_To my Maister Whyte, Esquyer, with my Lord Cardynall,[158.2] for to
take to John Paston._
[Sidenote: 1450 / JULY 8]
After al due recomendacion, I recomaund me to yow, and do yow wete that
this same Wednesseday I receyved your lettre whiche was wretyn on
Saterday last passed, wherby ye willed me to send yow worde of your
matiers, &c. As touchyng the frere,[158.3] he abydeth in lawe up on our
plee of profession, like as I sent yow word by wrytyng, whiche I sent
yow in a box with other stuf by a man of the Archedeken of Rychemond.
I endorsed it thus, ‘To William Plumstede, with my Lord of
Winchestre,[158.4] or to John Paston.’
We shuld have amendet our plee of profession, but thanne your counseyll
fereth he wolde take an issue that he is not professed, and that
shuld[158.5] be tried by the certificat of the Dean of Poulys, _sede
vacante_; and therfore we abide in lawe, and wole not amende our plee.
The day of th’assises in Norffolk is _die Veneris proximo post Festum
Nativitatis Beatæ Mariæ apud Norwicum_, and Costards _nisi prius_ is
take owt ageynst that day, and Prentis _nisi prius_ ageynst Halman also.
As touchyng the sute ageyns Osebern and Foke, he hath geve day xv.
Johannis with x. _tales_, as I have wretyn to yow to fore this tyme;
and I suppose that he wole have a _nisi prius_ of the same atte seid
assises. As touchynge the fyn in the Kyngs Benche for Osebern and Foke,
the fyne were cessed this terme, but I hadde no leyser to talke with
Croxton ther of yet, &c. Your bedfelawe seigh bothe my other writynge
and this, and he recomaundeth hym to yow, and shuld have wretyn to yow,
if he had not be prevy to my writyng. Ye ar meche hold to hym, for he is
diligent for yow, &c.
As touchyng Drewe Barantyn, I myght not yet speke with hym, &c.
_Circumspecte agatis_, and be war of lordis promysses, for it is tolde
me in counseil ther is a writte of forcyble entre[159.1] in framyng
ageynst yow.
Almyghty God be your gyde. Wretyn in hast with inne an hour after the
resceyte of your lettre, at Wesminster, the Wednesseday next after Seint
Thomas day.[159.2]
Yours JAMES GRE.
[Footnote 158.1: [From Paston MSS., B.M.] This letter appears
to have been written in the year 1450, when Gresham was in
London looking after John Paston’s interests in various
lawsuits. Mr. White, to whom it is directed for the purpose of
being conveyed to Paston, was a servant of Cardinal Kemp, who
had been made Lord Chancellor in the beginning of the year. It
is evident from other letters that John Paston took counsel of
the Lord Chancellor’s servant in his causes.]
[Footnote 158.2: Cardinal Kemp.]
[Footnote 158.3: John Hawteyn. --_See_ Nos. 46 and 63.]
[Footnote 158.4: William of Waynflete, Bishop of Winchester.]
[Footnote 158.5: The word ‘it’ is interlined in the original
after ‘shuld,’ but is clearly superfluous.]
[Footnote 159.1: For Gresham?]
[Footnote 159.2: The translation of St. Thomas was on the 3rd
July.]
[[die Veneris proximo _text has “aie” (Italic a for d)_]]
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