Volume Ii Part 33 (1/2)
[Footnote 153.2: Jack Cade and his followers encamped on Blackheath on the 11th June 1450, and again from the 29th of June to the 1st July. Payn refers to the latter occasion.]
[Footnote 153.3: Sir John Fastolf (who is dead at the date of this letter) left Paston his executor, as will be seen hereafter.]
[Footnote 153.4: Jack Cade.]
[Footnote 154.1: Henry Holland, Duke of Exeter. During the civil war which followed, he adhered to the House of Lancaster, though he married Edward IV.'s sister. His herald had probably been seized by Cade's followers, and pressed into their service.]
[Footnote 154.2: Sir John Fastolf had a residence in Southwark.]
[Footnote 154.3: Robert Poynings, who, some years before this letter was written, had married Elizabeth, the sister of John Paston, was sword-bearer and carver to Cade, and was accused of creating disturbances on more than one occasion afterwards.
He was slain at the second battle of St. Albans on the 17th Feb.
1461.]
[Footnote 155.1: 'A kind of mixed grey woollen cloth, which continued in use to Elizabeth's reign.' --Halliwell.]
[Footnote 155.2: A brigandine was a coat of leather or quilted linen, with small iron plates sewed on. --_See_ Grose's _Antient Armour_. The back and breast of this coat were sometimes made separately, and called a pair.--Meyrick.]
[Footnote 155.3: Milan was famous for its manufacture of arms and armour.]
[Footnote 155.4: 'Skye or bluish grey. There was a kind of cloth so called.' --Halliwell.]
[Footnote 155.5: Budge fur.]
[Footnote 155.6: 'Frieze. A coa.r.s.e narrow cloth, formerly much in use' -- Halliwell.]
[Footnote 155.7: The battle on London Bridge was on the 5th July.]
[Footnote 156.1: Fenn gives this name 'Rosse' with two long s's, but translates it Rochester, from which I presume it was written 'Roffe' for _Roffensis_. The Bishop of Rochester's name was John Lowe.]
[[Footnote 154.3: He was slain...
_final sentence added by editor in Errata; see also note 135.1 in Volume III._]]
127
JAMES GRESHAM TO JOHN PASTON[156.2]
_To my right wors.h.i.+pfull [mai]ster John Paston at Wynchestre be this delyuered._
[Sidenote: 1450 / JULY 3]
After al due recomendacion had, I recomaunde me to yow and prey yow to wete that Heydon seweth in his accion a geynst Osebern x. _tales_ retournable xv^a. Johannis. _Ideo mittetur vel loquatur Vicecomiti Norffolk_, &c. And I suppose that as for Costardis accions thei wole have _nisi prius_, &c. As touchyng the matier of Oxened the frere[156.3]
leveth his delagacie a abideth up on our plee of profession by as meche as we sey that long to fore the writte purchaced he was professed a frere and sey not and yet is professed, &c. And Sotyll and other of your counseill thynk the law is on our syde. Brampton brought me a lettre and a clowt sowed clos with thynggis therin, and a letter endorsed to yow from my maistresse your moder, whiche I sende yow with this. The lord Moleyns man brought ij. writtes to the s.h.i.+rrefis depute of Norfolk, oon a geynst yow, myn eme[157.1] and James Gloys _quare clausum suum apud Gresham fregerunt_, &c., the othir writte a geynst yow and J. Gloys _quare vi et armis in hominis et servientes ipsius apud Gresham insultum fecerunt_, &c. And whanne the seid lord Moleyns man delyvered these wrettys, Lomnour stode be side and aspied it. And thanne the seid man desired to have ageyn the writtis, and toke hem a geyn; and whanne he had theym he seid they shuld not come in their handes a vii. nyght after. And so he kepeth theym stille. And Caly and Yates also have promysed me that ther shall no writte be retourned a geyn yow but that ye shall have copies ther of at reasonable tyme to make your avantage as the law wole, &c., to caste your esson[157.2] or suyche other, &c. Sir, I prey G.o.d yeld yow for your letter ye sent me by Lethom, whiche I receyved yistereuyn right late. Wherby I hope and conceyve that ye be in good cas for your maner of Gr[esham], for truly I was right weel comforted therof. As touchyng Skyner and his borwys the attachementes may not be wretyn but by the recordes of the reconysance, and alle the recordes of Chauncerye be at Wynchestre. _Ideo_, &c. I prey G.o.d be your good speed in all your matiers, Amen. Wretyn in hast at London the Friday next after seint Petir day.
Your servant,
J. GRESHAM.
[Footnote 156.2: [Add. MS. 34,888, f. 73.] The legal proceedings mentioned in this letter show that the year is the same as that of Gresham's other letter immediately following (No. 128).]