[First Draft.]
Firste, Forasmyche as for the welfare of my soule and of the soules forseyd, and for ese, support, and helpe of the pore inhabitantes in the cuntre of Flegge, and for to avoyde that noo lord nor gret astat shuld inhabit in tyme comyng withinne the gret mancion be me late edified and motid in Castre forseid, I have of long tyme been in purpose to stablishe and founde a collage withinne the seyd gret mancion, and soo to purveye that suche as I lovyd and thought behoffefull for the seyd cuntre, and that noon othyr, shulde inhabite in the seyd mancion with the collagyens of the seyd collage: Therfor, and for the senguler love and trust that I have to my seyd cosyn John Paston, [abov]e all othyr, beyng in veray beleve that he will execute my will here in, I will and ordeyne, as he and I have covinauntyd and been accordyd that he shall, with inne resonable tyme aftyr my deseas, founde or do founde . . . . and indewe withinne the seid mancion a collage of vij. religeous monkys or pristes, to preye for the soules above seyd in perpetuite, of whiche one to be cheif governour of hem, and he to have xli., and iche othyr prist or monk [of the said co]llage x. marks yeerly for here sustenaunce and fynding, clerly paid in mony, and that the seyd collagyens shull be soo indewyd that be syde here seyd pencions for here propir levynge to be grauntyd hem, they . . . . . inmorteysid to hem to fynde vij. pore folke yeerly in perpetuite in the seyd mancion of Castre to preye for the soulis above seyd in perpetuite. Of whiche pore folk iche of hem to have xls. a yeer or th . . . . ere levynge, fynding, and sustentacion; and that the seyd John Paston shall ordeyne and make swyr to the seyd collagyens, and to the seyd pore folke a suffecient summe, and a competent and an esy dwellynge place . . . . . seid collagyens nor here successorys beryng no reparacion there of, for whiche and for othyr consyderacionis above seyd, I will, graunte, and ordeyne that the seyd John Paston shall have in fee symple, to hy[m and his heirs] all the manerez, londes, and tenementes in Norffolk, Suffolk, and Norwiche in whiche the seyd John Paston or ony othyr to myn use are or were feffyd in or have title to, and that all feffeez feffyd in the seyd manerez, londes, and . . . er astat of the seyd manerez, londes, and tenementes to suche personys, and at suche tymes and in suche fourme as the seyd Paston, hise heyris or his assigneez, shall requyre hem, or ony of hem. And the seyd John Paston . . . . . seyd collage shal bere and paye to my behoff, towardes the paymentys of my dettes and othir thynges, be my present will assygnid to be do, mlmlmlml. [4000] mark, in suche fourme and at suche tyme as in this my present will . . . . . . . here aftir folwyng:—
* [Fyrst, I will and ordeyne that, if it plese oure sovereynge lord Kynge Herry the Sexte, or hese heyre Kynges, for the longe contynwyd servise be me in the daye of strengthe and helthe of my body, to hym and to the noble Kynge Herry the Forthe and Herry the Fifte, hise progenitoris, and to hise noble uncles John Duke of Bedford, Thomas Duke of Clarence, whill they were in the werrys of oure seyd sovereyng Lord and hise noble progenitorys forseid, in Fraunce and Normandy as in cuntreez and othyr placis, consederynge my many gret labourys, peynis, and perilis in the seyd servise of oure sovereyn Lord and hise noble progenitoris forseyd, and hise pleyntyuous grace withoutyn ony other . . . . . of myn executores namyd in my testament, or ellys for a resonable sume of [money] whiche oure seyd sovereyn Lord owith me, or in othir wise, or be ony othyr meane, so as myn executores therein shall accorde with oure seyd sovereyn Lord and hise counsell, or with hise heire Kynges and here councell, to lycence and graunte to them that be feffyd to myn use in my Lordshepis manerez, londes, tenementes, rentes, servisez, with here appurtenaunces, or to here assigneez aftyr the effecte and forme of the lawe, by the avyse of myn executores, to ordeyne, founde, and stablishe, withinne the gret mancion or dwelynge place late be me newe edified and motid in the town of Castre, be Gret Jernemuth, in the counte of Norffolk, whiche mancion or dwellyng place I was born in, a collage of a prioury of vj. religeous personis, monks of the ordir of Seynt Benett, and to inmorteise and graunte to the seyd priour and vj. religeous personis, or to here successorys, the forseyd mancion or dwellynge place, with all the appurtenauncez and othir suffecient and cleer lyflode of the forseyd lordshepis, maneres, londes, and tenementes, rentes, and servisez, with here appurtenauncez, for the sustentacion of the seyd priour and vj. religeous personys and here successorys, and for here othyr chargys and reparacionis, and for vij. pore men in the seyd collage in perpetuite, be the avise