Volume V Part 54 (1/2)

[Footnote 258-3: Light head-pieces.--F.]

[Footnote 258-4: Embossed ornaments, chains, buckles, etc.--F.]

[[departyng xij. myle on thyse-halff Roome _printed with ambiguous hyphen at line break_]]

890

JOHN PASTON TO SIR JOHN PASTON[259-1]

_To the ryght worchepfull Sir John Paston, Knyght, lodgyd at the George, by Powlys Wharf, in London._

[Sidenote: 1476 / MAY 6]

Aftyr all dewtes of recomendacyon, lyeketh yow to wet, that to my power ye be welcom ayen in to Inglond. And as for the Castell of Shene, ther is no mor in it but Colle and hys mak, and a goose may get it; but in no wyse I wold not that wey, and my modyr thynkyth the same. Take not that wey, if ther be eny other.

I undyrstand that Mastres Fytzwater hathe a syster, a mayd, to mary.

I trow, and ye entretyd hym, she myght come into Crysten menys handys.

I prey yow spek with Mastyr Fytzwater of that mater for me, and ye may telle hym, synse that he wyll have my servyse, it wer as good, and syche a bargayn myght be mad, that bothe she and I awaytyd on hym and my mastress hys wyff at oure owne cost, as I a lone to awayt on hym at hys cost; for then he shold be swer that I shold not be flyttyng, and I had syche a qwarell to kepe me at home. And I have hys good wylle, it is non inpossybyll to bryng a bowght.

I thynk to be at London with in a xiiij. dayes at the ferthest, and peraventure my mastress also, in consayll be it clatryd. G.o.d kepe yow and yours.

At Norwyche, the vj. day of May, anno E. iiij^ti xvj^{o}.

J. P.

[Footnote 259-1: [From Paston MSS., B.M.]]

891

SIR JOHN PASTON TO MARGARET PASTON[260-1]

_To Mestresse Margret Paston, in Norwyche, or to hyr sone John Paston, Knyght._

[Sidenote: 1476 / MAY 27]

Please it yow to weete that as for my materes, and theye appeyre nott,[260-2] the doo, blessyd be G.o.dde, as weell as I wolde they dyd, saffe that it shalle cost me grett mony, and it hathe cost me moche laboor. It is soo that the Kynge most have C. marke, and other costes will drawe xl. marke. And my mater is examynyd by the Kynges Cowncell, and declaryd affoor alle the Lordes, and now lakkythe noo thynge but [the Pry]vy Seals, and wryghtyng to Master Colv[ill][260-3] to avoide; for the[260-3] [Kyng hath p]romysed me as moche as I wolde he sholde fullefille, and alle the Lordes, Juges, Serjauntes, have affermyd my t.i.tle goode. Nott withstandyng Sowthewell, James Hubberde, and Sir W.

Braundon, where at ther owne desyrs, offryd to afferme and advowe my tytell for goode, and that my Lorde off Norffolk that ded is had noo tytell, thatt they knywe, they tolde my tale as ille as they cowde, and yitt a lye or too to helpe it, and yit it servyth them nott, they be knowen as they ar (in Cowncell be it seyde, and so most all thys letter be).

I have moche payne to gete so moche mony. Neverthelesse, but iff myne oncle schewe hym selfe werse than ever he was, I shalle nott fayle, if he kepe me promyse, and thatt is but as he dyde last, that is b.u.t.t to be my sywerte, and I to make hym sywerte ageyn.

The Kynge departythe thys daye, and wille nott be heer tyll Frydaye, whyche lettyth me, or ellys by thatt daye I wolde have hopyd to have comen homeward, and erst per aventure. No moor, but Jesus have yow in kepyng.

Wretyn at London, the xxvj. daye of Maye, the Mondaye next Holy Thurrysdaye, the a.s.sencion.

The Kynge wold have bowte it, but he was enfformyd off the trowthe, and that it was nott for a prynce, and off the greet pryse that I wolde selle it att; for that I myght nott for bere it, for he scholde have payed m^{l.}m^l. marke or moor, iff he hadde hadde it.

Your sone,