Sir, yesterevyn a man came from London, and he seyth, the Kyng cam to London on Satyrday, and there dede make a proclamacion that all men that were be twyx lx. and xvj. shuld be redy to wayte upon hym whan so ever they were callyd; and it is seyd, that my Lord Warwyk had sent to the Kyng, and informyd hyse Hyghnesse that the Lord Summyrset had wretyn to hym to come to grace; but of the fleet of shyppis there is no tydings in serteyn at London on Monday last past. Youre bedman and servaunt, John Russe.
[51.2] [From Fenn, i. 260.] This letter must have been written in the year 1462 before the Duke of Somerset was received into favour. Proclamations similar to those mentioned in this letter were issued on the 6th March 1461 and the 11th May 1464; but neither of these can be the case referred to. The coming of the King to London must have been in the beginning of September 1462. He was in London on the 14th of that month, and had been at Fotheringay on the 1st, as the dates of Privy Seals inform us.
[51.3] St. Olave’s, in Suffolk.
[52.1] William Worcester.
[52.2] p’.—So in Fenn’s left-hand copy. The word seems to have been ambiguous in the original MS., and is rendered ‘by’ (in italics) in the modern version.
[530]
JOHN PASTON TO THE LORD CHANCELLOR[53.1]
1462(?)
Shewyth and lowly compleynith on to your good Lordship John Paston, the older, Squier, that where Sir John Fastolf, Knyght, cosyn to your seid besecher, was seasid of diveris maners, londs, and tenements in Norfolk, Suffolk, and Norwich, the xxvij. yere of Kyng Herre that was, and therof infeffid diveris persones to execute and performe his will, and mad his will in especiall that a college of vij. monks shuld be stabilisshed, founded, and indewed withinne a plase late be the seid Sir John edified at Caster be the see in Norfolk, and certeyn livelode to be immortesid[53.2] therto, to prey for his sowle, his faders and moders, in forme and maner as in his will mad at that tyme more pleynly specifyth; whech will and feffment continued till the xxxv. yere of the seid late Kyng. And aftir, upon divers communicacions had be divers personis with the seid Sir John Fastolff, and upon divers consideracions mevid to hym, the seid Sir John Fastolff conceyvid that such be monkys hym there to be indewed shuld not be of power to susteyne and kepe the seid plase edified, or the lond that shuld be immortesid ther to, acordyng to his seid entent and will; wherfore, and for good will that the seid Sir John Fastolff had to the proferryng of your seid besecher mevyd hym to have the seid plase and certeyn of his livelode of gretter valew than the charge of the seid college schuld drawe, and to found the seid college and to bere the reparacion and defens therof. Upon whech mocion the seid Sir John Fastolff and your seid besecher apoynted be word withowt writyng at that tyme mad that your seid besecher shuld, aftir the decese of the seid Sir John Fastolff, have the seid plase in Caster, and all the maners that were the seid Sir John Fastolffs or any other to his use in Norfolk, Suffolk, and Norwich, up trust that the same John Paston shuld founde there a college of vij. monkes or prestes havyng a certeyn pension for her sustentacion payid clerly in mony withowt any charge, cost, reparacion, or joperde of defens of the seid plase or of any other livelode to be bore be the seyd collegians, and more over to paye a certeyn somme of mony of the revenews of the seid maners, londes and tenementes to be disposid yerly be certeyn yeres for the sowle of the seid Sir John Fastolff till the summe of v.ml. [5000] mark were so disposed. Upon wech apoyntement it was acordyd be thwyx the seid Sir John and your seid besecher, for as moch as your seid besecher had non astate in the seid maners and londes and tenementes, that for his more suerte, and upon trust that the seid Sir John had to your seid besecher in this behalfe that a newe feffement shuld be mad of the seid plase and of the maner of Caster, and all the seid maners, londs and tenements to your seid besecher, and divers other personys to the use of the seid Sir[54.1] John, terme of his lif, and aftir his decese to the use of your seid besecher. And moreover, for as moch as your seid besecher was in dowte whedir God wold send hym tyme of life to execute the seid apoyntement, intendyng that th’effect of the old purpose of the seid Sir John Fastolff schuld not be all voyded, thow it so fortuned