[280.2] Sir John Howard.
[280.3] Sir Thomas Montgomery.
[280.4] Childermas, or Holy Innocents’ Day, the 28th of December, fell on Sunday in the year 1460. The day of the week on which it fell used to be considered ominous or unlucky during the whole ensuing year. This superstition seems to have continued as late as the beginning of the eighteenth century, and is alluded to by Addison in the seventh number of the Spectator. It is not true, however, that Edward’s coronation was put off till Monday. It took place on the Sunday which had been originally appointed for it, but the processions and pageantry were deferred till next day. The following is the account of the matter given in a contemporary chronicle in the Cottonian MS., Vitellius, A. xvi:—
‘And upon the morn, Sunday, which was St. Peter’s Even, and the 28th day of June, he was crowned at Westminster with great solemnity of bishops and other temporal lords. And upon the morn after, the King went crowned again in Westminster Abbey, in the worship of God and St. Peter. And upon the next morn he went also crowned in St. Paul’s in the worship of God and St. Paul; and there the angel came down and censed him. At which time was as great a multitude of people in Paul’s as ever was seen afore in any days.’
[461]
CLEMENT PASTON TO JOHN PASTON[281.1]
To my rythe worchypfull broder, John Paston, be thys delyveryd in hast.
1461
JUNE 26
Broder, I recomawnde me to zow, desyeryng to here of yowre welfare, the qwyche I pray God mayntene. Plesse yow to wette that I have sent my moder a letter for mony for my swster;[281.2] and if ze wyll agre that I may have xxtili. [£20], I xall zeve zow acowmpts ther of, and ze xall be payyd azen of the obligacyon that my moder hathe, or ellys I xall take a swerte of my suster. I wysse obligacion mwste nedes be swyd, and a doseyn accions more in her name, and sche doo well thys terme; and it wyll be doo with in fowertenyut. The Cowntas of Northumberlond[281.3] and Robarde Fenus[281.4] ocupie all her lond, and that is a gret myscheffe. I prey zow spe[ke] to my moder her of, and lat me have a awnswer within this sevenyut. Also, broder, Wyndham is come to town, and he seyd to me he wyll goo gett hym a mayster, and me thowte by hym he wold be in the Kynges servise, and he saythe that he wyll have Felbryg azen or Myhelmes, or ther shal be v.c. [500] heds broke ther fore. Brodere, I pray zow delyver the mony that I xwld have in to swm prior of swm abbey to swm mayster of swm colage to be delyveryd qwan I can espy ony londe to be porchasyd. I pray zow send me word wyder ze wyll doo thus or no. No more, but owre Lord have zow in Hys kepyng. Wrytyn on Fryday nexst after Seynt John is day. By zour broder, Clement Paston.
[281.1] [From Paston MSS., B.M.] Elizabeth Paston, who, as we have seen ([No. 374]), had been married to Robert Poynings by the beginning of the year 1459, became his widow in 1461, her husband having been killed in the second battle of St. Albans on the 17th February. It would appear by this letter that she was immediately after dispossessed of her husband’s lands by Eleanor, Countess of Northumberland, who was Baroness Poynings in her own right.
[281.2] Elizabeth Paston, now widow of Robert Poynings.