1

TO JOHN PASTON I

2

1448, APRIL

3

TO MY RYTH WURCHYPFUL HWSBOND JON PASTON BE ÞIS LETTYRE DELYVERYD JN HAST

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4
5    Ryth wyrchypful hwsbond, I recomawnd me to ȝw, desyryng hertyly to
6heryn of ȝwr wel-fare, praying ȝw to wete þat I was wyth my Lady Morley
7on þe Satyrday nexst after þat ȝe departyd from hens, and told here qhat
8answere þat ȝe had of Jon Butt; and sche toke jt ryth strawngely and seyd
9þat sche had told ȝw and schewyd ȝw j-now qhere-by ȝe myth have
10knowleche þat þe releve owyth to ben payd to here. And sche seyd sche
11wyst wel þat ȝe delay jt forþe þat sche xuld nowth have þat longyth to here
12ryth. And sche told me hw jt was payd in Thomas Chawmberys tym, qhan
13here dowter Hastyngys was weddyd; and sche seyd sythyn þat ȝe wyl make
14none end wyth here sche wyl sew þer-fore as law wyl. I conseyvyd be here þat
15sche had cwnsel to labore aȝens ȝw þer-jn wyth-jn ryth schort tym. And þan
16I prayd here þat sche wuld vwche-save nowth to labowre aȝens ȝw jn þis
17matere tyl ȝe kom hom; and sche seyd nay, be here feyth sche wuld no more
18days ȝeve ȝw þer-jn. Sche seyd sche had sett ȝw so many days to a-kord
19wyth here and ȝe had broke þem þat sche was ryth wery þer-of; and sche
20seyd sche was but a woman, sche must don be here cownseyl, and here
21cwnseyle had avysyd here, and so sche seyd sche wyld do. Þan I prayd here
22aȝyn þat sche wuld teryn tyl ȝe kom hom, and I seyd I trostyd veryly þat
23ȝe wuld don qhan ȝe kom hom as jtt longyth to ȝw to don; and jf ȝe myth
24have very knowleche þat sche awyth of ryth for to have jtt, I seyd I wyst

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25wel þat ȝe wuld pay jt wyth ryth gode wyl, and told here þat ȝe had sergyd
26to a fownd wrytyng þer-of and ȝe kwd non fynd in non wyse. And sche
27sayd sche wyst wele þer was wrytyng þer-of j-now, and sche hath wrytyng
28þer-of hw Syre Robert of Mawthby and Ser Jon and myn grawnsyre, and
29dyverse oþer of myn awnceterys, payd jt and seyd nevyre nay þer-to. And
30jn no wyse I kwd not getyn no grawnth of here to sesyn tyl ȝe kom hom.
31And sche bad me þat I xuld don an erund to my moder; and qhan I kam
32hom I dede myn erund to here, and sche axyd me jf I had spokyn to my
33lady of þis forseyd matere, and I told here hw I had do and qhat answere I
34had. And sche seyd sche xuld gon to my Lady Morles on þe nexst day, and
35sche xuld speken to here þer-of and a-say to getyn grawnt of here to sesyn
36of þe forsayd matere tyl þat ȝe kom hom. And truly my moder dede here
37devere ryth feythfully þer-jn, as myn cosyn Clere xal tellyn ȝw qhan þat he
38spekyth wyth ȝw, and sche gete grawnt of my seyd lady þat þer xuld nowth
39ben don aȝens ȝw þer-jn and ȝe wold acordyn wyth here and don as ȝe
40owyn to do be-twyx þis tym and Trinyte Sunday.
41    Laverawnce Rede of Mawthby recommawndyth hym to ȝu and
42prayith ȝw þat ȝe wyl vwchesave to leten hym byn of ȝw þe ferm barly þat
43ȝe xuld have of hym, and jf ȝe wyl laten hym have jt to a resonabyl pris he
44wyl have jt wyth ryth a gode wyl. And he prayit ȝw, jf ȝe wyl þat he have
45jt, þat ȝe wyl vwche-save to send hym wurd at qhat pris he xuld have þe
46kowmb as hastyly as ȝe may, and ellys he must be purvayd in oþer plase.
47    As twchyng oþer tydyngys I sopose Jon of Dam xal send ȝw wurd jn
48a letter. As jt js told me veryly, Heydon xal not kom at London þis term.
49It is seyd jn þis contre þat Danyel js owth of þe Kyngys gode grase, and he
50xal dwn and all hys mene and all þat ben hys wele-wyllerys. Þer xal no man
51ben so hardy to don noþer seyn aȝens my lord of Sowthfolk nere non þat
52longyth to hym; and all þat han don and seyd aȝens hym, þey xul sore
53repent þem.
54    Kateryn Walsam xal be weddyd on þe Munday nexst after Trinyte
55Sonday, as it is tolde me, to þe galawnte wyth þe grete chene; and þer js
56purvayd fore here meche gode aray of gwnys, gyrdelys, and atyrys, and
57meche oþer gode aray. And he hathe purcheysyd a gret purcheys of v mark
58be ȝere to ȝevyn here to here joynture.
59    I am aferd þat Jon of Sparham js so schyttyl-wyttyd þat he wyl sett hys
60gode to morgage to Heydon, or to sum oþer of vwre gode frendys, but jf I
61can hold hym jnne þe better ere ȝe kom hom. He hath ben arestyd sythyn
62þat ȝe went, and hath had moche sorw at þe sewte of Mayster Jon Stokys
63of London for x mark þat Sparham owyth to hym; and jn gode feyth he
64hath had so moche sorow and hevynesse þat he wyst nowth qhat he myth
65don. I felt hym so disposyd þat he wold a sold and a sett to morgage all
66þat he hath, he had nowth rowth to qhom so þat he myth an had mony to

