Four centuries of English letters...

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FOUR CENTURIES OF ENGLISH LETTERS

FOUR CENTURIES

Contents

•** The dates at the beginning of the lines are those of the hirth and death of each ivriter.

A.D. PAGR

Lomner, "William, to John Past on , • • . . 3 Clere, Edmund, to John Paston .... .5

Section I

Forty years ago, Mr. Hallam, referring to an imperfect edition of the' Paston Letters/ by Mr. Fenn, remarked that they alone supplied 'a precious link in the chain of the moral history of England.' These letters come to us as a * track of continuous light/ in a century notoriously barren of literary efibrt, and help to develop not only the domestic, but the political history of England from A.D. 1422 to 1509. We are indebted to Mr. James Gairdner for as complete and clear an account ot the Paston Correspondence as it is at present possible to obtain. This edition, completed in 1875, contains 400 additional letters, besides many interesting documents which are published for the first time. The following letter describes the capture and murder of the Duke of Suffolk, the most able of Henry the Sixth's counsellors.

William Lomner to John Paston.

Byght worchipfull Sir, — I recomaunde me to yow, and am right soiy of that I shalle sey, and have soo wesshe this litel bille with sorwfulle terys, that on ethes ye shalle reede it.

As on Monday nexte after May day there come tydyngs to London that on Thorsday before the Duke of Suffolk come unto the costes of Kent full nere Dover with his ij shepes and a litel spynner; the qweche spynner he sente with certyn letters to certyn of his trustid men unto Caleys warde, to knowe howe he shuld be resceyvyd; and with him mette a shippe callyd Nicolas of the Towre, with other shippis waytyng on hym, and by hem that were in the spynner, the maister of the Nicolas hadde knowlich of the Dukes comyng. And whanne he espyed the Dukes shepis he sente forthe his bote to wete what they were, and the Duke hymselfe spakke to hem, and seyd he was be the Kyngs comaundement sent to Caleys ward, &c.

And they seycl he most speke with here master. And soo he, with ij or iij of his men, wente forth with hem yn here bote to the Nicolas; and whanne he come, the master badde him 'Welcom, Traitor,' as men sey ; and forther the maister desyryd to wete yf iho shepmen wolde holde with the duke, and they sent word they wold not yn noo wyse ; and soo he was yn the Nicolas tyl Saturday next folwyng.

Soom sey he wrotte moche thenke to be dely verd to the Kynge, but that is not verily knowe. He hadde his confessor with hym.

And some sey he was arreyned yn in the sheppe on here maner upon the appechements and fonde gylty.

Also he asked the name of the sheppe, and whanne he knewe it, he remembred Stacy that seid, if he myght eschape the daunger of the Towr he should be saffe ; and thanne his herte fay 1yd him, for he thowghte he was desseyvyd, and yn in the syght of all his men he was drawyn ought of the grete shippe yn to the bote ; and ther was an exe, and a stoke, and oon of the lewdeste of the shippe badde him ley down his hedde, and he should be fair ferd wyth, and dye on a swerd ; and toke a rusty swerd, and smotte of his hedde withyn halfe a doseyn strokes, and toke away his gown of russet, and dobelette of velved mayled, and leyde his body on the sonds of Dover ; and some sey his hedde was set oon a pole by it, and hes men sette on the londe be grette circumstaunce and preye. And the shreve of Kent doth weche the body, and sent his under shreve to the juges to wete what to doo, and also to the Kynge whatte shalbe doo. Forther I wotte nott, but this fer is that ji the proces be erroneous, lete his concell reverse it.

Sir Thomas Keriel is taken prisoner and alle the legge Imrneyse, and aboute iij. m^* (3000) Englishe men slayn.^

Mathew Gooth with xv° (1500) fledde, and sayvd hym selfe and hem; and Peris Brusy was cheffe capteyn, and hadde x"^^ (10,000) Frenshe men and more. I prey you lete my mastras your moder knowe these tydingis, and God have you all in his kepyn. 3 prey you this bille may recomaunde me to my mastrases your moder and wyfe,

Wretyn yn gret hast at London the v. day of May.

