John Paston to Sir John Paston

LETTER LXXXVI.

      To begyn God yeld yow for my hatys. the kyg hathe ben
           in this contre and worchepfully receyuyd in to Norwyche
and had ryght good cher and gret gyftys in thys contre wher-
wythe he holdyth hym so well content that he wyll hastyly be
her agayn and the qwen allso w^t whom by my power auyse ye
shall com if so be that the terme be do by y^t tym y^t she com in
to y^is contre And as for yowr maters her so god help me J haue
don as myche as in me was in laboryg of theym as well to my
lord ¹Reuers as to my lord ²Scalys syr Iohn Wydwyll Thom's
Wyngfeld and othyr abowt the kyg And as for the lord Reuers
he seyd to myn oncyll Will'm Fayrfax and me that he shold
meue the kyg to spek to the two dukys of Norff. and Suff. that
they shold leue of ther tytyls of syche lond as wer syr Iohn
Fastollfs and if so be y^t they wold do nowt at the kyngs reqwest
y^t then the kyg shold comand theym to do no wasts nor mak
non assowtys nor frayis upon you^r ten'nts nor plasys tyll syche
tym as the lawe hathe determynd w^t yow or ayenst yow y^is was
seyd by hym the sam day in the mornyg that he depertyd at noon
whedyr he meued the kyg w^t it or nowt J can not sey myn on-
cyll Wyll'm thynkys naye and the same aftyr none folowyg J
told my lord Scalys that J had spokyn w^t my lord hys fadyr in
lyek forme as J haue rehersyd and axyd hym whedyr that my
lord hys fadyr had spokyn to the kyg or nowt and he gaue me
thys answer that whedyr he had spokyn to the kyg or nowt y^t
the mater shold do well jnow Thom's Wygfeld told me and
swore on to me that when brandon meuvyd the kyg and besowght
hym to shew my lord fauour in hys maters ayenst yow that the
Kyng seyd on to hym ayen brandon thow thou can begyll the
dwk of Norff and bryng hym abow the thombe as thow lyst J
let the wet thow shalt not do me so for J undyrstand thy fals
delyg well jnow And he seyd on to hym more ouer that if my
lord of Norff. left not of hys hold of that mater that brandon
shold repent itt eu^ry vayn in hys hert for he told hym that he
knew well jnow that he myght reauyll my lord of Norff. as he
wold and if my lord dyd eny thyg that wer Contrary to hys
lawys the kyg told hym he knew well jnow that it was by no
bodys menys but by hys and thus he depertyd fro the kyg Jt' as
by wordys the lord Scalys and S^r John Wydwyll tok tendyr yo^r
maters mor then the lord Reuers It' Syr Iohn Wydvyll told me
when he was on horsbak at the kygs depertyg that the kyg had
comandyd brandon of p'pose to ryd forthe fro Norwych to Lyne
for to tak a Conclusyon in yo^r mater for yow And he bad me y^t
J shold cast no dowghtys but y^t ye shold haue yo^r entent and so
dyd the lord Scalys also and when y^t J preyd them at eny tyme
to shew ther fauor to yo^r mater they answerd that it was ther
mater as well as yo^rs consyderyg the ³alyans betwyx yow.
Comon w^t Jakys Hawt and he shall tell yow what langage was
spekyn betwen the duk of Suff Consell and hym and me it is to
long to wryght but J promyse yow ye ar be held to Iakys for he
sparyd not to spek Jt' the kyng rod thorow Heylysdon waren
towads Walsygh'm and Thom's Wyngseld promysyd me that
he wold synd the menys that my lord of ⁴Glowsestyr and hym
sylf bothe shold shew the kyg the ⁵loge y^t was breke down and
also y^t they wold tell hym of y^e brekyg down of y^e plase. Con-
trary to thys maters and all the Comfort that J had of my lord
Scalys S^r John Wydvyll and Thom's Wygfeld myn oncyll
Wyll'm sethe that y^e kyg told hym hys owne mowthe when he
had redyn for by the loge in Heylysdon waren that he supposyd
as well y^t it myght fall downe by the self as be plukyd downe
for if it had be plukyd down he seyd y^t we myght haue put in
ou^r byllys of it wehn hys jugys sat on the oyeer det^rmyner in
Norwyche he beyg ther And then myn oncyll seythe how that
he answerd the kyg that ye trustyd to hys good grace that he
shold set yow thorow w^t both y^e dwkys by mene of trete and he
seythe y^t the kyg answerd hym that he wold neythyr tret nor
spek for yow but for to let the lawe proced and so he seyth that
they depertyd. And by my trowthe and my lord tresorer enco-
rage you not more than he dyd us her ye shall haue but esy help
as on y^t party Wherfor labor yo^r maters effectually for by my
trowthe it is nedy for for all ther wordys of plesur J cannot un-
dyrstand what ther labor in thys Contre hathe don good wherfor
be not ouyr swyft tyll ye be swyr of yo^r lond but labor sore y^e
lawe for by my trowthe tyll that be passyd w^t yow ye get but
esy help as I can undyrstand J had w^t me on day at den^r in my
modyrs plase she beyg owt the lord scalys S^r John Wydvyll S^r
John Haward Nicolas Haward   Iohn of parr Thom's Garnet
festnx cheyny trussell y^e knyghts son Thom's boleyn q'p^rpter
Brampton Barnard and Brom Perse howse W Tonstale Lewes
Debretayll and othyr and mad hem good cher so as they held
them Content. Jt'm my lord of Norff. gaue Bernard Broom nor
me no gownys at thys seson Wherfor J awaytyd not on hym
notw^tstandyg J ofyrd my seruyse for y^t seson to my lady but it
was refusyd I wot by auyse Wherfor I p'pose no more to do so
as for Bernard Barney Broom and W Calthorp ar sworn my lord
of Glowsetyrs men but J stand yet at large not w^tstandyg my
lord Scalys spok to me to be w^t the kyg but J mad no p'mes so
to be for J told hym y^t I was not woorthe a groote w^towt yow
and therfor J wold mak no promes to nobody tyll they had yo^r
good wyll fyrst and so we depertyd. It was told me y^t ther was
owt a preve seall for yow to attend upon the kyg Northeward
and if it be so J thynk v^ryly it is do to haue yow fro London be
crast y^t ye shold not labor y^or maters to a Conclusyon thys terme
but put them delaye J pray yow p^rvey yow on it to be at hom as
sone as the terme is doone for be god J take gret hurt for myn
absence in dyuers plasys and the most part of yo^r men at Cast^r
wyll deperte w^rowt abod and ye be not at hom w^tin thys fort-
nyght J pray yow bryng hom poynts and lasys of sylk for yow
and me.

