The Paston Letters Volume Iii Part 20

[Footnote 91.6: Here, in the original, followed various pa.s.sages relating to law business, which Fenn has not printed.]

[Footnote 92.1: Archbishop Bourchier.]

[Footnote 92.2: Henry, Viscount Bourchier, was appointed Lord Treasurer on the 29th May 1455 (_Patent Roll_, 33 Hen. VI., p.

2, m. 12), and so continued till the 5th October 1456, when the office was taken from him and given to the Earl of Shrewsbury (_Patent_, 35 Hen. VI., p. 1, m. 16).]

[Footnote 92.3: Jasper Tudor. --_See_ vol. ii. p. 298, Note 1.]

[Footnote 92.4: Edmund Tudor. --_See_ vol. ii. p. 297, Note 6.]

335

ABSTRACT[93.1]

SIR JOHN FASTOLF TO JOHN PASTON, ESQ.

[Sidenote: 1456 / JUNE 18]

As to the matters on which Paston sent to him by Will. Barker to desire his advice, Paston knows that Fastolf has put his whole confidence in him, and begs he will do with the advice of Fastolf's learned counsel whatever they jointly think for his weal; 'for ye know well I am so visited by the hand of G.o.d that I may not deal with such troublous matters, without it should be to great hurt of my bodily welfare, which I trust ye would not desire.' If you find my Lady of York disposed to visit this poor place, commend me to her, and tell her how it is with me that I cannot receive her as I ought.

Castre, 18 June.

[As it will appear a little further on that the d.u.c.h.ess of York visited Caister in 1456, this letter is probably of that year.]

[Footnote 93.1: [From MS. Phillipps, 9735, No. 242.]]

336

ABSTRACT[93.2]

SIR J. FASTOLF TO JOHN PASTON.

[Sidenote: 1456 / JUNE 24]

To-day my cousin Sir Miles Stapleton, Sir James Braylyes, Andrew Grygges, 'hyr resseyvor,' and Grymston have been with Fastolf at Castre, and brought him 253 marks, which they would have paid if he had had the obligation here. Sends therefore a letter by his servant Colyn how Sir S. and he are agreed for its deliverance, etc. Sir S. made many strange insinuations that the money was paid before, partly by a.s.signment to Clyffton, etc. On the 18th and 19th inst. 'long Bernard, with a priest of Kent, to the number of 16 horse, hafe, at Nacton, Bentley, and other places of F., and entered by colour of a deed of feoffment made to the Lady Roos and others, and hafe right proud language to the farmers, that they will obtain their intent.' Russe has written more plainly by Nich.

Colman.

'Item, I charge right greatly the matter of my Lord of Bedford for my discharge, and for the recovery of my Lord's goods.' Begs Paston to common with the Lord Chancellor and others about it; and desires him to give 'mine attorney, Raulyns, and my serjeants' a warning 'to take more tenderness' about the process of Hykelyng that has been so many years and days driven off.

St. John Baptist's Day.

[From the reference to 'the matter of my Lord of Bedford,' this letter was most probably written in the year 1456.]

[Footnote 93.2: [_Ibid._, No. 263.]]

337

ABSTRACT[94.1]

SIR JOHN FASTOLF TO JOHN PASTON.

'First it is to remember that, upon St. John's day, there was Sir Symond Brayles, chaplain of my Lady of Suffolk, and in presence of Sir Miles Stapleton and Edward Grymston, said that the 200 marks was paid before in the Duke of Suffolk's days.' Can prove by writings that this was not so, and that he 'offered to put it upon my Lord Chancellor and upon one or two of Lords of the King's council as my said Lord Chancellor will call unto him,' that it may be known whether my Lady is wronged or Fastolf. The 100 of the above sum was not paid by a.s.signment to Clyffton. Sir Simon complains that the suit was stolen against Sir Thos.

Tuddenham, and judgment given without my Lady's counsel knowing of it; which can be disproved.

Castre, St. John Baptist's Day.

'Item, I remembered Sir Simon for the rest.i.tution of my revenues of Dedham 3 year day, and my damage of a mill put down,' etc. I paid 500 marks for the ward of Sir Rob. Harlyng's daughter for my Lord to Sir John Clyfton, of which the Duke had no right to receive one penny, for there was no land held of the King.