W. L.

' Reference to a battle fought near Caen during the French war. Our troops sent to the aid of the Duke of Somerset in Normandy were defeated.

II

Henry VI., after a period of mental derangement, recognises his infant son, Edward, Prince of Wales.

Edmund Clere to John Paston.

Kight welbeloved cosyn, — I recomaimd me to you, latyng you wite such tidings as we have.

Blessed be God, the King is wel amended, and hath ben syn Cristemesday, and on Seint Jones day comaunded his awmener to ride to Caunterbury with his offryng, and comaunded the secretarie to oflfre at Seint Edwards.

And on the Moneday after noon the Queen came to him, and brought my Lord Prynce with her. And then he askid what the Princes name was, and the Queen told him Edward ; and then he hild up his hands and thankid God therof. And he seid he never knew til that tyme, nor wist not what was seid to him, nor wist not where he had be, whils he hath be seke til now. And he askid who was godfaders, and the Queen told him, and he was well apaid.

And she told him that the Cardinal ^ was dede, and he seid he knew never thereof til that tyme ; and he seid oon of the wisist Lords in his land was dede.

And my Lord of Wynchestr and my Lord of Seint Jones were with him on the morrow after Tweltheday, and he speke to hem as well as ever he did ; and when thei come out thei wept for joye. And he seith he is in chaiitee with all the world, and so he wold all the Lords were. And now he seith matyns of Our Lady and evesong, and herith his Masse devoutly; and Richard shall tell yow more tidings by mouth.

I pray yow recomaund me to my Lady Morley and to Maister Prior, and to my Lady Felbrigge and to my Lady Hevenyngham, and to my cosyn your moder, and to my cosyn your wife.

Wreten at Grenewich on Thursday after Twelftheday

Be your cosyn

Edmund Clere.

1 John Kemp, Cardinal Archbishop of Canterbmy and Chancellor, who died nine months before the date of this letter. 2

III

If the style of correspondence of the Piibllc-Sclioolboy of the fifteenth century was more finished than it is to-day, the subject-matter seems much the same : viz.,, money, clothes, and exeats.

William Paston, junior, to his brother, John Paston.

Nov. 7, 1478. [Written from Eton College.]

Kyght reverent and worchepful brodyr, — I recomaunde me on to you, desyrynge to here of yowre welfare and prosperite ; letynge yow wete that I have resevyd of Alvs^edyr a lettyr, and a nobyll in gowlde therin. Ferthermor my creansyr ^ Mayster Thomas, hertely recomandyd hym to yow, and he praythe yow to sonde hym sum mony for my comons; for he seythe ye be xx*^^. [twenty-two shillings] in hys dette, for a monthe was to pay for when he had mony laste.

Also I beseche yow to sende me a hose clothe, one for the halydays of sum colore, and anothyr for the workyng days, how corse so ever it be it makyth no matyr ; and a stomechere, and ij schyrtes, and a peyer of sclyppers. And if it lyke yow that I may come with Alwedyi" be watyr, and sporto me with yow in London a day or ij thys terme tyme, than ye may let all thys be tyl the tyme that I come, and than I wol telle yow when I schall be redy to come from Eton, by the grace of God, Whom have yow in Hys kepyng.

Wretyn the Saturday next aftyr All Halown Day with the hand of your brod}'r,

William Paston.

IV

The Viscount Lovell here referred to was one of the adherents of Richard III., who was attainted on the accession of Henry VII. An unsuccessful conspirator on his own account, he fought on the side of the impostor Lambert Simnel, at the battle of Stoke a.d. 1487, and is said to have been drowned in the river Trent while beating a retreat from the royalist troops.

» Creditor.

Margaret, Countess of Oxford, to John Panton.

To my right trii.sti and welbiloved John Paston, Shrieve of Norftblk and Suffolk.

liight trusti and welbiloved, — I recomaimd me iirto you. And for as moclie as I am credebly enfourmed that Fraunceis, late Lorde Lovell, is now of late resorted into the Yle of Ely, to the entente by alle lykelyhod, to finde the waies and meanes to gete him shipping and passage in your costes or ellis to resorte ageyn to seintuary, if he can or maie ; I therfor hertily desire praie yow, and neverthelesse, in the Kinges name streibly chargie you that ye in all goodly haste endevore your self that such wetche or other meanes be used and hadde in the poorts, and creks, and othre places wher ye thinke necessary by your discrecion, to the letting of his seid purpose ; and that ye also use all the waies ye can or maie by your wisdom to the taking of the same Lorde Lovell. And what pleasur ye maie do to the Kingis Grace in this matier, I am sure, is not to you unknowen. And God kepe you.

