The Paston Letters Volume V Part 23

[Sidenote: 1471 / SEPT. 28]

I comande me to yow, letyng yow weet that, &c.[111-4]

I wolde ffayne have the mesur wher my ffadre lythe at Bromholm; bothe the thyknesse and compase off the peler at hys hed, and ffrom that the s.p.a.ce to the alter, and the thyknesse off that alter, and imagery off tymbre werk; and what hyght the arche is to the grounde off the ilde, and how hye the grounde off the qwyr is hyer than the grownde off the ilde.

Item, I praye yowe late the mesur by pekthred be taken or elt mesured by yerde, how moche is ffrom the northe gate, ther the brygge was, at Gressham to the sowthewall, and in lyke fforme ffrom the este syde to the west, also the hyght off the estewall, and the hyght of the sowthest towr ffrom the grownde, iff ye maye easely. Also what bredde every towr is within the wall, and whych towr is moor then other within.

Alsso how manye ffote, or what brede eche towr takythe within iche corner off the quadrate[112-1] ovyrthwert the dorys, and how many taylors yards is from the moote syde, wher the brygg was, to the hyghe weye, or to the heddge all a longe the entre, and what brede the entre is be twyen the dykys. I praye yow, iff ye have a leyser in any wyse, se thys doone yowrselffe iff ye maye; or ellys iff Pampyng do it, or who that ye thynke can doo it, I wolle spende xx_d._ or as ye seme to have the sertayn off every thyng her in. And as for my ffaders tombe, I charge yow se it yowr selffe, and when I speke with yow I woll tell yow the cawses why that I desyr thys to be doon.

As ffor tydyngs, the Kyng, and the Qwyen, and moche other pepell, ar ryden and goon to Canterbery, nevyr so moche peple seyn in Pylgrymage hertofor at ones, as men seye.

Alsso it is seyde that the Erle of Penbroke[112-2] is taken on to Brettayn; and men saye that the Kynge schall have delyvere off hym hastely, and som seye that the Kynge off France woll se hym saffe, and schall sett hym at lyberte ageyn.

Item, Thomas Fauconbrydge hys hed was yesterdaye sett uppon London Brydge, lokyng into Kent warde; and men seye that hys brother was sor hurte, and scope to seyntwarye [_sanctuary_] to Beverle.

Sir Thomas Fulfforthe escaped owt of Westminster with an C. sperys, as men seye, and is in to Devenshyr; and ther he hathe strekyn off Sir John Crokkers hed, and kylt an other knyght off the Corteneys, as men seye.

I wolde ye hadd yowr verry pardon at onys; wherfor I praye yow ffayle not to be at London within iiij. daye afftr Seynt Feythe;[113-1] ye schall do goode in many thynges, and I praye yow sende me worde heroff by the next ma.s.senger; and if it come to Mestresse Elysabeth Hyggens, at the Blak Swan, sche schall conveye it to me, ffor I woll not ffayle to be ther at London ageyn within thys vj. dayes.

Mestresse Elysabeth hathe a son, and was delyveryd within ij. dayes afftr Seynt Bertelmew;[113-2] and hyr dowtr A. H. was the next daye afftr delyveryd off an other sone, as sche seythe, xj. weks er hyr tyme; it was crystened John, and is ded. G.o.d save all! No mor tyll I speke with yow.

Wretyn at London on Mych.e.l.lmesse Evyn.

J. P., K.

Item, I praye yow late some wytty felaw, or ellys yowrselff, goo to the townes ther as thes ij. women dwelle, and inquire whether they be maryed syns and ageyn or not, ffor I holde the hoorys weddyd; and iff they be, than the appelys wer abbatyd ther by. I remembr not ther names; ye knowe them better then I. Alsso in the Schreffvys bookys ther maye ye ffynde off them.

[Footnote 111-3: [From Fenn, ii. 80.] The evidences of date in this letter are the same as in the last.]

[Footnote 111-4: Here follows an account that the d.u.c.h.ess of Suffolk and Duke of Norfolk intend again commencing appeals against Sir John Paston and his brother, etc., concerning Caister, etc.--F.]

[Footnote 112-1: A drawing is here given in the original letter, apparently designed as a plan of the quadrangle of Gresham, of which the subjoined is a facsimile.

[Ill.u.s.tration]]

[Footnote 112-2: Jasper Tudor.]

[Footnote 113-1: 5th of October.]

[Footnote 113-2: 24th of August.]

