Walter Paston to Sir John Paston

LETTER LVI.

To hys Ryth rev^rend brod^r S^r
     John Paston at Cast^r Hall in
     Norfolk

AFT^r all dw rev^rens and recome˜dacons likythyt yow to
und^rstond that J receyvyd a lettr fro my brod^r John wherby
I und^rstod that my mod^r and yow wold know what ze costs
of my p’cedyng shold be J sent a lettr to my brod^r John
c^rtyfyyng my costs and y^e causis why that J wold p’cede
but as I have sent word to my mod^r I p’pose to tary now
tyll yt be Mychelmas for yf I tary tyll then sum of my
Costys shall be payyd for I supposed whan that J sent y^e
lettr to my brod^r John that y^e qwenys brod^r schold have
pcedyd at Mydsom^r but he woll tary now tyll Michylm’s
but as I send word to my mod^r J wold be inceptor befor
Mydsom^r and ther for I besechyd her to send me sum
mony for yt woll be sum cost to me but not mych and
Syr J besech you to send me word what answer ye have of
y^e buschop of Wynchest^r for that mat^r whych ye spak to
hym of for me whan J was w^t you at london J thowth for to
have had word ther of or thys tym I wold yt wold com for
our fyndyng of y^e buschopp of Norwych begynyth to be
slake in payment and yf ye know not whath thys term me-
nyth inceptor Mast^r Edmu˜d that was my rewler at Oxforth
berar her of kan tell yow or ellys any od^r graduat Also I
p’y yow send me word what ye do w^t y^e hors J left at tot-
nam and whyd^r y^e man be co˜tent that J had yt of or nat
Jhu p’serve you to hys plesur and to your most hartys de-
syyr Wretyn at Oxforth y^e Saturday next aftr asce˜syon of
yowr lord.

                                                                   WALTR PASTON.

        11½ by 2¾.

         Paper Mark.
          A Unicorn.
       Pl. xxxii. No. 4.

This letter informs us of Walter Paston’s proceeding to take a batchelor’s
degree in arts.

     When any gentleman is admitted to a degree in the University at any time
previous to the usual public time of conferring degrees, he is during that period
styled an inceptor.

     The queen’s brother here mentioned must have been Lionel Wideville, at
that time of the University of Oxford, and youngest son of Richard Wideville
Earl Rivers.

     He was consecrated bishop of Salisbury in 1482, and was afterwards chan-
cellor of that University.

     Francis Godwin, who was born in 1562, and was successively bishop of
Landaff and Hereford, in his “Catalogue of the Bishops of England,” presents
us with the following anecdote of this Lionel, Bishop of Salisbury.

     “A neere kinsman of this bishoppe hath assured me, that Stephen Gardiner,
“Bishop of Winches.er, was begotten by him, who, to cover his own fault,
“married his mother unto one Gardiner, one of his meanest followers, and
“caused another of better sort to bring up the childe, as it were of almes.”
He died in 1485.

     It appears from this letter that when any person related to the royal family
took any degree in the University, a part of the expenses of those who become
graduates at the same time were borne by such personage. It does not appear
whether the University fees were so discharged, or whether it related only to
the expense attending the feasts given at such time.

     It most probably related only to the expenses attending the good cheer, and
if so, it might be confined to those of the same college only.

     Autograph, Pl. xxix. No. 7.

LETTER LVI.

To his Right Reverend Brother Sir John Paston, at Caister
Hall in Norfolk.

AFTER all due reverence and recommendations, liketh it
you to understand that I received a letter from my brother
John, whereby I understood that my mother and you would
know what the costs of my proceeding should be; I sent
a letter to my brother John certifying my costs, and the
causes why that I would proceed, but as I have sent word
to my mother, I purpose to tarry now till it be Michaelmas,
for if I tarry till then, some of my costs shall be paid, for I
supposed, when that I sent the letter to my brother John,
that the queen’s brother should have proceeded at Mid-
summer, but he will tarry now till Michaelmas, but as I
sent word to my mother, I would be Inceptor before Mid-
summer, and therefore I beseeched her to send me some
money, for it will be some cost to me, but not much.