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67an holpyn hym-self wyth. And I entretyd hym so þatt I sopose he wyl
68noþer sellyn nere sett to morgage noþer catel nere oþer gode of hese tyl
69he speke wyth ȝw. He soposeth þat al þat js don to hym js att þe request
70of þe parson of Sparham and Knatylsale. I sopose jt is almas to confort
71hym, for jn gode feyth he js ryth hevy and hys wyf al-so. He js nowth nw
72vnder arest, he hath payd hys feys and goth att large. He was arestyd att
73Sparham of on of Knetysalys men.
74    Hodge Foke told me þat Sym Schepherd js styl wyth Wylly, and jf
75ȝe wyl I xal purvey þat he xal be browth hom ere ȝe kom hom. It js told
76me þat he þat kepyth ȝwr schep was owth-lawyd on Munday at þe swth
77of Ser Thomas Todynham, and jf jt be so ȝe arn nowth lyk to kepe hym
78longe. And as twchyng þat þat ȝe bodeyn me spekyn for to Bakton, he seyth
79he js wel avysyd þat sche seyd sche wuld neuer have to done wyth all,
80nere he kan not þenk þat sche hath non ryth to have jt. And he wyl say
81lyche as he hath herd here seyd, and jf sche speke to hym þer-of he wyll
82raþer hold wyth ȝw þan wyth here.
83    I pray ȝw þat ȝe wyl vwche-save to send me wurd hw ȝe spede in ȝwr
84mater twchyng Gressam, and hw Danyel js jn grace. Herry Goneld hath
85browth to me xl s. of Gressam syn ȝe ȝede, and he seyth I xal have more
86or Qhythson tyd jf he may pyk jt vp. I sopose Jamys Gressam hath told ȝw
87of oþer thyngys þat I have sped syn ȝe ȝedyn hens. If I here any strawnge
88tydyngys in þis contre I xall send ȝw wurd. I pray ȝw þat I may ben
89recommawndyd to my lord Danyel.
94

