Item, Sir Robert Coniors dinid with me this day, and shuyd me a letter that came frome the Kyng to hym, desyryng hym that he shuld a wayt upon hys welle be lovyd broder the Duke of Suffolk, at Norwiche, on Monday next comyng, for to be at the alection of knyghts of the chyer [shire]; and he told me that every jentylman of Norffolk and Suffolk that arne of any repetacion hathe writyng from the Kyng in lyke wyse as he had. I felle hym be his seyyng that he ys right welle disposyd to you ward; he seythe ther shall no man make hym to be a geyns you in no mater. Skypwith shall telle you suche tydyngs as bethe in this contre, and of Thomas Gornay and of his man; hym self is clerk convicte, and hys man is hangyn; ye shall here her after what they and oder wer purposyd to a do to her master.
I thank you hertely of your writyng to me be for that John Paston came home, for God knowith I thowght right longe tyle I hard frome you; I shalle send word in writyng of suche tydings as we have her on Monday in hast. Daubeney deseyryht to wet what tyme that it please you that he shuld come ageyn to you.
My moder and many other folkys makyth moche of your son John, the elder, and right glad of hys comyng hom, and lekyth reght welle hys demenyng. Heydon[67.1] son hathe bor owght the syyd stowtly her this Critstemes, and whan that he rydyth, he hathe iiij. or v. men with hym in a clothyng; but he hathe but lytyl fafor in this contre but yf [unless] it be of the Bischop[67.2] and of the Prior of Norwic.[67.3] The seyd prior hathe grauntyd hym the stewerdchep that hys feder had . . . . . . . he hathe it under the Covent Seals, and Spylman,[67.4] his tutor, to lerne hym howe he shuld be demenyd . . . . . . . it is seyd abowght Bakynstorp that Herry Heydon shuld a seyd that it wer welle do that men of the . . . . . . shuld make redy her [their] bald batts[67.5] and her clot shon[67.6] and go feche hom her knygts of chyer [shire] . . . . . . . . Barney; and it is promysyd hym that he shall be met with be cause of hys langage . . . . . . . . . us a good world and a pesybyll. I shall purvey for all thyngs that ye have sent to me for, so that I ween ye shal be pleasyd. The blyssyd Trinite have you in Hys kepyng. Wretyn in hast, the Wednysday next . . . . Seynt Agnet. Your, M. P.
[65.3] [From Fenn, iv. 150.] This letter refers to a coming election of knights of the shire, which seems to be for the Parliament which met on the 29th April 1463. No other general election of Edward IV.’s time will suit the date, and it is quite certain that it was written during Edward’s reign.
[65.4] 9th January.
[66.1] Elizabeth, widow of Robert Clere of Ormesby.
[67.1] This must be Henry, son of John Heydon, Esq., Recorder of Norwich.—F.
[67.2] Walter Lyhert, Bishop from 1445 to 1472.—F.
[67.3] John Molet or Mowth, Prior from 1453 to 1471.—F.
[67.4] Henry Spilman, afterwards Recorder of Norwich; he was the founder of the Spilmans of Narborough, by marrying Ela, daughter and heir of William de Narborough.—F.