Wretyn at Lavenham, the xix day of May.

Margaret Oxynford.*

This very curious letter is printed in the Camden Society's publications for the year 18G3. The young Q,ueen jMaro-aret of Anjou is urging the suit of a member of her household, a staunch Lancastrian of the Red Rose, for the hand of a wealthy widow who had the disposal of seventeen manors. But Dame Carew was not to be inveigled b}'- royal advances. She bestowed her hand and chattels real on the handsome young De Vera, brother of the twelfth Earl of Oxford.

Margaret, Queen of Henry VI., to Dame Jane Carew.

Eltham [1450].

By the Queen.

Right dere and welbeloved, we grete you well ; and, for as moch as oure trusty and welbeloved Squier, Thomas Burneby,

' Daughter of Eichard Neville, Earl of Salisbury and sister of Richard, Earl of Warwick.

sewer of our mouth, aswel for the greet zele, love, and affeccion that he hath unto yo^ personne, as for the womanlj and vertuouse governance that ye be renowned of, desireth with all his hert to do you worship by wey of mariage, bifore all creatures lyvyng, as he saith ; We, desiryng th' encres, furtherance, and preferring of oure said squire for his manyfold merits and deserts, as for the good service that he hath done unto my lord and us, and yet therin dayly continueth, praye you right affectuously, that, at reverence of us, ye will have oure said squire towards his said mariage especially recommended, inclynyng you to his honest desire at this tyme j the rather by contemplacion of this oure praier, wherin we trust verreily ye shul mowe pourvey right well for yo'^ self, to yo'^ greet worship and hertsease, and cause us to have yow both in suche tendernesse and faver of our good grace, that by reason ye shul holde you right well content and pleased ; and how ye thinke to be disposed to our pleasir in this partie, ye will acertein us by the bringer of these. As Our singler trust is in yow.

Given, etc. at Eltham, the, etc.

To Dame Jane Carew.

VI

Oonsidering the weakness of Henry VII.'s title to the throne, and considering also the fact that among the small remnant of * Greater Barons ' who sm-vived the Wars of the Roses, the wearers of the white rose were the more numerous after the battle of Bosworth, it is not surprising that Henry of Richmond, during the first years of his reign, was set the troublesome task of beating off pretenders to his throne. The Court of Burgundy, where the sister of our Edward IV. was despotic, was the rendezvous of the disaffected Yorkist nobility.

Henry YII. to Sir Gilbert Talbot,

Kenilworth Castle : July, 1493.

Trusty and well beloved, — We greet you well; and not forgetting the great malice that the Lady Margaret of Burgundy beareth continually against us, as she showed lately in sending hither of a feigned boy, surmising him to have been the son of the Duke of Clarence, and caused him to be accompanied with the Earl of Lincoln, the Lord Lovel, and with great multitude of Irishmen and of Almains, whose end, blessed be God, was as ye know well. And foreseeing now the perseverance of the same her malice, by the untrue contriving eftsoon of another feigned lad called Perkin "Warbeck, born at Tournay, in Picardy, which at first into Ireland called himself the bastard son of King Richard ; after that the son of the said Duke of Clarence; and now the second son of our father, King Edward the lYth, whom God assoil; wherethrough she intendeth, by promising unto the Flemings and other of the archduke's obeissaunce, to whom she laboureth daily to take her way, and by her promise to certain aliens, captains of strange nations, to have duchies, counties, baronies, and other lands, within this our royaume, to induce them thereby to land here, to the destruction and disinheritance of the noblemen and other our subjects the inhabitants of the same, and finally to the subversion of this our royaume, in case she may attaine to her malicious purpose, that God defend. We therefore, and to the intent that we may be alway purveied and in readiness to resist her malice, write unto you at this time ; and will and desire you that, preparing on horseback, defensibly arrayed, four score persons, whereof we desire you to make as many spears, with their custrells,^ and demi-lances, wellhorsed as ye can furnish, and the remainder to be archers and bills, ye be thoroughly appointed and ready to come upon a day's warning for to do us service of war in this case. And ye shall have for every horseman well and defensibly arrayed, that is to say, for a spear and his custrel twelvepence ; a demi-lance ninepence ; and an archer or bill, on horseback, eightpence by the day, from the time of your coming out unto the time of your return to your home again. And thus doing, ye shall have such thanks of us for your loving and true acquittal in that behalf as shall be to your weal and honour for time to come. We pray you herein ye will make such diligence as that ye be ready with your said number to come unto us upon any our sudden warning.

