The Paston Letters Volume Ii Part 54

Right wors.h.i.+pful Sir, and my Right G.o.de Maister, I Recommaunde to yow with al myne hert. Plese yow that I have understanden that Daniel hath entred in to Brayston, and put owte my servantes and dispoiled my G.o.des, notwithstandinge I am here in the Kinges service and under his proteccion, which was shewed him; for the whiche owtrage I write to the King at this tyme and to other my G.o.de lordes, for to be kepte in my pocession, and to be restored again to my G.o.des. And if so be that I may not have my pocession ayene and be restored to my G.o.des as I desire, I wol take an accion be your avis of forsable entre in my name and my wifes for owre t.i.tle, &c., and an accion of trespa.s.se for dispoiling of my G.o.des ayenst him and al tho that were helpinge or consenting therto, &c., and a.s.sisse of a novel Disseson in my sonnes name, Johan of Berney, for to trye the t.i.tle and ende debate with G.o.ddes help and youres, &c.; for the whiche matere I write unto my fader, to myne Eme[257.1] Adam, to my Cosyn Fyncheham, to Edmond Piers, and to other divers of my frendes to be my helpers in thes mater in myne absence. For I may not come nor I wol not come, though I shulde lese al Brayston, and it were myne, considering that the enemyes drawen dailly hedirward, as it is openly said, &c. Wherfore I praye yow, as my ful trust is in yow, to tendre this matere in myne absence. And that it shal plese yow to recommaund me to my wors.h.i.+pful maistresse and gossip, your wif. And my maistresse recommaundes her vnto yow, and to her wors.h.i.+pful nece, and to al youres.

Prayinge Almighty G.o.d to have yow in his kepinge and sende yow right G.o.de lif and longe, after your awne hertes desire. And, Sir, if it plese yow to come to Calais with the king, ye shul have a stope of bere to comforte yow after your travaille of the see. And if ther be any service that ye wol commaund me to do for you here, ye shul fynde me your owne man. Written at Calais, the ix^e. day of Feveree, &c.--Your awne seruant,

OSBERNE MUNDEFORD.

[Footnote 256.2: [Add. 34,888, f. 79.] It appears by No. 119 that Daniel entered the manor of Braydeston, or Brayston, first during the time of the Parliament at Leicester, 28 Hen. VI.

(_i.e._ May or June 1450), and a second time during the thirtieth year of the King, _i.e._ 1451-2. As this letter is dated February, 1452 must be the year.]

[Footnote 257.1: 'Eme,' _i.e._ uncle.]

209

JOHN CLOPTON TO JOHN PASTON[258.1]

_Unto myn right wors.h.i.+pfull sir, John Paston._

[Sidenote: 1452 / APRIL 1]

Right wors.h.i.+pfull Sire and myn good maister, I recomaund me unto you, thankyng you of your gentilness chewed unto me; praying you of contenuance as myn full trust is. Furthermore, and it please you to be atte aleyser un Seynt Markis day next comyng and to be at Thetford, myn brodir Tyrell and I wole awayte uppon you ther for the matere ye woet of. And I praye you to hold me excused that I myght not kepe myn day in the Pa.s.sion wike, for in good feight I was so occupied I myght not. And, Sire, yif this day may be hol . . I praye you sendith me woord that I myght send warnyng to the todir party. Also, Sire, I have warned your atteynt accordyng to your comawndment. Sir, the kyng hath sent unto me by Howard to be frendly to the lord Moleyns; not with stondyng myn service shall be redy at your comawndement in that matere er any othir by the grace of G.o.d, Who preserve you, body and sowle. Wreten at Melford, the furste day of Aprill.

Be youris,

J. CLOPTON.

[Footnote 258.1: [Add. MS. 34,888, f. 60.] The date of this letter must no doubt be referred to the year when the writer was Sheriff of Norfolk and Suffolk, which he was from November 1451 to 1452.]

210

PROCLAMATION BY THE DUKE OF NORFOLK[258.2]

The Duc of Norffolk

[Sidenote: 1452 / [APRIL]]

Be hit knowen to alle the Kyngs trewe liege peple, the cause of our comynge in to this contre ys, by the comandement of the Kynge our soverayn Lorde, for to enquer of suche gret riotts, extorcyons, oryble wrongis and hurts as his Highnesse ys credybyly enformyd ben don in this contre, and to know in serteyne, by yow that knowe the trowthe, by what persone or personys the seyde gret riotts, extorcions, oryble wrongis and hurts be done. Wherfor we charge yow alle, on the Kyngs behalve our soverayne Lorde, that ze spar neyther for love, drede, ne fer that ze have to any persone of what estat, degre, or condicion he be, but that ze sey the soth by whome suche offences be done, and that ze spar no man that ze knowe gilty; and be the feyth that we owe to our soverayn Lorde, they schal be chastysid after ther desert, and hit reformyd as lawe requyrith.

