Shepes and a litel Spynn the qweche Spyner he fente with teyn Lettrs to creyn of his truftid men unto Caleys warde to knowe howe he fhuld be refcey vyd and with hym mette a Shippe callyd Nicolas of the Towre with other Shippis waytyng on hym and by hem that were in the Spyner the maifter of the Nicolas hadde knowlich of the Dukes comyng and whanne he ef. pyed the Dukes Shepis he fent forthe his bote to wete what they were and the Duke hym felfe fpakke to hem and feyd he was be the Kyngs comaundemet fent to Caleys warde, &c. And they feyd he mofte fpeke with here maft' and foo he wtij or iij of his men wente forth wyth hem yn here bote to the Nicolas and whanne he come the mafir badde hym Welcom Traiter as me fey and forth the maftr defyryd to wete yf the Shepmen woldde holde with the Duke and they fent word they wold not yn noo wyfe, and foo he was yn the Nicolas tyl Satrday next folwyng. Soom fey he wrotte moche thenke to be delyu'd to the Kynge but thet is not verily knowe, he hadde hes Confeffer with hym, &c. And fome fey he was arreyned yn the Sheppe on here mar r upon the appechementes and fonde gyl. ty, &c. Alfo he asked the name of the Sheppe and whanne he knew it he remembred Stacy that feid if he myght efchape the daungr of the Kent full near Dover with his two Ships and a little Spinner; the which Spinner he fent with certain Letters, by certain of his trufted men unto Calais ward, to know how he fhould be received; and with him met a Ship called Nicholas of the Tower with other Ships waiting on him, and by them that were in the Spinner, the Mafter of the Nicholas had knowledge of the Duke's coming. When he efpied the Duke's Ships, he fent forth his boat to weet what they were, and the Duke himfelf spoke to them, and faid, he was by the King's Commandment fent to Calais warde, &c. and they faid, he muft fpeak with their Mafter; and fo he with two or three of his men went forth with them in their Boat to the Nicholas; and when he came, the Mafter bade him, Welcome Traitor, as men fay. And further the Mafter defired to wete if the Shipmen would hold with the Duke, and they fent word they would not in no wife; and fo he was in the Nicholas till Saturday (2d May) next following. Some fay he wrote much thing to be delivered to the King, but that is not verily known. He had his Confeffor with him, &c. and fome fay, he was arraigned in the Ship on their manner upon the Impeachments and found guilty, &c. Alfo he asked the name of the Ship, and when he knew it, he remembered Stacy that faid, if he Towr This fhip belonged to Bristol in 1442, 20 H.VI. and was a great Ship with Fore Stages, and carried 150 men. + Impeachments by the commons; this fhows that these Ships were sent out on purpose to take him, &c. Prophecies in thefe times were generally believed, and being always ambiguously expreffed, had a greater chance of being fometimes fulfilled. Towr he fhuld be faffe and thanne his herte faylyd hym for he thowght he was deffey vyd, and yn the fyght of all his men he was drawn ought of the grete Shippe yn to the Bote and there was an Exe and a ftoke and oon of the lewdefte of the Shippe badde hym ley down hys hedde and he fhuld be fair ferd wyth and dye on a fwerd and toke a rafty fwerd and fmotte of his hedde withyn * halfe a dofeyn ftrokes and toke awey his Gown of ruffette aud his Dobelette of velvet mayled, and leyde his body on the Sonds of Dover and fome fey his hedde was fette oon a pole by it and hes men fette on the londe be grette circoflunce and preye and the Shreve of Kent doth weche the body and fent his Un. der Shreve to the Juges to wete what to doo, and alfo to the Kenge whatte fhalbe doo. Forther I wotte notte but this fer is yt yf the p's be erroneos lete his concell reurfe it, &c. Alfo for alle yor other matrs they flepe and the ffreer alfo, &c. Sr Thomas Keriel is take p'forr and || alle the legge harneyfe and abowte jij me Englishe men flayn. Mathew Gooth with xve fledde and favyd bym felffe and hem, and might efcape the danger of the Tower he should be safe, and then his heart failed him, for he thought he was deceived. And in the fight of all his men, he was drawn out of the great Ship into the Boat, and there was an Axe, and a Stock, and one of the lewdeft [meaneft] of the Ship bade him lay down his head, and he should be fairly ferd [dealt] with, and die on a Sword; and took a rusty Sword and fmote off his head within half a dozen ftrokes, and took away his Gown of Ruffet, and his Doublet of velvet mailed, and laid his Body on the Sands of Dover; and fome fay his Head was fet on a pole by it; † and his men fit an the land by great circumftance [q. by great numbers] and pray. And the Sheriff of Kent doth watch the body, and (hath) fent his Underfheriff to the Judges to weet what to do; and alfo to the King (to know) what fhall be done. Further I wot not, but thus far is it, if the process be erroneous let his Counsel reverfe it, &c. Alfo for all the other matters, they fleep and the Fryar alfo, &c. Sir Thomas || Keriel is taken Pri King Henry IV. from one of these ambiguous Prophecies, believed he was to die in Jerufalem. * A most cruel manner of putting him to death. May not this fentence be thus read? and his men [were] fet on the land be [together with] great circumstance [wealth] and prey [booty]. His Body was taken from Dover Sands, and carried to the Collegiate Church of Wingfield, in Suffolk, where it lies interred under an Altar Tomb, in the Chancel, with his Effigies in Armour, painted, gilt, &c. carved in wood, lying on it. It is remarkably well executed, as is that of Alice his wife, likewife, which lies at his right hand. He was taken Prifoner at the battle of Fourmigni, fought on the 18th of April, 