William Botoner to John Paston

LETTER XXXIV.

To my gode Maister John Paston Escuier in Norw^e. and yn bys
absence to John Berney at Caist^r squyer.

WORSHYPFULL S^rs. I recomaund me to yow, lyke
     yow wete that as to the War’unts and cop’ that ye
remēbred to be ghéten owt, it ys laboured for, &c.

     And as to the Assiss’ it shall hald at Norwych the monday
next com fortendayes.

     The Duc of York the Lord ¹ Cromewell and othyr Lordys of
the north that were wyth my seyd Lord York comen hedre by
monday next as it ys credybly seyd.

     The Lordys that be appoynted to kepe the See maken hem
redye yn all haste. And the Treso^rer also the Lord ² Wyltshyre
for the west coost. And a stately vessell only for the warre
ys made new at Brystow by the ³ Mayr called St’myn’.

     And the seyd toune w^t the west coosts wolle do her part
and they may be supported or favo^red.
     Mastere Pownyngs hath day tille the next t^rme by a remay-

ner manye a gode man ys hert he hath. God comfort hy in
ryght.

     And justice ys don dayly uppon thevys and malefacto^rs,
and people be glad that justice may p’cede.

     The Lord ⁴ Bourcher hath a gode Renomee of hys wyse de-
menyng at Calis but he ys not yhyt comen.

     The Soude^rs be more temp’at then they were, not ell for lak
of leys^r but Our Lord kepe you.

     Wryt at L, the v day of Jullet.

     Gress’m qwyts hym well yn yo^r Erandys doyng to me.

                                                                                      Yo^r.

                                                                          ⁵ M. Botener.

   11 ½ by 4 ½

Paper Mark.
   Bull’s Head, &c.
       Pl. viii. N^o 2.
   N. B. The greatest
       part is cut off.

London,
                    Tuesday, 5th of July,
                    1457, 35 H. VI.

  This Letter has no date of the year, but by the care taken to guard the Coasts, it seems
to have been written in July 1457, at which time the French King meditated an in-
vasion; and his Fleet actually made an attempt upon, and plundered Sandwich in Kent,
in the August following.

     ¹ Henry Lord Cromwell.

     ² James Butler, Earl of Ormond, and Lord Treasurer, was created Earl of Wiltshire,

in 1449, and after the battle of Towton, wherein Henry was defeated, he was beheaded
at Newcastle, in 1461.

     ³ William Canyng, was in all probability the Mayor of Bristol, who made new this
stately vessel only for the war, called the St. Myn’.

 ⁴ Henry Lord Bourchier, sat in Parliament in 1446, as Viscount Bourchier, in 1461
was created Earl of Essex, and died in 1483. He married Isabel, Sister of Richard Duke
of York, in 1448.

 The Impression on the Seal of this Letter is a W. surmounted by a Coronet.

     ⁵ Autograph. Pl. II. N^o 24.

LETTER XXXIV.

To my good Master John Paston, Esquire, in Norwich, and in his
absence to John Berney, at Caister, Esquire.

WORSHIPFUL Sirs, I recommend me to you, like you
     weet that as to the Warrants and Copies that ye re-
membred to be gotten out, it is laboured for, &c.

     And as to the Assizes, it shall be holden at Norwich the
Monday next come fourteen days.

     The Duke of York, the Lord ¹ Cromwell, and other Lords
of the North, that were with my said Lord of York, are
coming hither by Monday next, as it is credibly said.

     The Lords, that be appointed to keep the Sea, are making
them ready in all haste. And the Treasurer also, the Lord of
² Wiltshire for the west Coast.

     And a stately vessel, only for the war, is made new at Bristol,
by the ³ Mayor, called St. Myn’; and the said Town with the
west Coasts will do their part, and (if) they may be supported
and favoured.

     Master Poynings hath day till the next term by a Remainer;

many a good man is hurt (that) he hath. God comfort him
in right.

     And Justice is done daily upon Thieves and Malefactors, and
People be glad that Justice may proceed.

     The Lord ⁴ Bourchier hath a good Renomee (Renown) of
his wise demeaning at Calais, but he is not yet come.

     The Soldiers be more temperate than they were.

     Nothing else for lack of leisure, but our Lord keep you.

     Written at L (London) the 5th day of July.

     Gressham quits him well in your Errands doing to me.

                                                                               Yours,

                                                                   ⁵ WILLIAM BOTENER.

   11 ½ by 4 ½

Paper Mark.
   Bull’s Head, &c.
       Pl. viii. N^o 2.
   N. B. The greatest
       part is cut off.

London,
                    Tuesday, 5th of July,
                    1457, 35 H. VI.

  This Letter has no date of the year, but by the care taken to guard the Coasts, it seems
to have been written in July 1457, at which time the French King meditated an in-
vasion; and his Fleet actually made an attempt upon, and plundered Sandwich in Kent,
in the August following.

     ¹ Henry Lord Cromwell.

     ² James Butler, Earl of Ormond, and Lord Treasurer, was created Earl of Wiltshire,

in 1449, and after the battle of Towton, wherein Henry was defeated, he was beheaded
at Newcastle, in 1461.

     ³ William Canyng, was in all probability the Mayor of Bristol, who made new this
stately vessel only for the war, called the St. Myn’.

