Volume V Part 17 (1/2)
[Sidenote: 1470 / OCT. 22]
For asmuche as Edmond Lee and John Barker, which were waged for your town to awaite upon us in the Kings service to Lincolne Feld, and from thens to Excestre and ayen, and for that season, as we be enfourmed, thei ar not yet fully contented and paied of their wages; wherfore upon the sighte herof we woll and charge that ye, with oute any lenger delay, paie them their hooll duties acording the covenants that ye made with them, and ye faille not herof as ye entende our pleaser.
Wreten at Wyngefeld, the xxij^th day of Octobr.
SUFFOLK.
[Footnote 86-1: [From Fenn, iv. 448.] The battle here referred to as 'Lincoln Field' is what is commonly called the battle of Stamford, in which the insurrection of Sir Robert Welles in Lincolns.h.i.+re was completely defeated in March 1470. Just before the date of this doc.u.ment, Edward IV. had left the kingdom, and Henry VI. had been restored; but perhaps Suffolk was not aware of the situation, or did not recognise it.]
761
MARGARET PASTON TO [JOHN PASTON][86-2]
[Sidenote: 1470 / OCT. 28]
I grete you wele and send you G.o.ddis blyssyng and myn, and I sende you be the berere herof all the sylver vessell that your graundam[86-3]
makyth so mych of, which she seid I had of myn husband, and myn husband shuld have had it of his fader. And wher as she seid that I shuld have had a garneys, I had ner see never more than I send you, that is to say, ij. plateris, vj. dysshes and vj. sawceris. The ij. playteris weyn xliij. unces di., and the vj. dysshes weyn lxxiiij. unces di. and the sawcers weyn xvij. unces j. quarter. And I marvayll that ye sent me not word what an unce of sylver is werth at London; for it had be lesse joparte to have sold it here and have sent you the money than the plate.
I myght have sold it her for iij_s._ an unce, sum xx_li._ iiij_s._ iij_d._ Be ware how that ye spend it, but in acquityng you ageyn such as ye be in daunger to, or abought the good speed of your materis; for, but if ye take odere heed to your expensis, ye shall do your self and your frendis gret diswurchep and enpoveryssh so them that non of us shall help other, to owr elmys [_enemies'_] grete comfort. It is understand ryght now in this countre be such as cleyme to be frendly to you in what grete daunger and nede ye stande in, bothe to diverse of your frendis and to your elmyse. And also it is noysed that I have departed so largely with you that I may nowthere help yow, my self nor none of my frendis; which is no wurchep, and causeth me to set the lesse be us; and at this tyme it compellith me to breke up howshold and to sogeorn; which I am right loth to have to do if I myght otherwyse have chosyn; for it caused gret clamour in this town[87-1] that I shall do so; and it shuld not have neded if I had restreyned whan I myght. Therfore for G.o.ddis sake take hede here to, and be ware from hens forth; for I have delivered and sent you bothyn my parte the dedis and yowris, and not restreyned nowthere for my self nor the dede. Where fore I thynk we spede and fare all the wers; for it is a fowle slaunder that he was so wurchepful beried and his qwethword not performed, and so litill do for hym sithen. And now though I wold do for hym, I have right not [_naught_] beside my lyffelode that I may make any chevysans with, with ought grete slaunder; and my lyffelode encreasith evill, for I am fayn to takyn Mautby in myn owyn hand, and to set up husbandry ther; and how it shall profite me G.o.d knowyth. The fermour owyth me lx.x.x_li._ and more. Whan I shall have it I wete never. Therfore be never the bolder in your expenses for any help ye trust to have of me. For I will fro hens forth bryng my self ought of such daunger as I stand in for your sakes, and do for the dede and for them that I have my goodis of; for till I do so, I know for certeyn that I shall fayll grace and displeas G.o.d, How [_who_] have you in His kepyng. Wretyn on Sent Symondis day and Judes in hast.--Be your Moder.
Item, I send zow ij. sherte clothys, iche of iii. zardis of the fynest that is in thys towne. I xuld a dohem mad here[88-1] but that xuld a be to long here [_ere_] ze xuld a had hem. Zour Awnte[88-2] or sum other good woman wule do her almes up on zow for the makyng of them. I thank zow for the gowne that ye gave me Halowmesse day I hope [I[88-3]] xole be wurshuped ther with. At reverence of G.o.d, be ware and take hed to soche thynggis as is wretyn with ynne thys letter. Telle your brother that the mony is not zet cownyd that I xuld send hym for thersa.r.s.enet (_sic_) and damaske that I spake to hym foor. As for the damaske that may be forebore tylle the nexte terme, but as for the sa.r.s.enet I woold have yt and yt mythe be, for I goo in my rentis. Late zour brothere[88-4] see thys letter. As fore your syster[88-5] I can send zow no good tydyngges of her, G.o.d make her a good wooman.
[Footnote 86-2: [Add. MS. 34,889, f. 206.] This letter was written by Margaret Paston to one of her two sons, Sir John or John, at a time when they were both together. That was the case in October 1470, as appears by a letter of the younger brother, written on the 12th (No. 759), to the postscript of which this seems to be an answer.]
[Footnote 86-3: Agnes Paston, the judge's widow.]
[Footnote 87-1: Norwich.]
[Footnote 88-1: 'I xuld a dohem mad here' = I should have got them made here.]
[Footnote 88-2: Elizabeth, widow of Robert Poynings.]
[Footnote 88-3: Omitted in MS.]
[Footnote 88-4: Sir John Paston, if this letter be to the younger brother.]
[Footnote 88-5: Margery Paston, now probably married to Richard Calle.]
762
SIR JOHN PASTON TO JOHN PASTON[88-6]
_To John Paston, Esquyere, in haste._
[Sidenote: 1470 / NOV. 15]
Brother, I comand me to yow, praying yow that thys be yow guydyng, if other folkys wy[ll] agree to the same, that Mr. Roos, olde Knevett, ye, and the worshypfullest that wyll do for owr sake, as Arblaster, John Gyneye, Wodhows, and al other gentelmen that at the daye wyll be in Norwyche, that ye all holl as on bodye come to geder, that my Lorde of Oxenforde maye ondrestande that som strenkethethe restyth ther by, whyche if it be well handely[d] and prove in the handely[ng], I trow Heydonnes parte woll be but an easy comparyson. Neverthelesse ye than most ye be war of on [_one_] payn, and that is thys: Heydon wyll of crafte sende amonge yow per case vj. or mor with harneyse for to sclandre yowr felawschep, with seyng that they be ryotous peple, and natt of substance. Requer the gentelmen above wretyn that if any men be in Norwyche of the contre that ber any suche harneyse, to do them leve it or any glysteryng byll.
The Meyr and siteseynes of Nowyche wher wonte to have asertayne[89-1] in harneyse of men of the town to the nombr of ij. or iij. or v.^c., whyche if they now do in lyke case, those wole owe better wyll to Mr. Roos and yow than to other folkys; and if it be so that the thowt nat to have non suche at thys tyme, I thynke the Meyr woll do it at the request of Mr.
Roos and yow, if lak of tyme cawse it not.