[564]
CLEMENT PASTON TO JOHN PASTON[100.1]
To my rygth worchepful broder John Paston Sqwyer.
1464
APRIL 18
Ryght worshypfull brothyr, I recomawnde me to zow. After all dew recomendacions, &c., plesse it zow to wett that after that I had harde say that the person of Blowfelde[100.2] wasse com to town I went to hym to his in, and he bade the mesenger say that he wasse not within, and I bad hym say a gayn that I come thyder to hym for hys own worchep and avayle and that I wasse sory that I com so fer for hym; and after that he sent for me and he cowde not fynde me, and I harde say ther of. And than I wrott a letter, resytyng how that he wasse sworn yesterday for to say the trowthe of al maner of materis consernyng Sir John Fastolfe, avysyd hym to remember qwat hys wytnesse hadde sayd for hys sake, and wat schame it xwlde be to hym to say the contrary; And also, if he sayde the contrary, ze wold herafter prove the trowthe and contrary to hys sayyng, and prove hym in a perjuri. And also I badde hym remember with wat maner of men he delt wythe; and I rehersyd how untrwly they hadde don. And not with standyng thys, after I met with hym in the strett and spak with hym, and I fownde hym passyng strawngely disposyd and sor mevyd with consiens that ze xwld have the lond and fownd the colage but with an C. marcs, not with stondyng he myth fynde in hys consiens by the well that the colage xwld be fowndyd in a noder plasse but with an C. marcs, and the reminaunt of the lylode sold so that he myth pwroe the mony; so I felt by hym that all hys strawngenes from zow is for he demythe that ze wold parte from no thyng; and I told hym the contrary ther of to be trwe, az this day he is exaymined up on a bok to sey the trowthe of all thynges as the juge will[101.1] aske hym, for the jugeis informacion; wych I trowe wyll not be good. Also they have pwt in testes azens zow iijxx or iiijxx men. Mayster Robard Kent wold sayn that ze xwle gett zow ij. lycens of the prioris of zowre wytnes, Mayster Clement and the monke, with an A[101.2] datt beryng before the comyng up; for that must ye nedis have. Also he wold sayn that ze xwld com to thys towne. Me thowte by Sir Thomas that they have aswerte in maner that ze xall have no lycens for zour fundacion. And [i.e. if] they be abowte to gett a lycens to fownde the colage in a noder place, me thynkythe that wold hurte; her colour is for cause ze can gett no lycens to fownde it at Caster; werfor thow zour wyll wer trwe, they myth lawfully fownde it in a noder place. My Lord Chawnceler[101.3] is gone to Zork and wyll not be her of all thys term. Wrytyn on Wednisday nexst be for Saynt George.
The Kyng hathe ben in Kent and ther ben endityd many for Isleis dethe; and he wyll com to town this day azen and he wyl not tary her but forthe to Zork straytt. By Clement Paston.
[100.1] [Add. MS. 34,889, f. 7.] This letter was written in April 1464, when witnesses began to be examined about Fastolf’s will. See [No. 565]. The Privy Seals of Edward IV. show that he was in Kent (at Dartford) on the 15th and 18th of that month, and he immediately after started for York.
[100.2] Thomas Howes.
[101.1] ‘will.’ In MS. ‘wt,’ which ought to read ‘with’; evidently a slip of the pen.
[101.2] Apparently meaning an ante date.
[101.3] George Nevill, Bishop of Exeter, afterwards Archbishop of York.