Volume Iii Part 34 (1/2)
Item, I will and ordeyne that myn houshold be holdyn and kept with my menyal servauntz be the s.p.a.ce of half yeer aftyr my deseas, soo as they wyll be trewe to me and obedyent to myn executorys, and here wages for that tyme payd, and that in the meane tyme they purvey hem for othyr servise as they lyke best to avise to leve in trouthe; and if ony servaunt be well governyd and holde ageyns my ... or ageyn myn executorys to breke my good disposecion, I wy[ll that he shall be?]
remevyd, and that he abyde noo lenger among the fel ... ... ... .
trewly avoydid withoutyn ony reward of me or of myn ex[ecutores].
*[Item, I will and ordeyne that amonges othyr lordes, frendes, and kynesmen that I desyre, [for] the discharge of my concience, be put in remembraunce of preyeris for the [good] affeccion I hadde on to them that I desyre shuld be preyed fore, is the soule of that blyssyd prynce, Thomas Bedford,[156.1] late Duke of Excestre, the soulys of the Lord Tibtot, Rauff, Lord Crumwell, Sir John Radclife, my brothyr-in-lawe, and Dame Cisly, late hyse wiff, my sustyr, whiche lithe buryed at Burdeux; Sir Philip Braunche, Knyght, my brothyr-in-law, that deyde and was slayn in Fraunce, and Dame Marget, late hyse wif, my sustyr, buryed at Cowlynge; also John Farwell, Squyer, my fadyer-in-lawe; Sir Herry Inglose, Knyght, of my consangwynite; Sir Hewe Fastolf, Knyght, that deyde in Cane in Normandye; Sir Robert Harlynge, Knyght, my neveu, that was slayn at the sege of Seynt Denys in Fraunce; John Fitzraf, Squyer, my neveu; Cisly, late the wif of Herry Fylongley, my nese, also late desesyd; Dame [_Dan_] w.i.l.l.yam Fastolf, of my consanguynite, prophessyd in the monastery of Seynt Benettes, and aftyr Abot of Fescamp in Normandye, whiche deide at Parys; Mathew Gowgh, Squyer, Thomas Gower, Squyer, John Sak (?), marchaunt of Paryse, my trusty frend and servaunt, and for the soule of John Kyrtlyng, parson of Arkesey, my right trusty chapeleyn and servaunt domysticall x.x.x. wynter and more, Thomas Hoddeson, a trusty servaunt of myne, John Lyndford, and William Gunnour.]*
[_Second Draft._]
Item, I will and ordeyne that amonges othir that I have put in remembraunce be this my will to be preyed fore that suche as shalbe bounden to preye for me, and be rewardid of myn almesse, shalbe chargid be myn executoris be fore namyd to preye for the welfare of m[y]
soverayn Lord the Kyng, and for the soulys of all my good lordes and kynsefolk, and of thoo I am b[ounden] to preye fore or doo preye fore, and for hem that I have hadde ony goodes of.
[_First Draft._]
Item, I will, ordeyne, and streyghtly charge myn executorys that noon of hem shall [give] quyetaunce nor rellesse in no wise be hym self, nor be noon othir, to noon of my detorys, nor to dettour of myn executoris, of what so ever of astat or condecion that he be of, withoute the *[knowynge, plessaunce, and a.s.sentynge of all myn executorys, or the more part of hem.]*
[_Second Draft._]
* full wyll and a.s.sentynge of the seyd John Paston and Thomas Howys, clerk.
[_First Draft._]
Item, I will, ordeyne, and streightly charge that none of myn executorys, be him self, nor be noon othyr, in ony maner or condecion cautelous, colour ... ... . shall sell, nor doo selle, alyen, nor doo alyen, withdrawe, or do be [withdra]we, my londes and tenementes, jowellys of gold or sylvir, dettes or cattelys, vesselys or vestmentes of sylke, lynen, or wollyn, or ony othyr utensylez, to my persone or houshold perteyning, nor noon othyr goodes of myne, mevable or on mevablys, quyk or ded, generaly or specialy, withoute *[the knowyng, plessaunce, and a.s.sentynge of all myn executorys, or the more part of hem; and if it be soo that ony of myn executores attempte maleciously the contrary in effecte, he fallith in the centense of excommunicacion, doyng the contrary to my last will.]*
[_Second Draft._]
* the very will and a.s.sentyng of the seyd Paston and Howys, and that noon othyr attempte there in nor in noon othir cause in this my will to doo the contrarye to hem in effecte I require hem in G.o.ddes be halve.
[_First Draft._]
Item, I will, ordeyne, and streyghtly charge that all my feffeez feffyd of trust on to myn use of and in all my manerez, lordshepis, londes, tenementes, and rentes, and servisez, and profitez, be me or othyr to myn use purchasyd *[in all maner of count.e.e.z, cit.e.e.z, or burghes or townes with in the ream of Eng[lond] ... . . ]* they that have astat, pocession, or tythe to myn use, with all the goodly haste, ... . and withoute delay aftyr they be requyred be myn executores* aftyr my deseas, that they shall feffyn and make lawefull astat in fee symple *[of and in all maner lords.h.i.+pys, londes, tenementes, meswages, rentes, servisez, and profitez forseyd, or of every parcell of the same]* to that persone or personys to whom or to whiche *[my seid executores in accomplisment of my last will, the said maneres, lordshepys, londes, tenementes, mecis, rentes, and servisez, or ony parcell of the same,*
shall sell, or doo sell aftyr the declaracion of this my last will * for the helthe of my soule, *[Dame Milcent, my wif, with all my progenitorys, cosynes, and benefactorys, and all my frendes.]*
[_Second Draft._]
* except before except, be me grauntid to the seyd John Paston or hese a.s.sygnes.
* before namyd.
* the seid John Paston and Thomas Howys.
* except before except.
* to dispose.
* and for the soulis above seyd.
[_First Draft._]
*[Item, I will, ordeyne, and streightly charge, aftyr be the grace of G.o.d I be desesed out of thys world, also myn executores w.i.l.l.ynge in effecte to accepte the charge upon hem of execucion of my testement and of mynistracion of my last will, all the articlis there in conteynid they shall ransakyn besyly and discussyn soo discretly in here remembraunce, that both in will ... ... . . shal not omyttyn for to complishe the seyd articles in ... ... ... . Seynt Poule the Appostyll seithe he that is ignoraunt ... ... . . G.o.d Almighty shall hym not knowyn to hise savacion[158.1] ... ... this article to otherys that ignoraunce shuld not been on to myn execu[torys] in hurtynge of my soule, occacion of tres.p.a.cynge, nor G.o.d offendyng.]*