William Paston to Sir John Paston

LETTER XVI.

To S^r John Paston
     be thys lettyr delyu^red.

AFTYR All dewe recomendacon pleasyt yow to undyrstonde
that my lorde hathe ben w^t the Kynge in Wyndeso^r at
Seynt Georgys Feste and ther at the same Feste were bothe
y^e Jnbaceto’s of Breten and of Flaundyrs as well fro the
kynge of Romayns as fro the yonge duke But J can not
schew yow y^e certeyn whedyr we schall haue w^t them warre
or pease But J undyrstonde for certeyn that all suche
Capeteyns as wente to the y^e see in lente y^t is to sey S^r
Charlys Som^rsett S^r Ric’ Hawte and S^r Wyll’m Vampage
makythe them redy to goo to the see Ageyn as schortely as
they Can to what Jntente J can not sey Also where as it
was seyde that my lord Woddevyle and other schulde haue
gone ou^r in to Breten to haue eyded the Duke of Breten J
can not tell of non sucheeyd Butt upon that seynge ther came
many men to Sowthhamton where it was seyd that he schulde
haue takyn schyppyng to haue waytyd vpon hym ou^r and soo
whan he was countyrmaundyd thos that resortyd thedyr to
haue gon ou^r w^t hym taryde there styll in hope y^t they schuld
haue ben lycensyd to haue gone ou^r and whan they sey no
lykeleod that they schuld haue lycens there was ij C of them
that gete them in to a Breton schyppe y^e whyche was late
Come ou^r w^t salte and bad the mayst^r sett them a lond in
Breten and they had nott seylyd not paste v legs butt they
aspied a Frenchma˜ and the Frenchma˜ mad ou^r to them and
they ferde as thaw they wolde not haue medylde w^t them
and all the Englysche me˜ went undyr the hetchys soo that
the schewyd no more but those that Come to Sowthehamton
w^t the schype to cause the Frenchemen to be the more
gladder to medyll w^t them and soo the frenchema˜ Burdyd
them and then they that were undyr the hetches came up and
soo toke y^e Frenchma˜ and caryed y^e me˜ schyppe and all in
to Breaten Also ther was ther an Inbaceto^r fro the Kynge
of schotts who is now put in grete trobyll be hys son and
other of the lords of his londe Syr as J came homewerde be
london I spake there w^t Edmonde Dormand and he seyd
that he had Wretyn onto yow but he had non Aunswere
Wherfor he p’yd me that if I knew ony man comynge towerds
Norwhyche and J wolde wrythe on to yow y^t he ferythe if
ye see non other dyreccon that he schall be comittyd to y^e
Flete Also he schewyd me that Herry Wyott wholde fynde
the mene to haue yow condemnyd and recov’ y^e obligacon of
xl li ageyns yow and soo he seythe he whote nott how to doo
for he is halfe dysmayd he ferythe lesse that he schall neu^r
come home But he Jntendythe to plede the obligacon
fulfylyd at Norwyche for he seythe ther is no other remedy
to saue yow fro the condemnacon tyl that he herythe other-
wyse from yow whyche he thynketh longe aftyr Wretyn at
Henyngh’m y^e xiij day of May w^t the hand of yo^r Brodyr

                                                                      WILL˜M PASTON.

      11½ by 8¼.

                      Seal,
        A Fleur de Lys and Crescent.
               Pl. xxxiv. No. 6.

     Henry VII. this year kept the Feast of St. George very solemnly at Wind-
sor, at which were present the Lord Malpertuis, ambassador from Francis
Duke of Bretaigne; the President of Kushemborough, from Maximilian the
King of the Romans; the Scotish ambassador the Lord Bothville, and many
others.

     Sir Charles Somerset executed the office of Cupbearer; he was the natural
son of Henry Duke of Somerset, and for his great abilities and loyalty was
afterwards created Earl of Worcester.

     The office of Sewer was filled by Sir William Vampage.

     Sir Edward Wodevile, commonly called Lord Wodevile, though never sum-
moned to Parliament, was at this time installed a Knight of the Garter; he was
a younger son of the late and brother to the present Earl Rivers, and was very
soon after slain in the battle of St. Aubin, where he was present with a troop
of chosen men, to assist the Duke of Bretaigne.

