[Sidenote: 1460]
Jhesus Maria, &c.,--Reverende domine et præ omnibus mortalibus
amantissime. Super omnia omnino oblivioni non tradenda faciatis ut
W. P.[213.2] germanus cum sua ac vestra prudenti industria sagaciter et
secrete informet H. Fylongley de W. W.[213.3] Hibernico ac Colino
Gallico, qui suo malicioso proposito confederati sunt, adversusque
dominum et magistrum suum militem defunctum et executores ejus ad
dampnificandos eos et bona defuncti per ostensionem literarum secretarum
olim dicto militi missarum, ex confidentia speciali, sicut solito more
amicus amico solet scribere. Si hæc enim proditoria condicio esset
insinuata per H. Fylongley vel per me, forsan Domino Comite Wilschirie,
idem fallax et deceptorius Colinus Gallicus non esset cum dicto comite
tam magnus et intimus cum dicto domino, sicut credit se esse unum de
suis secretioribus, vel cum Regina per laborem sui germani ad magistrum
Ormond ut ipsum faciat introduci ad favorem et servicium Reginæ. Si
habueritis amicos circa Reginam, cito poteritis Colinum frustrare suo a
proposito. Si W. P. vester germanus posset per subtilia media adquirere
et adquiri facere casketum C. Gallici ac casketum W. W. Hibernici,
audiretis et videretis aliqua non laude sed fraude plena, &c. Mitte
sapientem et nihil ei dicas, &c. Prudenti viro pauca scribenda pro
presenti propono quia scio vos ex paucis plura colligere et ex præambulo
plura concludere. Item, propheta clamat, ‘Nolite confidere in verbum
mendacii,’[213.4] &c., et secundum eundem prophetam, ‘Non est
confidendum super baculum arundineum confractum,’[213.5] &c., et est
commune et vulgare dictum: ‘A man schuld not trusty on a broke swerd, ne
on a fool, ne on a chyld, ne on a dobyl man, ne on a drunke man,’ &c.,
thow that he were an amewse and a notarye be W. W. Hibernicus he schal
knowe al, and be hym Colyn and Spirlyng the same knowe schal, &c., Hoc
ideo dicite W. P., Cavete, &c., quia, Deo teste, bona fide et conscia
non ficta, hæc suprascripta sunt in toto vera, &c. Feria secunda ad
minus in prandio vos videbo, &c. Scriptum festinissime infra quarterium
horæ, præsentis latore nimis sponsalium causa festinante. Recommendo vos
vestros et vestra Deo.
vester totus prius notus,
Frater J. B. Minorum minimus.
[Footnote 213.1: [Add. MS. 34,888, f. 161.] This letter is
evidently holograph. The date might be at the very end of the
year 1459, after the death of Fastolf and after the attainder of
the Yorkists at Coventry; but is more probably in the early part
of 1460, between January and May. Indeed, though the language is
mysterious, its substance is probably not unconnected with that
of the preceding letter.]
[Footnote 213.2: William Paston, son of the judge.]
[Footnote 213.3: The initials ‘W. W.’ suggest the name of
William Worcester; but he was not an Irishman, and before this
letter was discovered he was believed to be Brackley’s ‘Colinus
Gallicus,’ who, however, is here mentioned as a different
person.]
[Footnote 213.4: Jerem. vii. 4.]
[Footnote 213.5: Referring apparently to Isaiah xxxvi. 6--not
‘the same prophet.’]
405