Given under our signet at our Castle of Kenilworth, the twentieth day of July (1493).

To our trusty and well-heloved Knight and Councillor, Sir Gilbert Talbot.

* Squires of the body.

VII

Cavendish in his ' Life of Wolsey,' prints this pitiful letter from the original in the Ashmolean Museum. It is dated from Asher (Esher), whither the Cardinal was ordered to retire after judgment had been pronounced against him for having transgressed the Statute of Praemunire. In his day of authority and glory Wolsey was the haughtiest and richest subject in England ; only a very few days sufficed to deprive him not only of all his former magnificence, but almost of the commonest domestic comfoi'ts.

Cardinal Wolsey to Dr. Stephen Gardiner.

My owne goode Mastyr Secretary, — Aftyr my moste herty commendacions I pray you at the reverens of God to helpe, that expedicion be iisyd in my persiits, the delay wherof so replenyshyth my herte with hevynes, that I can take no reste ; not for any vayne fere, but onely for the miserable condycion, that I am presently yn, and lyclyhod to contynue yn the same, onles that you, in whom ys myn assuryd truste, do help & releve me therin; For fyrst, contynuyng here in this mowest & corupt ayer, beyng enteryd into the passyon of the dropsy. Cum prostatione appetitus et continuo insomnio. I cannot lyve.

Wherfor of necessyte I must be removyd to some other dryer ayer and place, where I may have comodyte of physycyans. Secondly, havyng but Yorke, wych is now decayd by viii. C. li. by the yeere, I cannot tell how to lyve, & kepe the poore nombyr of folks wych I nowe have, my howsys ther be in decay, and of evry thyng mete for houssold onprovydyd and furnyshyd.

I have non apparell for my howsys ther, nor money to bring me thether nor to lyve wyth tyl the propysse tyme of the yeere shall come to remove thether. Thes thyngs consyderyd, M'' Secretary, must nedys make me yn agony and hevynes, myn age therwith and sycknes consyderyd, alas M*" Secretary, ye with other my lordys shewyd me, that I shuld otherwyse be furnyshyd & seyn unto, ye knowe in your lernyng & consyens, whether I shuld forfet my spiritualties of Wynchester or no, Alas ! the qualytes of myn offencys consyderyd, with the gret punishment & losse of goodes that I have sustaynyd, owt to move petyfuU hertys; and the moste nobyl Kyng, to whom yf yt wold please yow of your cherytable goodnes to shewe the premyses aftyr your accus-

1600] ENQLISn LETTERS. 11

tomable wysdome & dexteryte, yt ys not to be dowbtyd, but his higlines wold bave consyderacyon and compassyon, aggmentyng my lyvyng, and appoyntyng such thyngs as shuld be convenient for my furniture, wych to do shalbe to the Kyng's high honor, meryte, & dyscharge of consyens, & to you gret prayse for the bryngyng of the same to passe for your olde brynger up and lovying frende. Thys kyndnes exibite from the Kyng's hyghnes shal prolong my lyff for some lytyl whyl, thow yt shall nat be long, by the meane whereof hys grace shal take profygtt & by my deth now. What ys yt to hys hyhnes to give some convenyent porcion owt of Wynchester, & Seynt Albons, hys grace takyng with my herty good wyl the resydew. Remember, good M^ Secretary, my poore degre, & what servys I have done, and how nowe approachyng to deth I must begyn the world ageyn. 1 besech you therfore, movyd with pity and compassyon soker me in thys my calamyte, and to your power wych I knowe ys gret, releve me ; and I with all myn shal not onely ascrybe thys my relef unto you, but also praye to God for the increase of your honor, & as my poore shall increase, so I shal not fayle to requyte your kyndnes.