                                                                                                  J. P.

           11 ? by 17. A whole Sheet.

                       Paper Mark,

                 Bull's Head and Star.

                       PI. XXII. No 15.

    As King Edward often made excursions, and by his infinuating manner and address
conciliated the minds of his subjects, and induced them to bestow liberal gifts upon him,
it cannot be certainly known whether this visit to Norwich was merely to raise money, or
whether having intimations of the discontent of the Earl of Warwick, the King was en-
deavouring to make himself popular, the better to encounter and defeat any designs of
that nobleman. His manner of travelling, his attendants, and the familiar conversations
which are drawn in this Letter with ease and precision, interest the reader as well as de-
lineate the manners of the times.

    We find the Duke of Gloucester accompanied the King, but we hear nothing of the

Duke of Clarence, he most probably was at this very instant with the Earl of Warwick,
forming those plans which soon after for a time replaced Henry upon the throne.?
Edward's conversation with William Paston was certainly very proper, and becoming a
King, desirous that justice should be done according to the law ; for what can shew this
intention more strongly than the following words, " I will neither treat nor speak for him,
but I will let the law proceed. "

    His conversation likewise with Brandon, was both manly and spirited.

    ¹ Richard Wydville, Earl Rivers, father to the Queen, was at this time Lord Treasurer.
This nobleman and his eldest son Sir John Wydville, were in August following both be-
headed at Northampton, by a riotous mob, headed by one Robert of Riddesdale.

