And in the sight 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 lewdest' of the ship bade him lay down his head, and he should be fairly fought with, and die on a sword; and he took a rusty sword, and smote off his head within half a dozen strokes, and took away his gown of russet, and his doublet of velvet mailed, and laid his body on the sands of Dover; and some say his head was set on a pole by it; and his men sit on the land by great circumstance, and pray. And the sheriff of Kent doth watch the bodyf, and [hath] sent his under sheriff to the judges, to weet what to do; and also to the king [to know] what - shall be done. Further I wot not, but thus far is it, if the process be erroneous, let his counsel reverse it, &c. Also for all the other matters, they sleep, and the friar also, &c. 1 meanest. *Query. By great numbers? E. 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, likewise, which lies at his right hand. E. Sir Thomas Keriel* is taken prisoner, and all the leg harness; and about 3000 Englishmen slain. Matthew Gooth [q. Gough+?,] with 1500, fled, and saved himself and them. And Peris Brusy was chief captain, and had 10,000 Frenchmen and more, &c. I pray you let my mistress, your mother, know these tidings, and God have you all in his keeping. I pray you [that] this bill may recommend me to my mistresses, your mother and wife, &c. James Gresham hath written to John of Dam, and recommendeth him, &c. Written in great haste at London, the 5th of May, &c. By your wife, London, Tuesday, 5th of May, 1450, 28th H. VI. WILLIAM LOMNER. * He was taken prisoner at the battle of Fouronigni, fought on the 18th of April, 1450, where he defended himself with great bravery. He was beheaded by queen Margaret's order, after the 2d battle of St. Alban's, in 1460. E. + Query, if the brave Matthew Gough, who was afterwards slain in Cade's rebellion, fighting on the citizen's part, in July, 1450, at the battle of the Bridge? E. The conclusion of this letter puzzled me for a long time; at first I thought the word wyfe might be read nief or servant, but the w was too much like all the others in the same letter, to warrant that reading. I think it may be thus explained: In looking over this collection of letters, I found some subscribed W. L. and others William Lomner, in the same hand. But then this difficulty occurred,-how could W. L. or William Lomner, be the wife of John Paston? On examining some of the letters of Margaret Paston to her husband, and which were subscribed Be your wife," I found them written in the same hand as those signed W. L. and William Lomner. I guess, therefore, that being used to write sometimes for his mistress to her husband, John Paston, he in his hurry, instead of concluding, "By your servant, W. L." as some of his letters do, he wrote by mistake, "by your wyfe, W. L." now, The family of Lomner, had property both at Mannington and Wood Dalling, in Norfolk; at the latter town, his son William built a castellated mansion. E. |