_To my reverent and worchepfull mayster, Sir John Fastolf, Knyght,
be this lettre delyvered._
[Sidenote: 1451 / MAY 9]
Right reverent and worchipfull maister, I recomaunde me louly un to yow.
Please you to wete the Sonday next after the Fest of the Invencion of
the Cros,[238.2] the ix. day of May, at Castre, I receyved a lettre from
you by your clerk, W. Barker, the tenure wherof I shall do spede in all
hast goodly. But for the more special cause of my wrytyng at this tyme
is to gef you relacion of the un true demenyng of this oure determyner,
by the parcialte of the Jugez of it; for whan the Counsell of the cite
of Norwich, of the toun of Swafham, youres, my Maister Inglose,[238.3]
Pastons, and many other playntyfs had put in and declared, bothe by
writyng and by woord by fore the Jugez, the lawfull excepcions in many
wise, the Juges by ther wilfulnesse myght nat fynde in ther hert to gef,
not als moche as a bek nor a twynclyng of ther eye toward, but toke it
to deriscion, God reforme such parcialte; and by cause Prisot[238.4]
thought that yf the Sessions of the oyer determyner had be holden at
Norwich as they bygonne, he supposed it shuld nat so fast passe to
th’entent of Tudenham and Heydon and ther felawes, as it shuld do
ell[es] in other place, but enjorned to Walsyngham, wher they have
grettist rule, ther to be holden on Tuesday, iiij^te day of May.
This knowing, my Maister Yelverton,[238.5] Genney, and other myght weel
conceyve how the governaunce of the oyer determyner shuld procede, for
it was the most parcial place of alle the shire, and thedre wer cleped
alle the frendez, knyghteys, and esquiers, and gentilmen that wolde in
nowise do other wise than they wolde. And the seid Tudenham, Heydon, and
other oppressours of ther set come doun theder, as I understand, with
iiij^c. [400] hors and more; and consideryng how ther wellwillers wer
ther assembled at ther instaunce, it had be right jowpertous and
ferefull for any of the pleyntyfs to have be present, for ther was nat
one of the pleyntyfs ner compleynuantez ther, but your right feithfull
and trusty weel willer John Paston. And my Maister Yelverton seid full
discretly, and countrolled the seid Prisot when he seid, sittyng, in the
Guyhalle of Norwich, these wordys to the Meyre and Commonalte, ‘A, Sir
Meyre and your brethren, as to the processe of youre compleyntez, we
wole put them in contynuance, but in all other we wole procede;’ which
wordys Yelverton thought right parciall. And by side this the seid
Prisot wolde suffre no man that was lerned to speke for the pleyntyfs,
but took it as a venom, and took them by the nose at every thred woord
whiche myght weel by knowe for open parcialte.
And as for the Lord Scalys, ye knowe well what he is toward you, and
namely for Hikelyng matter. Also to knowe som of your feynt frendes,
at that tyme that my Lord Norffolk sat at Norwich up on the oyer
determyner, Sir John Hevyngham myht nat fynde it in his hert to go iiij.
furlong from his duellyng place to the shirehouse, but now he cowd ryde
from Norwich to Walsyngham to syt as one of the Commyssioners. As to the
rule of other, that ye wolde have supposed your wellewillers, how they
have byhavyd them at Walsyngham, I shall sende yow woord in all hast
whan Bernay[239.1] come hom to Castr, for he is nat yet come from
Walsyngham. But this I knowe well, that they founde none obstacle ner
impedyment in ther consciens in all your matter; but how they have do
with Norwich, Swafham, and Paston, I am nat yet clerly informed;
I suppose they arn put in respite. I here sey Heydon seweth for an ende
to be had with the cite of Norwich, and as to the namys of them that
passed on ther acquitaile ayenst yow, Broyn can weell informe yow.
I understand that Sir Robert Conyers, Calthorp, Mundford wer capteyns,
and Maister Ric. Doget also.
Item, as for the ij. _venire facias_ ye sent to be retorned for your
manorz of Bradwell and Beyton, I have do them to be retorned of suche
namys as I have sent woord before, savyng sume be take, and except out.
Moreover, as for the mater of Sir John Sibton, Geney and Raulyns gef ful
counsell that it shuld abyde tyl the mater of Bradwell myght procede, so
that bothe maters myght take up on a day, for they sey it wold drawe xx.
marc to labour the Jure to London, and yet it wer hard to bryng about.
And they gef you counsell in all wise that ye labour to have Yelverton
Juge at that tyme, and in all wise bothe in that materz and in all
other, that ye be war that Prisot have not to have do in any wise, for
than all wole be nought. Of alle other materz I shall send you woord in
all hast goodly, for at thys tyme I had no leyser by cause of the hasty
comyng up of Hug Fen, whom I beseche yow to fele of the demenyng of the
oyer determyner, for he can telle yow moche and [_i.e._ if] he wole;
whether he wole or nay, I can nat sey, for I know wele he was at
Walsyngham. And I beseche All myghty Jesu have yow in his mercyfull
governaunce. Wrete at Castre, the Sonday, ix. day of May anno xxixº
Regis Henrici vj^ti.
* * *
_On the back of the letter is written--_
I prey yow be nowth displesed thow I have nowt subscribed my name
withinne forth, for it is of neclygens, quoth Howys, Parson of
Castlecomb.
[Footnote 238.1: [From Fenn, iii. 116.]]
[Footnote 238.2: The 3rd of May.]
[Footnote 238.3: Sir Harry Inglos.]
[Footnote 238.4: John Prisot, Chief Justice of the Common
Pleas.]
[Footnote 238.5: William Yelverton, Justice of the King’s Bench,
afterwards knighted by Edward IV.]
[Footnote 239.1: Probably Philip Berney.]
193