Volume Vi Part 23 (1/2)
MARGARET, COUNTESS OF OXFORD, TO JOHN PASTON[92-2]
_To my right trusti and welbiloved John Paston, Shrieve of Norffolk and Suffolk._
[Sidenote: 1486 / MAY 19]
Right trusti and welbiloved, I recomaund me unto you. And for as moche as I am credebly enfourmed that Fraunceis, late Lorde Lovell, is now of late resorted into the Yle of Ely, to the entente by alle lykelyhod, to finde the waies and meanes to gete him s.h.i.+pping and pa.s.sage in your costes, or ellis to resorte ageyn to seintuary, if he can or maie;
I therfor hertily desire praie you, and neverthelesse, in the Kinges name, streitly chargie you that ye in all goodly haste endevore your self that suche wetche or other meanes be used and hadde in the poorts, and creks, and othre places wher ye thinke necessary by your discrecion, to the letting of his seid purpose; and that ye also use all the waies ye can or maie by your wisdom, to the taking of the same late Lorde Lovell. And what pleasur ye maie do to the Kings Grace in this matier, I am sure, is not to you unknowen. And G.o.d kepe you.
Wretyn at Lavenham, the xix. day of May.
MARGARET OXYNFORD.[93-1]
[Footnote 92-2: [From Fenn, ii. 338.] The date of this is quite certain from the subject to which it refers, as well as from the fact of John Paston being at the time Sheriff of Norfolk and Suffolk. Francis, Viscount Lovel, was one of the princ.i.p.al adherents of Richard III., and was attainted after the accession of Henry VII. in 1485. For some time he lay concealed, but in the spring of 1486 he attempted to raise an insurrection along with Humphrey and Thomas Stafford, who had broken out of their sanctuary at Colchester. He is said to have been drowned in the Trent in 1487, in endeavouring to escape after the battle of Stoke. But according to another story he lived in concealment for some time after.]
[Footnote 93-1: Margaret, daughter of Richard Neville, Earl of Salisbury, and sister of Richard, the great Earl of Warwick, was the first wife of John de Vere, Earl of Oxford.--F.]
1010
HENRY VII. TO JOHN PASTON[93-2]
_To our trusty and welbeloved John Paston, one of our Esquiers for our Body, Shreife of our countys of Norffolk and Suffolk._
BY THE KING.
[Sidenote: 1486 / AUG. 12]
Trusty and welbeloved, we greet you well. And whereas we send at this time our trusty and welbeloved clerke and counseilor, Mr. Edmunde Chaderton, to do and execute certein things by our commandement in those parties, like as he can shew to you more at large; We desire and pray you that ye not only yeve unto him therein credence, but also, for the effectuall and speedy performance of the same, ye will be unto him from time to time in everythinge, as the case shall require, adviseinge, aidinge, and a.s.sistinge, as we singularly trust you, and as ye desire to do us pleasure.
Yeven under our Signet at our manner of Shene, the xij^th day of August.
[Footnote 93-2: [From Sandford's Genealogy of the Paston Family.]
This letter is derived from Mr. Wors.h.i.+p's article in the _Norfolk Archaeology_ on a MS. Genealogy of the Paston family. The date must be 1486, during John Paston's shrievalty. The transcript is of the seventeenth century.]
1011
JOHN, LORD FITZWALTER, TO JOHN PASTON[94-1]
_To my right wurs.h.i.+pfull cosyn, John Paston, esquyer._
[Sidenote: 1486 / SEPT. 19]
Right wurs.h.i.+pfull cosyn, I recomaunde me to you, certifyeng you that, where as I understond ye have distreyned Richard Caus of Byngham[94-2]
for issuez ronne uppon hym in th'escheker to the summe of iiij_li._ and odde sylver, I pray you that ye wull, the rather for my sake, showe hym the favour that ye may doo, savyng youre sylfe, and that ye wulle not be harde uppon hym; but if ye kan by th'advys of councell this next terme fynde the meanes for youre discharge uppon youre acompte in th'escheker, that than ye wull lete hym be so in reste and peas withoute more paymentz for that cause; the which I prey you to tendre the rather because I fynde the seid Richard Caus at all tymez my trewe servaunt, and I shall be as redy to the acomplyshment of all youre resonable desirez with G.o.ddis grace, Who kepe you. At Attelburgh, this Tuesday next before Seint Mathuz Day.
Zowr Cosyn and frend,
J. SIEUR FYTZWAUTER.