Wrytten hastely at Asher, with the rude and shackyng hand of Your dayly bedysman

And assuryd friend, T. Car^is Ebor.

vin.

TiOrd Campbell, in his * Lives of the ChanceUors,' lays particular stress on this beautiful letter written by Sir Thomas More to his wife on receipt of the news that the greater part of his house at Chelsea (with the outhouses and granaries) had been destroyed by fire. The biographer is more attracted by the unusually simple style of the composition, and by the kindliness of disposition and unaffected piety of this good and gifted martyr, than by all his other elaborate writings and speeches. A few weeks after this grievous domestic mishap, the most upright of Henry VIII.'s councillors was sworn in Lord Chancellor of England.

Sir Thomas More to his Wife.

With the Court at Woodstock : Sept. 3, 1529. Mistress Alyce, — In my most harty will, I recomend me to you. And whereas I am enfourmed by my son Heron of the loss of our barnes, and our neighbours also, with all the corne that was therein, albeit (saving God's pleasure) it is gret pitie of so much good corne lost, yet sith it hath liked hym to send us such a chance, we must not only be content, but also be glad of his visitation. He sent us all that we have lost : and sith he hath by such a chance taken it away againe, his pleasure be fulfilled. Let us never grudge thereat, but take it in good worth, and hartely thank him, as well for adversitie, as for prosperitie. And par adventure we have more cause to thank him for our losse, than for our winning. For his wisedom better seeth what is good for us than we do ourselves. Therefore I pray you be of good cheere, and take all the how sold with you to church, and there thank God both for that he hath given us, and for tliat he hath left us, which if it please hym, he can increase when he will. And if it please him to leave us yet lesse, at hys pleasure be it. I praye you to make some good ensearche what my poor neighbours have loste, and bidde them take no thought therefore, and if I shold not leave myself a spone, there shall no poore neighbour of mine here no losse by any chance happened in my house. I pray you be with my children and household mery in God. And devise somewhat with your friends, what way wer best to take, for provision to be made for corne for our household and for sede thys yere coming, if ye thinke it good that we keepe the gi'ound still in our handes.

And whether ye think it good y* we so shall do or not, yet I think it were not best sodenlye thus to leave it all up, and to put away our folk of our farme, till we have somewhat advised us thereon. Howbeit if we have more no we than ye shall neede, and which can get the other maister's, ye may then discharge us of them. But I would not that any men wer sodenly sent away he wote nere wether. At my coming hither, I perceived none other, but that I shold tary still with the Kinges grace. But now I shall (I think), because of this chance, get leave this next weke to come home and se you ; and then shall we further devise together uppon all things, what order shall be best to take : and thus as hartely fare you well with all our children as you can wishe.

At "Woodstok the thirde daye of September, by the hand of Your loving husband

Thomas More, Knight.

IX

The following letter is historically famous as the subject of controversy between the admirers and detractors of Archbishop Cranmer. It has been appealed to by the former as an example of his fidelity to Aone Boleyn and bis courage in a grave emergency ; by the latter it is quoted as a proof of his submissiveness to the will of Henry VIII.

Thomas Cranmer, Archbishop of Canterhury, to Henry VIII.

Lambeth : May 3, 1536.

Pleaseth your most -noble Grace to be advertised, that at your grace's commandment by M"" secretary's letters, written in your grace's name, I came to Lambeth yesterday, and do there remain to know your grace's farther pleasure. And forasmuch as, without your grace's commandment, I dare not, contrary to the contents of the said letters, presume to come unto your grace's presence, nevertheless, of my most bounden duty, 1 can do no less than most humbly to desire your grace, by your great wisdom, and by the assistance of God's help, somewhat to siippress the deep sorrow of your grace's heart, and to take all adversities of God's hand both patiently and thankfully.

