Volume V Part 20 (1/2)
And on the Kynge Edwardes partye, the Lord Cromwell,[100-2] the Lord Saye,[100-3] Sir Omffrey Bowghsher[100-4] off owr contre, whyche is a sore moonyd man her, and other peple off bothe partyes to the nombre off mor then a m^l.
As for other tythynges, is undrestande her that the Qwyen Margrett is verrely londyd and hyr sone in the west contre, and I trow that as to morow, or ellys the next daye, the Kynge Edwarde wyll depart ffrom hense to hyr warde, to dryve her owt ageyn.
Item, I beseche yow that I may be recomendyd to my cosyn Lomner, and to thanke hym ffor hys goode wyll to me wardes, iff I had hadde nede, as I undrestoode by the berer heroff; and I beseche you on my behalve to advyse hym to be well ware off hys delyng or langage as yit, ffor the worlde, I ensur yow, is ryght qwesye, as ye schall know with in thys monthe; the peple heer feerythe it soor.
G.o.d hathe schewyd Hym selffe marvelouslye lyke Hym that made all, and can undoo ageyn whan Hym lyst; and I kan thynke that by all lyklyod schall schewe Hym sylff as mervylous ageyn, and that in schort tyme; and, as I suppose, offter than onys in casis lyke.
Item, it is soo that my brother is on purveyed off monye. I have holpyn hym to my power and above. Wherffor as it pleasythe yow remembre hym, ffor kan not purveye ffor my selffe in the same case.
Wretyn at London the thorysdaye in Esterne weke. I hope hastely to see yow.
All thys bylle most be secrett. Be ye not adoghtyd off the worlde, ffor I trust all schall be well. Iff it thusse contenewe, I ame not all undon, nor noon off us; and iff otherwyse, then, &c. &c.
[Footnote 99-1: [From Fenn, ii. 62.] This letter, as shown by the contents, was written just four days after the battle of Barnet, by which Edward IV. recovered his throne. It is not signed, but the writer is Sir John Paston.]
[Footnote 99-2: George Neville, Archbishop of York. It was from the custody of this prelate that Edward escaped, after having been surprised and taken prisoner by the Earl of Warwick, in 1470: perhaps the kind treatment of his then prisoner now procured his pardon.--F.]
[Footnote 100-1: Sir William Tyrell was cousin to Sir James Tyrell, the afterwards supposed murderer of Edward V. and his brother the Duke of York.--F.]
[Footnote 100-2: Humphrey Bourchier, third son of Henry, Earl of Ess.e.x, had summons to Parliament, in 1461, as Lord Cromwell, in right of his wife.--F.]
[Footnote 100-3: William Fienes, Lord Say.]
[Footnote 100-4: Son of John, Lord Berners.]
775
[THE EARL OF OXFORD] TO A LADY[101-1]
_To the ryght reverent and wyrchypfull Lady._[101-2]
[Sidenote: 1471]
Ryght reverent and wyrchypfull Lady, I recomande me to yow, lettyng yow wete that I am in gret hevynes at the makyng of thys letter; but thankyd be G.o.d, I am eschapyd my selfe, and sodenly departyd fro my men; for I undyrstand my chapleyn wold have detrayed me; and if he com in to the contre, let hym be mad seuer, &c. Also ye shall gyff credence to the brynger of thys letter, and I beseke yow to reward hym to hys costs; for I was not in power at the makyng of thys letter to gyff hym, but as I wa.s.s put in trest by favar of strange pepyll, &c.
Also ye shall send me in all hast all the redi money that ye can make, and a.s.se mone of my men a.s.se can com well horsyd; and that they c.u.m in dyverse parcellys. Also that my horsse be sent, with my stele sadelles; and byd the yoman of the horse cover theym with ledder. Also ye shall send to my moder,[101-3] and let hyr wete of thys letter, and pray hyr of hyr blessyng, and byd hyr send me my kasket, by thys tokyn; that she hathe the key theroff, but it is brokyn.
Also ye shall send to the Pryor of Thetford,[101-4] and byd hym send me the sum of gold that he seyd that I schuld have. Also sey to hym by thys token, that I schewyd hym the fyrst Prive Seale, &c. Also lete Pastun, Fylbryg, Brews, come to me. Also ye shall delyver the brynger of thys letter an horsse, sadell, and brydell. Also ye schallbe of gud cher, and take no thowght, for I schall brynge my purpose abowte now by the grace of G.o.d, Qwhome have yow in kepyng.
O ... D (?).
[Footnote 101-1: [From Fenn, ii. 68.] The signature of this letter is composed of flourishes which were probably devised on purpose to make it unintelligible. Fenn suggests that the first character may be taken for an O, and the last for a D; but to our thinking the resemblance is rather difficult to trace. There is, however, great probability in his conjecture that the writer was the Earl of Oxford, and the date just after the battle of Barnet.]
[Footnote 101-2: Margaret, daughter of Richard Neville, Earl of Salisbury, sister to the late Earl of Warwick, and wife of John de Vere, Earl of Oxford.--F.]
[Footnote 101-3: Elizabeth, daughter and heir of Sir John Howard, Knight, who was the grandfather of John Howard, first Duke of Norfolk of that name. She was now the widow of John de Vere, late Earl of Oxford.]
[Footnote 101-4: John Vescey, Prior of Thetford, from 1441 to 1479.--F.]
776
JOHN PASTON OF GELSTON TO MARGARET PASTON[102-1]