[Sidenote: 1465 / SEPT. 27]
Ryght wourchipful husbonde, I recomaunde me to yow, dyssyryng hertely to
here of yowr welfare, thankyng yow of yowr grett chere that ye made me,
and of the coste that ye dede on me. Ye dede more cost thanne my wylle
was that ye choulde do, but that it plesyd yow to do so, God gyf me
grase to do that may plese yow. Plesyt yow to wet that on Fryday after
myn departyng frome yow I was at Sudbury and spake with the schreve, and
Ric. Calle toke hym the ij. writts, and he brake them, and Ric. hathe
the copes of them;
[Sidenote: Vic. Norfolk pro ovibus.]
and he seyde he wolde send the writts to hys undre-schryf and a leter
therwyth, chargyng hym that he schowlde do ther ine as largely as he owt
to do.
[Sidenote: Answer of the writts and of the replevyn.]
And I and Ric. informyd hym of the demenyng of hys undrchryf, how
parciall he hade be with the other partye, bothe in that mater, and also
for the accionnys beyng in the scher; and he was nothyng wel plesyd of
the demenyng of hys undreschef, and he hat wretyn to hym that he choulde
be indeferent for bothe partyes acordyng to the lawe, bothe for that
materys and for alle other. What the undreschryf wylle do therin I wot
ner, for he is not yet spokyn with.
[Sidenote: Margareta Paston intravit manerium Cotton die Dominica
proxima ante festum Michaelis.]
Item, as for Cotton, I entryd in to the plase as on Sunday last was, and
ther I abode tyll un Wednysday last pasyd. I have left ther John Paston
the yonger, Wykes, and other xij. men for to receive the profyttes of
the maner; and ayenst the day of kepyng of the corte, I hope ther shall
be more to streynkyth them, yf it nede. John Paston hath be with my
lorde of Norfolk seyth [_since_] we entryd, and dyssyryd his good
lorchyp to streynth hym with hys howsolde men and other yf nede be; and
he hath promysyd he would do so.
[Sidenote: I thank yow of your demenyng at Cotton.]
And I sent Ric. Calle on Tusday to Knevett, dysyryng hym that he woulde
sende to hys baley and tenaunts at Mendlesham, that thei choulde be redy
to come to John Paston whan he sent for them; and he sent a man of his
forthwith, chargyng them in aney wyse that they choulde do so.
[Sidenote: Remembir Nakton.]
And he sent me wourde be Ric. and hys sonne also, yf wee were not
stronge inough, that owther he or hys sonne, or bothe yf nede were,
would come with suche feleschipp as they coude gett abowt them, and that
thei woulde do as feythfully as they kowde for yow, bothe in that mater
and in alle other.
Item, on Saterday last was, Jenney ded warne a corte at Calcotte to be
holde ther in hys name as on Tusday last was, and Debenham de[d] charge
another court ther the Sunday next after to be holde ther the same
Tusday in hys name. And Daubeney had knowleche ther of, and he dede send
on Sunday at nyght to yowr elder sonne, for to have some men fro thens;
and so he sent Wykes and Bernay to hym on Monday in the mornyng.
[Sidenote: Mokenge of Jenney and Debenham at Calcotes the Tuisday next
bifore Sen Migchell.]
And assone as thei were come to Castre thei sent for men ther in the
contre, and so they gett them in to a iij.^xx. men; and Daubeney and
Wekes and Bernay rod to Calcott the same Munday at nyght with ther
felechyp, and ther kept them prevye in the pl[a]se, so that non of alle
the tenaunts kneue them ther, saf Rysyngs wyff and her howsolde, tylle
the Theusday at x. of the cloke.
[Sidenote: Now your cost is doon, consideryng your frends be corayges
and your enemyes discoraged, gadir up the profits in all goodly hast,
and that I may see acompt for this trobill tyme.]
And than Sir Thomas Brews, Debunham the fadre,[192.1] and the knyt hys
sonne,[192.2] Jenney, Mykelfylde younger, Jermyn, and younge Jernyngham,
and the Baley of Motforde, with other to the noumbre of a iij.^xx.
persones, coum fro the sessionnys at Becklys, the whech thei hade keppt
ther on the day byfor, coume to Seynt Olevys, and ther thei teryed and
dynyd. And whan thei had dynyd, Sir Gylberde Debenham came to Calcott
with xx. hors for to wett what felechipp ther was in the plase. And than
Wekes aspyed them commyng; and he and Bernay and ij. with them rode owt
to a’ spoke with them. And whan Sir Gilberd aspyd them comyng, he and
his felechipp flede and rode ayen to Seynt Olovys. And than they sent
young Jernyngham and the Baley of Mottforde to yowr men lettyng hem wete
that the Justice of the Pese wer coum doune with Debunham and Jenney, to
se that the pese choulde be kepte, and that thei choulde entre and kepe
the courte in pesible wyse. And yowr men answeryd and seyd that they
knewe no man was possessyd ther in, ner hade no ryght therin but ye, and
so in your name, and in your ryght they seyd they woulde kepyt. And so
they yede ayen with thys answer, and wer put fromme ther purp[o]se that
day. And all the tenaunts bestes wer put fro Calcalcott[193.1] fee, and
challe be tylle other remedy maye be hadde. Yowr men woulde not kepe
ther a cort that daye by cause it was warnyd by the tother parte, but we
wyl do warne a corte and kepyt, I hope in hast. Ye wyll laugh for to
here alle the processe of the demenyng ther, wheche wer to longe to
writt at thys tyme.
[Sidenote: Veneat (_sic_) Barney.]
Bernay challe telle yow whane he come; but he challe not come to yow
tylle after Seynt Feythesmesse,[193.2] that he maye bryng yow answeres
of other materys.
