William Paston to Sir John Paston

LETTER XXXI.

To the ryght Worchepfull
      S^r John Paston knyght

AFTYR All dew recomendacon lyke it yow to vndyrstond
that S^r Heny Heydon schewyd me that it is agreyd be S^r
Edmond Bedyngfeld that the mater betwyx hym and my
brodyr Yelu^rton schalbe comynd at Norwyche And there a
dyreccon to be takyn in the same mater mete for them
bothe Syr y^e Kyng sendythe ordynaunce dayly to y^e see
syde and hys tents and Alys be A makyng faste and many
of them be made And there is also grete p˜uysyon made be
Gentylmen y^t scholde goo wythe hys grace for hors harnes
tents halys gardyuyens Carts and othyr thyngs that scholde
s^rue them for thys Jurney that the Kynge entendythe to
take on hand soo that belykelyod hys grace wolbe goyng
sone upon ester And so I entende aftyr that J here heartyr
to goo to Caleys to p^ruey me of harneys And suche thyngs
as I schall nede besydes hors undyr that forme y^t my Costs
schalbe payd fore Syr J am as yet no bettyr horsyd than J
was whan J was wythe yow nor I wote not where to haue
none for hors flesche is of suche a p’ce here that my p’ce is
schante able to bye on hors Wherfor J beseche yow to
herkyn for some in yowre contre Syr my Cosyn John Hey-
don tolde me that y^e p’or of Waburnes horse was really
Amendyd And that y^e Abott of seynt benets schewed hym
there was a bay hors of a p^rsons nyght onto seynt benetis
And y^t y^e Abot woolde gete hym for my Cosyn Heydon at
a resonable p’ce Syr my Cosyn John Heydon woll geue me
hys entrest in that hors if the Abot haue bowght hym and
so y^e may lete y^e Abot haue knowlege and if he haue not
bowght hym J beseche yow sende to see hym for I wote
not how to do w^towt yowre helpe aswell in horsyng of me
as in other thyngs At the makyng of thys lettyr I cannot
acerteyn yow what p^rson it is that owythe thys hors if I can
know J wolle send yow worde in a bylle I sende to Thomas
Jullys by the berer herof Syr as towards my Iurney to Ca-
leys the whyche I entende to haue tane at my laste beyng
w^t yow It was so J was dysapoyntyd of Thomas Dey and an
other man J scholde haue had be hys menys as ye haue had
knowlege of or now and also J had went to haue had folkys
a mette w^t me at Hedyngh’m whyche ded nott My lord
seyng me dysesyd And also non otherwyse p^rueyd wyllyd
me in any wyse to tary on tyl hys comyng to london and
sent myn excuse to my lorde Dawbeney undyr thys forme
how that J was sore disesyd notwythestondyng J was wele-
wyllyd to haue come to fulfyll my p’messe but he cowde
not sofyr me seyng me soo dysesyd And so my lord Dawbe-
ney was sory of my dysese and content that J taryd Syr J
beseche yow to holde me excusyd for kepyng of Thomas
Lynsted yowr s^rv’nt and hym bothe It is soo that he and J
bothe haue ben in hand w^t my unkyll for hys mater and yett
wee haue hym at noo good poynt but J troste we schall
haue Syr if I take thys Jurney to Caleys J moste beseche
yow to forbere hym lenger and Jf I goo not to Caleys
thow I be lothe to forbere hym yet J schall brynge hym w^t
me schortly in to Norfolke ye to haue hym if ye lyste w^t y^e
grace of God who haue yow in kepyng Wretyn at london y^e
xviij day of february w^t the hande of yowre pore brodyr.

                                                                       WYLLM PASTON.

      8¾ by 12.

    These preparations for war were not made with the design of assisting Bre-
taigne only, but with a view of invading France; the parliament had granted
the King a supply, under the name of a benevolence, which he took care to
collect; in the mean time continuing his warlike preparations: he did not,
however, embark with his army for Calais till October; in November, the
treaty of Estaples was signed, and in December he returned to England. Sir
Giles D’Aubney was created Lord D’Aubney in 1485, and was at this time go-
vernor of Calais; he died in 1507.

