your maistir-
ship therein, which Sir Thomas desirid me to remembir wele
what I have had in money at soondry tymes of hym.¹

. . . . . . .

     And in especiall I beseche you to sende me for almes oon
of your olde gownes, which will countirvale much of the
premysses I wote wele; and I shall be yours while I lyve, and
at your comandement; I have grete myst of it, God knows,
whom I beseche preserve you from all adversite. I am
sumwhat acqueyntid with it. Your verry man,

W. EBSHAM.

     Folowyng apperith, parcelly, dyvers and soondry maner of
writyngs, which I William Ebesham have wreetyn for my gode
and woorshupfull maistir, Sir John Paston, and what money I
have resceyvid, and what is unpaide.

                                                                                       WILLIAM EBESHAM.

     In further illustration of the payments made in that age for writing, etc., Sir John
Fenn gives the following extracts from an original quarto MS. then in his possession,
containing—

     The various expences of Sir John Howard, Knight, of Stoke by Neyland,
in Suffolk (afterwards Duke of Norfolk), page 136.

     Item, the vij^th yere of Kynge Edward the iiij^th, and the xxviij. day of July
(1467). My master rekened with Thomas Lympnour of Bury, and my master
peid hym—

The wyche parcellis my master paid hym this day, and he is content.

     This is an account of a limner or illuminator of manuscripts, who resided at
Bury.

———————————————

     ¹ [From Fenn, ii. 10.] By the date of one item in the account subjoined
to this letter it must have been written after the year 1468, probably in the year
following.

     ² This ‘great book’ has been identified, on evidence which at first sight seems
conclusive, with MS. 285 in the Lansdowne library in the British Museum. But
probably this latter is only another transcript by Ebesham of a very similar volume.
See Account of this MS. in ‘Sailing Directions for the Circumnavigation of England,’
published by the Hakluyt Society in 1889.

     ³ Sir Thomas Lewis, a priest.

     ¹ Here (according to Fenn) follows the account as stated more at large in the
subjoined Bill.

     ² Fenn’s modern transcript reads Lewis. Is ‘Leevys’ in the other a misprint for
’Lewys’?

     ¹ Othea means a treatise on Wisdom.—F. The name is derived from the Greek
’Ω θεà but was used in the Middle Ages as a proper name. See a poem beginning

’Othea of prudence named godesse,’

mentioned in the Third Report of the Historical MSS. Commission, p. 188.

     ¹ magno, ‘m^o’ in Fenn.

     ² So in Fenn. Qu. cum diurnali challengiorum? Fenn omits the whole of this
clause, unde . . . . chal’, but notices its occurrence in a footnote.

1469(?)

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1469(?)

1469(?)