The Paston Letters Volume Iv Part 24

575

[JOHN PASTON] TO MARGARET PASTON AND OTHERS[121.1]

_To my mastres Margrete Paston, and to my welbelovid Frendis, John Daubeney and Richard Calle._

[Sidenote: 1465 / JAN. 15]

I pray yow, see to the G.o.d governaunce of my housold and guydynge of other thynges touchyng my profite, and that ye, with Daubeney and Richard Calle, and with other such of my frendis and servauntis as can avise yow aftir the mater requireth, wekely take a sad comunecacion of such thynges as be for to do, or oftenner and nede be, takyng avise of the master, and of the viker[121.2] and Sir Jamis,[121.3] that is for to say, as well for provision of stuffe for myn howsold as for the gaderyng of the revenew of my livelode or greynes, or for setting awerk of my servauntis, and for the more poletik meane of sellyng and carryng of my malt, and for all other thynges necessari for to be do; and that whanne I come home I have not an excuse, seying that ye spoke to my servauntis and that Daubeney and Calle exkuse them that thei wer so besy thei myght not attende; for I woll have my mater so guided that if on man may not attende a nother shall be comaunded to do it; and if my servauntis faile I had lever wage some other man, for a jorny or a season, thanne my mater should be on sped.

As for my livelode, I left with Daubeney a bille of many of my dettis, wherby ye alle myght have be indused whedir ye shulde have sent for silver.

It liketh me evill to here that my prestis and pore men be onpaiid, and that no mony sent to me more thanne x. markis be Berney of alle this season, and yet therof telle Richard Calle he sent me viii. n.o.bils in goold for v. markis, and that as longe as gold was better payment thanne silver I had nevir so moche gold of hym at onys; and telle hym that I wolle nat that he shall kepe that use, for I trowe my tenauntis have but litell gold to pay.

Also remembir yow in any housold, felas.h.i.+p or c.u.mpany that will be of good rewle, purvyauns must be had that every persone of it be helpyng and furtheryng aftir his discrecion and powyr, and he that woll not do so without he be kept of almes shuld be put out of the houshold or felachep.

Item, where ye desire me that I shuld take your sone[122.1] to grase, I woll for your sake do the better, and will ye knowe he shall not be so oute of my favour that I will suffir hym to mischefe without be eftsones his owne defaut. And hough be it that in his presumptuouse and ondiscrete demenyng he gaf bothe me and yow cause of displeasir, and to other of my servauntis ille exaumple, and that also guided hym to alle mennes undirstandyng that he was wery of bidyng in myn hows, and he not insurid of help in any other place; yet that greveth nat me so evill as doth that I nevir coud fele nor undirstand hym poletyk ne diligent in helpyng hym self, but as a drane amongis bees which labour for gaderyng hony in the feldis and the drane doth nought but takyth his part of it.

And if this myght make hym to knowe the better hym self and put hym in remembrauns what tyme he hath lost, and hough he hath leved in idelnes, and that he coud for this eschewe to do so heraftir, it myght fortune for his best. But I here yet nevir from no plase that he hath be in of any poletyk demenyng or occupacion of hym. And in the kynges hows he coud put hym self foorth to be in favour or trust with any men of substauns that myght forther hym; neverthelesse as for your house and myne I purpose not he shall come there, ner be my will non othir but if [_i.e._ unless] he can do more thanne loke foorth and make a fase and countenauns.

Item, send me word whedir my glasier hath do at Bromholm and at the friers of the South Towne,[123.1] and whedir he be paiid such mony as I sent home word he shuld be paiid, and if he have do all he must have more mony, but I remembir not certeynly what, till I come home, for I remember nat what his bargeyn was for the work at the Southtowne.

I trowe Mr. Clement can telle, and also fele hym self and send me word.

Also that ye and Richard Calle and Daubeney see that Mr. Clement and Mr.

Braklee[123.2] which hath grete nede I wote well, and my prestis and pore men be paiid and also all othir men. And that ye see that I be not callid on for that is my dewte. Also that ye see amongis yow that that is owynge me be not lost ne forborn for lewdnes, for that shall bothe hurt me and do my tenauntis harme. Lete Richard Calle remembir that my fermour of Sweynesthorp is falle in gret dette for defaut of callyng upon but be on [_one_] yere; And I deme that bothe John Willeys and my new fermour of Snaylewell arn like to be in the same case, and peraventure Aleyn of Gresham and other.

