William Jenney to John Paston

LETTER XII.

    To my Wrshipful and right
    gode mayster Iohn Paston
    Squyer.

WURSHIPFUL Sre and my right gode mayster I re-
comaunde me to zou and hrtely I thanke zour gode
maystrship that ze liked to sende my maystr zour Sone to Sporle
wt suych felaship as ze dede for which I am evr bounde to doo
zou srvice p'yeng zou of zour gode contenuaunce Sre the cause

why J kam no^t was this I was falle seek wt an ¹ axez and truly
that caused me that J and my felaship taryed and so be cause ther-
offe I caused my lady to Wryte a specyall l're to my lord Scales
but for al that Blake hath hoom the corn in my lady of Suff'
name And the cause why I sent no wurd of my seknes was that I
wuld no^t myn enmy shuld be reioysed by the knowlych of my
seknesse so god help me the felaship that was redy to goo was
right sory that thei myght not goo furth^r w^t me And my ² lordes
and my ladyes wyl was that thei shuld have goon furth^r but if I
had been heil and not seek there shuld have kome a wrshipful fe-
laship out of Suff' of so litel Warnyng but truly I lay seek at
Jpeswych of the the Axcez bothe Sunday and Monday but sre
syn ze have shewed me so kyndely zour gode maystership I p'ye
zou I may have your felaship redy at a nothir tyme to helpe to
execute a comyssion touchyng Blake and that thei may be redy
wtinne ij dayez after ze have Warnyng and sre my srvice is redy
to zou at alle tymys as ze shewe me gret cause to doo zou srvice
Wreten at Thelton the Wednysday next before seynt Bertilmew
day in haste.

                                   Your srvut,

³ Will'm Jenney.

11 1/2 by 4 1/2.

    We have here an instance of the tumultuous and desperate manner in which Distresses
were made; in this case, Corn seems to have been the obejct. It appears that another
entry of the same kind was intended. It is not said which of his Sons J. Paston had sent.

    ¹ An Axes, or Access, from the French word Acces, means the fist or paroxysm of a
disease, and in this place most probably may be considered as an Ague fit.

    ² I suppose these mean the Duke and Duchess of Norfolk.

   ³ William Jenney, of Knotishall, in Suffolk, was an eminent Lawyer, and in 1477 was
made a Judge of the King's Bench; he died in 1483, aged above sixty years. Auto-
graph. Pl. XXV. No 10.

    I believe this Letter was written in the beginning of the reign of Edward IV.

    On the back is written, in an ancient hand.

    "A friendly l're of W. Jenney who after became a mortal enemye."

 LETTER XII.

      To my worshipful and right good Master John Paston, Esq.

WORSHIPFUL Sir and my right good Master, I re-
commend me to you, and heartily I thank your good
mastership that ye liked to send my Master your Son to Sporle
with such fellowship as ye did, for which I am ever bound to
do you service, praying you of your good continuance.

Sir, the cause why I came not was this, I was fallen sick
with an ¹ axes (access), and truly that caused me that I and my
fellowship tarried, and so because thereof I caused my Lady to
write a special Letter to my Lord Scales, but for all that Blake
hath home the Corn in my Lady of Suffolk's name; and the
cause why I sent no word of my sickness was, that I would not
mine enemy should be rejoiced by the knowledge of my sickness,
so God help me; the fellowship that was ready to go was right
sorry that they might not go farther with me, and my 2Lord's
and my Lady's will was that they should have gone farther; but
if I had been hele (well) and not sick there should have come a
worshipful fellowship out of Suffolk of so little warning, but
truly I lay sick at Ipswich of the Access both Sunday and Mon-
day; but, Sir, since ye have shewed me so kindly your good
mastership, I pray you I may have your fellowship ready at
another time to help to execute a Commission touching Blalek,
and that they may be ready within two days after ye have
warning, and, Sir, my service is ready to you at all times, as ye
shew me great cause to do you sersvice.

    Written at Thelveton, the Wednesday next before Saint Bar-
tholomew's day (24th of August) in haste.

                                            Your Servant,
                                                                            ³ WILLIAM JENNEY.

Thelveton,
    Wednesday, August,
    1461, or 1462.
    I or 2 E. IV.

    We have here an instance of the tumultuous and desperate manner in which Distresses
were made; in this case, Corn seems to have been the obejct. It appears that another
entry of the same kind was intended. It is not said which of his Sons J. Paston had sent.

    ¹ An Axes, or Access, from the French word Acces, means the fist or paroxysm of a
disease, and in this place most probably may be considered as an Ague fit.

    ² I suppose these mean the Duke and Duchess of Norfolk.

    ³ William Jenney, of Knotishall, in Suffolk, was an eminent Lawyer, and in 1477 was
made a Judge of the King's Bench; he died in 1483, aged above sixty years. Auto-
graph. Pl. XXV. No 10.

    I believe this Letter was written in the beginning of the reign of Edward IV.

    On the back is written, in an ancient hand.

    "A friendly l're of W. Jenney who after became a mortal enemye."

384

WILLIAM JENNEY TO JOHN PASTON¹

To my worshipful and right gode mayster,
John Paston, Squyer.

         WURSHIPFUL sire, and my right gode mayster, I
                recomaunde me to zou, and hertely I thanke zour
               gode maystership that ze liked to sende my mayster
zour sone to Sporle with suych felaship as ze dede, for which
I am ever bounde to doo zou service, prayeng zou of zour
gode contenuaunce.

     Sire, the cause why I kam not was this: I was falle seek
with an axez [ague], and truly that caused me that I and my
felaship taryed; and so be cause theroffe I caused my lady to
wryte a specyall lettre to my Lord Scales. But for al that
Blake hath hoom the corn in my Lady of Suffolkys name.
And the cause why I sent no wurd of my seknes was, that I
wuld not myn enmy shuld be rejoysed be the knowlych of my
seknesse. So God help me, the felaship that was redy to goo
was right sory that thei myght not goo furth with me; and
my lordes and my ladyes wyl was that thei shuld have goon
further. But if I had been heil and not seek, there shuld have
kome a wurshipful felaship out of Suffolk of so litel warnyng;
but truly I lay seek at Ipeswych of the axcez bothe Sunday
and Monday. But, sire, syn ze have shewed me so kyndely
zour gode maystership, I praye zou I may have your felaship
redy at a nothir tyme to help to execute a commyssion touchyng
Blake, and that thei may be redy withinne ij. dayez after ze
have warnyng. And, sire, my service is redy to zou at alle
tymys, as ze shewe me gret cause to doo zou service. Wreten
at Thelton,¹ the Wednysday next before Seynt Bertilmew Day
in haste.

                                Your servaunt,                   WILLIAM JENNEY.

     ¹ [From Fenn, iv. 38.] This letter is referred by Fenn to the beginning of
Edward IV.’s reign, but on a careful examination I think it must be earlier, as William
Jenney’s proceedings, even in the first year of Edward IV., were by no means friendly
to John Paston. The Lord Scales here mentioned must therefore be the Lord Scales
of Henry VI.’s time, who was murdered in July 1460, and the letter, having been
written in August, cannot be later than 1459. In that year, as will be seen by Letter
377, John Paston’s eldest son had already begun active life, and I am inclined to think
that it is the precise year in which the present letter was written. John Paston, the
second, was at that time not more than nineteen years of age, and we hear nothing of
his doings earlier. The manor of Sporle was inherited by John Paston, senior, from
his father the judge.

  ¹ Thelveton, near Diss, in Norfolk.

1459(?)
AUG. [22]

1459(?)
AUG. [22]