Wretyn the Wednysday next before Mary Mawdelen, By your humblest sone, J. P.
[107.2] [From Paston MSS., B.M.] This letter refers to a pardon granted by the King to John Paston the younger, for having taken part with the Lancastrians at the battle of Barnet. Though the ‘bill’ for this pardon was signed by the King on the 17th July, the pardon itself did not pass the Great Seal till the 7th February following, under which date it is enrolled on the Pardon Roll of 11 Edw. IV., memb. 9.
[781]
SIR JOHN PASTON TO JOHN PASTON[109.1]
To Mestresse Margret Paston, or to John Paston, Esqier, hyr sone, in hast.
1471
SEPT. 15
Ryght well belovyd brother, I comende me to yow, letyng yow wete that I am in wellffar, I thanke God, and have ben evyr syns that I spake last with yow; and mervayle for that ye sent never wryghtynge to me syns ye departyd; I herde nevyr synes that tyme any worde out off Norffolk; ye myght aft Bertlemai Feyr[109.2] have had messengers i nowe to London, and iff ye had sent to Wykys, he scholde have conveyed it to me. I herde yisterdaye, that a Worsted man of Norffolk, that solde worstedys[109.3] at Wynchester, seyde that my Lord of Norffolk and my Lady wer on pylgrymage at Our Lady[109.4] on ffoot, and so they went to Caster; and that at Norwyche on scholde have had large langage to yow, and callyd yow traytor, and pyked many quarellys to yow. Sende me worde ther off; it wer well doo, that ye wer a lytell sewrer off yowr pardon than ye be: avyse you, I deme ye woll her afftr ellys repent yow.
I undrestonde that Bastarde Fauconbryge[109.5] is owther hedyd or lyke to be, and hys brother bothe; some men seye he wolde have deservyd it, and som sey naye.
I purpose to be att London the ffyrst daye off the terme; send me worde whethyr ye schall be ther or nott.
Item, I wolde wete whether ye have spoken wyth my Lady off Norffolk or not, and off hyr disposicion and the howsoldys to me and to yow wardes, and whether it be a possible to have Caster ageyn and ther goodewylles or not; and also I praye yow undrestande what ffelaschyp and guydyng is in Caster, and have a spye resortyng in and owt, so maye ye know the secretys among them. Ther is moche adoo in the Northe, as men seyn; I pray yow be ware off yowr guydyng, and in cheff off yowr langage, and so that ffro hense fforthe by yowr langage noo man perceyve that ye ffavor any person contrary to the Kynges plesur. I undrestonde that the Lord Ryvers hathe lycence off the Kynge to goo to Portyngale now within thys vij. nyght. I pray yow recomande me to my modre, and beseche hyr off hyr blyssyng on my be halve.[110.1]
Item, I praye yow sende me worde iff any off owr ffrendys or wellwyllers be dede, ffor I feer that ther is grete dethe in Norwyche, and in other Borowgh townese in Norffolk, ffor I ensur you it is the most unyversall dethe that evyr I wyst in Ingelonde; ffor by my trowthe, I kan not her by pylgrymes that passe the contre, nor noon other man that rydethe or gothe any contre, that any Borow town in Ingelonde is ffree ffrom that sykenesse; God sease it whan it pleasyt Hym. Wherffor, ffor Goddysake, let my moodre take heede to my yonge brytheren that they be not in noon place wher that sykenesse is regnyng, nor that they dysport not with noon other yonge peple whyche resortythe wher any sykenesse is, and iff ther be any off that sykenesse ded or enffect in Norwyche, ffor Goddes sake, lete hyr sende them to som ffrende off hyrse in to the contre, and do ye the same by myn advyce; late my moodre rather remeve hyr howsesolde in to the contre.