Item, remembir yow or evir I had a doo with Fastolffis livelode, whill I toke hede to my livelode my self, it both served myn expenses at home and at London and all other charges, and ye leid up mony in my cofirs every yere, as ye knowe. And I wote well that the payment of my prestis and other charges that I have for Fastolffis livelode is not so gret as the livelode is, thow part therof be in trobill. And thanne consider that I had nought of my livelode for myn expenses at London this twol monyth day; ye may verely undirstand that it is not guided wittely nor discretly; and therfore I pray yow hertly put alle your wittes to gedir and see for the reformation of it. And ye may remembre be this how ye shuld do if this wer yowris alone, and so do now.

And that ye woll remembir I have sent yow all many lettirs touchyng many maters, and also a bille now last by Pec.o.k of erandis, desiryng yow to see hem alle to gedir and send me an answere articlerly; and such as ye can not spede at this tyme, lete hem be sped as sone as ye may, that ye se over my seyd lettirs oft tymes til they be sped.

Item, I remembir that myn heygh at Heylisdon the last yere was spent and wasted fwll recklesly and colored under my shep.[124.1] I pray yow see that I be not servid soo this yere.

Item, Pec.o.k told me of a fermour that wold have had Mautby Mersh, paying xij. markis as it went afore; and Richard Calle told me of on [_one_]

that wold pay more. Burgeys paiid me first xij. markis vj_s._ viij_d._, and I had the reed and the rus.h.i.+s, and he found the shepherdis hyre in shakke tyme for my fold; and sithen he brigged awey the shepherdis hyre and thanne the n.o.bill, and I trowe he occupyth ne lenger hym self. And I remembir he told me vij. yere goo that my merssh shuld alwey apeyr [_impair_] till the prime were past the nombre of xix., and thanne it shuld amend a ix. or x. yers, promittyng me he wold thanne amend my ferme. I praye yowe help to lete it aswell as ye can, rather to hym thanne a nother man if he woll do aswell, and that ye comon with Pec.o.k.

Item, as for the mater that I wrote of to the viker and other goode felaws, desire hem that thei be not to excessive hasty in the mater for non nede, but to do that the may do therin [goodly][124.2] and wittely as sone as thei may; And as for the respite of the mater here, lete hem not care therfore. I shall do well ineugh, telle hem; for certeyn, the mater is in as good case as any such mater was this xx. wynter, as my counsell tellyth me; but I will be sure of all weyes that I may have, and specially of the declaracion of the trought of my mater and of my frendis.

Item, as for the mater athwyx the parson of Mautby, Constantine[124.3]

and the viker of Derham,[124.4] whedir it were smalle mater or gret I care not, but I am sure that too witnesse which I knowe were apposed therin before a juge spirituall, whech as I suppose was Master Robert Popy or some other; the viker of Derham can telle, and as I trowe can John Wynter of Mautby, or othir parysshons telle, where the sute was athwyx hem, and I can think it was in the chapitell; if ye can easely gette me what the witnesse seid, I wold nomore; but do no gret cost over it.

Item, recomaund me to Master Robert Popy, and telle hym, as for any thyng seid ayens hym in my mater then myn adversaris ment ontrewly, they proved nought but that he is a good man and a wors.h.i.+pfull and a trewe.

Item, if I have any otis beside my stuffe, or may any bye aftir xiiij_d._, spare not, and take good mesure of bartirre for some other chafers, and send me word hough moch ye may bye.

Item, it is told me ye make no wood, nowther at Caster nor Mautby, wherof I merveyle; remembir yow we must brenne wood a nodir yere.

Item, I send yow a t.i.telyng that I mad whill I was at home, what malt I had by estimacion set at the lest; wherfore see that Brigge make a reknyng of his malt, and cast ye my book and loke what ye can amend it; and apeyre [_impair_] it shall not if alle folkis have do trewly; but I suppose fewe of you have take any heed at it as moch as I ded.

Item, I may selle here for vj_s._ viij_d._ a quarter clene fyed after Royston mesure, whech is lesse thanne the water mesure of London.