     The eagerness of the English to engage the French is apparent from their
earnest desire to get into Bretaigne; and the capture of the French ship by a
stratagem deserves notice.

     James III. King of Scotland, was at this time in great distress; his nobles
were many of them in arms, headed by his eldest son Prince James; the battle
of Bannockburn was fought in June following, wherein the King was defeated
and murdered.

     The intending to plead Sir J. Paston’s obligation to Henry Wyot, as “ful-
filled at Norwich,” seems to be a plea to gain time, as it seems to appear that
the obligation was never really fulfilled.

     Autograph, Pl. xxx. No. 12.

LETTER XVI.

To Sir John Paston be this Letter delivered.

AFTER all due recommendation, please it you to under-
stand that my Lord hath been with the King in Windsor
at St. George’s Feast; and there at the same feast were
both the Embassadors of Bretaigne and of Flanders, as well
from the King of [the] Romans as from the young Duke;
but I cannot show you the certain whether we shall have
with them war or peace; but I understand for certain that
all such Captains as went to the sea in Lent, that is to say,
Sir Charles Somerset, Sir Richard Hawte, and Sir William
Vampage maketh them ready to go to the sea again, as
shortly as they can; to what intent I cannot say.

     Also, whereas it was said that my Lord Wodevile and
other should have gone over into Bretaigne, to have aided
the Duke of Bretaigne: I cannot tell of none such aid; but
upon that saying there came many men to Southampton,
where it was said that he should have taken shipping, to
have waited upon him over; and so when he was counter-
manded, those that resorted thither, to have gone over with
him, tarried there still, in hope that they should have been
licensed to have gone over; and when they saw no likeli-
hood that they should have license, there was 200 of them
that got them into a Bretaigne ship, the which was late come
over with salt, and bad the master set them a land [on land]
in Bretaigne; and they had not sailed not past five leagues
but they espied a Frenchman; and the Frenchman made
over to them; and they fared as though they would not
have meddled with them, and all the Englishmen went
under the hatches, so that they showed no more but those
that came to Southampton with the ship, to cause the French-
men to be the more glad to meddle with them; and so
the Frenchman boarded them, and then they that were under
the hatches came up, and so took the Frenchmen, and car-
ried the men, ship and all, into Bretaigne.

     Also, there was there an ambassador from the King of
Scots, who is now put in great trouble by his son, and other
of the lords of his land.

     Sir, as I came homeward by London, I spake there with
Edmond Dormand, and he said that he had written unto
you, but he had none answer; wherefore he prayed me
that, if I knew any man coming towards Norwich, and [that]
I would write unto you, that he feareth, if ye see none other
direction, that he shall be committed to the Fleet.

     Also, he showed me that Harry Wyot would find the
mean to have you condemned, and recover the obligation of
40l. against you; and so he saith he wote not how to do,
for he is half dismayed; he feareth lest he shall never come
home; but he intendeth to plead the obligation fulfilled at
Norwich, for he saith there is no other remedy to save you
from the condemnation, till that he heareth otherwise from
you, which he thinketh long after.

     Written at Henyngham, the 13th day of May, with the
hand of your brother.

                                                                 WILLIAM PASTON.

           Heningham,
       Tuesday, 13th May,
          1488. 3 H. vii.

    Henry VII. this year kept the Feast of St. George very solemnly at Wind-
sor, at which were present the Lord Malpertuis, ambassador from Francis
Duke of Bretaigne; the President of Kushemborough, from Maximilian the
King of the Romans; the Scotish ambassador the Lord Bothville, and many
others.

     Sir Charles Somerset executed the office of Cupbearer; he was the natural
son of Henry Duke of Somerset, and for his great abilities and loyalty was
afterwards created Earl of Worcester.

     The office of Sewer was filled by Sir William Vampage.

     Sir Edward Wodevile, commonly called Lord Wodevile, though never sum-
moned to Parliament, was at this time installed a Knight of the Garter; he was
a younger son of the late and brother to the present Earl Rivers, and was very
soon after slain in the battle of St. Aubin, where he was present with a troop
of chosen men, to assist the Duke of Bretaigne.

     The eagerness of the English to engage the French is apparent from their
earnest desire to get into Bretaigne; and the capture of the French ship by a
stratagem deserves notice.