your seid besecher cowd not performe the seid apoyntement, mevid the seid Sir John Fastolff that, not withstandyng the seid apoyntement, that he aftir the seid feffement mad shuld make his will for the seid college, to be mad in all maner wise as thow the seid Sir John Fastolff and your seid besecher shuld not make[54.2] the seid apoyntement; and that aftir that, the seid apoyntement to be ingrosid and made so that the seid college shuld hold be the same apoyntement of your seid besecher, and ellis this seid will of the seid Sir John Fastolff to stand in effect for executyng of his seid purpose. And sone aftir this comunicacion and apoyntement the seid feffement was mad acordynge, and season deliverid to your seid besecher at the seid plase edified in Caster, as well as at the seid maners, londs, and tenements, the seid Sir John Fastolff beyng present at delivery of season mad to your seid besecher of the seid plase and maner of Caster, where the seid Sir John, more largely expressyng the seid will and entent, deliverid your seid besecher possession with his owne hands, declaryng to notabill personys there the same feffement to be made to the use of the seid Sir John as for terme of his lif only, and aftir his decese to the use of your seid besecher and his heyrs; and divers tymes in divers yeres aftir declared his entent in like wise to divers personys. And aftir, be gret deliberacion and oft communicacion of the seid mater, the seid Sir John Fastolff and your seid besecher comenauntyd[55.1] and apoynted be writyng thoroughly for the seid mater so that your seid besecher shuld have the seid plase and all the seid maners, londs, and tenements in Norfolk, Suffolk, and Norwich, to hym and to his heyrs; and that he shuld found a college of vij. monkes or prestes withinne the seid plase perpetually as is before seid, and to pay iiij.ml. [4000] mark to be disposed in certeyn yers for the sowle of the seid Sir John Fastolff; the whech apoyntement declarid and red before the seid Sir John Fastolff, be good deliberacion was be the seid Sir John fully concludid, agreyd and stabilisshid for his last will in that behalve.
And also the seid comenauntes and apoyntementes eftsonis callid to remembraunce be the seid Sir John Fastolff, the same Sir John, for certeyn consideracions movyng hym, be his word, withowt writyng, dischargid your seid besecher of the seid somme of iiij.ml. mark, desiryng hym so to ordeyne that ich of the seid monkes or prestes shull yerly have as the prestes of the chauntry of Heylesdon had, and that vij. pore men shull also be founde yerly in the seid plase inperpetuite to pray for the sowles above sayd.
[And aftir, that is to sey the Satirday, Sonday, and Monday next before the decese of the seid Sir John, the same Sir John, remembryng divers maters and intents in his mynd necessary for the wele of his sowle, wheche were not expressid in the seid will and apoyntement, nowther in his testament, and that he wold have one will mad and wrete conteynyng the seid apoyntements, as well as the seid other maters not declarid in his intent and will acordyng, comaundid to have it so ingrosid and wrete.][56.1] And where your seid besecher hath don his part acordyng to the will and apoyntements of the seid Sir John, as well in fyndyng of the seid prestes and pore men as in all other thyngs that to hym belongyth to do in that behalfe; and, this not with standyng, William Yelverton, Knyght, and William Jenney, whech be infeffid joyntly with your seid besecher in divers of the seid maners, londs and tenements, have[56.2] mad a sympill entre in all the seid maners in Suffolk, and chargid the baylifs, fermors, and tenaunts of all the seid maners to pay hem the profitez and revenews of the same maners, londs, and tenements; and thus, contrary to th’entent of the seid feffement, and contrary to the will of the seid Sir John Fastolff, thei trobill and lette your seid besecher to take the profitez of the seid maners, londs, and tenements; of whech your seid besecher hath no remedy at the comen lawe. Wherfore please your good and gracious Lordship to direct severall writts of subpena to the seid William and William, chargyng hem severally upon a peyne convenient to appere before your Lordship in the Chauncery at a certeyn day be your Lordship to be limityd, to answer to these premisses, and to do as right and consiens requirith. And your seid besecher shall pray God for yow.