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95

TO JOHN PASTON I

96

1448, 19 MAY

97

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98    Ryght worshipfull husbond, I recomaund me to yow, and prey yow to
99wete þat on Friday last passed be-fore noon, þe parson of Oxened beyng
100at messe in our parossh chirche, euyn atte leuacion of þe sakeryng, Jamys
101Gloys hadde ben in þe tovne and come homward by Wymondams gate.
102And Wymondam stod in his gate and John Norwode his man stod by
103hym, and Thomas Hawys his othir man stod in þe strete by þe canell
104side. And Jamys Gloys come with his hatte on his hede betwen bothe
105his men, as he was wont of custome to do. And whanne Gloys was a-yenst
106Wymondham he seid þus, 'Couere thy heed!' and Gloys seid ageyn,
107'So I shall for the.' And whanne Gloys was forther passed by þe space of
108iij or iiij strede, Wymondham drew owt his dagger and seid, 'Shalt þow so,
109knave?' And þerwith Gloys turned hym and drewe owt his dagger and
110defendet hym, fleyng in-to my moderis place; and Wymondham and his
111man Hawys kest stonys and dreve Gloys into my moderis place. And Hawys
112folwyd into my moderis place and kest a ston as meche as a forthyng lof
113into þe halle after Gloys; and þan ran owt of þe place ageyn. And Gloys
114folwyd owt and stod with-owt þe gate, and þanne Wymondham called
115Gloys thef and seid he shuld dye, and Gloys seid he lyed and called hym
116charl, and bad hym come hym-self or ell þe best man he hadde, and Gloys
117wold answere hym on for on. And þanne Haweys ran into Wymondhams
118place and feched a spere and a swerd, and toke his maister his swerd. And
119with þe noise of þis a-saut and affray my modir and I come owt of þe
120chirche from þe sakeryng; and I bad Gloys go in to my moderis place
121ageyn, and so he dede. And thanne Wymondham called my moder and me
122strong hores, and seid þe Pastons and alle her kyn were SOME WORDS LOST myngham
123SOME WORDS LOST e seid he lyed, knave and charl as he was. And he had meche large
124langage, as ye shall knowe her-after by mowthe.
125    After non my modir and I yede to þe Priour of Norwich and told hym
126al þis cas, and þe Priour sent for Wymondham and þerwhyle we yede hom
127a-geyn and Pagraue come with vs hom. And whil Wymondham was with
128þe Priour, and we were at hom in our places, Gloys stod in þe strete at my
129moderis gate and Hawys aspyed hym þere as he stod on þe Lady Hastyngis
130chambre. A-non he come doun with a tohand swerd and assauted ageyn þe
131seid Gloys and Thomas my moderis man, and lete flye a strok at Thomas
132with þe sword and rippled his hand with his sword. And as for þe latter
133assaut þe parson of Oxened sygh it and wole a-vowe it. And moche more
134thyng was do, as Gloys can tell yow by mouthe. And for þe perilx of þat

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135myght happe by þese premysses and þe circumstances þerof to be
136eschewed, by þ'aduyse of my modir and oþer I send yow Gloys to attend
137up-on yow for a seson, for ease of myn owen hert; for in good feyth I
138wolde not for xl li. haue suyche an-oþer trouble.
139    As touchyng my Lady Morle, she seith þat she atte hire will wole haue
140þe benyfyce of hire obligacion, for hir counseyll telleth hir, as she seith,
141þat it is forfayt. And she wole not haue the relif til she hath your homage,
142&c.
143    The Lord Moleyns man gaderyth up þe rent at Gresham a gret pace,
144and Jamys Gresham shal telle yow more pleynly þerof at his comyng.
171

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172

132. TO JOHN PASTON I

173

1449, 28 FEBRUARY

174

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175    Ryt wurchypful hosbond, I recommawnd me to ȝou, desyryng hertyly to
176heryn of ȝowr wele-fare, be-seching ȝou þat ȝe be not displesyd þow I be
177com fro þat place þat ȝe left me in; for be my trowth þer were browth me
178seche tydyngys be dyuerys personys qhiche ben ȝowre wele-willerys and myn
179þat I durst no lengere abyd there, of qhyche personys I xall late ȝou have
180wetyng qhan ȝe com hom. It was done me to wete þat dyuerys of þe Lord
181Moleynys men saydyn jf þei myt gete me þey xuld stele me and kepe me
182wyth-jnne þe kastell, and þan þey seyd þei wold þat ȝe xuld feche me owth.
183An þei seydyn it xuld ben but a lytyll hert-brennyng to ȝou. And after
184þat I herd þese tydyngys I kowd no rest have in myn hert tyl I was here,
185nere I durst nowt owt of þe place þat I was jn tyll þat I was redy to ryden;
186nere þer was non in þe place wist þat I xul com þens save þe godewyf not
187an owre be-fore þat I kam þens. And I told here þat I xuld com hedder to
188don maken seche gere as I wold haue made for me and for þe childer, and
189seyd I sopposyd þat I xuld be here a fowrtennythe or iij wekys. I pray ȝou
190þat þe caws of my komyng away may ben kownsell tyl I speke wyth ȝou,
191for þei þat lete me haue warnyng þer-of wold not for no good þat it were
192diskuryd.
193    I spac wyth ȝowr modyr as I kam hidderwardys, and sche profyrd me,
194if ȝe wold, þat I xuld abydyn in þis town. Sche wold wyth rytȝ a good
195will þat we xul abyde in here place, and delyueryn me seche gere as sche
196myt for-bere, to kepen wyth hwsold tyl ȝe mytȝ ben purvayd of a place and
197stuff of ȝowr owyn to kepe wyth howsold. I pray ȝou send me word be þe
198brynger of þis how ȝe wil þat I be demenyd. I wol ben rytȝ sory to dwel
199so nere Gressam as I dede tyl þe mater were fully determynyd be-twix þe
200Lord Moleynis and ȝou.
201    Barow told me that þer ware no better evydens in Inglond þan þe Lord
202Moleynys hathe of þe maner of Gressam. I told hym I sopposyd þat þei
203were seche evydens as Willyam Hasard seyd þat ȝowr were: he seyd þe
204sellys of hem were not ȝett kold. I seyd I sopposyd his lordys evydens were
205seche. I seyd I wost wele, as for ȝowr evydens, þer mytȝ no man haue non
206better þan ȝe have, and I seyd þe selys of hem were to hundred ȝere elder
207þan he is. Þe seyd Barow sayd to me if he com to London qhil ȝe were
208there he wold drynk wyth ȝou, for any angyr þat was be-twyx ȝow. He