and discrecion of myn executores forseid, to be foundyd and susteynid; and that thanne the forseyd feffees or her assignees if they . . . . grauntes of othyr havyng entresse in this be halve requisit lawefully shul make, founde, and stablishe, or doo be made, founde, and stablishid in the seyd collage, with the seyd priour and vj. religeous men, ever to endure, for to prey for my soule and for the soulez of my fadir and my modir, and of all my kynsefolk and good doeres, and for the soulez of the blissyd memorye Kynges forseyd, Herry the Forthe and Herry the Fifte, and the seyd noble Dukys, and for the good astat and prosperite of oure sovereyn Lord durynge hese lyf tyme, and aftyr for hese soule, and for all Cristeyn soules, therefor to synge and sey dayli devyne servise and preyeris in perpetuite; and to be of the orderis, proffession, obedyence, and governaunce of the ordyr of Seynt Benettes, and of the same ordyr and profession as been the monkes of Seynt Benettes in Holme, in the counte of Norffolk, and shalbe stablyshid be the good avyse of myn executorys: And thoo feffeez forseyd, or here assygnez, inmorteyse and graunte, or do been inmorteised and grauntid, feffe sufficiently swyrly and lawfully to the seyd pryour and religeous, [and to their] successores, the forseyd mancion and dwellynge place, with the appurte[nances], . . . . sufficient, swyr, and cleer lyflode of the for seyd lordshepis maneres . . . . rentes, servisez, with here appurtenancez in Castre forseyd, and in all othir placis . . . . . lithe next the seyd mancion or dwellynge place, for the sustenaunce [of the] seyd priour and vj. religeous men and here successoris, here servauntis, and the [seyd] vij. pore men: And for the chargys and reparacionis forseyd, to the yeerly valew of thre hundryd markes starlyng over all chargys; to have and to holde to the forseyd religeous men and to here successoris for ever; providid alwey that the seyd priour and religeous men and here successoris be bounden and compellabill suffeciently in lawe be the discrecion of my seyd executoris, to susteyne the forseyd vij. pore men contynwally, suffeciently, and convenyently in all thyngis withinne the seyd collage for ever, and for to preye for the soulys afore seyd.] *
* [Item, I will and graunte that if outhyr the forseyd licence and graunte of oure seyd sovereyn Lord, or of hise heyre Kynges, or the licence or graunt of ony othyr . . . . entresse in this behalve be not lawefully, swyrly, and suffeciently . . . . . . . that thanne my seid executorys shall geve or do be gove to . . . . . . of the monastery of Seynt Benettes of Holme for seyd, lyflode or mony competent . . . . . seyd abot and covent or here successorys, and my seyd executores shal accorde there in be here wise discrecionis, for the indewement and sustentacion of vj. monkes in the seyd monastery and vij. pore men in the same monastery, to prey for the soulys forseyd in perpetuite, to be foundyd, susteynid, and kept, providid that the vj. monkes forseyd be aumentyd abovyn the noumbre of monkes of here ferst fundacion, and over the noumbre that they now use to kepe in the seyd monastery, and that lawefull and agreable swyrte perpetualy be made be the avyse of myn seyd executores, aswell for the augmentacion, susteyning, and kepynge of the seyd vj. monkys, as for the convenyent and suffecient sustentacion, fyndyng, and kepyng of the seyd vij. pore men in perpetuite, to preye as is afore seyd.
Item, I wyll, ordeyne, and graunte that all othir lorshepis, manerez, londes, and tenementes, rentes, and servisez, with here appurtenaunce, in whiche ony persone or personis been feffid in, or have astat or possession, or be in titlid to myn use be the lawe, except the seyd manerez, londes, and tenementes, rentes, and servisez, with here appurtenauncez, in the shirez of Norffolk, Suffolk, and Norwiche, in the article next presedent specified, shull be sold be the seyd John Paston and Thomas Howys, ij. of myn executoris. And I will, graunte, and ordeyne that the seyd John and Thomas, and noon othir while they leve, shall have the sengler rewle, sale, and disposecion of all my londes forseyd, except before except, and execucion of this my last will and of every article there in; and I will that the seid John and Thomas shall have all the profitez and avaylez and emolwements of the seyd maneris, londes, and tenementes, rentes, and servisez, with all othir comoditeez thereof comyng, til be them they be sold, and the mony of the profites and salis thereof comynge, be them to be disposed for the welfare of my soule and of the soulez forseyd duryng the lyf of the seyd John and Thomas; and in cas this my will be not executyd in theyre [liv]es, that thanne the execucion be thereof doon be othyr myn executores that aftyr hem too shal have the mynistracion of my goodes.
