[218.5] Luke xxiii. 31.
[178]
JAMES GLOYS TO JOHN PASTON[219.1]
To my right reverente and wurchepfull Mayster, John Paston, Esquyer, be this delivered in hast.
1451
MARCH 1
Right reverent and wurchepfull Sir, I recomand me to you, besechyng you to wete that Wharles told me that Partrych seid that his lord[219.2] knewe wele that ye were entred pesibilly in the maner of Gresham; where fore, he seid, thow the tenauntes and fermors pay you the rents and fermes the tyme that ye be in possession, his seid lord, thow he entre ageyn, wuld never aske it them. Item, the seid Partrych seid to Wharles that his lord wull come down hym self and entre in the seid maner within short tyme. Wharles wull not discharge your baly of xvvjs. and viijd., which he toke the seid baly enseled in a purs. The seid Wharles told my mayster, John of Berney, at the court, that he repented hym that he payd you any peny till he had be distreyned; and he seid than pleynly that he wull nomore pay till he were distreyned. I have be there divers tymes for to distreyn hym, and I cowde never do it but if [unless] I wuld a distreyned hym in his moders hous, and there I durst not for her cursyng. The baly of the hundred told me that Wharles spake to hym in cas he had be distreyned that he wold have gete hym a replevy; and the baly bad hym kete a replevy of his mayster and he wold serve it.
Item, the maner londs at Gresham, with othre tenaunts londs that be fallyn in your hands ben letyn to ferme. I can gete no tenaunte to dwell in the maner hous. And if the rede shuld be caryed thens, the tenaunts shuld thynk that ye fered sum new entre, and it shuld sore discomfort hem, for thei whisshed whan it was caried to the maner that it had be leyd ther thus pesibly ij. yer afore. Asfor the obligacyon that ye shuld have of the parson of Cressyngham, he seth he cam never at Cressyngham syth he spake with you, and that he be heste it you not till Fastyngong.[220.1] His hors ben stolyn, and therfore he may not ryde.
Item, Gonnore kept a court at Routon the Thursday[220.2] next after Seynt Mathy[220.3] the Appostell, and it was told me that Bettes was ther with hym; wherefore I rode theder. And be cause that it was a fraunchised town and within the Duchye,[220.4] and also that Gonnor had gret rewle in the seid town, I toke with me the baly of the hundred and set hym with me in my Lord of Norffolks warant, and than yede in to the court ther as Gonnor and Bettes wern. The seid baly told Gonnor of this warant, and Gonnor rebuked hym so that he durst not a rest the seid Bettes. Than I toke it up on me and arested hym myself as he sate be Gonnor. Gonnor desired than to se my warant, and I shewed it hym, and he seid he wold obey it as the lawe wold. And he proferyd me suerte, men of the seid town of Routon. Than I told hym, and [i.e. if] he wold be bownd hym self with othre I would agre ther to, but I wuld have no shipmen that had nought, ner such men that rought [cared] never, and thei were onys on the see, wheder thei come ageyn or noght. Than Bettes toke Gonnor a supersedias that he had of Wychyngham twelmoneth ago for anothre man that asked suerte of the seid Bettes. I wold have had it, and he wold not lete me have it, ner shewe it me but in his hands. Than I told hym that it was noght, and he seid it was gode i nowe. I bad hym take it me for my discharge, and he seid pleynly I shuld not have it. Than I told hym I wold have my prisoner. The seid Gonnor seid I shuld not have hym, and dede set alle the tenaunts up on me and made a gret noyse, and seydyn alle pleynly I shuld not have hym yf he wold abyde with hem. Than I told Gonnor that I shuld certifie a rescuse, and prayd the baly of the hundred that he wold record the same. Item, the seid Gonnor seid I myght have favoryd the seid Bettes the more be cause the seid Bettes was my mayster Stapylton man, and that his men shuld not be bownd and I shuld go lose. He seid I shuld be tyed or aght longe and alle my feleshep bothyn; but, God yeld hym, he hath yovyn me iiij. days respyte. Than I told hym it shuld never ly in his power to bynde me, ner non of my feleshep so fast but that it shuld be in your power to make hym to losyn us, and if that he abode in Norffolk he shuld be made to seke the skyrts of his sadill or Esterne. And if he had kept his wey that nyght I shuld have kept hym trewe covenaunte, for I lay on wayte up on hym on the heth as he shuld have comen humward, and if I myght have met with hym I shuld have had Bettes from hym; but he had leyd such wetche that he had aspied us or he cam fully at us; and he remembered Wyndhams manhood, that iiij. swyft fete were better than ij. hands, and he toke his hors with the spores and rode to Felbrygge Hall as fast as he myght rydyn, and I suppose he lay ther all that nyght.
Item, the seid Gonnor manased and thret John of Beston for he wuld not warn hym her of; and he dede sease alle his lond in Routon, and warned hym that he shuld not occupy his lyme kyll ner no lond that he had in Routon; and he mad his avaunte whan I was gon, if that I had not brought the baly of the hundred with me I shuld never have go thens; and yet, not withstandyng that I brought the baly with me, and thei had wust where myn hors had stond I shuld have be wele betyn. All this language had thei whan that I was gon.
Item, the seid Gonnor seid after that I was gon to the tenaunts of the seid town, that his supersedias was noght, and as for the rescuse, he shuld purvey a mene to excuse it. Where fore and it pleasyd you to send my mastres word how that I shuld be demened with the seid Bettes, and wheder that ye wuld I shuld a rest hym ageyn or nought, and to purvey such a mene for Gonnor that he myght ley his bost, it shuld be gret comfort to all yowr frendes and tenauntes ther abowtyn.
Item, I have be at my mayster Stapilton with your writtes, and he made it right straunge for to ensele hem. He seid that he knew of nown such inquiscion takyn at Swafham beforn hym; he seid if it were presented ther, it was presented in his absens, whill that he was in his inne; wherfore he seid he wold not ensele hem till he sey the bokes. Whan I had answeryd hym ther to, than he seid he wold comown with my mayster Yelverton her of whan he come home, and til he had spok with hym he wold not ensele hem. I told hym my mayster Yelverton had enseled hem. Thann he seid he knew not my mayster Yelverton seale. He shewed it to Gonnor, and asked hym wheder it was his seall or noght. Gonnor seid it was his sealle. Than my mayster Stapilton brake ought of this mater and spake to me of the a restyng of Bettes and makyng of affray up on Gonnor. He seid Gonnor cam to hym to compleyn up on me. I told hym that Gonnor had enformed hym as it plesyd hym, for I had yove hym no cause to compleyn of me, and if it pleased hym to her myn excuse he shuld fynd me in no defaute. Whan he had herd myn excuse, he cowde not blame me. Meche othre langage we had, for I was with hym ner an ower. Than he asked me wheder the inquisicion was taken be fore the justice of the peas or the justice of the oyer determyner. I told hym be for the justic of the peas, for I seid it was the cessyons of the peas at Swafham. Than he bad me put up my warants, for he seid he wold not ensele hem till he had comowned with my maister Yelverton. I told hym it shuld not nede to comown with my mayster Yelverton, ner labor hym therfore, for I seid it myght not hurt thow he enseled hem not; for I seid the writts were executed, and that the shereff had mad ought warants of them, and his warants were executed, and so the seid writts shuld stand you in litill avayll, save only, I told hym, ye desiryd his sealle, because it was fownd before othre lords with hym, and that he stode in the teste of the said writts, and that was cause of my comyng theder. Than he wend I had comyn for to assayn hym, for forthwith he enseled hem, but me thynk be his langage he hath be labored of the toder part.