Volume Ii Part 23 (1/2)
[Footnote 106.1: [From Paston MSS., B.M.] As it appears from Margaret Paston's letter of the 2nd April 1449 that William Paston was a student at Cambridge in that year, the date of this must be about the same period.]
[Footnote 106.2: Word omitted.]
[Footnote 106.3: So in MS.]
[Footnote 107.1: This is written 'sanyth' but there is a stroke through the _a_, which was perhaps intended to have been carried through the _s_ also.]
92
SIR JOHN FASTOLF TO JOHN PASTON[107.2]
_To the Worshypful Sir, and my ryght well beloved cosen, John Paston._
[Sidenote: 1449(?) / JULY 10]
Worshypfull and ryghte welbelovyd cosyn, I comaund me to you. Please you to here that the Pryore and Convent of Norwyche have wythhalden certeyn rent for landes that they halden of me wythinne my maner of Haylysdon, and the ij. tapers of wax of ij. lbs. wyght, by the s.p.a.ce of xviij.
yere, that mountyth xxj_s._[107.3] valued in money. And the lordes of the seyd maner beyng before me, and y yn my tyme, have been seised and possessed of the seyd rent. Prayng you to speke wyth the Pryore, or comaundyng me unto hym. And that ye lyke to move hym to make me payment as his dewtee ys, so as y have no cause to gowe further, and to do as justice requyreth. He hahyth x.x.x. acres lande or more by the seyd rent, and whyht ought to pay me othyr rent more by myn evidense. More over y pray you, cosen, that I may speke with you or [_before_] y ryde, and that on Thursday by the ferthest; and then y shall tell you tydyngs off the Parlement, and that ye fayle not, as my trust ys yn you. I pray G.o.d have you in Hys guidance.
Wreten at Castor, the x. day off Julie 1449[108.1].
Your Cosen,
JOHN FASTOLFE.
[Footnote 107.2: [From Palmer's _Foundacion and Antiquitye of Great Yermouthe_, p. 61.]]
[Footnote 107.3: 'xxj.o,' as printed by Palmer, but the 'o' no doubt should be '_s._']
[Footnote 108.1: So the date is given in the book from which this letter is copied, but the year is certainly wrong, as the writer did not go to reside at Caister till 1454. The date indeed would have been suspicious apart from this, as the mode of dating is quite unusual in these letters. Probably in the original MS. (which the Editor has not seen) '1449' was inserted after 'Julie' in a later hand.]
93
AGNES PASTON TO JOHN PASTON[108.2]
_To John Paston be this letter delyveryd._
[Sidenote: Not after 1449]
Soon, I grete zow wel with G.o.ddis blyssyng and myn, and I latte zow wette that my cosyn Cler[108.3] wrytted to me that sche spake with Schrowpe[108.4] after that he had byen with me at Norwyche, and tolde her what cher that I had made hym, and he seyde to her he lyked wel by the cher I made hym.
He had swyche wordys to my cosyn Cler that lesse than ze made hym good cher, and zaf hym wordys of conforth at London, he wolde no mor speke of the matyr.
My cosyn Cler thynkyth that it were a foly to forsake hym lesse than ze knew of on owdyr as good or better; and I have a.s.sayde zowr suster,[108.5] and I fonde her never so wylly to noon as sche is to hym, zyf it be so that his londe stande cleer.
I sent zow a letter by Brawnton for sylke, and for this matyr befor my cosyn Cler wrote to me, the qwyche was wrytten on the Wednysday nexzt aftyr Mydsomer day.
Sir Harry Ynglows is ryzth besy a bowt Schrowpe for one of his dozthers.
I prey zow, for zette nozth to brynge me my mony fro Horwelbery, as ze com fro London, edyr all or a grete parte. The dew dette was at Crystemesse last paste, no thynge a lowyd, vij_li._ xiiij_s._ viij_d._, and at this Mydsomer it is v_li._ more; and thow I a low hym all his askyng, it is but xxvj_s._ vj_d._ less, but I am nozth so avysyth zytt.