Testimony of Sir Roger Chamberlain, witnessed by Reginald Tylneye, prior of Ixworth, and Sir John Rose Paston, to have Caister and all his other livelode in Norfolk and Suffolk in order to endow a college of seven priests and seven poor men. My Lord said, many thought Sir John would make Paston his heir; to which he replied that there was no man living that he would like better to be his heir, and begged my Lord to be his good lord if it so fortuned, which the Duke promised to do. Has heard the Duke since often acknowledge that Sir John had declared plainly he would make Paston his heir. Not having his own seal present, has sealed this with that of the prior of Ixworth, and requested him to put his seal to it besides. Ixworth, 6 April 1463.
[73.2] [From MS. Phillipps, 9735, No. 280.]
[544]
MARGARET PASTON TO JOHN PASTON[74.1]
To my rytz wurchepfull mayster, Jon Paston, in hast.
1463
MAY 6
Ryt wurschipfull hosbond, I recommand me to zou, desyring hertyly to her of zour wellfar, praying zou to wete, that I [have] spoken with Strawngs wyf of the matter that ze spoken to me of; and sche seyth pleynly to me, be her feyth, that sche knew never non seche ne never herd of non scheche, and told to me in lyk wyse as sche had seyd to Jamys Gloys. And sche seyd to me if sche kowd inquier of any other that sche thinght xuld have knowleche of any seche, sche xuld wetyn of hem, and letyn me have knowleche therof; and if ze soppose that any other be in this contre that ye thync xuld have knowleche of this forseyd mater, yf ye wyll send me word ther of, I xall do my part ther in.
Also I have ben att Sweyngsthorp and spoken with Kokett, and he seyth that he woll don lyche as ye bad me that I xuld sey to hym for to don. And I have spokyn with the sexteyn, and seyd to hym as ye bad me that I xuld don, and he axid me ryt feythfully hw ye sped in zour materys.
I teld hym that ze haddyn fayr be hests, and I seyd I hopyd that ze xuld don rytz well therin; and he seyd that he supposyd that D.[75.1] wold don for zou; but he seyd he was no hasty laborer in non mater. He seyd be hys feyth he wost qher a man was that laboryd to hym for amater ryth along tym, and alwey he be hestyd that he wold labor itt effectualy, but qhyll he sewyd to hym that he kowd never have remedy of his mater; and than qhan he thowth that he xuld no remedy have to sew to hym, he spak with Fynys,[75.2] that is now Speker of the Parlment, and prayid hym that he wold don for hym in hys mater, and zaf hym areward; and withinne ryth short tym after his mater was sped. And the seyd sexteyn[75.3] and other folkys that ben yowr ryth wele willers have kownselyd me that I xuld kownsell zou to maken other menys than ye have made to other folks, that wold spede your materys better than they have don thatt ye have spoken to therof be for this tym. Sondery folks have seyd to me that they thynk veryly, but if [unless] ye have my Lord of Suffolks[75.4] godelorchyp, qhyll the werd [world] is as itt is, ye kan never leven in pese with owth ye have his godelordschep; therfor I pray that with all myn herth, that ye wyll don yowr part to have his godelordschep and his love in ese of all the materis that ye have to don, and in esyng of myn hert also; for be my trowth I am afferd ellys bothen of these materys the qhyche ye have in hand now, and of other that ben not don to yett, but if he wyl don for zou and be your godelord. I pray yow hertylye send me werd how ze don, and how ye speden in zour materys; and I pray you as for seche thyngs as Jamys hath a byll of, that I may have hem as hastyly as ze may; and that ze wyll vowchesave to bey apese of blak bukram for to lyn with a gown for me, I xuld bey me amurrey gown to gon in this somer, and leyn in the koler the satyn that ze zeve me for an hodde; and I kan gettyn non gode bokeram in this town to lyn it with. The Holy Trinyte have yow in His kepyng, and send zou helth and good spede in all yowr maters.
Wretyn att Norwyche, on ye Fryday nexst after Crowchemesse Day.[76.1] Yours, M. P.
[74.1] [From Fenn, iv. 188.] Our reason for believing this letter to have been written in the year 1463 will be seen in a footnote.