* [It]em, I will and ordeyne that all and singuler lordshepis, maneres, londes, and tenementes, [ren]tes, and servisez, with here appurtenauncez, in whiche ony persone or personys are feffid in or have astat and possession to myn use, in whiche sum ever counteez or townez the said lordshepis, maneres, londes, and tenementes, rentes, and servisez bein withinne the ream of Englond; and that all the forseyd and senguler lordshepys, manerez, tenementes, rentes, and servisez, with here appurtenaunce, in whiche ony person or personys been intitlyd to myn use be the lawe, shull be sold be my seyd executoris, except manerez, londes, and tenementes, rentes, and servisez, with here appurtenauncez, as shall be morteysyd to the seyd collage, if the fundacion thereof take effecte: And that the mony of the sale or salys comynge be disposed be my seyd executores in executyng of thys my last wyll and testament, and in othyr dedes of almesse as my seyd executores be here discrecion shal seme best to plese God for the helthe of my soule and for the soulys forseyd: And that happe the fundacion of the seyd collage to take to noon effecte, nor the seyd collage foundyd, that thanne the lordshepis, londes, and tenementes, rentes, and servise, with here appurtenancez, whiche shul bee assygnid to the seyd morteysyng, also shull be sold [be my]n executores, and the mony thereof comyng to be disposed be [myn] executores in executyng and parformynge of my will and testament, and in othyr dedes of mercy, pite, and almesse as shal seme best to my seyd executores for the soulez afore seyd and the soulys undyr wretyn.] *
* [Item, I will and ordeyne that my seyd executoris shull take and have all the issews, avaylez, profitez, and emolwementes of all and senguler lordshepys, manerez, londes, tenementes, rentes, and servisez forseyd, with here appurtenaunce, excepte before except, to be geve to the seyd collage, on to tyme they be sold feithefully and trewly be my seyd executores; and on to tyme that they that shull be purchasorys be feithefull and trewe bargeyne thereof made be twene hem and my seid executorys, shull take and have the issewes, profitez, avayles, and emolwementes, withoute fraude or male ingyne. And also I wyll and ordeyne that my forseyd executores shull take and have all the issewys, profitez, avayles, and emolwementes of all and senguler aforn except l . . . . . londes, tenementes, rentes, servisez, with here appurtenauncez, on to tyme . . . . . and vj. religeous men or here successoris, if the forseyd admynistracion . . . . . . shull have and take lawefull and feithfull estat beforce of the seyd inmorteys[yng], or ellys that they be feithfully and trewly accordid with my seid executorys for the takyng and havyng of the issewes, profitez, and avayles, and emolwementes withoute fraud or male ingyne. And if the seyd inmorteysyng take noon effecte, I will and ordeyne that my seyd executores shull have and take all and senguler issewys, profitez, avayles, and emolwementes of the forseyd except lordshepys, londes, manerez, and tenementes, rentes, and servicez, with here appurtenaunces, tyl they be feithefully and trewly sold be my seyd executores, unto tyme that they that shalbe purchasorys thereof, be feithefull and trewe bargayne be twene them and my seyd executores thereof made, shull take thoo issewys, profitez, and avaylez, and emolwements thereof, withoute fraude or male ingyne. And I will and ordeyne that my seyd executores shull dispose all and senguler issewys, profitez, avaylez, and emolwementes afornseyd for my soule, and for the soulys aforn rehersyd, as they shall seme beste to the plesure of God.] *
Item, forasmyche as it is seyd that dyverse personis of dyverse desentes pretende . . . . . . at this day to be next heneritere [inheritor] to me aftyr my deseas, where . . . . . . . . . . . . knowe that no creature hathe title or right to inheryte ony . . . . . . . . . . . londes and tenementes, rentes, and servisez that ever I hadde, or ony persone or personys . . . . . . have to myn use; therfor I will and ordeyne that no persone nor personis as hey . . . me for no douteful or obskure materes conteynid in this my present will, nor for noon othyr, shall take ony maner of avauntage, benefice, or profit be ony manner meanys or weyes, of ony manerez, lordshepis, londes, tenementes, rentes, servisez, goodes, or catellys that were myn at ony tyme.
Item, I will and ordeyne and graunte that myn executoris [before namyd], or the more part of them[152.1] and noon othir, shall have the decleracion and interpretacion of all and senguler articles, chapetris, clausis, whiche and wordes in this my last will hadde and wretyn, in whiche articlis, chapetris, clausis, and wordes ony doute or doutez, dirknesse or dyversite of undirstondyng shall falle or happe to be founde, and that no persone or personys be reson of suche articlys, chapetris, clausys, or wordes, have or take ony profit or avauntage othyr wise thanne aftyr the maner and fourme of declaracion and interpretacion of my seyd [too namyd][152.2] executors.
Item, I will, ordeyne, and comaunde that all my dettes that is owynge [be] me be dewe examynacion be fully payd and contentyd to the creditoris, which can be foundyn dewe that is owynge be me; and also that all wronges, trespacis, offencis, and grevys be me doon or comyttid, if ony bee, that ony maner persone hathe been hyndryd or damagid wrongfully, if ony suche bee that can suffeciently and lawefully be previd and knowe, I wyll fyrst be fore all othyr thinges it be speed that myn executores do make amendes, restitucion, and satisfaction to thoo personys or to here executorys by me damagyd and hyndred as concience and good feithe requyreth.