    ² Anthony Wydville, Lord Scales, was second son to the Earl Rivers, and had been
summoned to parliament in right of his wife, the daughter and rich heir of the late Lord
Scales.

    ³ This refers to the contract between Sir John Paston and Anne Hawte.

    ⁴ Richard, Duke of Glogucester, afterwards King Richard III.

    ⁵ For a full account of the mischief here done, see Letter LVIII. P. 226.

    Autograph. PI. xxv. N^o 21. Seal, a Fleur de Lys and Annulet. PI. XIV. N^o 22.

LETTER  LXXXVI.

To Sir John Paston, Knight.

      To begin, God yeld ( shield, or preserve ) you for my hats.
           The King hath been in this country, and worshipfully
received into Norwich, and had right good cheer, and great gifts
in this country, wherewith he holdeth him so well content that
he will hastily be here again, and the Queen also, with whom
by my poor advice ye shall come, if so be that the term be done
by that time that she come into this country ; and as for your
matters here, so God help me, I have done as much as in me
was, in labouring of them, as well to my Lord ¹Rivers as to
my Lord ²Scales, Sir John Wydville, Thomas Wingfield and
others about the King ; and as for the Lord Rivers, he said to
my Uncle William, Fairfax, and me, that he should move the
King to speak to the two Dukes of Norfolk and Suffolk, that
they should leave of their titles of such land as were Sir John
Fostolf's, and if so be that they would do nought at the King's
request, that then the King should command them to do no waste,
nor make none assaults nor frays upon your tenants nor places,
till such time as the law hath determined with you or against
you ; this was said by him the same day in the morning that he
departed at noon ; whether he moved the King with it or not I
cannot say, my Uncle William thinks nay ; and the same after-
noon following I told my Lord Scales that I had spoken with
my Lord his Father, in like form as I have rehearsed, and asked
him whether that my Lord his Father had spoken to the King or
not, and he gave me this answer, that whether he had spoken
to the King or not, that the matter should do well enough.

    Thomas Wingfield told me, and swore unto me, that when
Brandon moved the King, and besought him to shew my Lord
favour in his matters against you, that the King said unto him
again, " Brandon, though thou canst beguile the Duke of Nor-
folk, and bring him about ( thy ) thumb as thou list, I let thee
weet thou sahlt not do me so ; for I understand thy false dealing
well enough." And he said unto him, moreover that if my Lord
of Norfolk left not of his hold of that matter, that Brandon
should repent it, every vein in his heart, for he told him that he
knew well enough that he might rule my Lord of Norfolk as he
would, and if my Lord did any thing that were contrary to his
laws, the King told him he knew well enough that it was by
nobody's means but by his, and thus he departed from the King.

    Item, as by words, the Lord Scales and Sir John Wydville
took tender your matters more than the Lord Rivers.

    Item, Sir John Wydville told me, when he was on horseback
at the King's departing, that the King had commanded Brandon
of purpose to ride from Norwich to Lynn, for to take a
conclusion in your matter for you ; and he bad me that I should
cast no doubts but that ye should have your intent, and so did
the Lord Scales also ; and when that I prayed them at any time to
shew their favour to your matter, they answered that it was their
matter as well as yours, considering the ³alliance betwixt you.

    Commune with Jakys Hawte, and he shall tell you what lan-
guage was spoken between the Duke of Suffolk's counsel, and
him, and me ; it is too long to write, but I promise you ye are
beholden to Jakys, for he spared not to speak.

