Mi Maister Paston, I recomaunde me to you. And wher ye shulde be enformed that I shulde sey to Howard[38.2] that ye labored to be Knyght of the shire, I seid never soo to hym. I tolde my Lord of Norffolk atte London that I labored diverse men for Sir Roger Chaumberleyn, and they seid to me they wolde have hym, but not Howard, in asmeche as he hadde no lyvelode in the shire, nor conversement [i.e. acquaintance?]; and I asked them hom they wolde have, and they seid they wolde have you, and thus I tolde hym. And he seid on avysely, as he kan doo full well, I myght not sey ye labored ther, for I herde never sey ye labored therfor, be the feithe I vowe to God.
As for this writ of the Parlement of Norwich, I thanke you that ye will labour ther in; as for my frendys ther, I truste right well all the aldermen, except Broun[38.3] and sech as be in his dawnger.[38.4] I prey you spekith to Walter Jeffrey[38.5] and Herry Wilton,[38.6] and maketh them to labour to your entent. I prey you that yf ye thenke that it wull not be, that it like you that to sey that ye meve it of your self, and not be my desire. Sum men holde it right straunge to be in this Parlement, and me thenketh they be wyse men that soo doo.
Wreten atte Intewode,[39.1] on Sceint John day, in hast. Your servaunt, John Jenney.
[38.1] [From Fenn, iii. 240.] The parliamentary election to which this letter refers is evidently the same as in [Nos. 288] and [291]. The election of Howard and Chamberlain actually took place on the 23rd June, the day before this letter was written, as I find by the original returns in the Record Office.
[38.2] John Howard, the Duke of Norfolk’s cousin. He was afterwards created Duke of Norfolk himself by Richard III., in whose cause he fell fighting at the battle of Bosworth.
[38.3] Richard Brown was Mayor of Norwich in 1454, and member for that city in 1460.—F.
[38.4] This means in his debt, and therefore under his influence.—F.
[38.5] Walter Jeffrey was Under-Sheriff of Norwich in 1451, 1452, and 1459.—F.
[38.6] Henry Wilton was returned with John Jenney in 1477.—F.
[39.1] This estate came to Jenney by his marriage with Elizabeth, daughter of Thomas Wetherby, a rich alderman of Norwich, who, after having twice served as Mayor, quarrelled with the city about the election of his successor in that office in 1433, and instigated various prosecutions against them. He died in 1445.