James Gresham to John Paston

LETTER V.

To my right Worshipfull Maist’ John Paston at Heylesdon in
Norff’ in hast.

   AFT’ due recomendacōn hadde Please it your Maist’ship to
     witte y^t as for Plait’ he shall excuse y^e writte of the
p’lement, &c. as touchyng my Maist’ Howard I cannot yet
speke w^t hym ne w^t Moungom’ye nether but as for y^e day of
Coronacōn of y^e Kyng it shall be certeynly the moneday next
aft’ Mydsom’ and it is told me y^t ye among oy^r ar named to be
made Knyght atte Coronacōn, &c.

     Itm it is seid y^t y^e Coronacōn do the Kyng wole in to y^e
north part forthwith and y^rfor shall not y^e p’lement holde but
writtes shall goo in to ev’y shire to gyve them y^t ar chosyn
Knyghtes of y^e shire day aft’ Michelmesse this is told me by
suyche as am right credible. Maist’ Brakle shall p’che at Poules
on sunday next comyng as he tolde me and he tolde me that
for cause childermesse day fal on y^e sunday the Coronacōn shal
on y^e moneday, &c. Wretyn in hast at London the sunday
next tofore mydsom’.

                                                  Yo^r. right pou’e s’uant,

                                                                    James Gresh’m.

             11 ½ by 4 ¼.

     On the back of this Letter, in a hand more modern than the Original is
written.

     “ John Paston, named to be made Knight at the Coronation of King E.
“ the iiij^th.”

London,
              Sunday, 21st of June,
              1461, 1 E. IV.                                                                                                    

The manners of the times being what I wish to point out, this Letter affords a remark-
able instance of the superstition of that age.

     Holy Innocents, or Childermas day, is the 28th of December, a day reputed so
unlucky, that during the year, many People even now^*, will not begin any new piece
of work, on that day of the week on which that happens.

     In the year 1460, this unfortunate day fell on a Sunday, at that time therefore they
must reckon forwards in the next year for the weekly Childermas day, accordingly as it
happened in the December of the year preceding, as the 28th of June, in no year, could
be on the same day of the week as the 28th of December in the same year; if this was
not the case, they observed only the 28th day of every month, as a Childermas day, and
therefore ominous.

     But supposing it to have been either way, we here find this piece of superstition coun-
tenanced by a Priest, and celebrated Preacher; for such we must suppose Fryer Brakle,
the Person appointed to preach at St. Paul’s, at so public a time as the day preceding a
Coronation.

     James Gresham was a Gentleman of a good Family in Norfolk, afterwards famous for
having produced so public spirited a man as Sir Thomas Gresham, Founder of the Royal
Exchange, &c. Pl. III. N^o 28.

  LETTER V.

To my right worshipful Master, John Paston, at Heylesdon,
in Norfolk, in haste.

   AFTER due recommendation had; Please it your Master-
     ship to weet, that as for Playters he shall excuse the writ
of the Parliament, &c. As touching my Master Howard, I
cannot yet spake with him nor with Mongomery neither; but
as for the day of the Coronation of the King, it shall be certainly,
the Monday next after Midsummer, and it is told me, that
ye amongst others are named to be made a Knight at the Coro-
nation.

     Item, it is said, that the Coronation done, the King will
(go) into the north part forthwith; and therefore shall not
the parliament hold, but Writs shall go into every shire to
give them, that are chosen Knights of the shire, day after
Michaelmas; this is told me by such as are right credible.

     Master Brakle shall preach at Paul’s on Sunday next coming,
as he told me, and he told me, that for cause Childermas day
fall on the Sunday, the Coronation shall (be) on the Monday.

     Written in haste at London, the Sunday next tofore Mid-
summer.

                                              Your right poor Servant,

                                                                  JAMES GRESHAM.

11 ? by 4 ?.

     On the back of this Letter, in a hand more modern than the Original is
written.

     “ John Paston, named to be made Knight at the Coronation of King E.
“ the iiij^th.”

London,
              Sunday, 21st of June,
              1461, 1 E. IV. 

The manners of the times being what I wish to point out, this Letter affords a remark-
able instance of the superstition of that age.

     Holy Innocents, or Childermas day, is the 28th of December, a day reputed so
unlucky, that during the year, many People even now^*, will not begin any new piece
of work, on that day of the week on which that happens.

     In the year 1460, this unfortunate day fell on a Sunday, at that time therefore they
must reckon forwards in the next year for the weekly Childermas day, accordingly as it
happened in the December of the year preceding, as the 28th of June, in no year, could
be on the same day of the week as the 28th of December in the same year; if this was
not the case, they observed only the 28th day of every month, as a Childermas day, and
therefore ominous.

     But supposing it to have been either way, we here find this piece of superstition coun-
tenanced by a Priest, and celebrated Preacher; for such we must suppose Fryer Brakle,
the Person appointed to preach at St. Paul’s, at so public a time as the day preceding a
Coronation.

     James Gresham was a Gentleman of a good Family in Norfolk, afterwards famous for
having produced so public spirited a man as Sir Thomas Gresham, Founder of the Royal
Exchange, &c. Pl. III. N^o 28.

460

JAMES GRESHAM TO JOHN PASTON¹

To my right worshipfull maister, John Paston, at
Heylesdon in Norffolk, in hast.

AFTER due recomendacion hadde; please it your
     Maistership to witte, that as for Plaiter he shall
     excuse the writte of the parlement, &c. As touch-
yng my maister Howard,² I cannot yet speke with hym, ne
with Moungomerye³ nether. But as for the day of Corona-
cion of the Kyng, it shall be certeynly the Moneday next
after Mydsomer, and it is told me that ye among other ar
named to be made knyght atte Coronacion, &c.

     Item, it is seid that the Coronacion do, the Kyng wole in
to the north part forthwith; and therfor shall not the parle-
ment holde, but writtes shall goo in to every shire to gyve
them, that ar chosyn knyghtes of the shire, day after Michel-
messe; this is told me by suyche as arn right credible.
Maister Brakle shall preche at Poules on Sunday next
comyng as he tolde me, and he told me, that for cause
Childermesse day⁴ fal on the Sunday, the Coronacion shall
on the Moneday, &c.

     Wretyn in hast at London, the Sunday next tofore
Mydsomer,

                                          Your right pouere servant,

                                                                    JAMES GRESHAM.

     ¹ [From Fenn, i. 232.] Like Nos. 457 and 458, this letter refers to the approach-
ing coronation of Edward IV.

     ² Sir John Howard.                                                ³ Sir Thomas Montgomery.

     ⁴ Childermas, or Holy Innocents’ Day, the 28th of December, fell on Sunday in
the year 1460. The day of the week on which it fell used to be considered ominous or
unlucky during the whole ensuing year. This superstition seems to have continued
as late as the beginning of the eighteenth century, and is alluded to by Addison in the
seventh number of the Spectator. It is not true, however, that Edward’s coronation was
put off till Monday. It took place on the Sunday which had been originally appointed
for it, but the processions and pageantry were deferred till next day. The following
is the account of the matter given in a contemporary chronicle in the Cottonian MS.,
Vitellius, A. xvi:—

     ’And upon the morn, Sunday, which was St. Peter’s Even, and the 28th day of

1461
JUNE 21