    Item, the King rode through Hellesdon Warren towards Wal-
singham, and Thomas Wingsield promised me that he would
find the means that my Lord of ⁴Gloucester and himself both
should shew the King the ⁵Lodge that was broken down, and
also that they would tell him of the breaking down of the place.
Contrary to these matters, and all the comfort that I had of my
Lord Scales, Sir John Wydville, and Thomas Wingfield, my
Uncle William saith, that the King told him (with) his own
mouth, when he had ridden forth by the Lodge in Hellesdon
Warren, that he supposed as well that it might fall down by the
self, as be plucked down, for if it had been plucked down, he
said that we might have put in our bills of it, when his Judges
sat on the Oyer and Determiner in Norwich, he being there ;
and then my Uncle saith how that he answered the King, that
ye trusted to his good grace that he should set you through with
both the Dukes, by mean of treaty, and he saith that the King
answered him that he would neither treat nor speak for you, but
for to let the law proceed, and so he faith that they departed ;
and by my troth and ( if ) my Lord Treasurer encourage you not
more than he did us here, ye shall have but easy help as on that
party, wherefore labour your matters effectually, for by my troth
it is needy for, for all their words of pleasure, I cannot understand
what their labour in this country hath done good ; wherefore be
not over swift till ye be sure of your land, but labour sore the
law, for by my troth till that be passed with you, ye get but easy
help as I can understand.

    I had with me one day at dinner in my Mother's place, she
being out, the Lord Scales, Sir John Wydville, Sir John Howard,
Nicholas Howard, John of Parr, Thomas Garnet, Festus Chey-
ney, Trussel, the Knight's son, Thomas Boleyn, qua propter,
(in short ) Brampton, Bernard, and Brown, Perse Howse, W.
Tonstal, Lewis de Bretayl, and others, and made them good
cheer, so as they held them content.

    Item, my Lord of Norsolk gave Bernard, Broom, nor me no
gowns at this season, wherefore I awaited not on him, notwith-
standing I offered my service for that season to my Lady, but it
was refused, I wot by advice ; wherefore I purpose no more to do
so. As for Bernard, Barney, Broom, and W. Calthorpe are
sworn my Lord of Gloucester's men, but I stand yet at large,
notwithstanding my Lord Scales spoke to me to be with the
King, but I made no promise so to be, for I told him that I was
not worth a groat without you, and therefore I would make no
promise to nobody till they had your good will first, and so we
departed.

    It was told me that there was out a Privy seal for you to
attend upon the King northward ; and if it be so, I think verily
it is done to have you from London by craft, that ye should not
labour your matters to a conclusion this term, but put them ( in )
delay. I pray you purvey you on it, to be at home as soon as
the term is done, for by God I take great hurt for mine absence
in divers places, and the most part of your men at Caister will
depart without abode, and ( if) ye be not at home within this
fortnight. I pray you bring home points and laces of silk for
you and me.

                                                          JOHN PASTON.

    1469. 9 E. IV.

    As King Edward often made excursions, and by his infinuating manner and address
conciliated the minds of his subjects, and induced them to bestow liberal gifts upon him,
it cannot be certainly known whether this visit to Norwich was merely to raise money, or
whether having intimations of the discontent of the Earl of Warwick, the King was en-
deavouring to make himself popular, the better to encounter and defeat any designs of
that nobleman. His manner of travelling, his attendants, and the familiar conversations
which are drawn in this Letter with ease and precision, interest the reader as well as de-
lineate the manners of the times.

    We find the Duke of Gloucester accompanied the King, but we hear nothing of the

Duke of Clarence, he most probably was at this very instant with the Earl of Warwick,
forming those plans which soon after for a time replaced Henry upon the throne.?
Edward's conversation with William Paston was certainly very proper, and becoming a
King, desirous that justice should be done according to the law ; for what can shew this
intention more strongly than the following words, " I will neither treat nor speak for him,
but I will let the law proceed. "

    His conversation likewise with Brandon, was both manly and spirited.

    ¹ Richard Wydville, Earl Rivers, father to the Queen, was at this time Lord Treasurer.
This nobleman and his eldest son Sir John Wydville, were in August following both be-
headed at Northampton, by a riotous mob, headed by one Robert of Riddesdale.

    ² Anthony Wydville, Lord Scales, was second son to the Earl Rivers, and had been
summoned to parliament in right of his wife, the daughter and rich heir of the late Lord
Scales.

    ³ This refers to the contract between Sir John Paston and Anne Hawte.

    ⁴ Richard, Duke of Glogucester, afterwards King Richard III.

    ⁵ For a full account of the mischief here done, see Letter LVIII. P. 226.

