=Source.=--Gregory's "Chronicle" in the _Collections of a London
Citizen_, pp. 226, 227. (Camden Society.)
Now take heed what love may do, for love will not nor may not cast no
fault nor peril in nothing.
That same year, the first day of May, our sovereign lord the King
Edward IV. was wedded to the Lord Rivers' daughter; her name is Dame
Elizabeth that was wife unto Sir John Grey.... And this marriage was
kept full secretly long and many a day, that no man knew it; but men
marvelled that our sovereign lord was so long without any wife, and
were ever feared that he had been not chaste of his living. But on All
Hallows' day at Reading there it was known, for there the King kept his
common council, and the lords moved him and exhorted him in God's name
to be wedded and to live under the law of God and Church, and (that)
they would send into some strong land to inquire a queen of good birth
according to his dignity. And then our sovereign might no longer hide
his marriage, and told them how he had done, and made that the marriage
should be opened unto his lords.
A DINNER OF FLESH (_circa_ 1465).
=Source.=--_The Boke of Nurture_, by John Russell (1460-1470).
(Roxburghe Club, 1867.)
+The furst Course.+
Furst set for the mustard and brawne of boore, the wild swyne,
Such potage as the cooke hathe made of yerbis spice and wyne,
Beeff, moton, stewed feysaund, Swan with the Chawdyn,[20]
Capoun, pigge, vensoun bake, lech lombard,[21] frutur veaunt[22] fyne.
And then a Sotelte: }
Maiden mary that holy virgyne, } A Sotelte.[23]
And Gabrielle gretynge hur with an Ave }
[20] A sauce for swans.
[21] A dish of pork, eggs, cloves, currants, dates, and sugar powdered
together.
[22] Meat fritter.
[23] Made of sugar and wax.
+The Second Course.+
Two potages, blanger mangere and also Jely
For a standard vensoun rost kyd, faun or cony,
bustard, stork, crane pecock in hakille ryally,[24]
Partriche, wodcock plovere, egret, Rabettes sowkere,[25]
Great birds, larks gentille, Creme de mere,
dowcettes,[26] payne puff with lech Jely ambere.
[24] Sewn in the skin.
[25] Sucking rabbits.
[26] Sweet cakes.
... A sotelte followynge in fere,
the course for to fullfylle,
An angelle goodly can appere,
And syngynge with a mery chere
Unto iij shepperds upon an hille.
+The iij Course.+
Creme of almondes and mameny the iij course in coost,
Curlew brew, snipes, quayles, sparows, martenettes rost,
Perche in gely, Crevise[27] dewe dough, pety perveis[28] with the
moost,
Quinces bake, leche dugard, Fritter sage, I speke of cost,
And soteltees fulle solemn:
that lady that conceived by the holygost,
him that distroyed the fiends boost,
presented plesauntly by the Kynges of Coleyn.
After this, delicates mo.
Blaunderelle, or pepyns with carawey in confite,
Wafers to eat, ypocras[29] to drink with delite.
Now this fest is fynysched voyd the table quyte.
[27] Cray-fish.
[28] Pies.
[29] Spiced wine.
PRIVATE WARS (+September, 1469+).
=Source.=--_Paston Letters_, vol. ii., No. 620.
_Margaret Paston to Sir John Paston._
I greet you well, letting you wit that your brother and his fellowship
stand in great jeopardy at Caister, and lack victuals; and Dawbeney and
Berney be dead, and divers others greatly hurt; and they fail gunpowder
and arrows, and the place sore broken with guns of the other party, so
that, but they have hasty help, they be like to lose both their lives
and the place, to the greatest rebuke to you that ever came to any
gentleman, for every man in this country marvelleth greatly that ye
suffer them to be so long in so great jeopardy without help or other
remedy.
The Duke hath been more fervently set there upon, and more cruel,
since that Wretyll, my Lord of Clarence's man, was there, than he was
before, and he hath sent for all his tenants from every place, and
others, to be there at Caister at Thursday next coming, that there is
then like to be the greatest multitude of people that came there yet.
And they purpose them to make a great assault--for they have sent for
guns to Lynn and other place by the seaside--that, with their great
multitude of guns, with other shoot and ordnance, there shall no man
dare appear in the place. They shall hold them so busy with their great
people, that it shall not lie in their power within to hold it against
them, without God help them, or have hasty succour from you.
Therefore, as ye will have my blessing, I charge you and require you
that ye see your brother be helped in haste. And if he can have no
means, rather desire writing from my Lord of Clarence, if he be at
London, or else of my Lord Archbishop of York, to the Duke of Norfolk,
that he will grant them that be in the place their lives and their
goods; and in eschewing of insurrections with other inconveniences that
be like to grow within the shire of Norfolk, this troublous world,
because of such conventicles and gatherings within the said shire for
cause of the said place, they shall suffer him to enter upon such
appointment, or other like taking by the advise of your council there
at London, if ye think this be not good, till the law hath determined
otherwise; and let him write another letter to your brother to deliver
the place upon the same appointment....
Do your devoir now, and let me send you no more messengers for this
matter; but send me by the bearer here of more certain comfort than ye
have done by all other that I have sent before. In any wise, let the
letters that shall come to the Earl of Oxenford come with the letters
that shall come to the Duke of Norfolk, that if he will not agree to
the tone, that ye may have ready your rescue that it need no more to
send therefore. God keep you.
Written the Tuesday next before Holy Rood Day.
In haste by your mother.