William Paston to John Paston

LETTER XLVII.

To his Right Worshipfull Broth’r John Paston be this l’re
delyv’ed.

   AFTER dewe recomendacon’ had, Please you to wete that
     we cam to London uppon the tewysday by non’ nexst aftr
our dep’to^r fro Norwich and sent our men to inquyre aft’ my
¹ Lord Chaunceler and Maist’ John Stokys and Malmesbury.

     And as for my Lord Chañceler he was dep’ted fro London
and was redyn to y^e Kyng ij dayes er we were come to London,
and as we understand he hasted hym to y^e Kyng by cause of my
Lord Ryv’s takyng at Sandwyche, &c.

     (Then follows a long Account of private Business, which is here
omitted.)

     As for tydyngs my Lord ² Ryv’s was brougth to Caleys and
by for the Lords w^t viij^xx torches and there my Lord of Salesbury
reheted hym callyng hym ³ Knaves son that he schuld be so
rude to calle hym and these oy’ Lords traytors, for they schall
be found the Kyngs treue liege men whan he schuld be found
a t^ryto^r, &c And my Lord of Warr’ reheted hym and seyd
that his fader was but asquyer and broute up w^t Kyng H’rry
the v^te and sethen hymself made by maryage and also made
Lord and that it was not his p’te to have swyche langage of
Lords beyng of the Kyngs blood, and my Lord of Marche
reheted hym in lyke wyse, and S^r. ⁴ Antony was reheted for his
langage of all iij Lords in lyke wyse.

     It’, the Kyng cometh to London ward and as it is seyd
rereth the pepyll as he com’ but it is c’tayn ther be comyssyons
made in to dyv’s schyres that ev’y man be redy in his best
aray to com whan the Kyng send for hem. It’, my Lord Roos
is com fro Gynes.

     No more but we p’y to J’hu have you in his most m’cyfull
kepyng Amen. Wretyn at London the munday next aft’ seynt
Powle day.

                                                               Yowr Brod,

                                                                           ⁵ William Paston.

 Paper Mark.
            Cap and Fleur de Lys.
                     Pl. VIII. N^o 4.          

  London,
                Monday, 29th of January,
                1459, 38 H. VI.

     This bold Plan, for surprising the Admiral, and taking his Fleet, was laid by the Earl
of Warwick, &c., at Calais, and executed with success by Sir John Dinham, at Sand-
wich, in January 1459. Lord Rivers and his Son when Prisoners, being only rated by
the Lords, shews in them great moderation; as the cruelties usually exercised on Priso-
ners of consequence in the civil wars of those ferocious times would have warranted
their immediate execution.

     ¹ Laurence Booth, Bishop of Durham.

 ² Richard Widville, Lord Rivers married Jaquetta, Daughter of Peter of Luxem-
burg, Earl of St. Paul, and widow of John, Duke of Bedford, by whom he was Father
to Elizabeth, the widow of Sir John Gray, and afterwards Queen of Edward IV. the
now Earl of March, by whom he was created Earl Rivers, &c. He was beheaded in
July, 1469, by the Lancastrian Mutineers, in Northamptonshire.

     ³ The word Knave appears, by this expression, at this time to have been used in a
bad sense.

 ⁴ Sir Anthony Widville, afterwards Lord Scales and Earl Rivers, was beheaded by
the tyrannic order of Richard III. at Pontefract, on the 13th of June, 1483.

⁵ Autograph. Pl. II. N^o 21.

                                              LETTER XLVII.

To his right worshipful Brother, John Paston, be this Letter
delivered.

   AFTER due recommendation had, Please you to wete,
     that we came to London upon the Tuesday by noon,
next after our departure from Norwich, and sent our men to
enquire after my Lord ¹ Chancellor, and Mr. John Stokes,
and Malmesbury. And as for my Lord Chancellor he was de-
parted from London, and was rode to the King two days ere
we were come to London; and as we understand, he hasted
him to the King, because of my Lord Rivers being taken at
Sandwich, &c.

     (Then follows a long Account of private Business, which is here
omitted.)

     As for Tidings, my Lord ² Rivers was brought to Calais,
and before the Lords with eight score torches, and there my
Lord of Salisbury rated him, calling him; “³ Knave’s Son,
“ that he should be so rude to call him, and these other Lords
“ Traytors; for they should be found the King’s true Liege
“ men, when he should be found a Traytor, &c.”

And my Lord of Warwick rated him, and said ?that his
“ Father was but a Squire, and brought up with King Henry V.
“ and since made himself by marriage, and also made a Lord;
“ and that it was not his part to have such language of Lords,
“ being of the King’s Blood.”

