[Sidenote: 1479]
Memorandum.--The day that the lapse went out, which is such day vj.
monethes as the seid parson died, was on Tewesday, Our Lady Day, the
Nativite, the viij^te day of Septembre last past, anno xviij^o.
The day of vj. monethes affter Our seide Lady Day, the Nativite was on
Seint Mathes Day[9-2] the Apostell, last past, whiche was the xxiiij.
day of Februare, and so I deme eyther the Bisshoppe of Norwiche hath
presented or els it is in the gifft of my Lord Cardinall[9-3] nowe.
Inquere this mater, for the Bisshoppe of Norwich lythe in London, and
shall doo till Our Ladys Day this Lenton, as it is said here.
My moder delivered Sir William Holle his presentacion the xiij. day of
August, anno xviij^o, which was nere a monethe or the day of the vj.
monethes went out and past. Wherfore the Bisshoppe ought to present my
moders clarke. Neverthelesse the Bisshoppys officeres aunsware this
sayng, that if sondry persones deliver ij. sondrye presentacions for to
diverse clarkes to the Bisshoppes officers for one benefice, that then
the seid partyes shuld sue to the Bisshop at ther cost to have out an
inquerre to inquere _de vero patrono_, sayng forther more, that if they
sue nat out this inquerre with affect, and that the lapse fall, than it
is lefull for the Bisshop to present, and it is told me that the lawe is
this, that the Bisshoppe, be his office with out any sute of the
parties, shall call an inquerre afore hym to inquere _de vero patrono_,
and he shall assign them a day to bryng in a verdett, and he shall warne
bothe partyes to be ther at, and he shall amytte his clarke that is
founde patron.
Yet the Bisshopp useth nat to do this, but there as bothe partyes that
present are myghty [and wher as he thynketh it were a jopardy to
hym][10-1] to sue the Bisshoppe if he did them any wrong, and wher as
ther is a doubtable mater; but in this case the prest that troubleth my
moder is but a simple felowe, and he is _appostata_, for he was somtyme
a White Frere, and of simple repetacyon, and of litill substans, as my
moder can tell, wherfore Bisshoppys use nat in suche litill casys to
take so streyte an inquerre, and specyally wher as one hath contynued
patron with out interupcion so long as my moder hath done, for she hath
contynued more than l. wynter; wherfore I pray yow shewe my cousyn
Lovell this bill, and fynde some meanes to intrete the Bisshopp by the
meane of James Hobard,[10-2] which is grete with the Bisshopp, and is
nowe Reder of Lyncoln Inne this Lent. And late my lady speke to James
Hobard in the mater. If it please my moder ther is a prest callde Sir
----[10-3] which is thought by the tenauntes of Oxned a metely man to be
parson ther; the most thyng that I dowte, bicause Sir William Holle,
whom my moder presented, is ronne away, and if the Bisshop will nat
present my moders clarke in her title, than I wold that the labour myght
be made to the Bisshopp, that he myght present my moders clarke, suche
on as shoe will name, in his one title.
Ric. Lee, like as ze may understand be this writing, where as I
understod that the Bisshopp myght have kept the benefice but vj.
monethes after the patrons vj. monethes war worn out, now I understand
the contrary, for I understand he may kepe it a twelmo[nethe] and a day
. . . . [_several lines lost_] . . . . . .
Also, if ze knew any yong preste in London that setteth billis upon
Powlys dorr per aventure wold be glad to have it, and woll be glad also
to serve my lady and my moder for it for a season, I can no more say but
purvay a mean to the Bisshopp, that som mon may be put in by my moders
title.
. . . . . of the consistore in Norwich, and he hath a broder in the
Tower, is master of the Mynt under Brice, called Bartilmew Rede, and a
nother broder is a goold smyth dwellyng in the Chepe Side called
------[11-1] Reede. And he is eyther loged with on of these, his breder,
or els at the Jorge in Lumbard Strete, or els at the Cok and the Bell at
Billinges gate, a brue hous, for the sei[d] gold smyth hath maried a
bruewyf, and kepeth the brue hous, (?) and he can good skylle to helpe
in this mater of the benefice of Oxned.
Also, Ric. Lee, who so ever shalbe [presented to the] benefice of Oxned,
he muste tell hym, I must pay xiiij. marc to the frutes, and ther for
shall he have [da]yes of payment to pay a marc azey[n] if he d[o] gete
hym frendschip. And also, Richard, at the makyng of this letter I mend
(?) to have ben sure (?) . . . . . . and now I in na . . . . . for if it
please my moder, me thynke it was well done, Sir William Storor had
. . . .
[_The rest unintelligible._]
[Footnote 9-1: [Add. Charter 17,251, B.M.] It is sufficiently
evident that the date of this paper must be later than the
24th February, 1479. It appears to be a set of memoranda or
instructions by William Paston, addressed to his servant Richard
Lee. The MS. is a small roll of paper very mutilated and partly
illegible from the effect of damp.]
[Footnote 9-2: St. Matthias’ Day (not St. Matthew’s) is meant.]
[Footnote 9-3: Thomas Bourchier, Archbishop of Canterbury.]
[Footnote 10-1: Crossed out in MS.]
[Footnote 10-2: Afterwards Attorney-General to Henry VII. He was
Reader of Lincoln’s Inn in Lent, 18 Edward IV.]
[Footnote 10-3: Blank in MS.]
[Footnote 11-1: Blank in original.]
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