_To Maistyr Syr John Paston, Knyght, at London, with my Lorde the
Archebisshop of Yorke, be this letter delyverid._
[Sidenote: 1468 / OCT. 28]
I recommand me unto you. It is tolde me that the man that ye wote of cam
ridyng by my Lady Suthfolk and by Cotton, which is in gret decay; and
Barnay tolde him that Edward Dale tolde hem he durst no lenger serve him
of ale, for it was warnid hym that my Lady Suffolk[304.1] wolde entyr,
and whan she shulde enter few men shulde knowe, it shulde be do so
sodenly. She taryeth but of tythynges fro London. He spak nat with hyr.
I pray you speke to my Lorde of Zorke[304.2] for the subpena in the
Chanceri ayen William Paston that he take noon hurte. He desyrith to
write to yow for it. My Lorde of Northfolk men have warnid the tenantis
to pay you no mony, and thai speke alle in the Kynges name. Ye may tell
my Lorde of Yorke that it is open in every mannys mouth in this contre
the language that my Lorde of Yorke and my Lord of Warwik had to my
Lorde of Norfolk in the Kings chambre, and that my Lorde of Yorke saide,
rathir than the londe shulde go so, he wolde com dwell ther hym sliff.
Ye wolde mervaile what harts my Lords hath goten, and how this language
put peeple in comforte. My Lorde of Norffolk answerde that he wolde
speke to my Lady his wiff, and entret hir. And your adversarys reherce
that my Lorde shall never be Chanceleer til this mateer be spede,[304.3]
for ther bargans ar made condicionall, to holde and nat holde as afftir
my Lorde be Chaunceler and nat. Sothwell is all the doar, and he hath
saide that my Lorde of Zorke licensid hym to labour in the mateer. My
Lorde of Norwich shuld by xl. marke of the same lond. Thai entende to
have a man of my Lady of Suthfolks sheryve, and specially Harcort. My
Lorde coude nat bileve it but if [_i.e._ unless] he harde it, how it is
rejoysshid in som place that he is nat Chaunceleer. Ther cam oo man into
the contre with a newe patent, saying that my Lorde was Chanceler, and
at that was the first patent that was sealid sithen he was officeer. The
tythandes did goode _pro tempore_. Ther are witnes labourid, as it is
said, to witnes and swere ageyn you of men of c_li._ a yeer, and many
oder men, som that knew never of the mateer nor never harde Sir John
Faskolff speke; ye know what jure is in this contre in maters that ar
favoured by them that ar now ageyn you. It is harde whan a mateer restid
by jure in this contre, som of the same quest that founde you bondeman
shall witnesse ayens you. Syr Thomas Howys comyth to London, and if my
Lorde of Zorke wolde entret frendely my Lorde of Ely,[305.1] and get
feithfully his promyse that my Lorde of Ely sende for Hawys, he shulde
make Hawys to go home ageyn and leve all his fellowis post allon; and
that my Lorde wolde entret my Lorde Tresaurer, my Lord Penbrok,[305.2]
my Lady Bedford,[305.3] and remembre the bargan is not yit made, it may
be better lettid affor than afftyr; and if the mateer spede my Lorde
getith gret worshipp and gret thanke. I doute not he undirstondyth it,
for it is well undirstonde what he hath saide. And pray his Lordeshipp
to remembre a shereve this yeer, for ther is mych to be undirstonde in
the shereve. And sende me worde if my Lorde Penbrok be go, and if my
Lorde be Chaunceler. Et memorandum, Sir William Terell your
testimoniall. Et memorandum, my Lorde Cardynall to sende answer to Sir
Thomas Howys; and though my Lorde Cardynall be nat ther now, yit lat
Townysende make it redy ageyns my Lords commyng. If Sir Thomas Howys wer
handelyd by Maister Tressam and made byleve and put in hope of the moone
shone in the water and I wot nat what, that such labor wer made that
eythir he shulde be a pope or els in dyspeyr to be depryved _de omni
beneficio ecclesiastico_ for symony, lechory, perjory, and doubble
variable pevyshnesse, and for admynystryng without auctoryte; and how he
promisid bi his feith to my Lord t’obey his rewle and brak it, and what
he hath saide to my lords in this mateer; and if ye recur in the courte,
he shall be undo, and this mateer tolde hym by my Lorde of Ely and
Maister Tresham, halff in game and halff in ernest, it shulde make hym
to departe, for Yelvyrton and he ar halff at variance now. And entret my
Lords servaunts to speke in your maters to all such persones as nede is.
And I shall be hastyly with you by the grace of God, whom have yow in
kepyng. Writen on Seynt Simonde Day and Jude.
By your owne.
[Footnote 303.2: [From Paston MSS., B.M.] The reference to the
Earl of Pembroke, who was only so created in 1468, and who was
beheaded in July 1469, fixes the date of this letter to the former
year.]
[Footnote 304.1: Alice, widow of William de la Pole, Duke of
Suffolk.]
[Footnote 304.2: George Nevill, Archbishop of York.]
[Footnote 304.3: The Great Seal was taken from Archbishop Nevill
on the 8th June 1467. Apparently in 1468 he was hoping to be made
Chancellor again.]
[Footnote 305.1: William Grey, Bishop of Ely.]
[Footnote 305.2: William Herbert, Earl of Pembroke.]
[Footnote 305.3: _See_ page 188, Note 3.]
[[with my Lorde the Archebisshop of Yorke
_text has “Lorae” (italic a for d)_]]
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