[110.1] [From MS. Phillipps, 9735, No. 259.]
[351]
SIR JOHN FASTOLF TO JOHN PASTON[111.1]
To the worshipful and my right welbeloved cosyn, John Paston, at the Temple, or to William Barker, at Suthwerk, be this delvered.
1456
NOV. 18
Worshipful cosyn, I comaunde me to yow. And where as I late wrote unto yow in a lettre by Henre Hansson for the fundacion of my college, I am soore sette therupon; and that is the cause I write now, to remembre yow agayn to meve my Lords of Canterbury[111.2] and Wynchestre[111.3] for the licence to be opteined, that I might have the morteisying withowte ony grete fyne, in recompence of my longe servise contynued and doon un to the Kyng, and to his noble fader, whom God assoile, and nevere yette guerdoonned or rewarded.
And now sithe I have ordeyned to make the Kyng founder, and evere to be prayed fore, and for his right noble progenitors, hise fader, and uncles, me thinketh I shuld not be denyed of my desire, but the rather to be remembrid and spedde.
Wherfore, as I wrote un to yow, I pray yow acqueynte me and yow, for the rather spede here of, with a chapelleyn of my Lord of Caunterbury, that in your absence may remembre me, and in like wise with my Lord Chaunceller;[112.1] for seyng the Kyngs disposicion, and also hise, un to the edyfyeng of God is service, it myght in noo bettyr tyme be mevid, &c.
My Lord of Norffolk is remevid from Framlyngham on foote to goo to Walsyngham,[112.2] and deily I wayte that he wolde come hidre. Your cosyn, J. Fastolf.
[111.1] [From Fenn, i. 164.] This letter, as printed by Fenn, bears no date in itself, but in the editorial note at the foot it is dated: ‘Caister, 18th of November.’ Probably this date is expressed in the original, but has been accidentally omitted in the printing. If so, the year in which it was written must be either 1456 or 1457, and most probably the former. In 1455 the Archbishop of Canterbury and my Lord Chancellor were one and the same person, which they evidently are not here; and in 1458 it appears by the Castlecombe MSS. that Sir John Fastolf was in London on the 26th November, so that he is not likely to have been expecting a visit from the Duke of Norfolk at Caister eight days before. On the other hand, if this was written in the year 1456, it must be remembered that Archbishop Bourchier had been just recently discharged of the office of Lord Chancellor, which was given to Bishop Waynfleet on the 11th October, and it is highly probable that the Archbishop had been already spoken to on the subject in his capacity of Chancellor.
[111.2] Thomas Bourchier, Archbishop.