No more at this tyme, but the Holy Trinite have you in His blissed keping. Wreten at Sarum, the Monday aftyr Mydsomer Day. And lete these maters be kept secrete by your best a vise. Be youre poure servaunt, Roger Taverham.
[5.1] [From Fenn, iv. 252.] This letter and the next are placed here merely for convenience. The two are evidently some years apart in point of date, and nothing is quite clear about the date of either, except that the latter must have been written in the reign of Edward IV., and of course before the death of John Paston in 1466. This, which is several years earlier than the other, was almost certainly written in the reign of Henry VI. The writer was probably the ‘old Taverham’ mentioned by Margaret Paston in the last letter.
[491]
ROGER TAVERHAM TO JOHN PASTON[7.1]
To my right wourshipful maister, John Paston, Esquyer, be this letter delyvered.
1461(?)
Right wourshipful maister, I recommaunde me un to your maistership, and I thank your maistership that hit pleased your maistership to sende me wourde a yen of my letter that I sende you by the brynger herof. Sir, as I am enfourmed, ye sent me wourde how that my fader was dede long tyme passed, and also ye desired to knowe my titylle of ryght. Sir, I am very heyre, by the disceas of my fader, to a place called Keswyk, in Taverham, with all the apportenauncez, and that comyth by enherytaunce and discente to me, for I am the helder and heyre; and though my Lorde Cromwell[8.1] hath taken Thomas Taverham, my yonger brother, as warde for the same enheritaunce, that maketh no mater to me, in so moche I am helder brother. Wher for I beseche you to sende me a letter of attournay made to you in my name in the strengest wise that ye can, for to entre in to the same lyvelode, and I shall asseal that, and than I shall do my service and feaute to the seid Lorde Cromwell in all thing as by the tenure of the same lyvelode of olde tyme aught to be done. And herin I kno well the King shal cause my Lorde Cromwel to do me bothe lawe and right; and also my Lorde Chaunceler, with oder Lordes diverse, shall do the same. And, sir, I beseche your maistership to do and to take possession in the saide place with the apportenaunce in short tyme, for losyng of the rent this yer passed.
And, sir, as for the place of Attylbrigge that my moder in lawe now duellith in, sir, your maistershep shal right not [naught] attempte ther now in; for my Lorde of Warwik[8.2] hath seen how the same place was yeven me by testament by Sir Roger Dallyng after the disease of my fader, whiche is redy to be shewed. And therupon my Lorde of Warwik hath comaunded certeyn gentilmen to entre in the same place, and your maistership hadde be moved ther in or this, but for cause that ye love wel Lumpnour,[8.3] and that my moder in lawe is his sister; but I knowe wel hit woul cost CCCli., but that she shal be dispossedded of that place in short tyme. And, maister, how ye woul be rewled in the seid place of Keswyk, I be seche you to sende me wourde, as my sengler trust is in you; for and ye woulde not take possession in the saide place, my Lorde Wenlok[8.4] woulde have that ful fayne, for all the contray knowith while that while I leve, I am heyr and non other. And therfor I beseche you in all hast sende me wourde by the bryngger herof in hast, quia mora trahit periculum. And, sir, I would come speke with you. I am seke, and may not goo; but telle the bryngger heroff all your entent. For my liff duryng I hadde lever that ye hadde that place for jd. than a nother man, thow he woulde yeff me meche mony, for your maistership ther shewed to me in my yong age. And God kepe you, &c. Your chapeleyn, Roger Taverham.
[7.1] [From Fenn, iv. 258.] The mention of Lord Wenlock in this letter proves that it cannot be earlier than 1461; but if the writer be, as we have surmised, the ‘old Taverham’ mentioned by Margaret Paston in [No. 489], it is most probably of that year.
[8.1] Humphrey Bourchier, Lord Cromwell, so created in 1461.
[8.2] Richard Neville, Earl of Warwick.