    Autograph. PI. xxv. N^o 21. Seal, a Fleur de Lys and Annulet. PI. XIV. N^o 22.

716

JOHN PASTON TO SIR JOHN PASTON¹

TO begyn, God yeld yow for my hatys. The Kyng
     hathe ben in this contre, and worchepfully receyvyd
     in to Norwyche, and had ryght good cher and gret
gyftys in thys contre, wherwythe he holdyth hym so well con-
tent that he wyll hastyly be her agayn, and the Qwen allso,
with whom, by my power avyse, ye shall com, if so be that
the terme be do by that tym that she com in to this contre.
And as for yowr maters her, so God help me, I have don as
myche as in me was, in laboryng of theym, as well to my
Lord Revers² as to my Lord Scalys,³ Syr John Wydwyll,⁴
Thomas Wyngfeld, and othyr abowt the Kyng. And as for
the Lord Revers, he seyd to myn oncyll William, Fayrfax,
and me, that he shold meve the Kyng to spek to the two
Dukys of Norffolk and Suffolk, that they shold leve of ther
tytyls of syche lond as wer Syr John Fastolfs. And if so be
that they wold do nowt at the Kyngs reqwest, and then the
Kyng shold comand theym to do no wasts, nor mak non
assawtys nor frayis upon your tenants nor plasys, tyll syche
tym as the lawe hathe determynd with yow or ayenst yow;
this was seyd by hym the sam day in the mornyng that he
depertyd at noon. Whedyr he meved the Kyng with it or
nowt I can not sey, myn oncyll Wyllyam thynkys naye.
And the same aftyr none folowyng I told my Lord Scalys
that I had spokyn with my Lord hys fadyr, in lyek forme as I
have rehersyd, and axyd hym whedyr that my Lord hys fadyr
had spokyn to the Kyng or nowt, and he gave me thys answer,
that whedyr he had spokyn to the Kyng or nowt, that the
mater shold do well inow.

     Thomas Wygfeld told me, and swore on to me, that when
Brandon meuvyd the Kyng, and besowght hym to shew my
Lord favour in hys maters ayenst yow, that the Kyng seyd on
to hym ayen, ‘Brandon, thow thou can begyll the Dwk of
Norffolk, and bryng hym abow the thombe as thow lyst, I let
the wet thow shalt not do me so; for I undyrstand thy fals
delyng well inow.’ And he seyd on to hym, more over, that
if my Lord of Norffolk left not of hys hold of that mater,
that Brandon shold repent itt, every vayn in hys hert, for he
told hym that he knew well inow that he myght reauyll [rule]
my Lord of Norffolk as he wold; and if my Lord dyd eny
thyng that wer contrary to hys lawys, the Kyng told hym he
knew well inow that it was by no bodys menys but by hys;
and thus he depertyd fro the Kyng.

     Item, as by wordys, the Lord Scalys and Syr John
Wydwyll tok tendyr your maters mor then the Lord Revers.

     Item, Syr John Wydvyll told me, when he was on horsbak
at the Kyngs depertyng, that the Kyng had comandyd Bran-
don of purpose to ryd forthe fro Norwych to Lyne, for to tak
a conclusyon in your mater for yow; and he bad me that I
shold cast no dowghtys but that ye shold have your entent,
and so dyd the Lord Scalys also; and when that I preyd them
at eny tyme to shew ther favor to your mater, they answered
that it was ther mater as well as yours, consyderyng, the alyans¹
betwyx yow. Comon with Jakys Hawt, and he shall tell yow
what langage was spekyn betwen the Duk of Suffolks consell,
and hym, and me; it is to long to wryght, but I promyse yow
ye ar be held to Jakys, for he sparyd not to spek.