     James III. King of Scotland, was at this time in great distress; his nobles
were many of them in arms, headed by his eldest son Prince James; the battle
of Bannockburn was fought in June following, wherein the King was defeated
and murdered.

     The intending to plead Sir J. Paston’s obligation to Henry Wyot, as “ful-
filled at Norwich,” seems to be a plea to gain time, as it seems to appear that
the obligation was never really fulfilled.

     Autograph, Pl. xxx. No. 12.

1026

WILLIAM PASTON TO SIR JOHN PASTON¹

To Sir John Paston, be thys lettyr delyvered.

      AFTYR all dewe recomendacion, pleasyt yow to undyr-
          stonde that my lorde² hathe ben with the Kynge in
          Wyndesour at Seynt Georgys Feste, and ther at
the same feste were bothe the inbacetours of Breten and of
Flaundyrs, as well fro the Kynge of Romayns³ as fro the
yonge Duke.⁴ But I can not schew yow the certeyn whedyr
we schall have with them warre or pease; but I undyrstonde
for certeyn that all suche capeteyns as wente to the see in
Lente, that is to sey, Sir Charlys Somersett, Sir Richard
Hawte, and Syr Wylliam Vampage, makythe them redy to
goo to the see ageyn as schortely as they can, to what intente
I can not sey.

     Also, where as it was seyde that my Lord Woddevyle and
other schulde have gone over in to Breten, to have eyded the
Duke of Breten,⁵ I can not tell of non suche eyd. Butt upon
that seynge ther came many men to Sowthehamton, where
it was seyd that he schulde have takyn schyppyng, to have
waytyd upon hym over; and soo whan he was countyr-
maundyd, thos that resortyd thedyr, to have gone over with
hym taryde there styll in hope that they schuld have ben
lycensyd to have gone over; and whan they sey [saw] no
lykeleod that they schuld have lycens, there was ij.C. of them
that gete them in to a Breten schyppe, the whyche was late
come over with salte, and bad the mayster sett them a lond in
Breten. And they had nott seylyd not paste vj. leges butt
they aspied a Frencheman, and the Frencheman mad over to
them; and they ferde as thow they wolde not have medylde
with them, and all the Englysche men went undyr the hetchys,
soo that they schewyd no more but those that came to Sowthe-
hamton with the schype, to cawse the Frenchemen to be the
more gladder to medyll with them; and soo the Frencheman
burdyd them, and then they that were undyr the hetches
came up, and soo toke the Frencheman, and caryed the men,
schyppe, and all in to Breaten.

     Also, ther was ther an inbacetour fro the Kynge of
Schottes,¹ who is now put in grete trobyll be hys son and
other of the lordes of hys londe.

     Syr, as I came homewerde be London, I spake there with
Emonde Dormand, and he seyd that he had wretyn onto
yow, but he had none aunswere; wherfor he prayd me that if
I knew ony man comynge towerdes Norwhyche, and I wold
wrythe on to yow that he ferythe, if ye see none other dyrec-
cion, that he schall be comittyd to the Flete.

     Also, he schewyd me that Herry Wyott wholde fynde the
mene to have yow condemnyd, and recover the obligacion of
xlli. ageyns yow, and soo he seythe he whote nott how to doo,
for he is halfe dysmayd; he ferythe lesse that he schall never
come home. But he intendythe to plede the obligacion ful-
fylyd at Norwyche, for he seythe ther is non other remedy to
save yow fro the condemnacion, tyl that he herythe otherwyse
from yow, whyche he thynketh longe aftyr.

     Wretyn at Henyngham, the xiij^te day of May, with the
hand of your brodyr,

                                                                    WYLLIAM PASTON.

     ¹ [From Paston MSS., B.M.] There can be no doubt this letter was written in
the year 1488, after Sir Edward Woodville (called Lord Woodville) had gone over to
aid the Duke of Brittany against the French, and at the beginning of the rebellion
of the young Prince of Scotland (afterwards James IV.) against his father, James III.,
who was defeated in battle, and afterwards murdered in June of that year.

     ² The Earl of Oxford.

     ³ Maximilian, Archduke of Austria, was elected King of the Romans in 1486.

     ⁴ Philip, Duke of Burgundy, son of Maximilian.

     ⁵ Francis II., Duke of Brittany.

¹ James III.—See preliminary note.

1488
MAY 13

1488
MAY 13