[Sidenote: 1467 / JULY 21]
Be it knowen to all men that this present wrytyng shall rede, see, or
hyre. Forasmoche as I understande nowe late ther ys a newe contryved
processe concernyng the variaunce uppon my maister Sir John Fastolf is
testament and last will, whos soule God assoyle, made by Sir John
Paston, Knyght, and his counsell in the seyd Pastons name and myne,
ayenste Sir William Yelverton, Knyght, and William Worcetter, that is
exhibited and putte in my lordys courte of Audience be fore his
auditoure, me unwetyng or assentyng, in the vigille of Seint John
Baptiste; in wheche processe ys surmyttyd and made mencion that William
Worcetter in his owne persone, and by others in his name, hathe promysed
and gevyn money to corupte certayne wytnesse to depose untreuly in a
processe exhibit in John Pastons lyf tyme by Sir William Yelverton,
Knyght, the sayd William Wissetter ayenste John Paston decesed and me;
and wheche witnesse were Stephan Scrope, Squier, Richard Fastolf,
gentilman, Thomas Neve, gentilman, William Boswell, clerk, John Monke,
Nicholas Churche, John Rugge, John Daunson, Richard Horne, Thomas
Pykeryng, Harry Clerk, John Tobye, Thomas Hart, Thomas Neuton, John
Gyrdyng, Thomas Spycer, and others, frome the moneth of August into the
moneth of March, the yere of Cryst M^{il.}CCCClxv., yn Yermouthe,
Castre, Fretenham, Bloofeld, Thetford, Brundale, Wroxham, Borough,
Southetoune, Yermouthe, Gorleston, Suthewerk, Norwych, and London; so
they to be corupted in all the forseyd named tounes wyth prayer, price,
and money to hem promised and gevyn, be syd har expences, her costs, and
her labours, to be conducted to depose with Sir William Yelverton and
William Worcetter partye ayenste the seyd John Paston and mee: I the
sayd Thomas Howys so made partye, and unwetyng and assentyng, a yenste
the [said][284.2] Sir William Yelverton and William Worcestre, sey and
afferme for trouth in this matyer to be knowen, that for declaracion of
trouth in this processe and mater, and for the discharge of my
conscience and the trewe acquietall to my sayd Master Fastolf that putte
me in grettyst charge of hys testament, and for grete remorse I have in
my soule of the untrewe forgyng and contryvyng certayne testamentes and
last wyll by naked wordes in my sayd Maister Fastolf name aftyr he was
desesyd; y, in the name of the seyd Sir William Yelverton and William
Worcetter, required and prayed the sayd above named witnesse and alle
other wytnesse produced in Sir William Yelverton and William Wyssetter
name before that tyme, excepte the forsayd Stephan Scrope, Esquier, and
Richard Fastolf, to come to London, and appere in my lords house of
audience before his auditour, and there to say, depose, and witnesse the
trouthe as they knewe in especiall, in the absense of John Russe, Sir
Robert Cotiler, late vycar of Castre, Robert Botyler beyng oute of the
chamber of Sir John Fastolf, Knyght, there he lay seke in his maner of
Castre, the Saterdaye next before the seid Sir John Fastolf discesyd,
namely, from viij. tylle xj. atte belle affore mydday, and present in
other placez, where diverse of the sayd named wytnesse and diverse other
witnesse sawe ham. And the sayd Worcestre nother promysed ne yave hem
gode, money, nother reward, neyther relessed no debtes, not soo nought
payed not for har costes, nother dispenses by the wey comyng to London,
taryeng, ne returnyng a yen, that lawe and reson wold understonde the
sayd witnesse ought have for har costes and labours, weche was payed by
my handes, I beyng present dayly and tymely diverse tymes most
conversaunt at Jermuth wyth hem; and in especiall whan they taryed more
than xxiiij. dayes in London or they coude be examyned; and I knowe well
the sayd Sir William Yelverton, nouther the seyd William Worcestre
promysed ne payed no maner money ne godes worth, nouther relessyng har
dutes, yf any they axed they knowe yt not, as the seyd named witnesse
wylle sey and certyfye the trouth. And as for ij. witnesse called Bunch
and Shave, lete hem be examynyd, yf the seyd Sir William or William
Worcestre fyrst procured, moved, or excited hem at Yermouth, or any
other place, to come to London to depose in the said maters, or promysed
or payed hem ony money, or any man for ham promysed or payed; and yf
they be of trewe disposicion, they woll discharge the seyd Sir William
Yelverton and William Worcestre, for ther was none in especiall but I,
that labored hem alle to come to London to my lordis audience yn the
seyd Yelvertons and Worcestre names; but I pryncipally required them to
depose treuly as they knewe, be the owte promyse, mede, rewarde, or
money, yn the discharge of my conscience, and for the trouthe of the
mater to be knowen to all the worlde, as I am redy to preve, whyle God
lendeth me lyffe, and yn the same quarell to dye. And I evyr seth that I
understode the seyd John Paston is untrewe demenyng in the contryvynge
of my Maister Fastolf testament and last wille, and was compellyd to
appere before my lord ys auditour at Lambyth, to be sworn atte my ffree
will to declar the trouth of my seyd maister trewe testament and last
wyll befor my seyd Lord of Canturbury is auditur of his courte of
audience, I nevyr varyed ne held aftyr wyth John Paston, but alwey have
ben stedfast wyth the processe that I have enfourmed my Lord of
Canterbury, and divers others astates also in like wyse have declared to
the sayd Sir William Yelverton and William Worcestre to precede, and soo
evyr woll be stedfaste. And in witness for trouth, I sele this
declaracion wyth my signet, and subscrybe it wyth my hand and name, in
presence of Maister John Prentyse, Sir Edmond Hall, John Smyth, John
Robynson, Thomas Hoore, John Bullok, and Richard Batilmewe, the xxj^th
day of Jule the yer of Crist M^{il.}CCCC^mo lxvijº.