[209.4] Omission in MS.
[210.1] John, son of Sir Robert Conyers, knight, married Eleanor, daughter of William Yelverton, Justice of the King’s Bench.—Blomefield, i. 483.
[210.2] Judge Yelverton’s clerk, the writer of No. 142. See vol. ii. p. 174, Note 3.
[210.3] See vol. ii. p. 110, Note 1.
[211.1] This seems to refer to the will of Sir John Fastolf, though he is not named.
[404]
FRIAR BRACKLEY TO JOHN PASTON[213.1]
1460
Jhesus Maria, &c.,—Reverende domine et præ omnibus mortalibus amantissime. Super omnia omnino oblivioni non tradenda faciatis ut W. P.[213.2] germanus cum sua ac vestra prudenti industria sagaciter et secrete informet H. Fylongley de W. W.[213.3] Hibernico ac Colino Gallico, qui suo malicioso proposito confederati sunt, adversusque dominum et magistrum suum militem defunctum et executores ejus ad dampnificandos eos et bona defuncti per ostensionem literarum secretarum olim dicto militi missarum, ex confidentia speciali, sicut solito more amicus amico solet scribere. Si hæc enim proditoria condicio esset insinuata per H. Fylongley vel per me, forsan Domino Comite Wilschirie, idem fallax et deceptorius Colinus Gallicus non esset cum dicto comite tam magnus et intimus cum dicto domino, sicut credit se esse unum de suis secretioribus, vel cum Regina per laborem sui germani ad magistrum Ormond ut ipsum faciat introduci ad favorem et servicium Reginæ. Si habueritis amicos circa Reginam, cito poteritis Colinum frustrare suo a proposito. Si W. P. vester germanus posset per subtilia media adquirere et adquiri facere casketum C. Gallici ac casketum W. W. Hibernici, audiretis et videretis aliqua non laude sed fraude plena, &c. Mitte sapientem et nihil ei dicas, &c. Prudenti viro pauca scribenda pro presenti propono quia scio vos ex paucis plura colligere et ex præambulo plura concludere. Item, propheta clamat, ‘Nolite confidere in verbum mendacii,’[213.4] &c., et secundum eundem prophetam, ‘Non est confidendum super baculum arundineum confractum,’[213.5] &c., et est commune et vulgare dictum: ‘A man schuld not trusty on a broke swerd, ne on a fool, ne on a chyld, ne on a dobyl man, ne on a drunke man,’ &c., thow that he were an amewse and a notarye be W. W. Hibernicus he schal knowe al, and be hym Colyn and Spirlyng the same knowe schal, &c., Hoc ideo dicite W. P., Cavete, &c., quia, Deo teste, bona fide et conscia non ficta, hæc suprascripta sunt in toto vera, &c. Feria secunda ad minus in prandio vos videbo, &c. Scriptum festinissime infra quarterium horæ, præsentis latore nimis sponsalium causa festinante. Recommendo vos vestros et vestra Deo. vester totus prius notus, Frater J. B. Minorum minimus.
[213.1] [Add. MS. 34,888, f. 161.] This letter is evidently holograph. The date might be at the very end of the year 1459, after the death of Fastolf and after the attainder of the Yorkists at Coventry; but is more probably in the early part of 1460, between January and May. Indeed, though the language is mysterious, its substance is probably not unconnected with that of the preceding letter.
[213.2] William Paston, son of the judge.