Volume V Part 26 (1/2)

790

ABSTRACT[123-1]

[MARGARET PASTON] TO HER SON [SIR JOHN PASTON]

[Sidenote: 1471(?) / NOV. 20]

Wonders she has no answer to her letter by Ric. Raddeley. Wants him and his brother to get a discharge from my Lord of Canterbury, 'for occupying of your father's goods.' If my Lord died before we got it, his successor might be 'more hasty upon us than he hath been.' My Lord knows the great charges we have had since he deceased, which have caused the goods to be spent. If any of us were to die, no one would take charge for us unless we have a discharge. Remember the spices and malmsey I have sent to you for.

St. Edmund's Day the King.

_Sealed._

[At the date of this letter, Sir John Paston and his brother John were together in London, and apparently the Archbishop of Canterbury was seriously ill. Of the latter fact we have no certain knowledge, but it appears by a subsequent letter that there was a report of his death in June 1472, and the two brothers were certainly in London together in November of the year preceding. It is probable therefore that the Archbishop was ill of the epidemic which prevailed in the latter part of 1471 and the spring of 1472. The two brothers were not together in November 1472.]

[Footnote 123-1: [From Paston MSS., B.M.]]

791

MARGARET PASTON TO JOHN PASTON[124-1]

_To John Paston, Esquier, be this delyverd in hast._

[Sidenote: 1471 / NOV. 29]

I grete zow welle, and send zow G.o.ddes blyssyng and myn, letyng zow wete that I have a letter from zour brother, wherby I undyrstand that he cannot, ner may, make no porveyans for the C. mark; the wyche causythe me to be rythgh hevy, and for other thynges that he wrytht to me of that he is in dawnger. For remembering wat we have had befor thys and ho symppylly yt hath be spente and to lytyl profythe to any of us, and now arn in soche ca.s.se that non of us may welle helpe other with owte that we schuld do that wer to gret a dysworschip for us to do, owther to selle wood or lond or soche stuffe that were nessessary for us to have in owr howsys; so mot I answer a for G.o.d, I wot not how to do for the seyde money, and for other thyngges that I have to do of scharge, and my worshup saved. Yt is a deth to me to thynk up on yt. Me thynkyth be zour brothers wrythtyng, that he thynkyth that I am informed be sume that be a bowthe me to do and to sey as I have be for thys, but be my trowthe he demyth a mysse; yt nedyth me not to be informed of no soche thengges.

I construe in my owyn mend, and conseyve i now and to myche, and whan I have brokyn my conseyte to sume that in happe he deniythe yt too, they have put me in cownforth more than I kowde have be any imajynasyon in my owyn conseythe. He wrythetyth to me also, that he hath spend thys terme xl_li._ Yt is a gret thyng; me thynkyth be good dyscresyon ther mythe myche ther of aben sparyd. Zour fadyr, G.o.d blysse hys sowle, hathe had as gret maters to do as I trowe he hathe had thys terme, and hath not spend halfe the mony up on them in so lytyl tyme, and hath do ryth well.

At the reverens of G.o.d, avyse hym zet to be war of hys expences and gydyng that yt be no schame to us alle. Yt is a schame and a thyng that is myche spokyn of in thys contre that zour faders graveston is not mad.

For G.o.ddes love, late yt be remembyrd and porveyde for in hast. Ther hathe be mych mor spend in waste than schuld have mad that, me thynkyth be zour brother that he is wery to wrythe to me and there fore I wyl not a k.u.mbyr hym with wrythtyng to hym. Ze may telle hym as I wryth to zow.

Item, I woold ze schuld remembyr zour brother of Pekerngges mater, if he c.u.m not hom hastely, that ze and Townesend and Lumnor may examyn and sette yt thorow. The pore man is almost on don ther by, and hys brother suethe hym and trobylyth hym sor zet; and also for the plesur of my koseyn Clere and the Lady Bolen, I woold yt were sette thorow.

As for my rowndlet of wyne, I schuld send zow mony there fore, but I dar not put yt in joperte, ther be so many theves stereng. John Lovedayes man was robbyd in to hys schyrte as he cam home ward. I trow, and ze a.s.saye Towneshend or Playter, or sum other good kuntery man of owrys to lend yt zow for me tyl they c.u.m hom, they wyl do so myche for me and I schal contente them a geyn. Item, Jamys Gressham hath ben pa.s.syng sekke and ys zet. Judy tellythe me that zour brother is avysed for to sue hym.

For G.o.ddes sake, late non onkyndnesse be schewed to hym, for that woold sone make an hend of hym. Remembyr ho keynd and true hartyd he hath ben to us to hys powre; and he had nevere take that offyce upon hym that he is in dawnger for, ne had be for owr sakkes. He hathe sold a gret parte of hys lond there for, as I suppose ze have knowlache of. Late yt be remembyrd, and ellys owr enmyes wyl rejoysyt, and ther wyl no wurshup be ther in at long way.

I schuld wryth mor but I have no leyser at thys tyme. I trow ze wyl sone k.u.m hom, and there fore I wryth the lesse. G.o.d kepe zow and send zow good speede, &c. Wretyn the Fryday, Sen Andrue Ev.

Be zour modyr.

_The following note is written on the back of the Letter in Sir John Fenn's hand_:--'This letter was fastened by threads brought through with a needle and made fast by the seal. The threads being cut on the directed side, the letter is opened without breaking the seal.'

[Footnote 124-1: [From Paston MSS., B.M.] St. Andrew's Eve, the 29th November, fell on a Friday in 1471. It will also be seen that the beginning of this letter refers to the same subject as the beginning of Letter 787.]

792

MARGARET PASTON TO JOHN PASTON, ESQUIRE[126-1]

_To John Paston, Esquyer, be this deliuered._