[Sidenote: Cessiones Norwici et Dunwici Martis proximo post festum
Michelis.]
It is tolde me the sessionys choulle be her at Norwiche on Tusday next
comyng, and in Suffolk the Sessionys challe be the same Tusday owther at
Dounwyche or at Ypswyche. I suppose ther challe be labowr ayenst soume
of our folks ther, but we cholle assay to lete ther pourpose yf we maye.
[Sidenote: De prudencia custodiendi Heylesdon.]
It is tolde me yf ther hade no folks a’ be left here in thys plase whyll
I have be owt, they choulde a’ be neue masters her by thys tyme; therfor
it is not good to leve it alone yett.
[Sidenote: Tenentes comitis Oxoniæ pro custodia Cotton.]
Item, Arblaster hathe sent a letter to myn Lorde of Oxenefords tenaunts
that be nerrest abowt Cotton to help John Paston yf they be sent to, &c.
[Sidenote: Episcopus Norwici pro ecclesia de Drayton.]
Item, I was thys daye with myn Lorde of Norwyche at Thorppe, and
informyd hym of the demenyng of the mater for Drayton chyrche, and of
alle the demenyng and parcialte of Master John Solatt and Ypswell; and
also I informyd what disposission that they were of that were upon the
quest.
[Sidenote: Lete yowr counsell comone with hym, but thei may sey they
knowe not myn evidens nor titell,]
And in good feyth me thynkyth by hym that he is ryght ille plesyd that
the mater was so gydyt. He seyde to me ryght pleynly that the Jugis dede
not therin as thei owght to do, and he seyd thowe I hadde hade noo
councell, the he howght of ryght to have assyngyd me councell suche as I
hadde dyssyrid; but he seyde he wyst well he dede in that mater as he
have do in other materys byfor. Me thynkyth by suche thynges I harde
ther that the seyd Master John ner the tother is not grettly in conseyt
at thys tyme; and so tolde me Aschefylde in councell.
[Sidenote: ner have no mor to do by my writynge that I sent yow thanne
to avyse hough I shall take myn accion, and that in that accion I have
as good titell as my Lord of Norwich hath to the chirch of Thorp.]
What the cause was he myght have no leyser to telle me. I mevyd my lorde
in the mater acordyng to the intent of yowr wrytyng yf aney axcion wer
take; and he seyd feythefully yf it myght prevayle yow, he woulde with
ryght good wylle that it choulde be doo; and ellys he woulde not in noo
wyse that it choulde be doo. And he dyssyryde me to sende to hym suche
as be of yowr councell lernyd, that they myght comune with hym therin,
for he seyd he woulde not ye choulde take non axcion therin withowt it
myght provayle. He was well payed that I tolde hym that ye woulde not do
therin withowt hys knowleche and assent; and he seyd he woulde do therin
as he woulde do yf the mater wer hys owne. Be avyse of yowr councell,
I purpose to sende Loumnowr and Playter to commone with hym therin. He
seyd he woulde feyne that ye wer owt of troble; and he seyd, yf he myght
doo owght to helppe yow forwarde in aney of yowr materys, he swore by
heys feythe he wode do hys parte feythfully therin.
[Sidenote: Episcopus apud London.]
He purp[o]syd to be at London thys terme, and thanne he seyd he woulde
speke with yow of maney thyngs; he wycheyd herteley that he myght have
spoke with yow on owr. He mevyd to me of a mater of a jentyllman of
Cornale.
[Sidenote: Cornwayle]
He seyd he woulde speke with yow therof her after; yf it myght be browt
to, it myght do meche good in maney thyngis. I harde yow onys speke of
the same; ye tolde me ye hade be mevyd to therof by other.
Item, I received at letter frome yow yesterday, wherof I thanke yow
hertely, and I praye yow that I maye be as ye writt. And as for suche
materys as Sir Thomas Howys choulde be spoke to for[194.1] I sent Ric.
Calle this day to speke with hym, but he myght not speke with hym; but
as hastely as I may I challe do myn parte to spede the erands and other.
[Sidenote: Ecclesia de Mautby.]
It is tolde me that Sir Thomas wyll ressyng Mautby chyrche, and yf it
plesyd yow to geve it to on Sir Thomas Lyndis, I truste verely that ye
choulde leke hym ryght well, for he is rit a prystly man and vertusly
dysposyd. I have knowe hym this xx. yer and mor; he was brother to the
goode parsone of Seynt Michellys that ye lovyd ryght well; and yf he
myght havyt he woulde kepe an howsolde therupon and bylde (?) well the
plase (?); and therof have it grete nede, for it is now rit evyll
reparyd, and I wott well he woll be rulyd and gydyt as ye wyll have hym.
[Sidenote: Wursted.]
I praye yow, yf it plese yow that he have it, that it lekyth yow to
sende me an answer by the berrer herof.
Item, I have do spoke for yowr worstede[195.1] but ye may not have it
tylle Halowmesse; and thane I am promysyd ye challe have as fyne as maye
be made. Ric. Calle challe bryng it up with hym.
Wretyn the Fryday next before Michelmas day.
[Footnote 191.1: [From Paston MSS., B.M.] This letter is apostyled
in the handwriting of John Paston, and numbered ‘IIII.’ at the
head, showing that it is of the same sequence as the next, which
is numbered ‘V.’ and dated on the very same day. In fact, the
latter is clearly nothing but a postscript to this, and bears the
address upon the back, which this does not.]
[Footnote 192.1: Gilbert Debenham, senior, Esq.]
[Footnote 192.2: Sir Gilbert Debenham.]
[Footnote 193.1: So in MS.]
[Footnote 193.2: 6th October.]
[Footnote 194.1: _See_ No. 609.]
[Footnote 195.1: _See_ No. 609, p. 188, Note 2.]
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