_To my rygth worchepful broder John Paston Sqwyer._
[Sidenote: 1464 / APRIL 18]
Ryght worshypfull brothyr, I recomawnde me to zow. After all dew
recomendacions, &c., plesse it zow to wett that after that I had harde
say that the person of Blowfelde[100.2] wasse com to town I went to hym
to his in, and he bade the mesenger say that he wasse not within, and I
bad hym say a gayn that I come thyder to hym for hys own worchep and
avayle and that I wasse sory that I com so fer for hym; and after that
he sent for me and he cowde not fynde me, and I harde say ther of. And
than I wrott a letter, resytyng how that he wasse sworn yesterday for to
say the trowthe of al maner of materis consernyng Sir John Fastolfe,
avysyd hym to remember qwat hys wytnesse hadde sayd for hys sake, and
wat schame it xwlde be to hym to say the contrary; And also, if he sayde
the contrary, ze wold herafter prove the trowthe and contrary to hys
sayyng, and prove hym in a perjuri. And also I badde hym remember with
wat maner of men he delt wythe; and I rehersyd how untrwly they hadde
don. And not with standyng thys, after I met with hym in the strett and
spak with hym, and I fownde hym passyng strawngely disposyd and sor
mevyd with consiens that ze xwld have the lond and fownd the colage but
with an C. marcs, not with stondyng he myth fynde in hys consiens by the
well that the colage xwld be fowndyd in a noder plasse but with an C.
marcs, and the reminaunt of the lylode sold so that he myth pwroe the
mony; so I felt by hym that all hys strawngenes from zow is for he
demythe that ze wold parte from no thyng; and I told hym the contrary
ther of to be trwe, az this day he is exaymined up on a bok to sey the
trowthe of all thynges as the juge will[101.1] aske hym, for the jugeis
informacion; wych I trowe wyll not be good. Also they have pwt in
_testes_ azens zow iij^xx or iiij^xx men. Mayster Robard Kent wold sayn
that ze xwle gett zow ij. lycens of the prioris of zowre wytnes, Mayster
Clement and the monke, with an A[101.2] datt beryng before the comyng
up; for that must ye nedis have. Also he wold sayn that ze xwld com to
thys towne. Me thowte by Sir Thomas that they have aswerte in maner that
ze xall have no lycens for zour fundacion. And [_i.e._ if] they be
abowte to gett a lycens to fownde the colage in a noder place, me
thynkythe that wold hurte; her colour is for cause ze can gett no lycens
to fownde it at Caster; werfor thow zour wyll wer trwe, they myth
lawfully fownde it in a noder place. My Lord Chawnceler[101.3] is gone
to Zork and wyll not be her of all thys term. Wrytyn on Wednisday nexst
be for Saynt George.
The Kyng hathe ben in Kent and ther ben endityd many for Isleis dethe;
and he wyll com to town this day azen and he wyl not tary her but forthe
to Zork straytt.
By CLEMENT PASTON.
[Footnote 100.1: [Add. MS. 34,889, f. 7.] This letter was written
in April 1464, when witnesses began to be examined about Fastolf’s
will. _See_ No. 565. The Privy Seals of Edward IV. show that he
was in Kent (at Dartford) on the 15th and 18th of that month, and
he immediately after started for York.]
[Footnote 100.2: Thomas Howes.]
[Footnote 101.1: ‘will.’ In MS. ‘w^t,’ which ought to read ‘with’;
evidently a slip of the pen.]
[Footnote 101.2: Apparently meaning an _ante_ date.]
[Footnote 101.3: George Nevill, Bishop of Exeter, afterwards
Archbishop of York.]
565