After my most special recommendacion, lyke your maisterchip wete that the mater for you and my maistrez, your moder, ayens Powtrell and Tanfeld hath ben called uppon as dylygently and as hastely this terme as it mygth be; and al way dayes yeven hem by the Court to answer, and than thei toke smale excepcions, and trifeled forth the Court, and al wey excused them by cause the bylle is long, and his councell had no leysur to se it. And they prayed heryng of the testament of my maister your fader,[270.2] and therof made a nother mater, and argued it to putte hem fro it, be cause they had emparled to us by fore; and than Hyllyngworth to dryve it over this terme, allegged varians be twyx the bille and the testament that John Damme was named in the testament John Dawme, in whiche cas now the Court must have sigth of the said testament. Where fore ye must send it up the begynnyng of the next terme, or elles we schall have no sped in the mater. And therfor, Maistres, if my maister be not cum hom, and ye have not the sayd testament in your kepyng, that than it plese you to speke un to my maistres, your moder in lawe,[270.3] for the seyd testament, that I mygth redely have it here, and that it be sealed in a box, and sent to me, and I schall kepe it safe, with Godds grace.
And as for tytyngs, in good feyth we have non, seve the Erle of Wylchir[271.1] is hed is sette on London Brigge.
Mayster William is reden hom to my Maistrs Ponyngs; and as for Maister Ponyngs hymself, sche letteth as thow sche wyst not where he were. A gentylman that kam fro York told me my maister was heyl and mery, and rode to mete the Kyng comyng fro Mydlam Castell.
Berwyk[271.2] is full of Scottys, and we loke be lyklyhod after anoyther batayll now be twyx Skotts and us.
And I pray Jesu have you in His blyssed kepyng. Your, Thomas Playter.
[270.1] [From Fenn, iv. 2.] The reference to the Earl of Wiltshire’s head having been set on London Bridge shows this letter to have been written not very long after the battle of Towton. The exact date is probably about the beginning of May, as it appears, by the Privy Seal dates in the Record Office, that Edward IV. was at Middleham on the 6th of that month on his way southwards, having gone on to Durham and Newcastle after the victory.
[270.2] William Paston, the Judge, who died in 1444.
[270.3] Agnes Paston, the widow of the Judge.
[271.1] James Butler, Earl of Wiltshire and Ormond.
[271.2] Henry VI. and his Queen after the battle escaped to Berwick, and from thence retired to Edinburgh.—F.