     And my Lord of March rated him in like wise.

     And Sir ⁴ Anthony was rated for his language of all the
three Lords in like wise.

     Item, the King cometh to London ward, and as it is said
rereth (raiseth) the people as he come; but it is certain there
be commissions made into diverse Shires, that every man be
ready, in his best array, to come, when the King send for
him.

     Item, my Lord Roos is come from Guisnes.

     No more, but we pray to Jesu have you in his most merciful
keeping. Amen.

     Written at London the Monday next after Saint Paul’s Day.

                                                        Your Brother,

                                                                    ⁵ WILLIAM PASTON.

 Paper Mark.
            Cap and Fleur de Lys.
                     Pl. VIII. N^o 4.          

  London,
                Monday, 29th of January,
                1459, 38 H. VI.

This bold Plan, for surprising the Admiral, and taking his Fleet, was laid by the Earl
of Warwick, &c., at Calais, and executed with success by Sir John Dinham, at Sand-
wich, in January 1459. Lord Rivers and his Son when Prisoners, being only rated by
the Lords, shews in them great moderation; as the cruelties usually exercised on Priso-
ners of consequence in the civil wars of those ferocious times would have warranted
their immediate execution.

     ¹ Laurence Booth, Bishop of Durham.

 ² Richard Widville, Lord Rivers married Jaquetta, Daughter of Peter of Luxem-
burg, Earl of St. Paul, and widow of John, Duke of Bedford, by whom he was Father
to Elizabeth, the widow of Sir John Gray, and afterwards Queen of Edward IV. the
now Earl of March, by whom he was created Earl Rivers, &c. He was beheaded in
July, 1469, by the Lancastrian Mutineers, in Northamptonshire.

     ³ The word Knave appears, by this expression, at this time to have been used in a
bad sense.

 ⁴ Sir Anthony Widville, afterwards Lord Scales and Earl Rivers, was beheaded by
the tyrannic order of Richard III. at Pontefract, on the 13th of June, 1483.

⁵ Autograph. Pl. II. N^o 21.

400

WILLIAM PASTON TO JOHN PASTON¹

To his right worshipfull brother, John Paston,
be this lettre delyvered.

      AFTER dewe recomendacion had, please you to wete
          that we cam to London uppon the Tewysday by
          none, nexst aftr our departour fro Norwich, and sent
our men to inquyre after my Lord Chaunceler,² and Maister
John Stokys, and Malmesbury.

     And as for my Lord Chaunceler, he was departed fro
London, and was redyn to the Kyng ij. dayes er we were
come to London; and as we understand he hasted hym to
the Kyng by cause of my Lord Ryvers³ takyng at Sand-
wyche, &c.⁴. . . . . . . .

     As for tydyngs, my Lord Ryvers was brougth to Caleys,
and by for the Lords with viij^xx. [eight score] torches, and
there my Lord of Salesbury reheted [rated] hym, callyng
hym knaves son, that he schuld be so rude to calle hym
and these other Lords traytors, for they schall be found the
Kyngs treue liege men, whan he schuld be found a traytour,
&c. And my Lord of Warrewyk rehetyd hym, and seyd
that his fader was but a squyer, and broute up with Kyng
Herry the V^te, and sethen hymself made by maryage, and also
made Lord, and that it was not his parte to have swyche
langage of Lords, beyng of the Kyngs blood. And my Lord
of Marche reheted hym in lyke wyse. And Sir Antony⁵ was
reheted for his langage of all iij. Lords in lyke wyse.

     Item, the Kyng cometh to London ward, and, as it is seyd,
rereth the pepyll as he come; but it is certayn ther be comys-
syons made in to dyvers schyres that every man be redy in his
best aray to com whan the Kyng send for hem.

     Item, my Lord Roos is com fro Gynes.

     No more, but we pray to Jesu have you in his most
mercyfull kepyng. Amen.

     Wretyn at London, the Munday next after Seynt Powle
day.¹                          Yowr broder,

                                                                             WILLIAM PASTON.

     ¹ [From Fenn, i. 186.] This letter, like the last, refers to the capture of Lord
Rivers and his son at Sandwich, an incident dated by William Worcester in his
annals shortly after the Christmas of 1459, which probably means just after the New
Year.

     ² William de Waynflete, Bishop of Winchester.

     ³ See p. 203, Note 3.

     ⁴ ‘Then follows,’ says Fenn, ‘a long account of private business, which is here
omitted.’

     ⁵ Sir Anthony Widville, afterwards Lord Scales and Earl Rivers.

    ¹ The Feast of the Conversion of St. Paul is on the 25th of January.

1460
JAN. 28

1460
JAN. 28