Also hit ys opunly puplysschid that serteyne servaunts of the Lord Scales schulde in his name mana.s.se and put men in feer and drede to compleyne to us at this tyme of the seide hurts and greves, seynge that we wolde abyde but a schort tyme her, and aftir our departynge he wolde have the rewle and governaunce as he hath had affore tyme. We lete yow wete that nexst the Kynge our soverayn Lord, be his good grace and lycence, we woll have the princypall rewle and governance throwh all this schir, of whishe we ber our name whyls that we be lyvynge, as ferre as reson and lawe requyrith, hoso ever will grutche or sey the [contrary[259.1]]; for we woll that the Lord Scales, Sir Thomas Tudenham, Sir Mylis Stapylton, and John Heydon have in knowleche, thowh our persone be not dayly her, they schal fynde our power her at all tymes to do the Kynge our soverayn Lord servyse, and to support and mayntene yow alle in your right that ben the Kyngs trewe lige men. For hit may non ben seyde nay, but that her hath ben the grettest riotts, orryble wrongs and offences done in thise partyes by the seide Lord Scales, Thomas Tudenham, Mylis Stapilton, John Heydon, and suche as ben confedred on to theym that evir was seen in our dayes; and most myschiffe throwh ther maliciouse purpose lyke to have fallyn amonge the Kyngs trewe liege peple now late at Norwiche, ne had we better providid therfor. And also that G.o.d fortunyd us to withstande ther seyde malicious and evill disposid purpose.

Wherfor makith billiz of your grevance, and come to us, and we schal brynge yow to the Kynges presence our selfe, whos presence wyll be her in all the hast with the mercy of G.o.d, and see the reformacion ther of his owyn persone.

[Footnote 258.2: [From Fenn, iii. 248.] The intended royal visit to Norfolk mentioned in the end of this proclamation appears to tally best with the date of April 1452, when, it will also be seen from the letters following, the Duke of Norfolk was at Framlingham, hearing complaints from the gentlemen of Norfolk.]

[Footnote 259.1: Indicated by Fenn as illegible in MS.]

[[by whome suche offences de done _text has "be done"_]]

211

SOME GENTLEMEN OF NORFOLK TO [THE SHERIFF?][260.1]

[Sidenote: 1452 / APRIL 23]

Right wurchipfull, we commawnd us to yow. Please it yow to wete that we and other jentilmen of the shyer of Norffolk hath be in purpose a.s.sewyd [_have sued_] to the hygh and myghty Prynce and owr ryght G.o.de Lord the Duke of Norffolk to Framlyngham, to have enformyd his Highnesse of dyvers a.s.saughtes and ryottes made be Charles Nowell and other ageyn the Kyngs lawe and peas, withowte any cause or occacion, up on John Paston and other of owre kynne, frendes and neyghborys, ne had be that dayly this x. days it hath be do us to wete that his Highnesse shuld come in to Norwych or Claxton, we not beyng in certeyn yet whedyr he shall remeve; praying yow as we trust, that ye woll tender the welfare of this shyer and of the jentylmen ther in, that ye woll lete owr seyd Lord have knowyng of owr entente in this, and after to send us answher wheder it please his Highnesse we shuld come to his presens, and in what place, or to send owr compleynt to hym if mor informacion be thowch behoffull, trostyng to his G.o.de Lordshep of remedy in this mater; whiche do [i.e.

_done_], semyth us, shall be owr seyd Lordys honur and gret rejoyng to all the jentylmen of the shyer, and cause the peas to be kept her after be the grace of G.o.d, how have yow in hys blyssed kepyng. Wretyn at Norwyche, on Seynt Georgys day.

SIR JOHN HEVENYNGHAM. JOHN FERRERS. THO. GURNAY.

JOHN GROOS. W. ROKEWODE. JOHN BAKON, Senior. JOHN BAKON, Junior.[261.1]

J. PAGRAVE. ROBT. MORTIMER. NICHOLAUS APPILYARD.

[Footnote 260.1: [From Paston MSS., B.M.] There are two copies of this paper, besides a draft written on the back of that which follows. The date both of this and of the two following letters will be seen by comparing them with No. 217 following.]

[Footnote 261.1: The names subscribed thus far are in the same handwriting as the doc.u.ment. Those below may perhaps be autograph signatures, although the names of Pagrave and Mortimer are in a hand much like that of John Paston.]

