Volume Iv Part 5 (1/2)
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507
RICHARD CALLE TO JOHN PASTON[29.1]
_To the ryght reverent and my mooste worschipful master, my Master John Paston, in the Inneer Tempyll._
[Sidenote: 1462 / FEB. 1]
Plesith it your maisterschip to witte that I have been at Burnewyll in Nacton to receyve the rentes and fermys of the tenauntes. And I undrestande be them, and be Robert Goordon that Mastre Jenney whas there and helde a coorte on the Mondaye next aftre Tlwelthe, and warned the tenauntes that they schulde pay no money to no man onto the tyme they had worde from hym, seyng that he whas on of the feffeys of the same maner, and that he whas feed with Sir John Fastolff, of weche fee he was be hynde for ij. yere; wherfore he desired the tenauntes that they schulde not be redy in payement onto the tyme they had word from hym, but that he myght be payed of his seide fee, lyke as the wylle of the deede was. Wherfore I can gete no money of them unto the tyme they have knowleche how it stond be twyx your maisters.h.i.+p and Mr. Jenney; for withoute Jenney write to hem or come hom ward that wey, and have the tenauntes together and lete hem witte that ye ought to have the rentes and fermes of the seid maner, I can not see that ye be like to have but litell money there, withoute ye woll do distreyne throuout all the lordeschip. I have sette dayes to purvey but [_their_] money ayenst the first weke of cleene Lenton, and than they schul have an answere who shal receyve it. Wherfore that it please your maisters.h.i.+p to remembre to speke to Mastre Jenney. The blissed Trinite preserve you and kepe you from all advercyte. Wreten at Yebbyshep[30.1] the furst daye of Februare.
Your pore servaunt and bedman,
R. CALLE.
Item, the maner of Stratton shuld paye of rente xxvj_s._ viij_d._, weche the fermour seythe my mastresse Brandon is acorded with you. He is be hynde for certeine yeres, &c.
[Footnote 29.1: [From Paston MSS., B.M.] The manor of Burneviles in Nacton, near Ipswich, was part of the lands of Sir John Fastolf which Paston inherited by his will; but his claim was disputed by Jenney, one of the executors. As Jenney is here said to have complained that his fee was two years in arrear, we may presume that it was little over two years since Fastolf's death when this letter was written. For further evidences of date compare No.
494. It may also be observed that we find undoubted evidence that John Paston was residing in the Inner Temple six weeks later (_see_ No. 511), whereas in the preceding year he was in Norfolk, where his brother Clement wrote to him news from London (No. 430).]
[Footnote 30.1: Ipswich?]
508
JOHN PASTON TO ----[30.2]
[Sidenote: 1462 / FEB. 9]
Right trusty and welbeloved, I grete yow hartily well, and will ye wite that where hit is so, that Sir John Fastolf, whom G.o.d a.s.soyle, with other, was sum tyme by Sir Herry Inglose enfeffed of trust of his maner offe Pykewurthe in Rutlande, the which made his wille, proved, that the seid maner sholde by solde by Robert Inglose and Edmunde Wychingham his executours, to whom the seid Sir John hath relesed, as his dute was to do; now it is so that for John Browne[31.1] ther is shewed a dede under seall of armes berynge date byfore his reles made to the Duke of Norffoke, Henry Inglose and other, contrarie to the wille of the seid Sir Herry and the trust of the feoffement that the seid Sir John Fastolff was infeffed inne. And a letter of Attorney under the same seale of armes to yow, to deliver seison acordynge to the same feffement, to the gret disclaundre of the seid Sir John and all his, yef this be true. Wherfore I preie yow hertili that ye feithfully and truly rescribe to me in all the hast ye may what ye knowe in this mater such as ye wull stonde by with outen glose, and how ye can imagine that this crafte shulde be practised, and specially whether ye yourself delivered seison in Rutlond or noo. And this and what incedentes ye knowe, I preie yow by wrytinge certefie me in all hast, that I may be the more ripe to answer to this, to the wurs.h.i.+p of the seid Sir John, that was your maister, so that thorowh your defaute your seid maisters soule ther for lie not in perell, but this disclaundre may be eesed and cesed as reson requireth, to the wurs.h.i.+p of hym and all that longe to hym. And this I pray yow faile not offe as I truste yow. Wret at Londo[n] the ix. day of Februar.
Yowr frend,
JON PASTON.
[Footnote 30.2: [From Paston MSS., B.M.] The MS. is a rough draft signed by John Paston the eldest, and corrected in his hand. It seems to have been written on the cover of a letter addressed to himself; for on the back is this direction in another hand:-- 'To my most reverent and worchepfull maister, John Paston the eldest, Esquier, be this deliveryd in hast.'
We have inserted this letter in the year 1462 as this was the first year after Fastolf's death, when John Paston appears to have been residing in London in the beginning of February. The only other possible years are 1463, 1465, and 1466.]
[Footnote 31.1: This name is subst.i.tuted for 'Herry Inglose,'
struck out.]
509
SIR THOMAS HOWES TO JOHN PASTON[31.2]
_To the ryght wurs.h.i.+pfull sir and meyster, myn Mayster John Paston, Squier._