ELIZABETH, DUCHESS OF NORFOLK, TO SIR JOHN PASTON[159-1]
_To my right welbeloved frende, Sire John Paston, Knyght._
ELIZABETH, DUCHES OF NORFFOLK.
[Sidenote: 1497(?) / FEB. 28]
I commaunde me to you, thankyng you as hartely as I can for your labour and substancyall serching owte of Thomas Martynz matyr, preing you of contenuance, and of your best advyse therin, how he shall breke the mater so as, by your helpe and wysdam, a frendely comunycacion may be hadde, so as the mater may be had in examynacion by suche gentylmen as shalbe named by th'assent of bothe parties, suche as tendyr and love the wele of bothe parties, and also the pees and tranquyllyte of the cuntre, and love to eschewe variaunce and parties in the cuntre, wherin ye shall not only do a greete pleasure to me, but a grete dede of charyte for the profight and ease of both parties, and also a pleasure to God, Who have you in keping.
At Erle Soham lodge, this xxviij. day of February.
N. E. N.
[Footnote 159-1: [From Paston MSS., B.M.] It seems probable that this letter was written in the February following Sir Harry Grey's death. (_See_ No. 1061.)]
1065
THE EARL OF OXFORD TO SIR JOHN PASTON AND ANOTHER[160-1]
_To my right trusty and right welbel[oved Sir] John Paston, Knyght, and Sir ... . . Knyght, ... . of them._
[Sidenote: 1499 / AUG. 20]
Right trusty and welbeloved councellours, I comaunde me to you. And where the Kinges Grace is lately acerteinyed that Th'Erl of Suffolk is departid owt of this his Realme, Hys Grace hath commaundid me to wryte unto you that ye incontynent uppon the sight of this my writing endeovour you to enquyre aswell of such persones as be departid over with the seid Erle as of theim that accompanyed hym in his repayre to the see, and retornyd ageyn, or in any wyse were prevy to the same, and theruppon, in as goodly hast as ye kan, to put them and every of them in suertie savely to be kept, and therof t'acerteyn me, to th'entent ye maye knowe his ffurther pleasure in the same. And if ye shall at any tyme herafter perceyve any suspect person nyghe unto the see costes which shall seme unto you to be of the same affynyte, than His Grace will that ye put them in lyke suertie. And Almighti God have you in His keping.
Written at Gaddishill, in the Ile of Wight, the xx^ti daye of August.
OXYNFORD.
[Footnote 160-1: [Douce MS. 393, f. 87.] Edmund de la Pole, Earl of Suffolk, escaped abroad on the 1st July 1499, and proclamations were issued on the 20th August following (the day on which this letter was written) against persons leaving the kingdom without a license. (_See_ my _Letters and Papers Illustrative of the Reigns of Richard III. and Henry VII._, vol. i. preface p. xl., vol. ii.
p. 377.) It appears that the King was at this time staying at Godshill, in the Isle of Wight, the place from which this letter is dated (see _Excerpta Historica_, p. 122).]
1066
HENRY VII. TO SIR JOHN PASTON[161-1]
_To our trusty and welbeloved knight, Sir John Paston._
BY THE KINGE.
[Sidenote: 1500 / MARCH 20]
Trusty and welbeloved, we grete yow well, letting yow wete that our derest cousins, the Kinge and Queene of Spaine, have signified unto us by their sundry letters that the right excellent Princesse, the Lady Katherine, ther daughter, shal be transported from the parties of Spaine aforesaid to this our Realme, about the moneth of Maye next comeinge, for the solempnization of matrimony betweene our deerest sonne the Prince and the said Princesse. Wherfore we, consideringe that it is right fittinge and necessarye, as well for the honor of us as for the lawde and praise of our said Realme, to have the said Princesse honourably received at her arriveall, have appointed yow to be one amonge others to yeve attendance for the receivinge of the said Princesse; willinge and desiringe yow to prepare yourselfe for that intent, and so to continue in redynesse upon an houres warninge, till that by our other letters we shall advertise yow of the day and time of her arrivall, and where ye shall yeve your said attendance; and not to fayle therin, as ye tender our pleasure, the honor of yourselfe, and of this our foresaid Realme.
Yeven under our signet at our manner of Richmount, the xx^ty day of Marche.
[Footnote 161-1: [From the _Paston Genealogy_, compiled by Sandford, and printed by Mr. Worship, in the _Norfolk Archaeology_.] Catherine of Arragon was expected in England in the spring of the year 1500, although she did not actually arrive till October 1501, owing to some alteration of plans.]