[This letter corresponds so closely with the last that it must have been written the same day.]

[Footnote 94.1: [From MS. Phillipps, 9735, No. 238.]]

338

FRIAR BRACKLEY TO JOHN PASTON[95.1]

_Honorabili viro Johanni Paston armigero ac confratri suo Willelmo germano uterino._[95.2]

[Sidenote: 1456(?) / [JUNE 29]]

Ryte reverent Syre, &c. I am informyd credybily of a secrete frend that S. T. T. [_Sir Thomas Tuddenham_] and J. H. [_John Heydon_], with J. A.

[_John Andrews ?_] and other of cursyd covy, wyl bryng with hem many gentylmen of here bende to compleyn upon me at the next chapitle, &c.

And there fore, by the grace of G.o.d, I dispose me, with help of zour good maysterschip and my Mayster w.i.l.l.yam, zour brother. Where fore, at the reverens of G.o.d, that ze do speke with the clerk men clepyn Brayn, that kepyth the bokys of here inditementes at the _oyer determyner_, anno xxix regni Regis; and that an extret or a copy myte schortly be wrytyn owt of as many namys as dedyn indyte T. T. and J. H. for trespas, extorsyones, and oppressyonys done to other men, as wele as to my Mayster Fastolff, etc., that I may be redy to schew to my ordre, lyk a kalender, a legende of here lyvys and here rewlyng of the c.u.n.tre, in destruccyon and gret myschef of the c.u.n.tre in here dayes. At the reverens of Jesu, forzet not this mater, ne the mater of Dedham, etc.

I wolde ze askyd my good lord and mayster, Yelverton, yf I sent hym ony letter in the same mater, &c. Dicente Davitico Psalmo:[96.1] _Ne obliviscaris voces inimicorum tuorum, nam superbia eorum ascendit semper_ in psalmo; qui et si nunquam ascendant in clos, utinam nunquam desendant ab [_ad_] abissos, &c., etsi anima eorum in malis tabescebat, &c. Scriptum festinacione (?) feria 3^a post festum Natalis Sancti Johannis Baptistae.[96.2] Recommendetis me magistro meo W. Paston, confratri vestro, et Thomae Playter cognato meo, cui dicite quod faciat Willelmum Geneye sibi benivolum quia Sampson filius et heres J. Sampson olim mariti Katerinae Fastolff apud Owlton mortuus, et ibi sunt duae viduae, major et minor, senior et junior. Eligatur quae sibi melius placet.

Magister Thomas Howys vobis amantissimus se cordialissime recommendat vobis, etc. Item, Willelmus Wigorniensis recommendat se vobis ex toto corde. Scribo vobis, utinam ad placitum.

Vester ad vota,

F. J. B., _Minorum minimus_.

I hafe a rolle redy of the inditements, that they were indityd for trespase and extorsyon and oppressyon done to my Mayster Fastolff, in the keping of W. Worceter, &c.

Visa frangatur et in ignem post jaciatur. Si dignemini loqui c.u.m effectu magistro Ricardo Fysscher, secretario domini mei comitis Warwicensis, pro cujus nomine et amore promptissimus sum adhuc plura pati, ut mittatur pro me litera magistro provinciali et diffinitoribus.

[Footnote 95.1: [From Paston MSS., B.M.] Dr. John Brackley, the writer of this letter, was a Grey Friar of Norwich, of considerable celebrity as a preacher. Several letters of his are found in this collection, written in the years 1459 and 1460.

This, however, must be a few years earlier, as in 1459 Brackley writes of William Worcester in very different terms. The handwriting also is not so close as that of his later letters.

We cannot, however, carry the date further back than 1455, as it seems that Worcester and Howes were at this time together, which must have been at Caister. Nor will the year 1455 itself suit all the circ.u.mstances of the letter, for it is evident that John and William Paston were also together, and as the writer asks John Paston to speak to Yelverton, it may be presumed they were in London. Now, John Paston was certainly not in London within a week after St. John the Baptist's Day in 1455. We have therefore placed the letter in 1456. It will be observed that, on the 1st of June in that year, John Russe advised Paston to go up to London.]

[Footnote 95.2: This address is in William Worcester's hand. The letter itself is in Brackley's own.]

[Footnote 96.1: _See_ Psalm lxxiii. (or lxxiv.) 23.]