To my ryth worchepfull husbond, Jon Paston, be thys lettyr delyveryd in haste.
1462-3
DEC.
Ryth worchepfull husbond, I recomand me to yow. Plesyth it yow to wet that Jon Jeney was here with me thys daye and told me that ye desyiryd that I shold do make a dyche at Heylysdon, and the seson is not for to do make no new dechys, nor to repare non old tyll it be aftyr Crystmas, as it is told me, and so I sent yow word in a lettyr more thane a monythe goo; I wot not whedyr ye had the lettyr or not, for I had non answer ther of fro yow. Jone Dyngayne recomandyth hyr to yow, and prayith yow for Goddys sake that ye wole be hyr good mastyr, and that ye wole wychesave to spek to Hwe of Fen for hyr, for it is so that serteyn lyvelod whyche hyr husbond had in Engham was cast in the kyngys hand in hyr husbandys lyve, and, as she undyrstandyth, it was do in hys fadyrys lyve; of the whyche hyr husband spok to Hwe of Fen ther of in hys lyve to helpe that he myth be dyschargyd ther of, and Hwe of Fen promysyd hym verily that he had mad an ende ther in and dyschargyd hym, and that he shold never be hurt nor trublyd ther for; and now the laste wek Barnard the undyr scheryfe sent downe a warant to sese the lond for the Kynge, and so, but [unless] he have xxs. for a fyne within shorte tyme he wol not suffyr her to have the avayle of the londys. Wher fore she prayith yow, for Goddys sak, that ye wole purvey a mene that Hwe of Fen may save hyr harmles, in as myche as he promysyd hyr husbond to purvey ther fore in hys lyve; and if it plese not yow to spek to hym ther of, that it plese yow to do John Paston or Thomas Playter or sume othyr, that ye thynk that cane undyrstande the mater, for to spek to the seyd Hwe of Fen ther of in hyr name, and to serge the kyngys bokys ther fore, if ye thynk that it be for to do, and sche woll ber the cost ther of. As for the mater that ze wold I schold spek to Wylliam Worcester of towchyng the false forgyd evydens, I can not spek with hym yet; hys wyfe seyth allwe that he is oute when that I send for hym. Yowyr fermore of Sweynysthorpe hathe fownde suerte for yowyr dute, as Rychard Calle tellyth me, so that ye scholl be plesyd when ye come home. And the blyssyd Trinite have yow in Hys kepyng. Wretyn in hast on the Monday next aftyr Seynt Andrew. By yowyr, M. P.
[86.1] [Add. MS. 34,889, f. 198.] This letter must lie between the years 1459, when Sir John Fastolf died (as Hellesden belonged to him), and 1465, as John Paston died in May 1466. The most probable year is either 1462 or 1463, for it is mentioned here that Paston’s farmer at Swainsthorpe had found security for the payment of his rent, and Richard Calle had levied four marks rent of him in February 1464. See [No. 558].
[554]
ABSTRACT[87.1]
1463
DEC. 10
Indenture, 10th Dec. 3 Edward IV., between Robert Wodlark, Provost of the College of St. Mary and St. Nicholas, Cambridge, and John Paston, Esq., witnessing a loan by Paston to the college of 100 marks till the octaves of St. Hilary, 1464 [i.e. 1464-5], upon certain plate.[87.2]
Note below in a different hand:— ‘Memorandum quod Mr. Alexander Lye erit apud Norwicum in die Martis pro[ximo] post diem Carniprivii.’
[87.1] [From Paston MSS., B.M.]
[87.2] The plate specified in this document is the same as that contained in the second list in [No. 561], at p. 98.