To the right worshipful Seres, my right welbeloved and trusted cosyns, William Yelverton, Justice, and John Paston.
1460(?)
Sir, please your right worshipfull maystership that Mayster Paston come to London as on Thursdaye att none last past, and I trust verelye all maters here were resonablye labored to his comyng, and now they shal be better. Neverthelesse, I have ben mevid of tretye by dyvers personez sith I came hidre, as wele for Tudenham, Wentworth, Heydon, and other at this tyme not wel willed to yow and yourez, seyng that such money as is spent a twix yowe is but wastfully expendid and to non use vertuouse. I fele by theym they be not right corageous in theyr werkes, ner nought wold if they myght have a resonable trete. I meve not this that ze shold thenk that they had conquered me by noyans, but I do it to avertyse yow for th’eschewyng of the importable costes that hath ben born by yow, and yet lyke to bee, aswele in the elde maters hangyng as in newe at this tyme to be grownded, if this werre shal rest and hold a twyx yowe, and specially for the ease of hym that shalbe solicitour in the same. Ye nede at this terme rather to have had thre solicitours than in any other terme past this iij. yere, on concyderyng the maters hangyng, &c.; of which please yow to send yowr gode advyse and wille yf ye thenk it to be don, and els not, for this is but a mocion, &c.
[225.1] [From Paston MSS., B.M.] This letter is by an unknown writer, and very uncertain as to date. It shows that Tuddenham, Wentworth, and Heydon, all adherents of the House of Lancaster, were desirous of a compromise with Yelverton and Paston. The year 1460, some time after the battle of Northampton, is perhaps as likely a period as any.
[415]
FRIAR BRACKLEY TO JOHN PASTON[226.1]
To my Mayster Jon Pastone, Esqwyer, be this letter presented.
Jesus, Maria, &c.
1460
OCT.
Ryte reverent Sire, after du recommendacion, we sey in this cuntre that Heydon is for Barkschir in the Comon Hows. And the Lady of Suffolk[226.2] hath sent up hyr sone[226.3] and hise wyf to my Lord of York to aske grace for a schireve the next yer, Stapilton, Boleyn, or Tyrel, qui absit. God send zow Ponyng, W. P., W. Rokewode, or Arblaster. Ze haf myche to done; Jesu spede zow. Ze haf many good preyers, what of the covent, cyte, and cuntre. God safe our good Lords, Warwik, alle hise brether, Salisbury, &c., fro al fals covetyse and favour of extorcyon, as they wil fle uttyr schame and confusyon. God save hem, and preserve fro treson and poyson; lete hem be war her of for the pite of God; for yf owt come to my Lord Warwik but good, far weel ze, far weel I, and al our frends! for be the weye of my sowle, this lond wer uttirly on done, as God forbede. Her [their] enmyes bostyn with good to come to her favour; but God defende hem, and zeve hem grace to knowe her frends fro her enmyes, and to cherisch and preferr her frends and lesse the myte of alle her enmyes thorw owt the schiris of the lond. And [i.e. if] my good Lord Warwik, with my Lord his brother Chaunceler[226.4] and my Lord her fadyr[226.5] woldyn opposyn, as dede Danyel, Fortesku, Alisaunder, Hody, Doctor Aleyn, Heydon, and Thorp, of the writyng made be hem at Covyntre Parlement, they schuld answer wers than sub cino or sub privo (?), and this generaly wold I sey at Powlys Cros, etc., and [i.e. if] I schuld come there, &c. It is verifyed of hem, 1º Jeremiæ, 8º, Vere mendacium operatus est stilus mendax scribarum, &c. And think of two vers of zour Sawter, Scribantur hæc in generatione altera (hujus scilicet parliamenti) et populus qui creabitur laudabit Dominum,[227.1] &c. Deleantur etiam tales perversi scriptores de libro viventium et cum justis non scribantur.[227.2] Et non plura, sed vos, vestros et vestra conservet Jesus graciose in prosperis et graciosius dirigat in agendis.
Ex Norwico, feria quarta,[227.3] nuncio festinante.