     Item, the Kyng rod thorow Heylysdon Waren towads
Walsyngham, and Thomas Wyngfeld promysyd me that he
wold fynd the menys that my Lord of Glowsestyr² and hym
sylf bothe shold shew the Kyng the loge that was breke down,
and also that they wold tell hym of the brekyng down of the
plase. Contrary to thys maters, and all the comfort that I
had of my Lord Scalys, Sir John Wydvyll, and Thomas
Wyngfeld, myn oncyll Wylliam sethe that the Kyng told hym
hys owne mowthe, when he had redyn for by the loge in
Heylysdon Waren, that he supposyd as well that it myght fall
downe by the self as be plukyd downe, for if it had be plukyd
down, he seyd that we myght have put in our byllys of it,
wehn hys jugys sat on the oyeer determyner in Norwyche,
he beyng ther. And then myn oncyll seythe how that he
answered the Kyng, that ye trustyd to hys good grace that he
shold set yow thorow with both the Dwkys, by mene of trete;
and he seythe that the Kyng answerd hym that he wold
neythyr tret nor spek for yow, but for to let the lawe proced,
and so he seyth that they depertyd. And by my trowthe, and
my Lord Tresorer encorage you not more than he dyd us
her, ye shall have but esy [indifferent] help as on that party.
Wherfor labor your maters effectually; for by my trowthe it
is nedy[s], for, for all ther wordys of plesur, I cannot undyr-
stand what ther labor in thys contre hathe don good; wherfor
be not ovyr swyft tyll ye be swyr of your lond, but labor sore
the lawe, for by my trowthe tyll that he passyd with yow, ye
get but esy help as I can undyrstand.

     I had with me on day at dener in my modyrs plase, she
beyng owt, the Lord Scalys, Sir John Wydvyll, Sir John
Haward, Nicolas Haward, John of Par, Thomas Gornet,
Foscwe, Cheyny, Trussell, the Knyghts son, Thomas Boleyn,
qua propter, Brampton, Barnard, and Broun, Perse, Howse,
W. Tonstale, Lewes Debretayll, and othyr, and mad hem good
cher, so as they held them content.

     Item, my Lord of Norffolk gave Bernard, Broom, nor me
no gownys at thys seson, wherfor I awaytyd not on hym;
notwithstandyng I ofyrd my servyse for that seson to my
Lady, but it was refusyd, I wot by avyse; wherfor I purpose
no more to do so. As for Bernard, Barney, Broom, and
W. Calthorp, ar sworn my Lord of Glowsetyrs men, but I
stand yet at large; not withstandyng my Lord Scalys spok to
me to be with the Kyng, but I mad no promes so to be, for I
told hym that I was not woorthe a groote withowt yow, and
therfor I wold mak no promes to nobody tyll they had your
good wyll fyrst; and so we depertyd.

     It was told me that ther was owt a preve seall for yow to
attend upon the Kyng northeward; and if it be so, I thynk
veryly it is do to have yow fro London be craft, that ye shold
not labor your maters to a conclusyon thys terme, but put
them [in] delaye. I pray yow purvey yow on it to be at hom
as sone as the terme is doone, for be God I take gret hurt for
myn absence in dyvers plasys, and the most part of your men
at Caster wyll deperte withowt abod, and ye be not at hom
within thys fortnyght. I pray yow bryng horn poynts and
lasys of sylk for yow and me.                                           J. P.

     ¹ [From Fenn, iv. 334.] Edward IV. arrived at Norwich in the middle of the
month of June 1469. There are privy seals dated at Bury on the 15th and 16th of
the month, at Norwich on the 19th and 21st, at Walsingham on the 21st and 22nd,
at Lynn on the 26th, and at Stamford on the 5th July. Edward did not return with
the Queen as he intended, but she visited Norwich without him a little later. See a
paper on the subject of her visit by Mr. Harrod, in the Norfolk Archœology, vol. v.
p. 32.

     ² Richard Woodville, Earl Rivers, father to the Queen, Lord Treasurer and
Constable of England.

     ³ Anthony Woodville, Lord Scales, eldest son of the Earl Rivers.

     ⁴ A younger son of Earl Rivers.

     ¹ This refers to the contract between Sir John Paston and Anne Hawte.—F.

     ² Richard, Duke of Gloucester, afterwards King Richard III.—F.

1469
JUNE

1469
JUNE

1469
JUNE

1469
JUNE