LETTER CCCXXIII.-(XLVIII. vol. ii. p. 103.) We have here a curious description of the council of a great man, and find it composed of gentlemen of family and fortune. Matters respecting the property of their lord come before them, they debate upon the subject and deliver their opinion; but if that opinion differed from that of the great man, we find he took the liberty of adopting his own. To my right worshipful brother, Sir John Paston, Knight. RIGHT worshipful Sir, I recommend me to you; letting you weet that your desire, as for the knights of the shire,' was an impossible (thing) to be brought about; for my Lord of Norfolk2 and my Lord of Suffolk 3 were agreed more than a fortnight ago to have Sir Robert Wyngfield and Sir Richard Harcourt, and that knew I not till it was Friday last past. I had sent ere I rode to Framlingham to warn as many of your friends to be at Norwich, as this Monday, to serve your intent as I could; but when I came to Framlingham, and knew the appointment that was taken for the two knights, I sent warning again to as many as I might, to tarry at home; and yet there came to Norwich this day as many as their costs drew to 9s. Id. paid and reckoned by Peacock and R. Capron; and yet they did but break their fast and departed; and I thanked them in your name, and told them that ye would have no voice as this day, for ye supposed not to be in England when the parliament should be; and so they came not at the Shire-house, for if they had it was thought, by such as be your friends here, that your adversaries would have reported that ye had made labour to have been one, and that ye could not bring your purpose about. I sent to Yarmouth, and they have promised also to Doctor Aleyn and John Russe to be (burgesses) more than three weeks ago. James Arblaster hath written a letter to the bailiff of Maldon in Essex to have you a burgess there; how Jude shall speed let him tell you when ye speak together. Sir, I have been twice at Framlingham since your departing; but now the last time the council was there, I saw your letter which was better than well endited. R. C. was not at Framlingham when the council was there, For the county of Norfolk. 2 John Mowbray. 3 John de la Pole. but I took my own advice, and delivered it to the council with a proposition therewith, as well as I could speak it; and my words were well taken, but your letter a thousand fold better; when they had read it they showed it to my lady; after that my lady had seen it I spoke with my lady, offering to my lord and her your service, and besides that, ye to do my lord a pleasure and her a better, so as ye might depart without any sum specified; she would not tell in that matter, but remitted me again to the council, for she said and she spoke in it till my lord and the council were agreed, they would lay the weight of all the matter on her, which should be reported to her shame; but this she promised, to be helping so it were first moved by the council; then I went to the council and offered before them your service to my lord, and to do him a pleasure, for the having again of your place and lands in Caister 407., not speaking of your stuff nor thing else; so they answered me your offer was more than reasonable, and if the matter were theirs, they said, they wist (knew) what conscience would drive them to, they said they would move my lord with it, and so they did; but then the tempest arose, and he gave them such an answer that none of them all would tell it me; but when I asked an auswer of them they said; " And (if) some lords or greater men moved my lord with it, the matter were yours;" (keep coun sel.) And with this answer I departed, but Sir W. Brandon, Southwell, Tymperley, Harry Wentworth, W. Gurney, and all other of council understand that ye have wrong; insomuch that they moved me that ye should take a recompense of other land to the value, but they would not avow the offer; for I answered them, if they had right they would have offered no recompense; discover not this, but in my reason and (if) my lord chamber 4 Elizabeth Duchess of Norfolk. lain' would send my lady a letter with some privy token between them, and also to move my Lord of Norfolk when he cometh to the parliament, certainly Caister is yours. If ye miss to be burgess of Maldon, and my lord chamberlain will, ye may be in another place; there be a dozen towns in England that choose no burgess which ought to do it, ye may be set in for one of those towns and (if) ye be friended. Also in no wise forget not in all haste to get some goodly ring (at the price of 20s., or some pretty flower of the same price, and not under, to give to Jane Rodon; for she hath been the most special labourer in your matter, and hath promised her good will forth (in future) ; and she doth all with her mistress. And (if) my lord chamberlain will he may cause my Lord of Norfolk to come up sooner to the parliament than he should do, and then he may appoint with him for you ere the farm 2 corn be gathered. I proffered but 407., and if my lord chamberlain proffer my lady the remanent I can think it shall be taken; my lady must have somewhat to buy her a coverchief 3 besides my lord. A supper that I paid for, where all the council was at Framlingham, 2s. 3d. and my costs at Framlingham twice lying there by eight days, with 9s. 1d. for costs of the country at Norwich draweth about 20s. I trow more. By our Lady if it be less stand to your harms, and sic remanet 57. 