     Autograph, Pl. v. No. 13.

LETTER XXXI.

To the Right Worshipful Sir John Paston, Knight.

AFTER all due recommendation, like it you to understand
that Sir Henry Heydon showed me that it is agreed by Sir
Edmund Bedingfeld, that the matter betwixt him and my
brother Yelverton shall be communed at Norwich, and
there a direction to be taken in the same matter, meet for
them both.

     Sir, the King sendeth ordnance daily to the sea, and his
tents and halys [pavilions] be making fast, and many of them
be made; and there is also great provision made by gentle-
men that shall go with his Grace for horse, harness, tents,
halys, garde-viants [knapsacks], carts, and other things that
should serve them for this journey, that the King intendeth
to take on hand, so that by likelihood his Grace will be
going soon upon Easter; and so I intend, after that I hear
hereafter, to go to Calais to purvey me of harness, and such
things as I shall need besides horse, under that form that
my costs shall be paid for.

  Sir, I am as yet no better horsed than I was when I was
with you, nor I weet not where to have none, for horseflesh
is of such a price here, that my purse is sckante [scarce]
able to buy one horse. Wherefore I beseech you to herkyn
[hearken] for some in your country. Sir, my cousin, John
Heydon, told me that the Prior of Waburn’s horse was
really amended; and that the Abbot of St. Benet’s showed
him there was a bay horse of a person’s nigh unto St. Be-
nets, and that the Abbot would get him for my Cousin
Heydon at a reasonable price. Sir, my cousin, John Hey-
don, will give me his interest in that horse, if the Abbot
have bought him, and so ye may let the Abbot have know-
ledge; and if he have not bought him, I beseech you, send
to see him, for I weet not how to do without your help, as
well in horsing of me as in other things.

     At the making of this letter, I cannot ascertain you what
person it is that oweth this horse; if I can know, I will send
you word in a bill I send to Thomas Jully’s by the bearer
hereof.

     Sir, as towards my journey to Calais, the which I intended
to have taken at my last being with you; it was so, I was
disappointed of Thomas Dey, and another man I should
have had by his means, as ye have had knowledge of ere
now; and also I had went [thought] to have had folks met
with me at Hedingham, which did not. My Lord, seeing
me diseased, and also none otherwise purveyed, willed me
in any wise to tarry until his coming to London, and sent
my excuse to my Lord Dawbeney under this form, how that
I was sore diseased, notwithstanding I was well willed to
have come to fulfill my promise, but he would not suffer me,
seeing me so diseased; and so my Lord Dawbeney was
sorry of my disease, and content that I tarried. Sir, I be-
seech you to hold me excused, for keeping of Thomas Lyn-
sted, your servant, and him both; it is so that he and I both
have been in hand with my uncle for his matter, and yet we
have him at no good point, but I trust we shall have. Sir,
if I take this journey to Calais, I must beseech you to for-
bear him longer, and if I go not to Calais, though I be loth
to forbear him, yet I shall bring him with me shortly into
Norfolk, ye to have him, if ye list, with the grace of God,
who have you in keeping. Written at London, the 18th
day of February, with the hand of your poor brother.

                                                          WILLIAM PASTON.

             London,
Saturday, 18th February,
      1491-2. 7 H. vii.

  These preparations for war were not made with the design of assisting Bre-
taigne only, but with a view of invading France; the parliament had granted
the King a supply, under the name of a benevolence, which he took care to
collect; in the mean time continuing his warlike preparations: he did not,
however, embark with his army for Calais till October; in November, the
treaty of Estaples was signed, and in December he returned to England. Sir
Giles D’Aubney was created Lord D’Aubney in 1485, and was at this time go-
vernor of Calais; he died in 1507.

     Autograph, Pl. v. No. 13.

1053

WILLIAM PASTON TO SIR JOHN PASTON²

To the ryght worchepfull Sir John Paston, Knyght.

