To my Maister Whyte, Esquyer, with my Lord Cardynall,[158.2] for to take to John Paston.
1450
JULY 8
After al due recomendacion, I recomaund me to yow, and do yow wete that this same Wednesseday I receyved your lettre whiche was wretyn on Saterday last passed, wherby ye willed me to send yow worde of your matiers, &c. As touchyng the frere,[158.3] he abydeth in lawe up on our plee of profession, like as I sent yow word by wrytyng, whiche I sent yow in a box with other stuf by a man of the Archedeken of Rychemond. I endorsed it thus, ‘To William Plumstede, with my Lord of Winchestre,[158.4] or to John Paston.’
We shuld have amendet our plee of profession, but thanne your counseyll fereth he wolde take an issue that he is not professed, and that shuld[158.5] be tried by the certificat of the Dean of Poulys, sede vacante; and therfore we abide in lawe, and wole not amende our plee. The day of th’assises in Norffolk is die Veneris proximo post Festum Nativitatis Beatæ Mariæ apud Norwicum, and Costards nisi prius is take owt ageynst that day, and Prentis nisi prius ageynst Halman also.
As touchyng the sute ageyns Osebern and Foke, he hath geve day xv. Johannis with x. tales, as I have wretyn to yow to fore this tyme; and I suppose that he wole have a nisi prius of the same atte seid assises. As touchynge the fyn in the Kyngs Benche for Osebern and Foke, the fyne were cessed this terme, but I hadde no leyser to talke with Croxton ther of yet, &c. Your bedfelawe seigh bothe my other writynge and this, and he recomaundeth hym to yow, and shuld have wretyn to yow, if he had not be prevy to my writyng. Ye ar meche hold to hym, for he is diligent for yow, &c.
As touchyng Drewe Barantyn, I myght not yet speke with hym, &c. Circumspecte agatis, and be war of lordis promysses, for it is tolde me in counseil ther is a writte of forcyble entre[159.1] in framyng ageynst yow.
Almyghty God be your gyde. Wretyn in hast with inne an hour after the resceyte of your lettre, at Wesminster, the Wednesseday next after Seint Thomas day.[159.2] Yours James Gre.
[158.1] [From Paston MSS., B.M.] This letter appears to have been written in the year 1450, when Gresham was in London looking after John Paston’s interests in various lawsuits. Mr. White, to whom it is directed for the purpose of being conveyed to Paston, was a servant of Cardinal Kemp, who had been made Lord Chancellor in the beginning of the year. It is evident from other letters that John Paston took counsel of the Lord Chancellor’s servant in his causes.
[158.2] Cardinal Kemp.