William Pykenham to Margaret Paston

LETTER LIV.

To my Mastresse Margaret Paston
     at Norwiche

MY worshypfull Mastresse I recome˜de me un to yow And
thanke yow of yowr approvyd ensewryd gyndenesse eu^rmeer
shewde and so I p’y yow to co˜tenew I haue resyuyd yowr
lett^r And undrestonde yowr desyre wyche ys ageyns the
lawe for three causys oon ys for yowr son Watr ys nott ton-
sewryd in modre tunge callyd benett a nodre cause he ys
not xxiiij yeer of aghe wyche ys requiryd complete the
thyrde ye owte of ryrte to be preyst w^tin dwelmothe aftyr
y^t he ys p^rson wyth owte so wer he hadd a dyspensacion fro
Rome be owr holy fadre the Pope wyche I am certen can
not be hadde therfor I present not yowr desyre un to my
¹lorde lest ye wolde haue takyn y^t to a dysplesur or else to
take a grete sympylnesse in yowr desyre wyche shulde
cause hym in suche matres As xall fortune yow to spede
w^t hym a nodre tyme to shew un to yow the Rigur of the
lawe wyche I wolde be lothe therfor present a nodre ma˜
abyll haske co˜sell of M’ John Smythe and sease of yowr
desyre in thysse partey for y^t ys not goodely nether goddely
And lete not yowr desyre be knowyn aftyr my awyse be
not wrothe thow I sende un to yow thusse playnyly in the
matr for I wolde ye dede as well as any woma˜ in Norfolke
y^t ys wyth rygth to yowr honor prosp^rite an to the plesur
of godde w^t yowre and all yowrs ho haue yow in hysse blessyd
kepyng from Hoxn on Candylmasse Day.
J sende yow yowr p’sente agen
in the boxe                                                    ²WILLM PYKYNHM.

      12 by 4¾.

            Paper Mark,
              A Tower.
          Pl. xxxii. No. 3.

      We are here informed of the three requisites to enable a clerk to be insti-
tuted to a benefice, namely, tonsure, age, and priest’s orders within a given
time.

     ¹ James Goldwell was consecrated by Pope Sextus IV. Bishop of Norwich,
in 1472. He resided much at his manor of Hoxne, where he died in 1498.

     ² William de Pykenham became chancellor of Norwich and archdeacon of
Suffolk in 1471, and was also some time rector of Hadleigh in Suffolk, where
he built the grand gate or tower before the parsonage. He died in 1497. This
letter shews him to have been a sensible man, and a conscientious divine, whose
friendship for the family of the Pastons was best shewn by giving them such
advice as he thought right, though it interfered with Margaret Paston’s scheme
of providing for her son. What the returned present was does not appear.
John Smyth was chancellor of Norwich in 1485.

     Autograph, Pl. xxix. No. 10.

LETTER LIV.

To my Mistress Margaret Paston at Norwich.

MY worshipful Mistress, I recommend me unto you, and
thank you of your approved ensured kindness evermore
shewed, and so I pray you to continue. I have received
your letter and understand your desire, which is against the
law for three causes; one is, for your son Walter is not ton-
sured, in mother tongue called Benett; another cause, he is
not twenty-four years of age, which is required compleat.
The third, ye ought of right to be priest within twelve-
months after that he is parson, without so were he had a
dispensation from Rome, by our Holy Father the Pope,
which I am certain cannot be had; therefore I present not
your desire unto my ¹Lord, lest ye would have taken it to
a displeasure; or else to take a great simpleness in your
desire, which should cause him, in such matters as shall for-
tune you to speed with him another time, to shew unto
you the rigour of the law, which I would be loth; therefore
present another man able; ask counsel of Master John
Smyth, and cease of your desire in this part, for it is not
goodly neither godly; and let not your desire be known
after my advice: be not wroth, though I send unto you thus
plainly in the matter, for I would ye did as well, as any
woman in Norfolk, that is, with right, to your honour, pro-
sperity, and to the pleasure of God, with you and all yours,
who have you in his blessed keeping. From Hoxne on
Candlemas day.