AFTYR all dew recomendacion, lyke it yow to undyr-
     stond that Syr Herry Heydon schewyd me that it is
     agreyd be Syr Edmond Bedyngfeld, that the mater
betwyx hym and my brodyr Yelverton³ schalbe comynd at
Norwyche, and there a dyreccion to be takyn in the same
mater, mete for them bothe.

     Syr, the Kyng sendythe ordynaunce dayly to the see syde,
and hys tentes and alys [pavilions] be a makyng faste, and
many of them be made; and there is also grete provysyon
made be gentylmen that scholde goo wythe Hys Grace or
hors, harnese, tents, halys, gardyvyans [knapsacks], cartes, and
othyr thynges that scholde serve them for thys jurney that the
Kynge entendythe to take on hand, soo that belykelyod Hys
Grace wolbe goyng sone upon Ester. And so I entende, aftyr
that I here heaftyr, to goo to Caleys to purvey me of harneys,
and suche thynges as I schall nede besydes hors, undyr that
forme that my costes schalbe payd fore.

     Syr, I am as yet no bettyr horsyd than I was whan I was
wythe yow, nor I wote not where to have none, for hors
flesche is of suche a price here that my purce is schante [scarce]
able to bye one hors; wherfor I beseche yow to herkyn
[hearken] for some in yowre contre. Syr, my cosyn, John
Heydon, tolde me that the Prior of Waburnes horse was rially
amendyd, and that the Abott of Seynt Benetes schewed hym
there was a bay hors of a persons nyght onto Seynt Benetis,
and that the abot wolde gete hym for my cosyn Heydon at a
resonable price. Syr, my cosyn, John Heydon, woll geve me
hys entrest in that hors, if the abot have bowght hym, and so ye
may lete the abot have knowlege; and if he have not bowght hym,
I beseche yow sende to see hym, for I wote not how to do with-
owt yowre helpe aswell in horsyng of me as in other thynges.

     At the makyng of thys lettyr, I cannot acerteyn yow what
person it is that owythe thys hors. If I can know, I wolle
send yow worde in a bylle I sende to Thomas Jullys be the
berer herof.

     Syr, as towardes my jurney to Caleys, the whyche I entende
[intended] to have tane at my laste beyng with yow, it was so,
I was dysapoyntyd of Thomas Dey and an other man I scholde
have had be hys menys, as ye have had knowlege of or now;
and also I had went [thought] to have had folkys a mette with
me at Hedyngham, whyche ded nott. My lorde,¹ seyng me
dysesyd, and also none otherwyse purveyd, wyllyd me in ony
wyse to tary on tyl hys comyng to London, and sent myn
excuse to my Lorde Dawbeney undyr thys forme how that I
was sore disesyd; notwythestondyng I was welewyllyd to have
come to fulfyll my promesse, but he cowde not sofyr me,
seyng me soo dysesyd; and so my Lord Dawbeney was sory
of my dysese and content that I taryd.

     Syr, I beseche yow to holde me excusyd for kepyng of
Thomas Lynsted, yowr servaunt, and hym bothe. It is soo
that he and I bothe have ben in hand with my unkyll¹ for hys
mater, and yett wee have hym at noo good poynt; but I
troste we schall have. Syr, if I take thys jurney to Caleys, I
moste beseche yow to forbere hym lenger, and if I goo not to
Caleys, thow I be lothe to forbere hym, yet I schall brynge
hym with me schortly in to Norfolke, ye to have hym, if ye
lyste, with the grace of God, Who have yow in kepyng.

     Wretyn at London, the xviij. day of February, with the
hande of yowre pore brodyr,

                                                                     WYLLIAM PASTON.

     ¹ The Earl of Oxford.

     ² [From Paston MSS., B.M.] This letter refers to Henry VII.’s proposed invasion
of France, which, after long preparation, actually took place in October 1492.

     ³ William Yelverton, the grandson of the Judge, who married Anne Paston, the
writer’s sister.

    ¹ William Paston the elder.

1492
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1492
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1492
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