783

R. L. TO JOHN PASTON[114-1]

_To hys wors.h.i.+pful master, John Paston, Esquier._

[Sidenote: 1471 / OCT. 21]

Ryght wurchupfull ser, I comaund me to your good maysterchepe, &c. Plese it you to understond that Redford desyryd me on your byhalfe that I chuld goo and comon with the woman that was the fullars wyfe of South Walsham, whech woman is now maryed to on Thom Styward, dwellyng in the parysch of Seynt Gyll in Norwych, whech woman seyd to me that che sewyd never the pele, but that she was by sotyle craft brought to the New In at Norwych, and ther was Maystir Southwell, and he entretyd hyr to be my Lords wewe [_widow_],[114-2] by the s.p.a.ce of an hole yer next folwyn, and therto he mad hyr to be bowne in an obligacyon. And whan that yer was past he desyred hyr to be my Lords wedow another yer; and than she seyd that she had lever lose that that she had do, than to lose that and meer; and therfor she seyd pleynly that she wold no mor of that mater.

And so she toke hyr an husbond, whech is the seyd Thom Styward; and she seyth that it was full sor ageyn hyr wylle that ever the mater went so forforth, for she had never non avayle therof, b.u.t.t it was sewyd to hyr gret labor and losse, for she had never of my Lords councell, but berely hyr costs to London. No mor, but G.o.d have you in Hys kepyng.

Wretyn at Norwych, the Monday next after the Fest of Seynt Luke.

By your servant,

R. L.

[Footnote 114-1: [From Fenn, iv. 440.] In the postscript to the preceding letter, Sir John Paston intimates his belief that the two widows who had appealed his brother of the murder of their husbands had married again, and that thereby the appeals were abated. It appears by the present letter that this intelligence was correct as regards one of them.]

[Footnote 114-2: The widow of a tenant in chivalry was called the Lord's widow.]

784

JOHN PASTON TO MARGARET PASTON[115-1]

[Sidenote: 1471 / OCT. 28]

Ryght worchepfull m[other, as lowly as] I can I recomand me to yow, besechyng yow of your dayly blyssyng, praying yow to take thys key, and Sir Jam[ys] ... . . [m]y broder E., or J. Pampyng, and to ondo the kofyr that standith at my bedys feet, and ther in a ly[tyl sqw]are box ye shall fy[nd two de]dys, wher of the seallys be wownd in whyght paper; my brodyr E. sye [_saw_] when I wond them up. The tone [begy]nyth 'Sciant, &c., quod ego _Matilda Bigota_'; and the todyr begynyth 'Sciant, &c., quod ego _Rogerus_ ... . .' [I pray y]ow lett [them be]

sealyd and sent me by _Radley_ with the deedes there in. Sir Jamys knowyth the ... ... . But [if so] be that ye fynd not thys box with thes two deedes in that cofyr, then I prey yow take the k[ey] ... . .

... teye of the same cofyr, and opyn the cofyr that standyth in the utter chambyr, and ther ye shall fynd ... ... ... [d]edes. My brodyr, Sir John, recomandyth hym to yow, and besechyth yow of your blyssyng; and as for hys mater [there is yet no conclu]syon of no poynt, but I tryst ther shall be with in thes ij. dayeys. Jenney, W.

trowbly[th] ... ... . [my] brodyrs servauntes with old accyons and all syche thynges as he can renew to stoppe the oblygacio[ns w]hyche he is bownd in on to my broder; but all shall be easeyd, I tryst. As for Mrs. A. Hawlt, the mater is mevyd [by div]ers of the Qwenys consayll, and of ferre by R. Hault, but he wold it shold be fyrst of our mocyon, and we wold [it] shold com of theym fyrst; our mater shold be the bettyr.

Tydynges, ther is a generall pardon mevyd whyche my brodyr J. trystyth to have the preve[lege] of as soone as it is grantyd, whyche shall bee a bowght All Halow tyed at the ferthest. I have spok with my L[ord Rive]rs and with all myn old aqweyntance, and have good cheer of theym, hold as it maye. When we be conclud[yd in] eny poynte of our maters, ye shall have knowlage ther howhe to put yow in [comfort] er we have eny ...

but in veyn when we have comfort ye shall have parte. Newe tydynges, datys s ... [s]ugyr of Mr. Kwte (?) x_d._ di.lb., and bettyr I tryst.

No more, but I beseche G.o.d preserve yow and yours.

Wretyn on [Seint] Symondes Day and Jwde.

Your humblest sone and servaunt,

J. PASTON.

[Footnote 115-1: [From Paston MSS., B.M.] There was a general pardon in the latter part of the year 1471, and both John Paston and his brother took advantage of it, as appears by the _Pardon Roll_, 11 Edw. IV., membranes 9 and 25. The date of this letter is also shown by the answer to it, written by Margaret Paston on the 5th November. Many of the words in this letter are lost by the mutilation of the original MS., which is full of holes, from having been exposed at one time to damp. The address is almost completely lost, but a portion of the word '[Ma]rgaret' is visible, and a small fragment of an endors.e.m.e.nt below in which the word 'Paston' is legible.]

[[Footnote 115-1 _footnote number printed 2 for 1_]]

785

SIR JOHN PASTON'S DEEDS[116-1]

_In the square trussyng coffre._

A boxe with evydence off my place in Fletstrett.

A lytell box with obligacions off the Archbisshop off York and W.