Item, my brother is redy[n] to Yarmowth for to lette brybers that wold a robbed a ship undyr color of my Lord of Warwyk, and longe nothyng to hem ward.

[265.1] [From Fenn, i. 226.] According to Fenn, this letter is in the original ‘without either date, name, or direction,’ the contents only proving it to have been written by ‘one of John Paston’s sons.’ Nevertheless, in a very misleading way, the signature ‘John Paston’ is inserted at the foot of the right-hand copy, with a reference to a facsimile of the signature of John Paston the youngest. There is every appearance, however, that John Paston the youngest really was the writer, and that the date is, as Fenn supposes, just after the accession of Edward IV.

[266.1] The battle of Mortimer’s Cross, near Ludlow, gained by Edward IV. before he was king, on the 3rd February 1461.

[450]
W. PASTON AND THOMAS PLAYTERS TO JOHN PASTON[266.2]

To my maister, John Paston, in hast.

1461
APRIL 4

Please you to knowe and wete of suche tydyngs as my Lady of York hath by a lettre of credens, under the signe manuel of oure Soverayn Lord King Edward, whiche lettre cam un to oure sayd Lady this same day, Esterne Evyn,[267.1] at xj. clok, and was sene and red by me, William Paston.

Fyrst, oure Soverayn Lord hath wonne the feld,[267.2] and uppon the Munday[267.3] next after Palmesunday, he was resseved in to York with gret solempnyte and processyons. And the Mair and Comons of the said cite mad ther menys to have grace be Lord Montagu[267.4] and Lord Barenars,[267.5] whiche be for the Kyngs coming in to the said cite desyred hym of grace for the said cite, whiche graunted hem grace. On the Kyngs parte is slayn Lord Fitz Water, and Lord Scrop sore hurt; John Stafford, Horne of Kent ben ded; and Umfrey Stafford, William Hastyngs mad knyghts with other; Blont is knygth, &c.

Un the contrary part is ded Lord Clyfford, Lord Nevyle, Lord Welles, Lord Wyllouby, Antony Lord Scales, Lord Harry, and be supposyng the Erle of Northumberland, Andrew Trollop, with many other gentyll and comons to the nomber of xx.ml. [20,000].

Item, Kyng Harry, the Qwen, the Prince, Duke of Somerset, Duke of Exeter, Lord Roos, be fledde in to Scotteland, and they be chased and folwed, &c. We send no er [no sooner] un to you be cause we had non certynges tyl now; for un to this day London was as sory cite as myght. And because Spordauns had no certeyn tydyngs, we thought ye schuld take them a worthe tyl more certayn.