     I send you your present again in the box.

                                                               ²WILLIAM PYKENHAM.

             Hoxne,
      Tuesday, 2 February,
        1478-9. 18 E. iv.

      We are here informed of the three requisites to enable a clerk to be insti-
tuted to a benefice, namely, tonsure, age, and priest’s orders within a given
time.

     ¹ James Goldwell was consecrated by Pope Sextus IV. Bishop of Norwich,
in 1472. He resided much at his manor of Hoxne, where he died in 1498.

     ² William de Pykenham became chancellor of Norwich and archdeacon of
Suffolk in 1471, and was also some time rector of Hadleigh in Suffolk, where
he built the grand gate or tower before the parsonage. He died in 1497. This
letter shews him to have been a sensible man, and a conscientious divine, whose
friendship for the family of the Pastons was best shewn by giving them such
advice as he thought right, though it interfered with Margaret Paston’s scheme
of providing for her son. What the returned present was does not appear.
John Smyth was chancellor of Norwich in 1485.

     Autograph, Pl. xxix. No. 10.

941

WILLIAM PYKENHAM TO MARGARET PASTON¹

To my Mastresse M[argaret Paston], att Norwiche.

     MY worschypfull mastresse, I recomende me un to yow,
         and thanke yow of yowr approvyd ensewryd gyude-
         nesse evermore shewde, and so I pray yow to con-
tenew. I have resyvyd yowr letter, and undrestonde yowr
desyre, wyche ys ageyns the lawe for three causys. Oon ys,
for yowr son Watre ys nott tonsewryd, in modre tunge callyd
Benett; a nodre cause, he ys not xxiiij. yeer of aghe, wyche
ys requiryd complete; the thyrde, ye owte [he ought] of ryzte
to be preyst within dwelmothe after that he ys parson, wyth
owte so were he hadd a dyspensacion fro Rome be owre Holy
Fadre the Pope, wyche I am certen can not be hadde. Ther-
for I present not yowr desyre un to my lorde,² lest ye [he]
wolde have takyn yt to a dysplesur, or else to take a grete
sympylnesse in yowr desyre, wyche shulde cause hym, in
suche matres as xall fortune yow to spede with hym a nodre
tyme, to shew un to yow the rigur of the lawe, wyche I
wolde be lothe; therfor present a nodre man abyll. Haske
consell of Mr. John Smythe, and sease of yowr desyre in
thysse partey, for yt ys not goodely nether Goddely; and lete
not yowr desyre be knowyn, aftyr my avyse. Be not wrothe,
thowe I sende un to yow thusse playnyly in the matre; for I
wolde ye dede as wele as any woman in Norfolke, [that ys,
wyth rygth],³ to yowr honor, prosperite, an to the plesur of
Godde, with yowre and all yowres, Ho have yow in Hyse
blessyd kepyng.

     From Hoxne on Candylmasse Day.

                                                                WILLIAM PYKYNHAM.¹

     I sende yow yowr presente agen in the boxe.

     ¹ [From Paston MSS., B.M.] Walter Paston, to whom this letter refers, died in
August 1479. This letter was probably written in the beginning of the same year.
The date certainly cannot be 1478, if No. 926 has been assigned to the right year, for
it will be seen that the writer was then in London, and so much occupied that he had
little prospect of visiting Norfolk for some time.

     ² James Goldwell was consecrated by Pope Sextus IV. Bishop of Norwich in
1472. He resided much at his manor of Hoxne, where he died in 1498.—F.

     ³ These words are struck through with the pen.

     ¹ William de Pykenham became Chancellor of Norwich and Archdeacon of
Suffolk in 1471, and was also some time Rector of Hadleigh in Suffolk, where he
built the grand gate or tower before the parsonage. He died in 1497.—F.

1479
FEB. 2

1479
FEB. 2