The Paston Letters.

Volume V.

by James Gairdner.

THE PASTON LETTERS

_Edward IV_

WILLIAM EBESHAM TO SIR JOHN PASTON[1-1]

_To my moost worshupfull maister, Sir John Paston, Knyght._

[Sidenote: 1469(?)]

My moost woorshupfull and moost speciall maister, with all my servyce moost lowly I recomande unto your G.o.de maistirship, besechyng you most tendirly to see me sumwhat rewardid for my labour in the Grete Booke[1-2] which I wright unto your seide G.o.de maistirship. I have often tymes writyn to Pampyng accordyng to your desire, to enforme you hou I have labourd in wrytyngs for you; and I see wele he speke not to your maistership of hit. And G.o.d knowith I ly in seint warye [_sanctuary_] at grete costs, and amongs right unresonable askers. I movid this mater to Sir Thomas[1-3] late, and he tolde me he wolde move your maistirship therein, which Sir Thomas desirid me to remembir wele what I have had in money at soondry tymes of hym.[2-1]

And in especiall I beseche you to sende me for almes oon of your olde gownes, which will countirvale much of the premysses I wote wele; and I shall be yours while I lyve, and at your comandement; I have grete myst of it, G.o.d knows, whom I beseche preserve you from all adversite. I am sumwhat acqueyntid with it. Your verry man,

W. EBSHAM.

Folowyng apperith, parcelly, dyvers and soondry maner of writyngs, which I William Ebesham have wreetyn for my G.o.de and woorshupfull maistir, Sir John Paston, and what money I have resceyvid, and what is unpaide.

First, I did write to his maistership a litill booke of Pheesyk, for which I had paide by Sir Thomas Leevys[2-2] in Westminster xx_d._

Item, I had for the wrytyng of half the prevy seale of Pampyng viij_d._

Item, for the wrytynge of the seid hole prevy seale of Sir Thomas ij_s._

Item, I wrote viij. of the Witnessis in parchement, but aftir xiiij^d. a peece, for which I was paide of Sir Thomas x_s._

Item, while my seide maister was over the see in Midsomerterme

Calle sett me a warke to wryte two tymes the prevy seale in papir, and then after cleerely in parchement iiij_s._ viij_d._

And also wrote the same tyme oon mo of the lengist witnessis, and other dyvers and necessary wrytyngs, for which he promisid me x^s. whereof I had of Calle but iiij^s. viij^d. car. v^s. iiij^d.

v_s._ iiij_d._

I resceyvid of Sir Thomas at Westminster, penultimo die Oct., anno viij.

iij_s._ iiij_d._

Item, I did write to quairs of papir of witnessis, every quair conteynyng xiiij. leves after ij^d. a leff iiij_s._ viij_d._

Item, as to the Grete Booke--First, for wrytyng of the Coronacion, and other tretys of Knyghthode, in that quaire which conteyneth a xiij. levis and more, ij^d. a lef ij_s._ ii_d._

Item, for the tretys of Werre in iiij. books, which conteyneth lx. levis aftir ij^d. a leaff x_s._

Item, for _Othea_[3-1] pistill, which conteyneth xliij. leves vii_s._ ij_d._

Item, for the Chalengs, and the Acts of Armes which is xxviij^ti lefs iiij_s._ viij_d._

Item, for _De Regimine Principum_, which conteyneth xlv^ti leves, aftir a peny a leef, which is right wele worth iij_s._ ix_d._

Item, for Rubrissheyng of all the booke iii_s._ iiij_d._

Summa rest'

xxij_s._ iiij_d._

Summa non solut'

xlj_s._ j_d._, unde pro magno[4-1] libro scripto xxvij^s c.u.m diu' chal.[4-2]

Summa Totalis iij_li._ iij_s._ v_d._

WILLIAM EBESHAM.

In further ill.u.s.tration of the payments made in that age for writing, etc., Sir John Fenn gives the following extracts from an original quarto MS. then in his possession, containing--

The various expences of Sir John Howard, Knight, of Stoke by Neyland, in Suffolk (afterwards Duke of Norfolk), page 136.

Item, the vij^th yere of Kynge Edward the iiij^th, and the xxviij. day of July (1467). My master rekened with Thomas Lympnour of Bury, and my master peid hym--

For viij. hole vynets ... prise the vynett, xii_d._, viij_s._

Item, for xxj. demi vynets ... prise the demi vynett, iiij_d._ vij_s._

Item, for Psalmes lettres xv^c. and di' ... the prise of C. iiij_d._ v_s._ ij_d._

Item, for p'ms letters lxiij^c... . prise of a C., j_d._ v iij_d._

Item, for wrytynge of a quare and demi ... prise the quayr, xx_d._ ij_s._ vj_d._

Item, for wrytenge of a calender, xij_d._

Item, for iij. quayres of velym, prise the quayr, xx_d._ v_s._

Item, for notynge of v. quayres and ij. leves, prise of the quayr, viij[_d._]

iij_s._ vij_d._

Item, for capital drawynge iij^c. and di', the prise, iij_d._

Item, for floryshynge of capytalls, v^c.

v_d._