1067
RICHARD CALLE TO SIR JOHN PASTON[162-1]
_To the right reverent and honurable, my master, Sir John Paston, Knyght._
[Sidenote: Before 1503]
Plesitht it your mastership to remembre, I shewyd onto you in Lente that I had bought Baktons place. Sir, it is so that John Bakton graunted to John Trovy hes sone in lawe, hes mese with all the londes and tenements, &c., takyng of the seide John Trovy viij. marke of annuyte yerly, terme of hes lyf; wherupon endenture were made and a state delyverd. Upon the weche I bargeyned with Trovy, payng to hym for hes parte c. marke and x., wherof he hadde in hande iiij_li._ vj_s._ viij_d._ and xv_li._ xiij_s._ iiij_d._ shulde be payd at such tyme as I had a lawfull astate, weche was apoynted before Michelmes last past; weche is not yet done.
Wherfore he hath forfeted an obligacion of xl_li._ that he was bounde in to me for the same astate; ther was no defaute in me, for my money was there redy. And, sir, in the same weke after your mastership departed out of this contre, Bakton and the seide Trovy come to Bakton, and sent for me, and there were we appoynted for the same bargeyn and accorded, wenynge to me and to all tho that were there it had ben fully concl[uded] ... . . my suertes and for all other thynges. And sodenly Bakton departed hem be the avice of [the Prior of Bro]mholme, and John Bowle and other, weche meved Bakton that I shulde not have my bargein; and so they entende to putte me from my bergein. And master Fitzlawes, Kn[i]ght, of Esex, hath sent me a letter, weche I sende you closed herin; and at hes enstaunce I have graunted Trovy an ende for vj_li._ and my iiij_li._ vj_s._ viij_d._, and my costes that I have done on the place, weche with these mony and costes drawith xij_li._ If I may have all thes money payd onto me within xiiij. dayes after Cristemas, I wol take non avauntage of the obligacion, weche Trovy is bounde to me.
I suppose Mr. Lawes woll speke to you of thes mater. I beseche you that ye wol be goode master to me herin, for I am lothe to be putte from my bergein. I am in suerte there is no man wol geve so moche for it as I wolde, and they nede not to fere them of ther payment, for I ofer them iiij. suertes, the worste of them is worthe all the lande; yet Bakton mystrustes me, and nede not. If I had it, I wolde truste to make it a goode thynge, for ther is moche thynge ther by that myght be had in to it, weche causeth me to be the more desirous to it. I shewe your mastership the previte of my mynde, trustynge ye wolbe good mastre to me, and I shal pray to God for you and for all youres.
Wreten at Felmyngham, the Saterday next before Sein Marteyn.
Be your servaunt,
R. CALLE.
[Footnote 162-1: [From Paston MSS., B.M.] From the mention of 'Master Fitzlewes, Knight of Essex,' I am inclined to think this letter must be of the reign of Henry VII., and addressed to the later Sir John. Sir Lewis Fitzlewes of West Horndon, in Essex, was attainted as a Lancastrian in 1471, but the manor was restored to his son, Sir Richard, by Henry VII., who presented to the living from 1494 to 1519. The letter, however, must of course be earlier than 1503, the year in which Sir John Paston died.]
1068
ABSTRACT[163-1]
[RICHARD CALLE] TO [SIR JOHN PASTON?]
[Sidenote: Year uncertain]
Reminds him that four or five years ago he received from the writer 'certain wainscoat' and certain fish for his household, a hogshead of wine, spars, 'clapholt,' etc. in full discharge of all former debts.
Will always be ready to repay what his correspondent has paid for him to the King. Received of him a millstone, price 3, for which Calle gave a ryall in earnest, and delivered 1 quarter cod to Philip Loveday. I am grateful for the pains taken by 'your mastership' on my account, etc.
[The handwriting of this letter seems to be that of Richard Calle, but much older looking than that of most of his letters. As there is no distinct evidence of date, we place it after another letter of his, which seems to be late.]
[Footnote 163-1: [From Paston MSS., B.M.]]
1069
SIR JOHN KENDAL TO SIR JOHN PASTON[164-1]
_To the right worshipful and my right entierly welbeloved cosin and frende, Sir John Paston, Knight._
[Sidenote: Before 1503]
Right worshipfull sir, I recommaunde me unto you. I wryte this onely unto you, to advise you that I was mynded that my cousin Clippesby,[164-2] berer herof, shuld wele have maryed here in thies partes, wherin your nyce[164-3] toke hevy conceyte, thinking in hir mynde, that I was not willing that my said cousin shulde marye with hir.