Please it yow to have yn knowlege that y veele well my maister takyth gretely to hert the materes whych he hath wryt to you uppon the execucion of my Lord of Bedford ys godes, and in especiall for the recuveryng of hem, as well as of Sir Andreu O.[51.2] executors as of Sir Robert Whytyngham, &c. to th’entent that it myght be opynly knowe yn hys lyve tyme that they be not yn his gouvernaunce no part of it, and that hys factors after hym shuld not be troubled ne charged for it. And seth the seyd mater ys of so grete wyght and charge, and that he takyth it so gretely to hert, puttyng hys grettist trust yn yow, to remembre thys seyd mater by avyse of hys councell lerned, both spirituell as temporell, that ye wolle not delay it, but wyth all your entencion remembred there, as ye by your wysdoms shall thynk it moste expedient, that som fruyt may grow of it.
There ys ynowgh whereoff, and it myght be recuvered, John Bokkyng, ye know ryght moch yn thys mater, and mooste of my maister ys entent hereynne. And therfor, for myne acquytaille, y wryte to you to shew the chieff wrytynges of the copy of endentures of Sir Robert Whytyngham, and of othyr wrytynges concernyng that to Maister Paston, that he may be more rypelyer grounded yn the seyd mater when he shall comyn wyth my Lordz of Caunterburye, Cromewell, and with onye of my maister councell. And our Lord kepe you.
My maister carpyth so oft on it dayly, and that meovyth me to wryte to yow both. Att Castre, xiij. day of November. Your, W. Wor-H.R.-cestre.
[51.1] [From Paston MSS., B.M.] On the 11th November 1454 Sir John Fastolf wrote to Paston about the goods of the Duke of Bedford, but the subject recurred to his thoughts for more than a year afterwards, and particularly in January 1456, when all the other executors of the Duke were dead. This letter is certainly before the death of Lord Cromwell, and therefore not later than 1455; but it seems to indicate much greater solicitude on the subject than Fastolf showed in the preceding year.
[51.2] Sir Andrew Ogard, who died on the 13th October 1454.—Inq. post mortem, 33 Hen. VI., No. 25.
[306]
MARGARET PASTON TO JOHN PASTON[52.1]
To my right wurshipfull husbonde, John Paston, be this delivered, in hast.
1455
NOV. 25
Right wurshipfull husbonde, I recomaunde me unto you. Plesith you to witte that myn aunt Mondeforthe[52.2] hath desiryd me to write to you, besechyng you that ye wol wochesafe to chevesshe for her at London xxti marke for to be payed to Mastre Ponyngs, outher on Saterday or Sonday, weche schalbe Seint Andrwes Daye, in discharchyng of them that be bounden to Mastre Ponyngs of the s[ei]de xxti marke for the wardeship of her doughter, the weche xxti marke she hath delyvered to me in golde for you to have at your comyn home, for she dare not aventure her money to be brought up to London for feere of robbyng; for it is seide heere that there goothe many thefys be twyx this and London, weche causeth her to beseche you to content the seide money in dischargyng of the matre, and of them that be bounden, for she wolde for no goude that the day were broken. And she thankyth you hertely for the greet labour and besynesse that ye have had in that matre, and in all others touchyng her and hers, wherfore she seithe she is ever bounden to be your bed-woman, and ever wolle be whyle she levethe.
My cosyn, her sone, and hese wife recomaundethe them unto you, besechyng you that ye woll weche safe to be her goode mastre, as ye have ben a fore tyme; for they be enformed that Danyell is comen to Rysyng Castell, and hes men make her bost that her mastre shal be a yene at Brayston withinne shorte tyme.