_To my worshipful maister, John Paston, Squier._
[Sidenote: 1456 / MAY 8]
Sire, please it your maistership to wyte that on Wednesday, the v. day
of Maij, I received a lettre from you by the prestis man of Walsyngham,
and the Ascencion Day,[84.2] in the mornyng, I received a lettre from
yow bi the handes of John Frays, my maisteris man, in whiche bothe moche
thinge is conteyned whiche alle at this tyme I may not answere un to my
comyng the nexte weke. And as to our atteynte,[84.3] the Chief Justice
hathe, sithe this day sevenyght, kept the Gildehalle in London with alle
the Lordes and Juges, sauf one in eche place. My Maister Markham
yesterday rode owte of London be tymes. Notwithstandyng we called ther
upon, and hadde at the barre Chokke,[84.4] Letelton,[84.5] Jenney,[84.6]
Illyngworth,[84.7] John Jenney, and Dyne, and remembrid the longe
hangyng and the trouthe of the matier, with the grete hurte of the
partie in the tyme; and we have rule the next terme betymes, and non
otherwise, for to morwe the juges sitten ayen in the toune. Mayster
Yelverton can not be myry for Wyrmegey, and as for the distresse, it is
a _non omittas_, and therfore Poley may and wil retorne what isseus he
will. If thei be smale, we shall suffre at this time; if thei be grete,
we must appere for Wyngfelde; and moche labour we have to conceyve a
goode warant of attorney. We shal plede the next terme, for as at this
tyme we wold on Monday enparle and we may.
Ye must suerly entrete the shireve, for we have moche to doo with hym,
as yesterday hadde we a grete day also in th’eschequer. Myn
maister[85.1] is moche bounde to Haltofte, and there we ar assigned day
over to the next terme, and dwelle in law. Our counsail was longe or
thei come, but at the laste thei acquitte them weel. The bille was
thought not by all that stode at the barre that wer of nother partie. We
ar joyned in the sute of the obligacion in the Comon Place ayenst Jenney
and Howes. As for attachement, ye may none have withowte ye or on of yow
make your othe in propre persone before the barons. I wolde have doon
it; I cowde not be amytted. And as for other processe, it is advised
that by the cors of th’eschequer I shall take a _venire facias_ ayenst
Wentworthe, Andrews, longe Barnard, and Deyvill _ad respondendum quare
in possessionem, &c. ingressi sunt_. And we must telle where other
Coughawe or Kirkeley, I suppose; and therupon a distresse and an
attachement; nevertheles by your othe, &c., hereafter. And it is thought
good that the same men shal be in the writte of ravyshment. Jenney hath
advised us to ley it in Blithinge hundred, and I have taken of hym
names; for as for London it is to nyghe enbracerye, as ye thought well,
and soo is Middlesex. Maister Yelverton conceyvith it weel to your
entent. There are aboughte and in Suffolk but fewe men as of gentilmen
and men of substance, but if [_unless_] it be in Blithing hundre, were
Hopton is grete; but Jenney dredeth it not we may have good men at
large; and as for the hundre, he wil doo inow thereinne.
As for the tailes of iiij^{xx}_li._ [_four score pounds_], as yette we
shal doo weel inowghe and thei were contentid; or thei that shal have
the silvere, the noyse were the lesse, for it shall, in pledyng, alwey
be rehersid by our contrarie party that for x. marc we have alle that
evere ther is, &c. I can not here how Wentworthe takith this matier by
no meane; what he meneth I wote not. He is no thing pleasid with the
matier of the bille in th’eschequer. Thomas Denys come yesterday, and
none erste. I wolde Arblaster and he spoke with yow this vacacion.
I write noo more til my comyng.
As for tidinges, noon othere thanne I sent yow laste; but forthe on the
same, all is as it was with the Quene,[86.1] the Prince and myn Lord
York ar stille at Tutbury and Sandale, and my Lord of Warrewick at
Warrewick. My Lord Bukingham rode on Ascencion Even to Writell, noo
thing wel plesid, and sumwhat on easid of herte to his purpose; for the
King hathe ley in London Friday, Saterday, Sonday, Monday, Teusday, and
Wednesday remevid to Westminster agen. In alle whiche tyme, men of
London that wer chargid and sworne wolde not nor hadde noo thing
presentid sauf trespas; this day thei shal sitte ayen. The peas is weel
kepte, but the straungiers[86.2] ar soore a dradde, and dar not come on
brode. Here is alle that I knowe as yet. Our Lord Jesu be with yow.
Writen at Suthwerk the viij. day of Maij.
I have paied to Dory C_s._, and with moche peyne made hym to ghete day
of the other Cs. til the nexterme.