To my right honourabyl and worshypfull maister, my Maister John Paston.
1462
Plese your worshypfull maistership to wette, here is a ship of Hith, wyche seith that John Cole cam from the west cost on Wednysday last past; and he seyth that the fleet of shippis of this londe met with lx. seile of Spanyards, Brettenys, and Frenshemen, and there tok of hem l. [50], wherof xij. shyppys were as gret as the Grace de Dewe; and there is slayn on thys partyes the Lords Clynton[57.2] and Dakyr,[57.3] and many jentilmen juve (?)[57.4] and othyr, the nombre of iiij.ml. [4000]; and the seid Spanyards were purposyd with marchaundise in to Flaundres. My Lord of Warwyks shyp, the Mary Grace and the Trenyte, hadde the grettest hurt, for they wer formost. God send grace, thys be trew. On Thursday last past at London was no tydings in serteyn where the flet was, nor what they had doon, and therfore I fere the tydings the more.
Item, sir, as for tydings at London, ther were arystyd be the tresorer xl. seyles lyeng in Temse, wherof many smale shyppis; and it is seyd it is to carye men to Caleyse in all haste, for feer of the Kyng of Fraunce for a sege. And it was told me secretly there were CC. in Caleyse sworn contrary to the Kyngs well, and for defaute of there wages; and that Qwen Marget was redy at Boleyn with myche sylver to paye the soudyers, in cas they wold geve here entresse. Many men be gretly aferd of thys mater, and so the tresorer hath mych to do for thys cause.
Item, sir, as for tydings out of Ireland, ther wer many men at London at the feyre of the contres next them of Ireland, and they sey thys iij. wyks came there neythyr shyp nor boot out of Irelond to bryng no tydings; and so it semyth there is myche to doo there be the Erle of Pembrook.[58.1] And it is seyd that the Kyng shuld be at London as on Satyrday or Sonday last past, and men deme that he wold to Caleyse hym selfe; for the soudyors are so wyld there, that they wyll not lette in ony man but the Kynge or my Lord Warwyk.
Othyr tydings the were come to London, but they were not publyshyd; but John Wellys shal abyde a day the lenger to know what they are.
No mere un to you, my right honourable maister, at thys tyme, but Jesu send yow youre herts desyre, and amende hem that wold the contrary. Your bedman and conty[n]wal servaunt, John Russe.
[57.1] [From Fenn, i. 262.] This letter was evidently written not very long after [No. 529]. The fleet mentioned here and in that letter is that referred to in the preliminary note to [No. 518], [p. 41, Note 1].
[57.2] John, Lord Clinton. The rumour was false, as he was summoned to Parliament in 1463. Nicolas supposes he died about 1465.
[57.3] Richard Fynes, Lord Dacre of the South, who was Lord Clinton’s father-in-law. He did not really die till 1484.