Volume Ii Part 64 (1/2)
242
JOHN CLOPTON TO JOHN PASTON[314.1]
_Un to ryth reverent Sir, and my good mayster, John Paston._
[Sidenote: About 1454]
Ryth wurthy and wurchypfull Sir, and my ryth good mayster, I recomaunde me on to you, thankyng you evermore of your gret jentylness and good maystyrhod shewyd on to me at all tymys, and specyally now to my herthys ease, qwyche on my part can nowt be rewardyd, but my sympyll service is ever redy at your comaundement. Ferthemor, as for the mater that ye wete of, I have laboryd so to my feydr that your entent as for the jointoure xal be fulfellyd; and, Sir, I besheche you sethyn that I do my part to fullefelle your wyll, that ye wolle shew me your good maystyrhod in here chambyr, as my full trust is, in so moche that it xall nowth hurthe you nor non of youris, and the profite ther of xal be on to the avayle of my maystress your suster, and to me, and to non odyr creature.
And also my maystress, your modyr, xall nouth be charchyd the with her bourd aftyr the day of the mariage, but I to discharge her of here persone, and to ease me that hat here chambyr may be non contradiccion.
And, Sir, I am redy, and alwey wolle to performe that I have seyd on to you, &c.
Ferthemor, lykyd you to wete I was a Thursday last pa.s.syd at Cavendyshe, to dylyver an astate to Wentworth in the londe that was my brothyr Cavendyche, as I tolde you wan I was last with you. And ther I spak with Crane; and he be sowthe me that I wolde sende over to my maystress your modyr for his excuse, for he myth nowth be with here at this tyme, but on the Saterday in Esterne wyke he wolle nouth fayll to be with her.
So he counsellyd me that I and my brothyr Denston xulde mete with hym there; and so, withoute your better avyse, I and my brothyr purpose us to be with you ther at that tyme; for the sonner the levyr me, for, as to my conceythe, the dayys be waxyn wondyrly longe in a scorte tyme.
Qwerfor I besheche you sende me your avyse how ye wolle have me rewlyd, &c.
No more I wrythe to you at this present tyme, but be schechyng you to recomaunde in the lowlyest wyse. And the Trinite preserve you body and sowle.
Wretyn with my chauncery hand, in ryth gret haste, on the Fryday be forn Palmesoneday.
Your,
JOHN CLOPTON.
[Footnote 314.1: [From Fenn, iii. 192.] The exact year of this letter is uncertain, but from what John Paston writes to Lord Grey on the 15th of July 1454, about proposals having been recently made for his sister, it is not unlikely to be that year.]
243
JOHN CLOPTON TO JOHN PASTON[315.1]
_Maryage Artycles betwix Anneys Paston, &c. on the one partie, and William Clopton, Squyer, on the other partie._
This indenture, made betwix Anneys that was the wyfe of William Paston, John Paston hir sone, and John Dam on the one partie, and William Clopton, Squyer, on the other partie, witnesseth that accord is take attwyn the seid parties that John Clopton, sone and heir of the seid William Clopton, by the grace of G.o.d, shall wedde Elizabeth, the doughter of the seid Anneys. For which mareage the seid Anneys, &c.
shall paye to the seid John Clopton CCCC^th marc in hand of lawfull mony of England; and over that, yf the seid mareage be holdyn with the seid Anneys, the seid Anneys shall bere the costages therof the day of the weddyng, with swech chaumbeyr as shall be to the plesir of the seid Anneys; and the seid William Clopton shall do his feffees make a lawfull estate to the seid William of londs, tenementz, rentz, and servysez to the yerly value of xl_li._ over all chargez born, to have and to hold to hym terme of his lyfe, withoutyn empechement of wast, the remaindr therof to the seid John and Elizabeth, and to his heirs male of hir body lawfully begotyn, withoute impechement of wast, withynne xij. dayes after the seid weddyng.
And over that, withynne the seid xij. dayes the seid John shall do lawfull estate to be made to the seid William of londs, tenementz, rentz, and servysez to the yerly value of xl. marc over all charges born; to have and hold to the seid William terme of his lyfe, withoute empechement of wast; the remayndre therof to the seid Elizabeth, to have and hold to hir terme of hir lyfe withoute empechement of wast.
Also it is accorded that the seid William shall make estate of all the residue of his londs which he is sesid of, or any other man to his use, to swech personys as the seid John shall name, to the use of the seid John.
Also the seid John Clopton shall do lawfull estate to be made to the seid Elizabeth of londs, tenementz, rentz, and servysez to the yerly value of x.x.x_li._ over all chargez born, to have and hold to hir duryng the lyfe of the seid William.
And moreover the seid John permytteth and ensureth be the feith of his body that he shall leve, over the xl_li._ worth lond aboveseid to his heirs and issue male of the body of the seid Elizabeth begotyn, londes in fee symple or in taill to the yerly value of xl. marc, in cas the same issue male be governyd to the seid John as the sone oweth to be to the fadir. And, &c.
[Footnote 315.1: [From Fenn, iii. 196.] The date of this draft settlement is no doubt about the same period as that of the preceding letter, whatever may have been the exact time that it was written.]