1450, where he defended himself with great bravery. He was beheaded by Queen Margaret's order, after the fecond battle of St. Alban's, in 1460. H 3 RHODES HOUSE OXFORD Persi Query, if the brave Mathew Gough, who was afterwards flain in Cades's Rebellion, fighting on the Citizens' Part, in July 1450, at the battle of the bridge. The conclufion of this Letter puzzled me for a long time; at first I thought that the word Wyfe might be read Neif or Servant, but the W was too much like all the others in the fame Letter to warrant that reading. I think it may be thus explained. On looking over this Collection of Letters, I found some subscribed W L, and others Willm Lomner in the fame hand. But then this difficulty occurred, how could W L or Will Lomner be the Wife of John Pafton ? On examining fome of the Letters of Margaret Pafton to her husband, and which were fubfcribed "Be your Wife M P," I found them written in the fame hand as thofe figned W L, and Willm Lomner. I guess, therefore, that, being used to write fometimes for his mistress to her husband John Pafton, he now in his hurry inftead of concluding " By your "Servant WL," as fome of his Letters do, he wrote by mistake "By yowr Wyfe "W L.' The family of Lonner had property both at Mannington and Wood Dalling in Norfolk; at the latter Town his Son William built a caftellated Manlion. T To my right worshupfull Cofygne John R IGHT worfhupfull Sr. I recomaunde me unto yow in the moft goodly wyfe that y can, and forasmuche as ye defired of me to fende yow worde of dyu's matirs her' whiche been opened in the p'liament openly, I fende yow of theme fuche as I can. First mooft espi'all that for verray trow the upon fat'day that last was the Duke of Suffolk was taken in the See, and there he was byheded and his body wt the app'tenaunce fette at lande at Dover, and alle the Folks that he haad wt hym were fette to lande, and haad noon harme. Alfo the Kyng hath füwhat graanted to have the refupfion agayne in fume but not in alle, &c. Alfo yef ye purpofe to come hydre to put up your +bylles, ye may come now in a good tyme, ffor now cu'y man that hath any they put theyme now inne, and fo may ye yif ye come, wt Godds Grace to your pleafur. Ferthermore upon the iiijthe day of this monthe the Erle of Devenesshire come hydre w iiijs men wel by feen, &c. And upon the morrow aft' my Lord of Warrewyke wt iiije and moo, &c. my right worshipful Coufin, Jyon Pafton, of Norwich, Esquire. R IGHT worshipful Sir, I recommend me unto you in the most goodly wife that I can; and for as much as ye defired of me to fend you word of divers matters here, which have been opened in the Parliament openly, I fend you of them fuch as I can. First moft efpecial, that for, very truth upon Saturday that laft was, the Duke of * Suffolk was taken in the Sea, and there he was beheaded, and his body with the appurtenance fet at land at Dover; and all the Folks that he had with him were fet to land, and had none harm, &c. Alfo the King hath fomewhat granted to have the refumption again, in fome but not in all, &c. i Alfo if ye purpose to come hither to put up your + bills, ye may come now in a good time, for now every man that hath any, they put them in, and fo may ye if ye come, with God's Grace to your plea fure. Furthermore upon the 4th day of this Month, the Earl of Devonfhire came hither with 300 men || well befeen, &c. and upon the mor row after, my Lord of § Warwick, with 400 and more, &c. * This Account exactly agrees with that in the last Letter, as to the murder &c. of the Duke of Suffolk. ↑ Here follows fome advice relative to fome private Bills of J. Paston, to be prefented to the Parliament. Thomas Courtney, Earl of Devonshire, was taken at the battle of Towton, in 1461, and afterwards beheaded, by order of Edward IV. he having revolted from Edward to Henry V1. A fine body of men well arrayed and accoutred. Richard Neville, Earl of Warwick, was killed in the battle of Barnet in 1473, most furiously fighting against Edward IV. H 4 Alfo Some Obfervations on the Two preceding Letters to the worshipful John Pafton, Efquire, at Norwich. THE Murder of William de la Pole, Duke of Suffolk, is, by our Hiftorians, variously related; fome informing us, in general terms, that it was committed by the contrivance of the Party then in oppofition to the Queen; others, that it was done by order of the Party then in the Duke of York's Intereft; and others, that a Captain Nicholas, of a Ship belonging to the Tower, or a Captain of a Ship called the Ni. cholas, met him on the Sea, and there took and murdered him; but whether in confequence of being em. ployed for that purpose, or on his own authority, does not fufficiently appear. Duke of Suffolk's fituation previous to his leaving the Kingdom, are neceffary to the clearly underftanding of the following account. Upon the Meeting of the Parlia ment at Weftminster, in November 1449, the Commons prefented to the Lords feveral Articles of Impeachment against the Duke of Suffolk. The Queen, fearing the confequences of thefe, perfuaded the King to fend the Duke to the Tower, hoping by this ftep to fatisfy the Commons. After this, by her addrefs, the Parliament was adjourned to Leicefter, to meet in April 1450, where the Duke, being released from his imprisonment, appeared, with the King and Queen, as Prime Minifter. This Proceeding extremely of A Short Sketch of the Proceed- fending the Commons, they preings of the Parliament, and of the fented a Petition to the King, pray. The Cranes were a good family flourishing at this time in the Counties of Norfolk and Suffolk; and the writer of this Letter belonged to the Court. The feal on this Letter is defaced, but it has a neat braid of twine round it. |