13s. 4d. I ask no more good of you for all the service that I shall do you while the world standeth, but a goss hawk, if any of my lord 1 William Lord Hastings. 3 A head-dress, or handkerchief. From the anxiety here expressed for an hawk, we may judge of the attention which was paid to the diversion of hawking. Latham, in his book of Falconry, says, that a goshawk is the first and most esteemed kind of hawk; that a sore hawk is from the first taking of her from the eiry till she hath mewed her feathers. The tassel, or tiercel, is the chamberlain's men or yours go to Calais, or if any be to get in London; that is a mewed hawk, for she may make you sport when ye come into England a dozen years hence; and to call upon you hourly, nightly, daily, dinner, supper, for this hawk, I pray no more but my brother (Edmund), J. Pampyng, Thyrston, J. Myryel, W. Pitt, T. Platting, Jude, Little Jack, Master Botoner and W. Wood to boot, to which persons I pray you to commend me, and if all these list (be disposed) to speak to you of this matter when Sir George Browne, W. Knyvet, R. Hyde, or any folk of worship and of my acquaintance be in your company, so that they may help forth, (for all is little enough, and ye be not very well willing) I shall so purvey for them, and ever ye come to Norwich, and they with you, that they shall have as dainty victuals and as great plenty thereof for 1d. as they shall have of the treasurer of Calais for 15d.,5 and ye peradventure a pye of Wymondham to boot; now think on me good lord, for if I have not an hawk I shall wax fat for default of labour, and dead for default of company by my troth. No more, but I pray God send you all your desires, and me my mewed goss hawk in haste, or rather than fail a soar hawk there is a grocer dwelling right over against the Well with two Buckets, a little from Saint Helen's, hath ever hawks to sell. Written at Norwich the 21st day of September, in the 12th year of Edward IV. JOHN PASTON. Rather than fail, a tarssel proved will occupy the time till I come to Calais. LETTER CCCXXIV.—(V. vol v. p. 25.) [This letter is from J. Paston to his brother Sir John, and is little more than a repetition of his last two letters, complaints of Sir James Gloys, the want of money, some legal matters, and his great desire for a hawk. On this last topic he writes with an earnestness that may well raise a smile. "As for a goshawk, or a tercel, I weened to have had one of yours in keeping ere this time, but far from eye, far from heart; by my troth I die for default of labour; and it may be by any mean possible for God's sake let one be sent me in all haste, for if it be not had by Hallowmas the season shall pass anon; memento mei, and in faith ye shall not lose on it, nor yet much win on it, by God, who preserve you." Dated Norwich, Sept. 29, 1472.] LETTER CCCXXV.-(XLIX. vol. ii. p. 113.) This letter is given as containing a specimen of the free and easy conversation of the time, and shows the very intimate acquaintance that subsisted between Sir J. Paston and the Duchess of Norfolk. Sir William Brandon, knight, was standard-bearer to the Earl of Richmond, and was slain in Bosworth Field by Richard III. He was father to Charles Brandon, Duke of Suffolk [who married Mary, sister of Henry VIII., and Dowager Queen of France. The conversation seems to have been indeed very" free and easy" on the part of Sir John. He seems to have spoken of her as he would of a horse; but it also seems that such language was not well received. His concluding sneer at his brother's passion for the hawk is well expressed.] To John Paston, Esq., be this delivered. WORSHIPFUL and well-beloved brother, I recommend me to you; letting you weet that I sent you a letter and ring with a diamond; in which letter ye might well conceive what I would ye should do with the same ring, with many other tidings and things which I prayed you to have done for me; which letter Botoner had the bearing of; it is so now that I understand that he is either dead or else hard escaped; whereof I am right heavy ; and am not certain whether the said letter and ring came to your hands or not. 1 I would not that letter were seen with some folks, wherefore I pray you take good heed how that letter cometh to your hands whole or broken, and in especial I pray you get it if ye have it not. Also I pray you feel my Lady of Norfolk's disposition to me wards, and whether she took any displeasure at my language, or mocked or disdained my words which I had to her at Yarmouth, between the place where I first met with her and her lodging; for my Lady Brandon and Sir William also asked me what words I had had to her at that time; they said that my lady said I gave her thereof, and that I should have said that my 1 William Botoner, otherwise Worcester. 2 I paid her off, or treated her with unceremonious language. 