Volume Iv Part 57 (1/2)

And asfor any wryghtyng fro the Kyng, he hathe promysyd that there schall come non; and if ther do his unwarys [_without his knowledge_], yowr answer may be thys, how the Kyng hathe seyd, and so to delay them tyll I may have worde, and I schall sone purvey a remedy.

I understond that ye have ben with my Lorde of Norfolke now of late.

What ze have done I wete not; we se that he shal be her ageyn thys daye.

Mor ovyr, I trow John Alforde schall not longe abyde with my Lorde; I schall sende yow tydyng of other thyngys in haste, with the grace of G.o.d, who, &c. Wretyn on Wednysday nexte befor Seynt Martyn.

JOHN PASTON.

I fer that Dawbeney is not alther best storyd to contenew howsold longe; lete hym send me worde in hast, and I wyll releve hym to my power, and or longe to I hope to be with yow.

Roger Ree is scheryff of Norfolke, and he schall be good jnow.

Th'excheter I am not yit a.s.sertaynyd of.

Also, that thes men be at the begynnyng entretyd as corteysly as ye can.

Also, I pray yow to sende me my flowr[307.1] be the next ma.s.sanger that comyth.

Also, as for my Lorde Fytz Waters oblygacion, I know non suche in myn adward as yit.

Also, the obligacion of the Bisshop of Norwychys oblygacion, I never sye it that I remembre; wherfor I wolde and prey my modre to loke it up.

Also, as for the Byble[307.2] that the master hath, I wend the uttermost pryse had not pa.s.syd v. mark, and so I trowe he wyl geve it: wet, I pray yow.

Also, as for Syr Wylliam Barber and Syr Wylliam Falyate, I wolde, if they kan purvey for them selfe, folfayne be dyschargyd of them.

[Footnote 306.1: [From Fenn, iv. 302.] The original of this letter, Fenn informs us, was written upon a whole sheet of paper, of which a quarter was cut away before the letter was finished, so that the bottom part of it was only half the width of the upper.

Roger Ree was made Sheriff of Norfolk in 1468, which fixes the date.]

[Footnote 307.1: This may mean flour for household use; or it may signify his flower, his device or cognisance.--F.]

[Footnote 307.2: This must mean some MS. copy, for at this time there was only one printed edition of the Bible, which would have sold even then for a much greater sum than is here mentioned.

I mean 'Biblia Latina Mogunt. per J. Fust et P. Schoiffer, 1462.' --F.]

692

ELIZABETH POYNINGS TO SIR JOHN PASTON[308.1]

_To the wors.h.i.+pful Sir John Paston, Knyght, be thys delveryd in hast._

[Sidenote: 1468(?) / DEC. 15]

Wors.h.i.+pfull and with all myn hert interly wilbeloved nevoue, I recomaunde me to yow, desyryng to here of your prosperite and wilefayr, which I pray All mighti G.o.d maynteyn and encres to His plesour and your herts desir, thankyng G.o.d of your amendyng and helth; furthermore, certefying yow that Sir Robert Fenys hath doon grete hurte in the lyvelode whiche perteyned to my husbond and me in the s.h.i.+re of Kent, wherein William Kene and other persones arn enfeffid, and gretly troubleth hit, and receyveth the issuez and profitez of gret part of theym. And as of my seid husbonds lyvelode, aswell in the same s.h.i.+re as in other s.h.i.+rez, besyde myn jounter, my seid husbond, whan he departyd towarde the feld of Saint Albons, made and ordeyned his wille, that I shuld have the rewell of all his lyvelode, and of Edwarde his soon and myn, and to take the issuez and profitez of the seid lyvelode, to the fyndyng of his and myn seid son, to paie his dettez, and to kepe the right and t.i.tle of the same lyvelode, which I myght nat accordyng occupie for Sir Edwarde Ponyngs, myn seid husbonds brother; and so sith myn seid husbonds departyng, I a.s.signed that the seid Sir Edwarde for certeyn yereez shuld have and take the revenuez of the maners of Westwode, Estwell, Levelond, Horsmonden, Totyndon, Eccles, Staundon, and Combesdon, parcell of the seid lyvelode, which arn clerely yerely worth lxxvj_li._ xiij_s._ iiij_d._, to the entent that the seid Sir Edwarde shuld paye myn husbonds dettez, for he wold not suffer me to be in rest without that he myght have a rewell in the lyvelode; and after the seid a.s.signement made, the seid Robert Fenes, contrary to trowth, and withoute cause of right, interupted me and the seid Sir Edwarde, aswell of and in the seid maners as of other maners undirwretyn; wher uppon the same Sir Edwarde suet unto the Kyngs Highnesse, and hade the Kyngez honorable lettres undir his signet, directed to the said Sir Robert Fenys, the tenour wherof I send unto yow herin inclosid; and as for residue of the lyvelode of myn seid husbonds and myn, within the same s.h.i.+re of Kent, wherin the said William Kene and other arn enfeffed, that is to say, the maner of Tyrlyngham, Wolverton, Halton, Newyngton, Bastram, Rokesley, and Northcray, with th'appurtenauncez, I of them, by myn seid husbonds wille, shuld have residue, and take the issuez and profitez of theym, contrarye to right and conciens, takyng away my ryght, and brekyng my said husbonds wille, the seid Robert Fenys hath doon gret wast and hurte ther, and long tym hath take upe the revenuez and profitez of the same, wher thorough I have not my ryght, and the seid wille may not be performed.

Wherfor I hertely pray yow that ze will labour unto the Kynges Highnes, at yt lyketh hym addres his honorable lettres to be directed to the seid Robert Fenys, dischargyng hym utterly of the menuraunce, occupacion, and receyt of the revenuez of the said maners of Tyrlyngham and other, accordyng to the tenour of the lettres labored by Sir Edwarde, for the maners a.s.signed to hym from the Kyngs Highnes, directyd to the same Robert Fynes, or strayter if hit may be, and that I and myn a.s.signez may pea.s.seble rejoie theym; and if eny person wold attempt to do the contrarye, that a comaundement, yf it ples the Kyngs Hignes, by hym myght be yevyn to my Lorde Chaunceller to seall writtyngs sufficiaunt with his gret seall, in eydyng and a.s.sisting me and myn a.s.signez in this same.

And as for the maners of Esthall, Faukham, a.s.slie, and Chelsfeld, with th'appurtenauntez in the seid schire of Kent, whereof my hysbond at his departur was sea.s.sed, and my son sethens, unto the tyme that the Erle of Kent[310.1] without eny inquission or t.i.tle of right for the Kyng, by colour of the Kynges lettres patentes, entret into theym, and hym therof put owte, and now my Lorde of Ess.e.x[310.2] occupieth them in lyke maner and forme; yf eny remedy therin wilbe hade, I pray yow attempt hit.