Volume V Part 46 (1/2)
When I undrestood all thys, and that over nyght she bad hyr that weent bytwyen hyr and me byd me brynge with me hyr muskeball[217-1] which, &c., than I aftr all thys axid iff she weer dyspleasyd with me ffor it, and she seyde, naye.
Than I tolde hyr, that I had nott sent it yowe, ffor synne off my sowle; and so I tolde hyr all, how I had wretyn to yow why that I wold nott sende it yow, by cawse I wyst weell ye sholde have slepyd the werse; but nowe, I tolde hyr, as G.o.d helpe me, that I wolde sende it yow, and gyffe yow myn advyse nott to hope ovyr moche on hyr, whyche is ovyr harde an hertyd lady ffor a yonge man to tryst on to; whyche I thowght that ffor all my words, ye cowde nott ner wolde nott do ffor all myn advyce.
Yitt ageynwards she is nott dyspleasyd, nor fforbad me nott but that ye sholde have the kepyng off hyr muskball; wherffor de ye with itt as ye lyke. I wolde it hadd doon weel; by Good, I spake ffor yow soo, that in ffeythe I trowe I kowde nott seye so weel ageyn.
Wherffor I sende yow herwith yowr rynge, and the onhappy muskeball. Also make ye mater off it herafftr as ye kan, I am nott happy to wow nowther ffor my selff ner noon other. I tolde hyr all the processe off the Lorde Howarde and off yowr grewnds [_greyhounds_] as I kowde; all helpys nott.[218-1]
I her no worde off my vessell, ner off my boks; I mervayll. No mor.
Wretyn at London, the xj. daye of Decembr, anno E. iiij.^ti xiiij^{o}.
J. P., K.
[Footnote 216-4: [From Fenn, ii. 170.]]
[Footnote 217-1: This muskball, or ball of perfume, seems to have been taken from Lady Walgrave by Sir John Paston in a jesting manner, to send to his brother as a present from her.--F.]
[Footnote 218-1: 'Here follows,' says Fenn, 'some displeasure at his uncle William's proceedings in matters between them, etc., of no consequence.']
[[wherffor de ye with itt _text unchanged: error for ”do”?_]]
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SIR JOHN PASTON TO JOHN PASTON[218-2]
_To the ryght worshypfull John Paston, Esquier, at Norwych, or to hys modr, Margreet Paston, in hys absence, in haste._
[Sidenote: 1475 / JAN. 17]
I recomande me to yow, praying yow hertely, that I maye have weetyng when that my Lorde and Lady of Norffolk shalle be at London, and howgh longe they shall tery theer, and in especiall my Lorde of Norffolk; ffor uppon ther comyng to London wer it ffor me to be guydyd. Neverthelesse I wolde be soory to come theer but iff I neds most. I thynke it wolde be to yow ovyr erksom a labor to solycyte the maters atwyen them and me, but iff I weer theer myselffe; wherffor, iff ye thynke it be convenyent that I com thyddr, I praye yow sende me worde as hastely as ye maye, and by what tyme ye thynke most convenyent, that I sholde be theer; and off all suche coumfforte as ye ffynde or heer off the towardnesse theroff, and when also that ye shall be theer yowr selffe. For it is so that as to morow I purpose to ryde in to Flaundrys to purveye me off horse and herneys, and percase I shall see the a.s.sege at Nwse[218-3] er I come ageyn, iff I have tyme; wherffor, iff I so doo, by lyklyhod it woll be a xiiij. dayes er I be heer ageyn; and afftr, as I heer ffrom yowe and other ther uppon, that at the next pa.s.sage, and G.o.d woll, I purpose to come to London warde: G.o.d sende me goode spede; in cheff ffor the mater above wretyn; and secondly, ffor to appoynt with the Kyng and my Lorde, ffor suche retynwe as I sholde have now in thees werrys in to Frawnce; wherffor I praye yow, in Norffolk and other places, comon with suche as ye thynke lykly ffor yow and me, that ar dysposyd to take wages in gentylmenns howsys and ellys wher, so that we maye be the moor redy, when that nede is; neverthelesse at thys owr, I wolde be gladde to have with me deyly iij. or iiij. mor than I have, suche as weer lykly; ffor I lakke off my retynwe, that I have neer so many. I praye yow sende me som tydyngs, suche as ye heer, and howghe that my brother Edmonde dothe.
For as ffor tydyngs heer, ther be but ffewe, saffe that the a.s.sege lastyth stylle by the Duke off Burgoyn affoor Nuse, and the Emperor[219-1] hathe besegyd also, not fferr from these, a castell, and an other town in lyke wyse, wher in the Dukys men ben. And also, the Frenshe Kynge, men seye, is comyn ryght to the water off Somme with iiij^ml. [4000] spers; and som men trowe that he woll, at the daye off brekyng off trewse, or ellys byffoor, sette uppon the Duks contreys heer. When I heer moor, I shall sende yowe moor tydyngs.
The Kyngs inba.s.sators, Sir Thomas Mongomere and the Master off the Rolls[219-2] be comyng homwards ffrom Nuse; and as ffor me, I thynke that I sholde be sek but iff I see it.
Syr John off Parre and William Berkeley com thys weye to Flaundrs ward to by them horse and herneys, and [I] made Sir J. Parr goode cheer as I cowde ffor yowr sake; and he tolde me, that ye made hym haulte cheer, &c. at Norwyche. No moor.
Wretyn at Caleys, the xvij. daye off Janever, anno Edwardi iiij^ti xiiij^o.
[Footnote 218-2: [From Fenn, ii. 174.] 'Though this letter,' says Fenn, 'has no signature, yet it is written by Sir John Paston, Knight.']
[Footnote 218-3: Neuss, not far from Dusseldorf, in the territory of Cologne, at this time besieged by Charles the Bold, Duke of Burgundy.]
[Footnote 219-1: Frederick III. of Austria, Emperor of Germany.]
[Footnote 219-2: Dr. John Morton, afterwards Bishop of Ely, Lord Chancellor, Archbishop of Canterbury, and Cardinal.]
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