1461
After my most special recommendacion, please your maisterchip wete, the Kyng, be cause of the sege a boute Carelylle, chaunged his day of Coronacion to be upon the Sunday[276.2] nexst after Seynt John Baptyste, so the’ntent to spede hym northward in all hast; and how be it, blyssed be God, that he hath now good tydynggs, that Lord Mountagu hath broken the sege, and slayn of Scotts vj.ml. [6000] and ij. knyghes, whereof Lord Cliffords brother is one, yet not wythstandyng he wol be crowned the sayd Sunday. And John Jeney enformed me, and as I have verely lerned sethen, ye ar inbylled to be made knygth at this Coronacion.[276.3] Wheder ye have understandyng before hand, I wot not; but and it lyke you to take the worchip uppon you, consyderyng the comfortable tytynggs afore seyd, and for the gladnesse and plesour of al your welwyllers, and to the pyne and dyscomfort of all your ille wyllers, it were tyme your gere necessarye on that by halfe were purveyd fore, and also ye had nede higth you to London, for as I conceyve the knygthes schuld be made uppon the Saterday by for the Coronacion; and as moche as may be purveyed for you in secrete wyse wythouten cost I schall by speke for you, if nede be, ayens your comyng, in trust of the best; neverthelesse, if ye be dysposed, ye had nede send a man by fore in all hast, that no thing be to seke. William Calthorp is inbylled, and Yelvertoun is inbylled, whiche caused Markham; because Yelverton loked to have ben chef juge, and Markham thynketh to plese hym thus. And as for the mater ayens Poutrell, we can no farther procede, tyl we have my maister your faders testament. I sent my maistres a letter for it. No more, but I pray Al myghty Jesu have you in His kepyng. Your, Thomas Playter.
[276.1] [From Fenn, i. 230.] It is evident from the contents that this letter was written some time before the coronation of Edward IV.
[276.2] 28th June.
[276.3] John Paston was not made knight at the coronation of Edward IV., but his eldest son was made knight, probably as a substitute for himself, within two years after.
[458]
RICHARD CALLE TO JOHN PASTON[277.1]
To my right reverent worschipfull master, my Master John Paston.
1461
JUNE 5
Right reverent and worschipfull master, I lowly recomande me unto your good masterschip. Plesith you to witte that I have ben at Framelyngham, and spake Ric Sothwell to hafe hes advice in this mater; wherin he wolde geve me but litell councell, and seide ze were straungely disposed, for ye trusted no man, and had moche langage, weche the berer herof schal enforme your masterschip.
And as for the letters, they were delivered my Lorde[277.2] at the Logge, but I cowde not speke with hese Lordeschip. And suche tyme as they were delyvered Fitz William whas there, weche is now keper of Castre; and what tyme as my Lorde had sene the lettres, he comaunded hym to avoide, and so he did. And thanne my Lorde sent for Sothwell. And in the meene tyme my Lorde sent a man to me, and axed me where ye were, and I tolde hem ye were with the Kyng; and so he sent me worde that an answere schulde be made be Sothwel to the King, seyng that ii. or iij. eyers [heirs] had ben with my Lorde, and shewed her [i.e. their] evidence, and delyvered it to my Lorde, seyng they have had gret wrong, besechyng my Lorde that it myght be reformed. Wherfor he comaunded me that I shulde go hom, for other answer cowde I non have. So I aboude uppon Sothwel to a’ know my Lordes answer to the Kyng; weche answere Sothwel tolde me was, that he writeth to the Kyng that certeine points in your lettres be untrew, and that he schal prove suche tyme as he cometh befor the Kyng, besechyng the Kyng to take it to no displesur; for he is advised to kepe it still unto the tyme that he hath spaken with his Highnesse, for he trusteth to God to schewe suche evidence to the Kyng and to the Lords, that he schulde have best right and titill therto; and so he sent a man forthe to the Kyng this day. It were right wele don ye awayted upon hes man comyng, that ye myght knowe the redy entent of my Lordes writyng.