I spak with Herward, and I askyd hym if ther was any gret day at Bury, and he seid ther was but a small day, and as for any assises ther wer non but old; and he told me that Debenham and the Undershireff were falle ought. Debenham bare the Shireff on hand[94.1] that he had do indited an hundred men son he cam in to his office, and the Shireff told hym that the Kyngs bokkes apperid whedir it was so or nought; and he told Debenham that he coud indite an hundred at on tyme whan ye wer indited, and named yow the cause of ther brekyng.
Ther was a man kyllid now late in Suffolk, and he that ded it was on of Debenhams men; and Herward told me that the Shireff seid to hym he wold do Debenham a shrewd turne and he coud.
Item, it was told me at Norwich that Master Berney shuld have be here with a gret felaship, and it is not so, ner no man heryth of hys comyng, ner her is but litell pepill nowther, ther wer not so few this iij. yer, as men say.
Item, Herward askyd me where John Gayn was, and I askyd why, and he seid ther is a capias ought ayens hym upon the condempnaceon,[94.2] and the Shireff hath it, he bad me geve hym warnyng; it is retarnabill xv. Pasch.[94.3]
Item, thei sey here that the Kyng was on Monday at Waltham.
Item, Nicholas Colman hath brought home your fardell; it is at Norwich.
Item, ther be no more Juges here but Sir Pers Ardeyn.[94.4]
Wretyn at Thetford, the Wednesday the last day of Februar.
Item, Wymondham[95.1] is here, and was at the shirehows this day, and the Kyngs livery abaught his nekke, and ther stood be the Juge, whill a lettir of the Kyngs was red. The effect was, as it was told me, that the Kyng will that justice be had, and that all risers ayens the pees, and oppressers of the pepill, be chasteised, letyng hem weet[95.2] that he was late in Cambrigge Shire, and there such as had offendid askyd grace, whech thei had, savyng such as wer rewlers, whom he woll somwhat bee punyshid, purposyng to be in this contry abought Estern, &c. Your servaunt, &c., John Pampynge.
[93.1] [From Fenn, iv. 158.] The circumstance of the last day of February falling on a Wednesday fixes the date of this letter to the year 1464. There is no evidence in the dates of Privy Seals that the King was at Waltham in the end of February, or that he had previously visited Cambridgeshire, in any year during the period when this letter must have been written; but it is quite possible that he was at Waltham on the 27th February 1464, and if so, that he had passed through Cambridgeshire on his way from Kimbolton, where he had been on the 17th.