212

JOHN PASTON TO [THE SHERIFF OF NORFOLK?][261.2]

[Sidenote: 1452 / APRIL 23]

Reverent and ryth wurshepfull sir, and my G.o.d maister, I recommaund me to yow. Plese yow to wete that Charles Nowell with odir hath in this c.u.n.tre mad many riot and sautes; and, among othir, he and v. of his felachip set upon me and mo (?) of my servants at the Chathedrall chirch of Norwich, he smyting at me, whilis on of his felawis held myn armes at my bak, as the berer herof shall mor playnly inform yow. Whech was to me strawnge cas, thinking in my conseyth that I was my Lords man and his homagier, or Charlis knew hys Lordschipe, that my Lord was my G.o.d Lord, and that I had be with my Lord at London within viij. [days?][261.3] bey for Lent, at which tyme he grantyd my his G.o.d lords.h.i.+p, so lagerly [_largely_] that it must cause me ever to be his trew servant to myn pow[er]. I thowt also that I had never geff cawse to non of my Lords hous to ow me evill will, ne that ther was non of the hows but I wold have do fore as I cow (_sic_) desir anioone (?) to do for me, and yet will except my adversare; and thus I and my frendes haff miusid of this and thowt he was hard to do thus. And this notwithstanding, a.s.sone as knolech was had of my Lords coming to Framlingham, I never attemptid to precede ageyns hym as justis and law wuld, but to trust to my seyd Lord that his Hyghnes wold se this punischichid (_sic_), and desirid my master (?) H... ... mi cosin (?) Tymperle, the dene and odir to (?)[262.1] and dayly hath be redy with such jentilmen as dwelle here abought that can record the trought to have come (_sic_) compleyn to my Lord; but we have had contynually tydynges of my Lordes comyng heder that causid us for to abide ther up un, besechyng your G.o.de maystershep that ye wull lete my Lord have knowlech of my compleynt. And that ye wull tender the G.o.de spede of the entente of the letteris wretyn to you fro jentilmen of this s.h.i.+re. Prayng yow that ye woll yeve credens to the berer herof, and be his G.o.de mayster in cas any man make any qwarell to hym. And what that I may do be your comaundment shall be redi with the grace of G.o.d, how have in his blissid kepyng. Wretyn at Norwhich, un Seynt Georges day.

[Footnote 261.2: [From Paston MSS., B.M.] This is printed from a rough draft in John Paston's handwriting, on the back of which is a draft of the preceding letter. The date of both letters is the same. The reading of particular words in this draft is very uncertain, owing to the cramped handwriting used in corrections and interlineations, and the manner in which several of the words are abbreviated.]

[Footnote 261.3: Word omitted.]

[Footnote 262.1: The preceding words from 'and desirid' are a peculiarly illegible interlineation, and do not appear to form a consecutive sense along with the pa.s.sage following. Perhaps the words 'and daily hath' should have been erased, which would make the connection intelligible.]

213

JOHN PASTON TO ----[262.2]

[Sidenote: 1452 / APRIL]

Ryth worchepfull sir and cosyn, I recommaund me to yow, [and] pray yow that ye will in mi behalf inform my Lord of the domag of Charlis Nowell to meward, withow occacion gef on min part, as the berer herof knoweth (?).[262.3] I am and was my Lords man and homagier, or the seyd Charlis knew my Lord, and will do my Lord sech servis as I can, and that ye will tendre the G.o.d sped of the mater of the letter direct to you from serteyn jentilmen of thes s.h.i.+r, with whech jentilmen or odir to bere recor of this thowt, I have bene dayly toward my Lord to compleyne to his Lors.h.i.+p, but the continuall tydings of my seyd Lords coming heder hath cawsid us to awayt ther opon. Beseching yow, cosine, as my trust is in yow, that ye will help to kepe the G.o.d rewll of thes s.h.i.+r, and my por honeste, and geff credens to the berer herof, and be his G.o.d master if any querel be mad to him. And what I may do for you, I am and ever shall be redi to do it be the grace of G.o.d, hoo ----

[Footnote 262.2: [From Paston MSS., B.M.] This letter, like the preceding, is from a rough draft in Paston's handwriting. It is clearly of the same date as the two last, or perhaps a day or two later. There is nothing to show with certainty who was the person addressed; but we should think it was probably Sir John Fastolf.]

[Footnote 262.3: The reading is very uncertain, being partly interlined in a very cramped hand, partly corrected in the text.]

214

THE SHERIFF OF NORFOLK TO THE KING AND COUNCIL[263.1]