 ⁴ Henry Lord Bourchier, sat in Parliament in 1446, as Viscount Bourchier, in 1461
was created Earl of Essex, and died in 1483. He married Isabel, Sister of Richard Duke
of York, in 1448.

 The Impression on the Seal of this Letter is a W. surmounted by a Coronet.

     ⁵ Autograph. Pl. II. N^o 24.

249

WILLIAM BOTONER TO JOHN PASTON³

To my gode maister, John Paston, Escuier, in Norwich, and yn hys
absence, to John Berney, at Caister, Squyer.

   WORSHYPFULL Sirs, I recomaund me to yow.
     Lyke yow wete that as to the waraunts and copes
     that ye remembred to be gheten owt, it ys laboured
for, &c.

     And as to the assisse, it shall hald at Norwych, the Monday
next com fortendayes.

     The Duc of York, the Lord Cromewell, and othyr Lordys
of the North that were wyth my seyd Lord York, comen
hedre by Monday next, as it ys credybly seyd. The Lordys
that be appoynted to kepe the see maken hem redye yn all
haste; and the Tresourer also, the Lord Wyltshyre¹ for the
west coost. And a stately vessell, only for the warre, ys made
new at Brystow by the Mayr, called Sturmyn.² And the seyd
toune with the west coosts wolle do her part, and [i.e. if] they
may be supported or favoured.³

     Mastere Pownyngs⁴ hath day tille the next terme by a
remayner. Manye a gode man ys hert he hath.¹ God comfort
hym in ryght!

     And justice ys don dayly uppon thevys and malefactours,
and people be glad that justice may procede.

     The Lord Bourchier hath a gode renomee of hys wyse
demenyng at Calis, but he ys not yhyt comen.

     The Soudeours be more temperat then they were. Not
ell[es] for lak of leyser, but our Lord kepe you.

     Wryt at L. [London], the V. day of Juliet.

     Gressam qwyts hym well yn your erandys doyng to me.

                                              Your,                       W. BOTONER.

     ³ [From Fenn, i. 140.] The year in which this letter was written must be that of
the mayoralty of Robert Sturmy at Bristol, as shown in p. 324, Note 2. It certainly
could not be 1457, Fenn’s date, as Lord Cromwell died in January 1456.

     ¹ James Butler, Earl of Wiltshire and Ormond. He was appointed Lord Treasurer
of England on the 15th March 1455 (Patent, 33 Henry VI., p. 2, m. 20), but on the
29th May following the office was taken from him, and given to Henry, Viscount
Bourchier (Ib. m. 12). But this letter, which is dated in July, cannot be in 1455;
indeed, we have positive evidence that it is in 1454. How, then, are we to explain
the manner in which Wiltshire is referred to above? It is just possible—though not
likely, as Wiltshire was a Lancastrian—that his appointment may have been enrolled
in the wrong year, and that he was really made Lord Treasurer on the 15th March
1454. A difference in punctuation will perhaps solve the difficulty best:—’The
Lords that be appointed to keep the see maken hem ready yn all haste, and the
Treasourer also: the Lord Wyltshyre for the west coast.’ John Tiptoft, Earl of
Worcester, is mentioned as Lord Treasurer on the 11th February 1454.—See Rolls of
Parl. v. 238.

     ² The name was printed by Fenn ‘St’myn’,’ and in the modern version on the
opposite page, ‘St. Myn.’ Robert Sturmy was Mayor of Bristol in the year 1453-4.
It was probably this very ship that was captured by the Genoese in 1457, of which
disaster there is the following notice in the MS. Calendars of Bristol:—’Mr. Robert
Sturney [alias Sturmey], who was Mayor in 1453, had this year a ship spoiled in the
Mediterranean Sea by the Genoese, which ship had gotten much wealth as having
been long forth. She had spices fit to be planted here in England, as was reported,
but the men of Genoa in envy spoiled her. Which wrong, when King Henry
understood, he arrested the Genoa merchants in London, seized their goods,
and imprisoned their persons, until they gave security to make good the loss; so
that they were charged with £6000 indebted to Mr. Sturney.’—Seyer’s Memoirs of
Bristol, ii. 189.

     ³ ‘The said town,’ it would appear, did ‘do her part’ on the occasion; for besides
this ship fitted out by the Mayor, Bristol subscribed £150 to a loan raised by the
Duke of York from the seaports for the protection of trade. This sum may appear
insignificant for a flourishing seaport; but London itself only subscribed £300, and
Southampton, which was the next largest contributor, only £100, while Norwich and
Yarmouth contributed the latter amount between them.—Seyer’s Bristol, ii. 188; see
also Rolls of Parl. v. 245. We must remember, however, that these sums probably
represent about fifteen times their value in modern currency. At all events, by
comparison with other places, Botoner had no cause to be ashamed of his native
town.

     ⁴ Robert Poynings.—See p. 154, Note 3.

    ¹ ‘Many a good man’s heart he hath.’—We should have thought this explanation
unnecessary, but that Fenn, in his modern version, gives the following most extra-
ordinary rendering:—’Many a good man is hurt (that) he hath.’

JULY 5

1454

JULY 5

1454

JULY 5