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209seyd he dede but as a servawnt, and as he was commawndyd to don. Purry
210xall tell ȝou qhat langage was be-twyx Barow and me qhan I kam fro
211Walsyngham. I pray ȝow hertyly, at þe reverens of God, be ware of þe
212Lord Moleynys and his men, þow þei speke neuer so fayr to ȝou trost hem
213not, ne ete not nere drynk wyth hem, for þei ben so fals it is not for to
214trost in hem. And also I pray ȝou be ware qhat ȝe eten ar drynk wyth any
215othere felaschep, for þe pepyll is ful on-trosty.
216    I pray ȝou hertylye þat ȝe wil vowche-save to send me word how ȝe don
217and how ȝe speden in ȝowr materis be þe brynger of this. I merveyl meche
218þat ȝe send me nomore tydyngys þan ȝe haue sent.
219    Rogere Foke of Sparham sent to me and seythe þat he dare nott gon owt
220of his hows for be kawse of þe sewte þat Heydon and Wymdam haue aȝens
221hem, for he is thrett þat if he may be gette he xal be ladde to preson.
222Heydon sent Spendlove and oþer to wayte qhere he were, and to arest hym
223to þe kastell, and þe forseyd Roger is so aferd þat his drede makyth hym
224so seke þat but if he haue sokowr sone it is lyke to ben his dethe.
225Qhere-for I pray ȝou, and he bothyn, þat ȝe wil purvay a remedy for hym,
226þat he may gon at large, for it hurtit bothen ȝowr katel and hym, Ȝowr
227closys and ȝowr pastowr lythe all opyn be-kawse he may not gon abrodde
228to don hem amendyn, and ȝowr schep ar not lokyd at as þey xuld ben for
229þer is no schepeherd but Hodgis sonys, for oþer schepherd dare non abyd
230þer ner com up-on þe comown be-kause þat Wichyngham men thretyn hem
231to bete if þei comen on here komon. And but if ȝowr bestys mown comown
232þer jt xall ben grette hurt to hem but if þe haue more pasture þan þei
233haue be-syd þatt.
234    Watkyn Schipdam recommawndyth hym to ȝou, and prayt ȝou þat ȝe
235woll speke to Sere Jon Fastolf for þe harneys þat ȝe hadden of hym, and
236tellyn hym how it is þat som þer-of is gon, and speke to hym þat þei þat
237arn bownd þer-for nere þei þat delyueryd it ben no hurt.
238    I haue ȝove Purry a gown; I pray ȝou take heed qhat it is and send me
239word if ȝe wil þat I purway all ȝowr leueres of þe same. Þe pris of a ȝerd
240þer-of is xiij d. ob., and so me semyt it is wele worth.
241    The parson of Sparrammys dowter and oþer talkedyn largely, and seydyn
242þat ȝe haue hadde on schote and but if ȝe ben ware ȝe xall haue more
243or Estern - ȝe xall for-bere Sporyl and Sweynysthorp also but if ȝe bere
244ȝou wele, er ȝe haue do wyth þe mater of Gressam. It is told me as for
245Gressam þe Lord Moleynys xuld not cleym it now noþer be tayl nere be
246evydens, but be infefment of on of his anseteris qhiche dyid sesynnyd, and
247in þe same wise it is seyd þat Sweynysthorp xul be cleymyd. In qhat wyse
248Sporyl xuld ben cleymyd I wote not; but if þer be any seche thing to-ward

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249I send ȝou word here-of þat ȝe may taken hede the ABOUT SIX LETTERS LOST AT HOLE Thomas
250Skipping seyd qhan he kam fro London to a man þat he wend xuld not a
251diskuryd it þat þ...yke ABOUT EIGHT LETTERS LOST AT HOLE to for-gon þe maner of Sporyll wyth-in rytȝ
252schort tym. As for þe plentys in þe hundred Purry xall tell ȝou
253qhat is don and of oþer thingys more.