William Worcester to John Paston

  • Medieval Family Life
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Title
William Worcester to John Paston
Reference
Add. 34888, f. 105
Date
?2 September 1454
Library / Archive
  • The British Library
Transcript location(s) in printed volume(s)
Gairdner, Vol II, item 258; Fenn, Vol III, Henry VI item 78
Transcript from John Fenn, 'Original Letters, written during the reigns of Henry VI., Edward IV., and Richard III…. Volume III' (1st transcript)

LETTER LXXVIII.

            To my Maistr. Paston,

                        H. R.

AFTYR dewe recomendacōn wyth my simple Srvice prce-
     dyng please your maistrshyp to wete that as to such
remēbrūnce that ye desyre me to contynew forth to the utter-
most I shall wyth gode Wille so as my maister wille licence
me as oft as I can th’ officr. to hafe leyfre to be wyth me for ye
know well I can not do it alone, &c. And where as ye of your
pleasre. wryte me or calle me maistr Worcestr j pray and requyre
yow foryete that name of maistrshyp for I am not amended by
my maistr of a ferthyng yn certeynte but of wags of housold in
comune (entaunt come nows plaira) by Worcestr or Botoner I
hafe v3. yerly all costs born to help pay for bonetts that I lose I
told so my maistr. thys weke And he seyd me yerstenday he
wyshed me to hafe be a preest so I had be disposed to hafe gofe
me a lyvyng by reson of a benefice that anothyr most gefe it as
the byshop (but he wold) And so I endure intr. egenos ut servus
ad aratrum. forgefe me I wryte to make yow laugh And our
lord bryng my maistt. yn a bettr. mode for othyrs as for me at
Caistr ijd day of Septēber.

     I pray yow displeser not yor. Srūnt be so long for my maistr.
lettet hym.

                                                                Yor,

                                                                             W. Worcester.

 

            11 ½ by 3 ¼.

               Paper Mark,
       A Bull’s Head and Star,
               Pl. XXII. No 15.

           Caister,
                2d of September,
                Before 1459. 38 H. VI.

 

 

     This Letter appears to be written between jest and earnest, he laments the smallness
of his standing wages, and seems to hint that his Master Sir John Fastolf would be
willing to provide for him if he could do it at the expence of another.

 

The date is uncertain and immaterial, though it must be before 1459. 38 H. VI.
Autograph. Pl. XX. No 34.
Transcript from John Fenn, 'Original Letters, written during the reigns of Henry VI., Edward IV., and Richard III…. Volume III' (2nd transcript)

LETTER LXXVIII.

To my Master Paston,
H. R.

AFTER due recommendation with my simple service pre-
     ceding, please your mastership to weet, that as to such
remembrance that ye desire me to continue forth to the uttermost,
I shall with good will, so as my Master will licence me as oft as
I can the officer to have leisure to be with me, for ye know well
I cannot do it alone, &c.

     And whereas ye of your pleasure write me, or call me
Master Worcester, I pray and require you forget that name of
mastership, for I am not amended by my Master of a farthing
in certainty, but of wages of household in common entant comme
nous plaira; by Worcester or Botoner, I have five Shillings yearly,
all costs borne, to help to pay for Bonnets that I lose; I told so
my Master this week, and he said (to) me yesterday, he wished
me to have been a Priest so I had been disposed, to have given
me a living by reason (means) of a Benefice, that another man
must give it, as the Bishop, but (if) he would; and so I indure
inter egenos ut servus ad aratrum.

     Forgive me, I write to make you laugh; and our Lord bring
my Master into a better mood for others as (well as) for me. At
Caister, the 2d day of September.

     I pray you displeasure not your Servant be so long, for my
Master letted him.

                                                    Your,

                                                                     W. WORCESTER.

 

 

          11 ? by 3 ?.

               Paper Mark,
       A Bull’s Head and Star,
               Pl. XXII. No 15.

           Caister,
                2d of September,
                Before 1459. 38 H. VI.

 

     This Letter appears to be written between jest and earnest, he laments the smallness
of his standing wages, and seems to hint that his Master Sir John Fastolf would be
willing to provide for him if he could do it at the expence of another.

  The date is uncertain and immaterial, though it must be before 1459. 38 H. VI.
Autograph. Pl. XX. No 34.

Transcript from James Gairdner, 'The Paston Letters, A.D., 1422-1509, New Complete Library Edition, Volume II'

258

 

WILLIAM WORCESTER TO JOHN PASTON1

 

To my Maister Paston.

 

H. R.

   AFTYR dewe recomendacion wyth my simple service
     precedyng, please your maistershyp to wete, that
as to such remembraunce that ye desyre me to con-
tynew forth to the uttermost, I shall wyth gode wille, so as
my maister wille licence me, as oft as I can, th’officer to hafe
leysure to be wyth me, for ye know well I can not do it
alone, &c.

     And where as ye of your pleasure wryte me or calle me
Maister Worcestr, I pray and requyre yow foryete that name
of maistershyp, for I am not amended by my maister of a
ferthyng yn certeynte, but of wages of housold in comune
entaunt come nows plaira. By Worcestr or Botoner I hafe vs.
yerly, all costs born, to help pay for bonetts that I lose. I
told so my maister thys weke, and he seyd me yerstenday he
wyshed me to hafe be a preest, so I had be disposed, to hafe
gofe me a lyvyng by reson of a benefice, that anothyr most
gefe it, as the By shop, but he wold; and so I endure inter
egenos ut servus ad aratrum.

     Forgefe me, I wryte to make yow laugh; and our Lord
bryng my maister yn a better mode for othyrs as for me.

     At Caistr, ijd day of September.

     I pray yow displeser not your servaunt be so long, for my
maister lettet hym.

                                                  Your,                       W. WYRCESTYR.

     1 [From Fenn, iii. 318.] This and the next letter were certainly written on the
same day, but the precise year may be questioned. From a comparison of the two
together, with William Barker’s letter of the 3rd Nov. following (No. 265), I am
inclined to think all three belong to the year 1454, when Sir John Fastolf had just
come to settle for the rest of his days in Norfolk. Sir John Fenn, I think rightly,
considers this first letter to have been written between jest and earnest; and this tone
may be very well explained by the supposition, that on Fastolf’s settlement at Caister,
Worcester expected to have had some position of importance assigned to him in his
master’s household. That such would be his fortune was probably the expectation of
others as well as himself, and apparently John Paston had written to him in the belief
that Worcester’s influence with Sir John might occasionally be of value to him.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1454(?)
SEPT. 2

 

 

1454(?)
SEPT. 2