I cannot deny but your grace hath great causes, many ways, of lamentable heaviness ; and also that, in the wrongful estimation of the world, your grace's honour of every part is highly touched (whether the things that commonly be spoken of be true or not) that I remember not that ever Almighty God sent unto your grace any like occasion to try your grace's constancy throughout, whether your highness can be content to take of God's hand as well things displeasant as pleasant.

And if he find in your most noble heart such an obedience unto his will, that your grace, without murmuration and overmuch heaviness, do accept all adversities, not less thanking him than when all things succeed after your grace's will and pleasure, nor less procuring his glory and honour ; then, I suppose your grace did never thing more acceptable unto him since your first govei-nance of this your realm. And, moreover, your grace shall give unto him occasion to multiply and increase his graces and benefits unto your highness, as he did unto his most faithful servant Job ; unto whom, after his great calamities and heaviness, for his obedient heart, and willing acceptation of God s scourge and rod, 2* addidit ei Dominus cuncta duplicia. And if it be true that is openly reported of the queen's grace, if men had a light estimation of things, they should not esteem any part of your grace's honour to be touched thereby, but her honour only, to be clearly disparaged. And I am in such a perplexity, that my mind is clean amazed, for I never had better opinion in woman than I had in her ; which maketh me to think that she should not be culpable. And again, I think your highness would not have gone so far, except she had surely been culpable. Now I think that your grace best knoweth, that, next unto your grace, I was most bound unto her of all creatures living. Wherefore, I most humbly beseech your grace, to suffer me in that which both God's law, nature, and also her kindness bindeth me unto; that is, that I may, with your grace's favour, wish and pray for her, that she may declare herself inculpable and innocent.

And if she be found capable, considering your grace's goodness towards her, and from what condition your grace of your only mere goodness took her, and set the crown upon her head, I repute him not your grace's faithful servant and subject, nor true unto the realm, that would not desire the offence without mercy to be punished, to the example of all other. And as I loved her not a little,' for the love which I judged her to bear towards God and his gospel; so, if she be proved culpable, there is not one that loveth God and his gospel that ever will favour her, but must hate her above all other ; and the more they favour the gospel, the more they will hate her ; for there never was creatare in our time that so much slandered the gospel. And God hath sent her this punishment, for that she feignedly hath professed this gospel in her mouth, and not in heart and deed. And though she have offended so, that she hath deserved never to be reconciled unto your grace's favour, yet Almighty God hath manifestly declared his goodness towards your grace, and never offended you. Bat your grace, I am sure, acknowledgeth that you have offended him. Wherefore I trust that your grace will bear no less entire favour unto the truth of the gospel than you did before : forasmuch as your grace's favour to the gospel was not led by affection unto her, but by zeal unto the truth. And thus I beseech Almighty God, whose gospel hath ordained your grace to be defended of, ever to preserve your grace from all evil, and to give you at the end the promise of his gospel. From Lambeth, the 3^ day of May.

[Oraniner had written but not despatched this letter, when he was summoned to a conference by the Lord Chancellor and other peers, who stated to him the facts which, they said, could be proved against the queen. lie, therefore, in a postscript, added as follows : — ]

After I had written this letter unto your grace, my lord chancellor, &c. sent for me to come unto the starchamber ; and there declared unto me such things as your grace's pleasure was they should make me privy unto. For the which. I am most bounden unto your grace. And what communication we had therein, I doubt not but they will make the true report thereof to your grace. I am exceedingly sorry that such faults can be proved by the queen as I heard of their relation. But I am, and ever shall be, your faithful subject.

Your grace's

Humble subject and chaplain, Thomas Cantuariensis.

X

Not the least curious of the manusciipts in the Vatican Library at Rome are the original autographs of Henry VIII. 's love letters to Anne Boleyn. It is supposed they were stolen from this lady at the end of the year 1£28. They remained in the Vatican until the French appropriated them, with other treasures of art and literature, after the invasion of Italy at the close of last century. They were restored at the peace of 1815. Halliwell, in his ^ Letters of the Kings of England,' attaches great importance to this letter as fixing the period of the commencement of the King's affection for Anne Boleyn. Henry VIII. complains of * having been above a whole year struck with the dart of love.'