3 [The words of the original in both passages are somewhat coarser.] lady was worthy to bear a lord's son,3 for she could cherish it and deal warily with it. In truth either the same, or words much like, I had to her, which words I meant as I said; they say too that I said she took her ease. Also (that) I should have said that my lady was of stature good, and had sides long and large, so that I was in good hope she should bear a fair child; he was not laced, nor braced in, to his pain, but that she left him room to play him in; they say that I said my lady was large and great, and that it should have room enough ;3 and thus whether my lady mock me, or they, I wot not; I meant well by my troth to her and to that she is with, as any he that oweth her best will in England; if ye can by any mean weet whether my lady take it to displeasure or not, or whether she think I mocked her, or if she weet it but lewdness of myself, I pray you send me word, for I wot not whether I may trust this Lady Brandon or not. As for tidings now, here be but few, save that, as I understand, ambassadors of Brittany shall come to London to-morrow; and men say that the Lord Rivers and Scales shall hastily come home, and men say that there 4 Anthony Woodville, Earl Rivers, &c. went to endeavour to obtain possession of the Earls of Pembroke and Richmond, who were detained as prisoners by the Duke of Brittany. is many of the soldiers that went to him into Brittany been dead of the flux and other epidemy, that the remanent should come home with the Lord Scales; and some say that these ambassadors come for more men; and this day runneth a tale that the Duke of1 Brittany should be dead, I believe it not. I sent you word of a hawk; I heard not from you since; I do and shall do that is possible in such a need. Also I cannot understand that my Lord of Norfolk shall come here this time, wherefore I am in a great agony how is best for me to sue to him for rehaving of my place; that good lord weeteth full little how much harm he doth me, and how little good or worship it doth him. I pray you send me your advice. No more to you at this time, but God have you in his keeping. Written at London, the 4th day of November, in the 12th year of Edward IV. I fear me that idleness leadeth your rein; I pray you rather remember Sir Hugh Lavernoy's till your hawk come. JOHN PASTON, knight. London, Wednesday, 4th of November, 1472, 12 E. VI. LETTER CCCXXVI.—(L. vol. ii. p. 119.) I should have thought this child was Anne, if it had not been for the memorandum of "A°. x." (10 E. IV.) on the back of a letter (ccxcix.) from John Paston to Sir John Paston, knight, to which I refer the reader. The child here expected therefore, whether boy or girl, died soon after its birth; and whether Sir John's good wishes, as to the sex of the child, were successful or not, must remain undetermined. To John Paston Esq., be this given. gentlewoman save our Lady herself; and so hope she shall to her great joy and all ours; and I pray God it may be like her in worship, wit, gentleness, and everything except the sex. No more to you at this time, but I will sleep an hour the longer to-morrow because I wrote so long and late to-night. Written between the 8th and the 9th day of November, in the 12th year of Edward IV. JOHN PASTON, knight. Between the 8th and 9th of November, 1472. 12 E. IV. LETTER CCCXXVII.—(VI. vol. v. p. 29.) [THE beginning of this letter chiefly relates to the steps taken by Sir J. Paston for the recovery of Caister, and he writes to his mother, brother, or Roos to assist him in his efforts. He has got, he writes, the king's letter of recommendation, to an agreement, we suppose, for 1 Francis II., the last Duke of Brittany, was born in 1435, and died in 1488. he adds "the king hath specially done for me in this case, and hath put me, and so have the lords, in right great comfort that if this fail that I shall have undelayed justice." He trusts the duchess will be his very good lady, but as she is confined, fears his messenger will not be admitted to her, nor his brother, to move her in his behalf. In that case, he says, 66 my mother, if she were at Norwich she might speak with her, for that she is a woman and of worship." In order further "to move" the duchess, he says, "where [whereas] that heretofore I would have departed with an hundred marks (667. 138. 4d.) to have had her good help, and to be restored to my place, which, not accepted, I told my said lady that I feared my power should not be hereafter to give so large a pleasure; for at that time I was in hope that the Bishop of Winchester should have paid it, though it had drawn an hundred pound yet forasmuch as men may not lure none hawks with empty hands, I would yet agree to give my lady 201. for a horse and a saddle, so that I be restored to my place." One other passage is remarkable for the independent and somewhat chivalrous spirit shown in it. He tells his brother, "ye may largely say on my behalf for such service as I should to my lord and lady hereafter, which by my LETTER CCCXXVIII.—(VII. vol. v. p. 37.) [THIS letter is only curious as containing a further account of John Paston's hawk. Though he writes to his brother Sir John about it with some humour, yet his vehemence about it, and about the other bird, the pie or magpie, approaches very near to anger. He begins his letter "Right worshipful Sir, I recommend me to you, thanking you most heartily of your diligence and cost which ye had in getting of the hawk which ye sent me, for well I wot that your labour and trouble in that matter was as much as though she had been the best of the world, but so God help me as far forth as the most cunning estragers1 can imagine, she shall never serve but to lay eggs, for she is both a muer de haye, and also she hath been so bruised with carnage of fowl that she is good as lame in both her legs, as any man may see at eye; wherefore all such folk as have seen her advise me to cast her into some wood, whereas I will have her to eyer [build or rather breed]; but I will do 1 [Estragers are falconers. Shakspere introduces s gentle Astringer' as one of the characters in All's Chat ends Well.] best therein as ye will, whether ye will I send her far worse |