[Footnote 1.1: [From Fenn, iii. 220.] There is abundant evidence
that the year in which this letter was written was 1454. The
references to Lord Grey’s offer of a husband for Elizabeth
Paston, and to Sir John Fastolf’s going into Norfolk, of which
William Paston had before written by anticipation, though a
little prematurely, in No. 254, are in themselves sufficient to
fix the chronology; but the mention of fealty having been done
by a new Archbishop of Canterbury and a new Bishop of Ely
removes any possible doubt on the subject.]
[Footnote 1.2: Thomas Billing was made a serjeant in 1453, and
about 1469 was appointed Chief Justice of the King’s Bench.]
[Footnote 1.3: Edmund, Lord Grey of Ruthyn. --_See_ Letter 250.]
[Footnote 2.1: Stephen Scroope. --_See_ vol. ii. p. 108, Note 4.]
[Footnote 2.2: Richard Nevill, Earl of Salisbury, was appointed
chancellor in April 1454.]
[Footnote 2.3: Richard, Duke of York, at this time Protector.]
[Footnote 2.4: Thomas Bourchier, who was translated from the
Bishopric of Ely to Canterbury in April 1454.]
[Footnote 2.5: William Grey. He received his temporalities by a
patent of the date of this letter, 6th September 1454, which
shows that he had by that time done fealty.]
[[I thankeyd hym for hys good consayll.
_text has “thanlkeyd”_]]
[[_letters 250, 254 are in vol. ii_]]
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