Volume Iii Part 11 (1/2)

Also there is gret varyance bytwene the Erll of Devens.h.i.+re and the Lord Bonvyle, as hath be many day, and meche debat is like to growe therby; for on Thursday at nyght last pa.s.sed, the Erll of Denshyres sone and heir come with lx. men of armes to Radford's[49.1] place in Devens.h.i.+re, whiche was of counseil with my Lord Bonvyle; and they sette an hous on fyer at Radfords gate, and cryed and mad an noyse as though they had be sory for the fyer; and by that cause Radfords men set opyn the gats and yede owt to se the fyer; and for with th'erll sone forseid entred into the place and intreted Radford to come doun of his chambre to sp[e]ke with them, promyttyng hym that he shuld no bodyly harm have; up on whiche promysse he come doun, and spak with the seid Erll sone.

In the mene tyme his menye robbe his chambre, and ryfled his huches,[49.2] and trussed suyche as they coude gete to gydder, and caryed it awey on his own hors. Thanne th'erll sone seid, 'Radford, thou must come to my lord my fadir.' He seid he wold, and bad oon of his men make redy his hors to ride with hem, whiche answerd hym that alle his hors wern take awey; thanne he seid to th'erll sone, 'Sir, your men have robbed my chambre, and thei have myn hors, that I may not ride with you to my lord your fadir, wherfor, I pray you, lete me ride, for I am old, and may not go.'

It was answerid hym ageyn, that he shuld walke forth with them on his feete; and so he dede till he was a flyte[49.3] shote or more from his place, and thanne he was ... softly, for cawse he myght not go fast.

And whanne thei were thus departed, he turned ... oon; forwith come ix. men ageyn up on hym, and smot hym in the hed, and fellid ... . of them kyt his throte.

This was told to my Lord Chaunceler[49.4] this fornoon ... ...

messengers as come of purpos owt of the same c.u.n.tre. This matier is take gretly ... ... pa.s.sed at ij. after mydnyght rod owt of London, as it is seid, more thanne ... . . the best wyse. Summe seyne it was to ride toward my Lord of York, and summe ... . . k, so meche rumor is here; what it menyth I wot not, G.o.d turne it ... ... at Hertford,[50.1]

and summe men ar a ferd that he is seek ageyn. I pray G.o.d ... ... my Lords of York, Warwyk, Salesbury and other arn in purpos to conveye hym ... ... ... &c. The seid N. Crome, berer her of, shall telle you suche tydynggs ... ... ... in hast, at London, on Seint Simon day and Jude.

Yowr poer

J. GR.

[Footnote 48.1: [From Fenn, i. 114.] This letter was written in 1455, at the time of the King's second attack of illness, which happened while he was under the control of the Duke of York and the Earls of Warwick and Salisbury, as mentioned at the end of the letter. In the latter part of the letter some words are lost by the decay of the original MS.]

[Footnote 48.2: Here, says Fenn, follows an account of some law business, etc.]

[Footnote 48.3: Fought in 1403 between King Henry IV. and the rebel Percies.]

[Footnote 49.1: 'Nicolas Radford,' says Fenn in a note, 'was an eminent lawyer, and resided at Poghill, near Kyrton.' In Pole's _Description of Devons.h.i.+re_, p. 219, we find that one Nicolas Radford dwelled at Upcot in Henry VI.'s time, 'after whose death controversy arose betwixt John Radford of Okeford and Thomazin, sister of the said Nicholas,' who had married Roger Prous.]

[Footnote 49.2: A hutch was a coffer or chest standing on legs.]

[Footnote 49.3: A flight was 'a light arrow formed for very long and straight shots.' --Halliwell.]

[Footnote 49.4: Archbishop Bourchier.]

[Footnote 50.1: The King was at Hertford, as appears by the Privy Seals, in August and September 1455, and not improbably in October also.]

304

ABSTRACT[50.2]

SIR JOHN FASTOLF 'TO MY RIGHT TRUSTY BROTHER, NICHOLAS MOLYNEUX.'

[Sidenote: 1455 / OCT. 30]

As I come not to London this winter, I beg you to see to my Lord's matters, and labour to my Lord of Canterbury and Master John Stokys for the recovering of my Lord's[50.3] [good]s. No man can say more in the matter than you where his goods are, 'and where they be disposed,'

especially those that Sir Rob. Whytynham[50.4] had. Also the Lord Cromwell had 'a certain number of plate.' Your costs shall be paid out of the first money received. Hears from John de Leawe, one of Lord Willoughby's executors, that they will labour to my Lord Beaumont to advance the process for recovery of his part of the reward for the taking of the Duke of Alencon. Fend.y.k.es, a learned man of the Temple, will help with his advice. Commend me to my sister your wife.

Castre, 30 Oct.

_In Worcester's hand, and endorsed by him._-- 'A John Paston et John Bokkyng.'

[During the winter of 1455-56 we find several allusions to this claim put forward by Fastolf to the goods of the late Duke of Bedford. Unless we are to infer from the manner in which Lord Cromwell is mentioned that he was dead when this letter was written, it is probably of the year 1455.]