_To my ryght reverent and worschipfull mayster, Sir John Paston,
Knight._
[Sidenote: 1467 / APRIL 3]
Plesith it you to wete that I have spoken with Henre Inglouse, and I
fynde hym disposid weele; hough be it he hath be labored to nough of
late be divers, nevertheles he woll not come withoute he have a suppena,
and if he come up be suppena, he can sey nor nought woll sey, any thynge
that schulde be prejudice or hurte to your mater, and so he hathe tolde
them that hath labored to hym for it, weche hym thynkyth causith them to
have no grete hast to have hym up. He tellith me that the Abbot of
Langley schal come up and Wichyngham. Thes have her writtes of suppena
delyverd unto them. Also ther cometh up Doctor Vergraunt and Frier
Bernard. And as for Robert Inglouse, I have spoken with hym, and I fynde
hym no thyng so weele disposid as his brother is; he hath be sore
labored be the meanes of my Lord of Norffolk and of my Lord of Suffolk;
he seyth largely that he knoweth moche of this mater, seyng to me that
if he schulde be examyned be for a juge, he wolde my master your
uncle[272.1] wer his juge, for he knoweth the mater as weele as any man.
He seith if he be sworn be fore my Lorde Chaunceler, he woll desire of
my Lord that Maister William schulde be sworn as weele as he;
nevertheles I have so mevyd hym that withoute ther come a suppena for
hym he woll not come, as he seth it is hard to truste hym. It were weele
doo if ther were no suppena out for hym to cauce that ther schulde non
come, nouther to hym nor to hes brother, &c. I can not undrestonde of no
moo that schulde come up yet, but I schal enquere, and sende you word as
hastely as I can. I have not spoken with John Maryot yet, but I schall
speke with hym within this iij. dayes and sende you worde. &c.
Ferthermore, sir, like you to remembre the lees of the maner of Sporle;
your fermours goth out at Michelmes next comyng. Henry Halman wolde have
it for his sones, and if be schulde have it he wolde wete at this tyme,
be cauce he wolde somerlay[272.2] and tylle the londe, otherwise then it
is; it were tyme to lete it, wo so ever schulde have it. Henry woll geve
for it but xx_li._; wherfor, if ye wol that he have it, plese you to
sende word how we schal do with all, &c. Almyghty Godde spede you in all
youre maters, and sende you hastely a goode ende in hem. Wreten at
Castre on Friday next after Esterne Day.
Your own Servaunt, RIC. C.
[Footnote 271.1: [From Paston MSS., B.M.] This letter seems to
relate to the summoning of witnesses to London for the probate of
Fastolf’s will, and being addressed to Sir John Paston, we may
presume that it was written in the year after his father’s death,
and before the final settlement of the dispute.]
[Footnote 272.1: William Paston.]
[Footnote 272.2: Halliwell gives the expression ‘to summerland a
ground’ which is used in Suffolk, meaning to lay it fallow a year.
For this he refers to Ray.]
664
[WILLIAM PASTON] TO SIR JOHN PASTON[273.1]
_To my right worshipfull nevew, Sir John Paston, knyght._
[Sidenote: 1467 / APRIL (?)]
Myne suster,[273.2] Arblaster[273.3] and I have apoyntyd that we chall
kepe no howsold this terme,[273.4] but go to borde; wer for we avyse zow
to purvay for us a logyng ner a bowt my lord Chanseler that be honest,
for Arblaster will non oder.
Item, as for zow, we avyse zow in any wyse gete zowr chamer assynyd with
in my Lordis place, and gete chamer a lone iff ze may, that Arblaster
and I may have a bed ther in ziff it fortune us to be late ther with
zow.
Item, take hed to get suyrtees for the pore men that come up and that
they may be sent hom a zen forthe with with owt taryyng, and take avyse
so that the proses may so go forthe that they may be qwett at the next
assyssys; take avyse of Townysend.
As for Yelverton, fynd the menys that he speke not with my Lord till we
come.
Iff any labore be mad to my Lord to asyne men to here the mater
indefferently, make labore to my Lord that the men be nat namyd till we
come, for we can inffurme hym soche as be parciall be ther dedis here
affore, qweche peraventure my Lord wold thynk wer indefferent i now till
he be infurmyd; it may be answerid be my Lord that he will nat prosede
no ferther in the mater till Arblasters comyng and myn for we can best
infurme the mater.
Item, send a letter to Richard Kalle and to Sir Jamys Gloys to come up
to London in any wyse. For ther is no man can do in dyvers materis that
they can do in answeryng suche mater as Zelverton wyll ley a zen zow.
And also they can best mak the bill that ze schuld put a zens hem; and
ther for remembre.
Item, wrythe a letter to myn suster for the C. marcs for my Lady
Soffolk, for we have no verry dyrect answer of her weder sche wyll send
it ar nat.
Item, speke to zowr atorney in the Kyngis benche that he take hed to all
maner indytamentis both old and new and to all oder materis that hangyng
ther.
Item, do Pampyng comyn with owr sperituall concell suche mater as nedyn
ther. And have newe wretyn the attestacion that lakkyn. The same man
that wrott the oder may wrythe that. For Zelverton mad gret avawnt that
ye schuld be hyndrid in that.
Wrythe a letter to myn nevew John zonger to come up to prove the wyll.
Speke with Sir Gilberd Debenham qwill he is in cownt to leve uper
Cotton.
Item, Zelverton, Howys and Worceter make meche that we have put them owt
off possescyon of the lond; qweche they sey is contrary to my Lord
Chanseler comandement, and in trowth Sir Jamys and Calle meche spokyn to
the tenantis in my lordys name; For Zelverton thynketh that he may now
breke the trete. Qwer for, take a vyse her in off M^r Tresham and of
Master Staneley, and informe my Lord how my broder[274.1] qwas all way
in possescion till he was put owt for the mater of bondage, and how ze
fynd the colage, and qwat an hurt it wer to zow in noyse off contre iff
any oder man schuld now receyve any proffitis off the londis. They will
labor that indefferent men schuld receyve, and that wer nat good. My
Lord may say that he will end the mater, but as for the possescyon, he
will nat put zow owt. Labor this in all hast posible.
I pray yow send me an answer of all such thyngis as requirith an answere
in this contre, for Arblaster purposeth to be with yow on Sonday
sevenygth and I purpose to be with yow ij. dayes afore.
[Footnote 273.1: [Add. MS. 33,597, f. 8.] This is not a formal
letter but a set of memoranda on a long slip of paper. It is in
the handwriting of William Paston, son of the judge, and addressed
to his nephew, Sir John. The date may be about April 1467. _See_
No. 663.]
[Footnote 273.2: This must be his brother John’s widow, Margaret,
who was in London in the spring of 1467. _See_ No. 662, p. 271.]
[Footnote 273.3: James Arblaster, a confidential friend of the
family.]
[Footnote 273.4: Easter term began on the 15th April in 1467.]
[Footnote 274.1: John Paston, son of the judge. Dead in 1466.]
665