1467
APRIL
My hand was hurte at the torney at Eltham upon Wednesday last. I would that you had been there and seen it, for it was the goodliest sight that was sene in Inglande this forty yeares of so fewe men. There was upon the one side, within, the Kinge, my Lord Scalles, myselfe, and Sellenger; and without, my Lord Chamberlyn, Sir John Woodvyle, Sir Thomas Mountgomery, and John Aparre, &c. By your brother, John Paston, Mil.
[275.1] This extract from a letter of Sir John Paston to his brother is quoted in Sandford’s MS. Genealogy of the Paston family, and is here reprinted from Mr. Worship’s article on that genealogy in the Norfolk Archæology. The original letter I have not been able to find. The tournament here referred to probably took place shortly after Easter. The next letter is evidently written in reply to this.
[666]
JOHN PASTON TO SIR JOHN PASTON[275.2]
1467
Syr, plesyth yow to weet that my modyr and I comonyd this day with Freyr Mowght to undyrstand what hys seying shall be in the coort when he cometh up to London, wheche is in this wyse:— He seyth at syche tyme as he had shrevyn Master Brakley, and howsyllyd hym bothe, he let hym wet that he was enformyd by dyvers personys that the seyd Master Brakley owt for to be in gret consyens for syche thyngys as he had doone and seyd, and causyd my fadyr, whom God asoyle, for to do and seye also, in proving of Sir John Fastolfys wyll. To whom the seyd Mastyr Brakley answerd thus agayne: ‘I am ryght glad that it comyth to yow in mynd for to meve me with thys mater in dyschargyng of my consyens ayenst God,’ seying ferther mor to the seyd Freyr Mowght, be the wey that hys sowle shold to, that the wyll that my fadyr put into the coort was as veryly Syr John Fastolfys wyll as it was trew that he shold onys deye. This was seyd on the Sonday when the seyd Brakley wend to have deyid then. On the Monday he revyvyd a yen, and was well amendyd tyll on the Wednysday, and on the Wednysday he sekyned a yen, supposyng to have dyeyd forthe with. And in hys syknes he callyd Freyr Mowght, whyche was confessor on to hym, of hys owne mosyon, seyng on to hym in thys wyse:— ‘Syr, wher as of your owne mosyon ye mevyd me the last day to tell you aftyr my consyens of Sir John Fastolfys wyll lyek wyse as I knew, and now of myn owne mocyon, and in dischargyng of my sowle, for I know well that I may not askape, but that I must dye in hast, wharfor I desyr you that wyll report after my dethe, that I took it upon my sowle at my dying that that wyll that John Paston put in to be provyd was Syr John Fastolfys wyll.’ And the seyd Brakley dyid the same Wednesdaye.
And wher as ye wold have had Rychard Calle to yow as on Sonday last past, it was thys Twyisday or I had your lettyr; and wher as it plesyth yow for to wyshe me at Eltam, at the tornay, for the good syth that was ther, by trowththe I had lever se yow onys in Caster Hall then to se as many Kyngs tornay as myght be betwyx Eltam and London.
And, syr, whar as it lyekyth yow to desyir to have knowlage how that I have don with the Lady Boleyn,[276.1] by my feythe I have don nor spokyn nowght in that mater, nor not wyll do tyll tyme that ye com hom, and ye com not thys vij. yer. Not withstandyng, the Lady Boleyn was in Norwyche in the week aftyr Estern, fro the Saterday tyll the Wednysday, and Heydons wyfe[276.2] and Mastras Alys[276.3] bothe, and I was at Caster, and wyst not of it. Hyr men seyd that she had non othyr erend to the towne but for to sport hyr; bot so God help me, I suppose that she wend I wold have ben in Norwyche for to have sen hyr dowghter. I beseche yow with all my hart hye yow hom, thow ye shold tery but a day; for I promyse yow your folk thynk that ye have forgetyn hem, and the most part of them must depart at Whytsontyd at the ferthest, they wyll no lenger abyd. And as for R. Calle, we can not get half a quarter the mony that we pay for the bare housold, besyd menys wagys. Daube nor I may no mor with owt coynage. Your, J. Paston.
[275.2] [From Fenn, iv. 330.] This letter appears by the contents to have been written more than a week after Easter. The year must be 1467, as the dispute with Yelverton touching Sir John Fastolf’s will seems to have come to an end before the January following (see [No. 680]). In 1467 Easter Day fell on 29th March.
[276.1] See [Note 2, p. 270].