By the Kinge.

1500
MARCH 20

Trusty and welbeloved, we grete yow well, letting yow wete that our derest cousins, the Kinge and Queene of Spaine, have signified unto us by their sundry letters that the right excellent Princesse, the Lady Katherine, ther daughter, shal be transported from the parties of Spaine aforesaid to this our Realme, about the moneth of Maye next comeinge, for the solempnization of matrimony betweene our deerest sonne the Prince and the said Princesse.

Wherfore we, consideringe that it is right fittinge and necessarye, as well for the honor of us as for the lawde and praise of our said Realme, to have the said Princesse honourably received at her arriveall, have appointed yow to be one amonge others to yeve attendance for the receivinge of the said Princesse; willinge and desiringe yow to prepare yourselfe for that intent, and so to continue in redynesse upon an houres warninge, till that by our other letters we shall advertise yow of the day and time of her arrivall, and where ye shall yeve your said attendance; and not to fayle therin, as ye tender our pleasure, the honor of yourselfe, and of this our foresaid Realme.

Yeven under our signet at our manner of Richmount, the xxty day of Marche.

[161.1] [From the Paston Genealogy, compiled by Sandford, and printed by Mr. Worship, in the Norfolk Archæology.] Catherine of Arragon was expected in England in the spring of the year 1500, although she did not actually arrive till October 1501, owing to some alteration of plans.

[1067]
RICHARD CALLE TO SIR JOHN PASTON[162.1]

To the right reverent and honurable, my master, Sir John Paston, Knyght.

Before 1503

Plesitht it your mastership to remembre, I shewyd onto you in Lente that I had bought Baktons place. Sir, it is so that John Bakton graunted to John Trovy hes sone in lawe, hes mese with all the londes and tenements, &c., takyng of the seide John Trovy viij. marke of annuyte yerly, terme of hes lyf; wherupon endenture were made and a state delyverd. Upon the weche I bargeyned with Trovy, payng to hym for hes parte c. marke and x., wherof he hadde in hande iiijli. vjs. viijd. and xvli. xiijs. iiijd. shulde be payd at such tyme as I had a lawfull astate, weche was apoynted before Michelmes last past; weche is not yet done. Wherfore he hath forfeted an obligacion of xlli. that he was bounde in to me for the same astate; ther was no defaute in me, for my money was there redy. And, sir, in the same weke after your mastership departed out of this contre, Bakton and the seide Trovy come to Bakton, and sent for me, and there were we appoynted for the same bargeyn and accorded, wenynge to me and to all tho that were there it had ben fully concl[uded] . . . . . my suertes and for all other thynges. And sodenly Bakton departed hem be the avice of [the Prior of Bro]mholme, and John Bowle and other, weche meved Bakton that I shulde not have my bargein; and so they entende to putte me from my bergein. And master Fitzlawes, Knght, of Esex, hath sent me a letter, weche I sende you closed herin; and at hes enstaunce I have graunted Trovy an ende for vjli. and my iiijli. vjs. viijd., and my costes that I have done on the place, weche with these mony and costes drawith xijli. If I may have all thes money payd onto me within xiiij. dayes after Cristemas, I wol take non avauntage of the obligacion, weche Trovy is bounde to me. I suppose Mr. Lawes woll speke to you of thes mater. I beseche you that ye wol be goode master to me herin, for I am lothe to be putte from my bergein. I am in suerte there is no man wol geve so moche for it as I wolde, and they nede not to fere them of ther payment, for I ofer them iiij. suertes, the worste of them is worthe all the lande; yet Bakton mystrustes me, and nede not. If I had it, I wolde truste to make it a goode thynge, for ther is moche thynge ther by that myght be had in to it, weche causeth me to be the more desirous to it. I shewe your mastership the previte of my mynde, trustynge ye wolbe good mastre to me, and I shal pray to God for you and for all youres.