Wretyn at London, the Munday next after Seynt Powle day.[205.1] Yowr broder, William Paston.
[204.1] [From Fenn, i. 186.] This letter, like the last, refers to the capture of Lord Rivers and his son at Sandwich, an incident dated by William Worcester in his annals shortly after the Christmas of 1459, which probably means just after the New Year.
[204.2] William de Waynflete, Bishop of Winchester.
[204.3] See [p. 203, Note 3].
[204.4] ‘Then follows,’ says Fenn, ‘a long account of private business, which is here omitted.’
[204.5] Sir Anthony Widville, afterwards Lord Scales and Earl Rivers.
[205.1] The Feast of the Conversion of St. Paul is on the 25th of January.
[401]
WILLIAM BOTONER TO ——[205.2]
1460
FEB. 7
A very frende at nede experience will schewe be deede, as wele as be autorite of Aristotle in the Etiques that he made of moralite. Also by the famous Reamayn Tullius in his litell booke De Amicicia; thangyng you for olde contynued frendschip stidffastely grounded, as I wele [qu. feel?] be your letter of a goode disposicion made, as it appereth. Where as it schewith to the understandyng of suche as you write uppon that I schulde, be crafty councell of some men sodenly have departed in to these parties, &c., and that I straunched me from sertein persones to moche, &c.; as for the furste, it schalbe to openly knowe that I departed not hedre be councell of suche persons as they ymagyne, for in trowthe no creature levyng, when I departed from Norwich, knewe of it, saffe one that hath and evermore schal be next of my knowlege in viagis makyng, alle be it I will not alwey disclose the cause. I herde sey sith I come to London theye weche ye dempte to be of my councell thanne where at Wolsyngham or Thepala (?) when I departed. I have wrete the cauce to hym that of nature schulde be my beste frende, that for as much I had labored as weele as W. Paston do my maister frendes, chevised, and leyd money content out of his purse to the some of Cli., and more for cloothe and other thynges for my seide maister entencion, promyttyng payment be fore Cristemesse, or right soone aftir, or to be at London, and acquytyng me that I put me my dever. And be cause my maister attorneys in that parties toke not to herte to make the payementes here so hastely as they ded there, I had no comffortable answere of spedyng the seid paymentes here. And also I was not put in truste a mong the seid attorneys there to yeve on peny for my maister sowle, but I paid it of myn owne purse befoore; nother in trust ne favour to geve an almesse gowne, but that I praid for it as a straunger schulde doo, alle be it myn autorite is as grete as theris, and rather more as I tolde you. And also my Lorde of Canturebury and Maister John Stookes, his juge, had geve autorite to ministre to a certein somme till the testament were proved. And these preseidents consedred wolde discorage any man to a bide but a litel amonges hem that so straunged hem self from me and mistrusted me, be thut any cauce ye knowe wele how that my maister man servauntes were put in gretter truste and familiarite to handell, geve, and telle out of the bagghes my maister money bothe at Seint Benetts and in Norwich in divers places by grete summes and litell. And ye as other my maister servauntes and I that helped gete my maister goode and brynge it togedre were straunged, and as it semyd by there demenyng mistrusted to oure grete vilanye and rebuke, wheche muste be answerd the causes why, and we declared [i.e. exculpated], and so shal I make it for my pore person, and for my maister sowle heele. It is not soilied (?) knowen that I was one of the cheeffe that kepte bothe my Maister Paston and myn oncle[206.1] in my maister favour and truste, and if I wolde have labored the contrary, by my sowle—that is the grettest othe that I may swere of my silff—they had never be nygh my maister in that case they stonde nowe. And if they woll labour to damage or hendre me, all the worlde woll mysreporte of hem and litel truste hem, nowther they schal not have wurschip nor profight bi it. I wolde be to them as lowyng and as wele willyng as I gan, so I fynde cause, and other I wolnot be to my fadre, and he weere a liffe. I requere you a[n]swere for me as I wolde and have do for you whan som of hem have seid ful nakedly of you, and suche as ye deeme hafe mysereported causeles of me, I pray you that they see my letter as weele as my frendes. My maister also (God yelded is sowle) graunted to me a liffelode accordyng to my degre, that I, my wiffe, and my childre, schulde have cause to prey for hym. My wiffes uncle[207.1] was present in his chapell at Castre as wele as my wiffe, and comaunded her oncle to chese the londe. This is trowthe be the blissed Sacrament that I receyved at Pasch [i.e. Easter]. And because I demaunded my right and dwte of my Maister Paston, he is not plesed. I have lost more thanne x. mark worthe londe in my maister servyce, by God, and not [unless] I be releved, alle the worlde schal knowe it elles that I have to gret wrong. Wolde God I kowde plese bothe Maister Paston and my oncle in reson, who preserve you.