Cambrigge s.h.i.+re malt is here at x_s._ Cast ye what I may selle of new and old, savyng stuffe for myn hows. Item, to remember that Guton malt must be s.h.i.+pped at Blakeney. Item, Lynstedis malt at Wolcote may be s.h.i.+pped there; therfore cast amongis yow what malt may best be sold.

Item, if on [_one_] man may not attende to gader silver, sende a nother, and send me word what hath be reseyved and spent.

Item, that I have an answer of alle my lettirs and of every article in hem.

Item, but if ye make such purvyauns that my prestis be paiid and pore men, beside other charges, and purvey mony for me beside; owther ye gadir shrewdly or ellis ye spend lewdly.

Item, I sent a lettir by Rauff Greneakyr to James Gresham and to yow, which he promised me shuld be at Norwich on Wednesday aftir Thwelth day, and therin wer divers maters; and in especiall of a mater that shuld be in communication on Teusday last past bethwyx Yelverton and Robert Wyngfeld, as in the seid lettir is specifiid. It is so that the seid Robard shall be here within this ij. dayes; if any thyng ye have aspied of it send me word. Item, yonge Knevet tellith me that he is my good frend, and he is come ridyng homeward on Friday last was. I pray yow, ley wetche whedir ye here any thyng that he medillyth hym at that mater, and send me word; for I wold understand whedir he wer just and trew or nought, and that do [_done_] it shall not ligh in his power to hurt me.

But take ye hed and inquere and knowe other mennes purpos, and kepe your intent as close as ye can; and what some evir boost be mad, werk ye wisely and set not by it but send me word what ye here.

Item, Calle sendyth me word that Sir Thomas Howes is seke and not like to askape it, and Berney tellyth me the contrary; wherfore I pray yow take hed therat, and lete me have knowleche, for though I be not behold to hym I wold not he were ded for more thanne he is worth.

Item, take the viker the bille that I send yow herwyth.

Item, that ye, if ye can fynd the meane, to aspie what goodis Edmond Clere eschet.i.th of any mannes.[126.1]

Item, remember well to tak heed at your gatis on nyghtis and dayes, for theves, for thei ride in divers contres with gret felas.h.i.+p like lordis, and ride out of on [_one_] s.h.i.+re in to a nother. Wretyn at London, the Tuisday next aftir Sent Hillary.

Item, that Richard Calle bryng me up mony, so that my prestis [_i.e._ borrowings] be paiid, and that he come up suerly with other men and attornis.

_Endorsed in a later hand:_-- 'Some speciall lettres towching John Paston's trowbells and sute for Fastolfs landis by the Duke of Suffolk.'

[Footnote 121.1: [Add. MS. 34,889, f. 15.] The contents of this letter show it to be of the year 1465, when Daubeney and Calle, as we know, were with Margaret Paston (_see_ No. 576). Reference is made to the displeasure Sir John Paston had given to both his parents in 1463 (_see_ No. 552), and what his mother writes about his return home in May of this year (No. 579) goes to confirm the date. Further proof will be found in the footnote at p. 126.]

[Footnote 121.2: If this be the vicar of Paston, it was William Warner, who succeeded Robert Williamson in 1464.]

[Footnote 121.3: James Gloys, the priest.]

[Footnote 122.1: Sir John Paston.]

[Footnote 123.1: South Town, Yarmouth, where there was a house of Austin Friars.]

[Footnote 123.2: Dr. John Brackley, the Grey Friar.]

[Footnote 124.1: Meaning, that the waste was attributed to his sheep.]

[Footnote 124.2: This word 'goodly' has been lined out, and a very illegible word inserted above it.]

[Footnote 124.3: Constantine Dalby had been rector of Mautby from 1453 to 1460, and appears also to have held the vicarage of East Dereham from 1451 to 1458. He was succeeded at Mautby by Thomas Howes from 1460 to 1465, and then by Robert Cutler or Cotteler, who must be the 'parson of Mautby' spoken of just before.]

[Footnote 124.4: Robert Sheringham was vicar of East Dereham from 1458 to 1467.]

[Footnote 126.1: Edmund Clere, as appears by evidences in the Record Office, was escheator of Norfolk and Suffolk from November 1464 to November 1465.]

[[I may selle here for vj_s._ viij_d._ a quarter _text has "viij_a._" (italic a for d)_]]

576

JOHN WYKES TO MARGARET PASTON[127.1]