     Sir, I beseech you to send me word what answer ye have
of the Bishop of Winchester for that matter which ye spake
to him of for me, when I was with you at London: I thought
for to have had word thereof ere this time: I would it would
come, for our finding of the Bishop of Norwich beginneth
to be slack in payment; and if ye know not what this term
meaneth “Inceptor,” Master Edmund, that was my ruler at
Oxford, bearer hereof, can tell you, or else any other gra-
duate.

  Also, I pray you send me word what is done with the
horse I left at Tottenham, and whether the man be content
that I had it of or not. Jesu preserve you to his pleasure,
and to your most heart’s desire. Written at Oxford the
Saturday next after the Ascension of our Lord.

                                                                    WALTER PASTON.

           Oxford,
      Saturday, 22 May,
        1479. 19 E. iv.

This letter informs us of Walter Paston’s proceeding to take a batchelor’s
degree in arts.

     When any gentleman is admitted to a degree in the University at any time
previous to the usual public time of conferring degrees, he is during that period
styled an inceptor.

     The queen’s brother here mentioned must have been Lionel Wideville, at
that time of the University of Oxford, and youngest son of Richard Wideville
Earl Rivers.

     He was consecrated bishop of Salisbury in 1482, and was afterwards chan-
cellor of that University.

     Francis Godwin, who was born in 1562, and was successively bishop of
Landaff and Hereford, in his “Catalogue of the Bishops of England,” presents
us with the following anecdote of this Lionel, Bishop of Salisbury.

     “A neere kinsman of this bishoppe hath assured me, that Stephen Gardiner,
“Bishop of Winches.er, was begotten by him, who, to cover his own fault,
“married his mother unto one Gardiner, one of his meanest followers, and
“caused another of better sort to bring up the childe, as it were of almes.”
He died in 1485.

     It appears from this letter that when any person related to the royal family
took any degree in the University, a part of the expenses of those who become
graduates at the same time were borne by such personage. It does not appear
whether the University fees were so discharged, or whether it related only to
the expense attending the feasts given at such time.

     It most probably related only to the expenses attending the good cheer, and
if so, it might be confined to those of the same college only.

     Autograph, Pl. xxix. No. 7.

945

WALTER PASTON TO SIR JOHN PASTON¹

To hys ryth reverend broder, Sir John Paston, at Caster
Hall, in Norfolk.

      AFTER all dw reverens and recomendacions, likyth yt
          yow to understond that I reseyvyd a letter fro my
         broder John, where by I understod that my moder
and yow wold know what the costes of my procedyng schold
be. I sent a letter to my broder John, certyfyyng my costes,
and the causys why that I wold procede; but as I have sent
word to my moder, I purpose to tary now tyll yt be Mychyl-
mas, for yf I tary tyll than, sum of my costys schall be payyd;
for I supposed, whan that I sent the letter to my broder John,
that the Qwenys broder² schold have procedyd at Mydsomer,
but he woll tary now tyll Michylmas; but as I send word to
my moder, I wold be Inceptor be fore Mydsomer, and there
fore I besechyd her to send me sum mony, for yt woll be sum
cost to me, but not mych.

     And, syr, I besech yow to send me word what answer ye
have of the Buschopp of Wynchester for that mater whych ye
spak to hym of for me whan I was with yow at London. I
thowth for to have had word there of or thys tyme. I wold
yt wold come, for owr fyndyng of the Buschopp of Norwych
begynnyth to be slake in payment. And yf ye know not
whath thys term menyth, ‘Inceptor,’ Master Edmund, that
was my rewler at Oxforth, berar here of, kan tell yow, or ellys
any oder gradwat.

     Also I pray yow send me word what ys do with the hors I
left at Totnam, and whyder the man be content that I had yt
of, or nat. Jesu preserve yow to Hys pleswre and to yowr
most hartys desyyr.

     Wretyn at Oxforth, the Saturday next after Ascensyon of
Yowr Lord.

                                                                            WALTER PASTON.

     ¹ [From Paston MSS., B.M.] This letter is endorsed in a contemporary hand,
apparently Sir John Paston’s own, ‘anno xix^o,’ showing that it was written in the
nineteenth year of Edward IV.

     ² Lionel Woodville, afterwards Bishop of Salisbury.

MAY 22

1479
MAY 22