Volume V Part 55 (2/2)

896

DAME ELIZABETH BREWS TO JOHN PASTON[266-1]

_To my wurschypfull cosyne, John Paston, be this bill delyveryd, &c._

[Sidenote: 1477 / FEB.]

Cosyn, I recomande me un to yowe, thankyng yowe hertely for the grette chere that ye made me and all my folkys, the last tyme that I was at Norwych; and ye promysyd me, that ye wold never breke the mater to Margery unto suche tyme as ye and I were at a point. But ye hafe made hyr suche advokett for yowe, that I may never hafe rest nyght ner day, for callyng and cryeng uppon to brynge the saide mater to effecte, &c.

And, cosyn, uppon Fryday is Sent Volentynes Day, and every brydde chesyth hym a make [_mate_]; and yf it lyke yowe to come one Thursday at nyght, and so purvey yowe, that ye may abyde there tyll Monday, I trusty to G.o.d, that ye schall so speke to myn husband; and I schall prey that we schall bryng the mater to a conclusyon, &c. For, cosyn,

It is but a sympill oke, That [is] cut down at the first stroke.

For ye will be resonabill, I trust to G.o.d, Whech hafe yowe ever in Hys mercyfull kepyng, &c.

Be yowr cosyn, Dame ELIZABETH BREWS, otherwes schall be called be G.o.dds grace.

[Footnote 266-1: [From Fenn, ii. 208.] It is clear from internal evidence that this letter was written between the 7th and the 12th of February, and the fact that St. Valentine's Day (the 14th) fell on Friday, proves the year to have been 1477. Besides which, we have distinct references to the matter further on in the dated correspondence.]

897

MARGERY BREWS TO JOHN PASTON[267-1]

_Unto my ryght welebelovyd Voluntyn, John Paston, Squyer, be this bill delyvered, &c._

[Sidenote: 1477 / FEB.]

Ryght reverent and wurschypfull, and my ryght welebeloved Voluntyne, I recomande me unto yowe, ffull hertely desyring to here of yowr welefare, whech I beseche Almyghty G.o.d long for to preserve un to Hys plesur, and yowr herts desyre. And yf it please yowe to here of my welefar, I am not in good heele of body, nor of herte, nor schall be tyll I her ffrom yowe;

For there wottys no creature what peyn that I endure, And for to be deede, I dare it not dyscure [_discover_].

And my lady my moder hath labored the mater to my ffadur full delygently, but sche can no mor gete then ye knowe of, for the whech G.o.d knowyth I am full sory. But yf that ye loffe me, as I tryste verely that ye do, ye will not leffe me therefor; for if that ye hade not halfe the lyvelode that ye hafe, for to do the grettest labur that any woman on lyve myght, I wold not forsake yowe.

And yf ye commande me to kepe me true wherever I go, I wyse I will do all my myght yowe to love and never no mo.

And yf my freends say, that I do amys, Thei schal not me let so for to do, Myne herte me bydds ever more to love yowe Truly over all erthely thing, And yf thei be never so wroth, I tryst it schall be better in tyme commyng.

No more to yowe at this tyme, but the Holy Trinite hafe yowe in kepyng.

And I besech yowe that this bill be not seyn of none erthely creatur safe only your selffe, &c.

And thys letter was indyte at Topcroft, with full hevy herte, &c.

By your own,

MARGERY BREWS.

<script>