Volume V Part 67 (1/2)

J. WHETLEY.

[Footnote 320-1: [From Paston MSS., B.M.]]

[Footnote 321-1: Corpus Christi Day, the Thursday after the Octave of Whitsuntide, was famous for the acting of Mysteries, particularly at Chester.--F.]

[Footnote 321-2: Richard Farrer, Farrour, or Ferriour, was five times Mayor of Norwich, namely, in 1473, 1478, 1483, 1493, and 1498.--F.]

[Footnote 322-1: The will now made by Margaret Paston was afterwards cancelled, as that which was proved after her death in 1484 was dated on the 4th of February 1482, 21 E. IV.]

[Footnote 323-1: John de la Pole, Duke of Suffolk, etc., married Elizabeth, third daughter of Richard Plantagenet, Duke of York, and sister of Edward IV. They both lie buried at Wingfield, in Suffolk.--F.]

[[be thys delyvered in hast _final italic ”d” misprinted as ”a”_]]

933

MARGARET PASTON TO SIR JOHN PASTON[323-2]

_To the ryght worshypfull Sir John Paston, Knyght._

[Sidenote: 1478 / MAY 27]

I greet yow well and send yow G.o.ddys blyssyng and myn, latyng yow wete that I have sent yow be Whetele the clothe of golde, chargyng yow that it be not solde to none other use than to the performyng of yowyr fadyrs toombe, as ye send me worde in wrytyng; yf ye sell yt to any othyr use, by my trowthe, I shall never trost yow wyll I leve.

Remembyr that yt coste me xx^ti marke the pleggyng owte of yt, and yf I wher not glad to se that made, I wolde not departe from it. Remembyr yow what charge I have had with yow of late, whyche wyl not be for my ease this ij. yer; whan ye may better, I trost ye whyll remembyr yt.

My cosyn Clere dothe as meche coste at Bromhom as whylle drawe an C_li._ upon the deskys in the quere, and in othyr places, and Heydon in lyke whyse, and yf ther shulde no thyng be don for yowyr fadyr, yt wolde be to gret a schame for us alle, and in cheffe to se hym lye as he dothe.

Also as I understond that my cosyn Robert Clere thynkyth gret on kyndenesse in delyng wyth hym of Pec.o.ke, for certeyn pasture that ye[324-1] grawntyd hym to have, and Pec.o.ke hath letyn it to othyr, suche as he lyste to lete yt to, not withstondyng my cosyn hath leyd the pastur with hys catell, and Pec.o.k hathe strenyd them.

I thynk thys delyng is not as yt shulde be. I wolde that iche of yow shulde do for other, and leve as kynnysmen and frendys; for suche servawnts my make trobyll by twyxe yow, wheche wher a ageynste cortesy, so nyhe newbors as ye be, he is a man of substance and worchyp, and so wylle be takyn in thys schyr; and I wer lothe that ye shulde lese the good wylle of suche as may do for yow.

Item, wher as ye have begonne your cleyme in Heylysdon and Drayton, I pray G.o.d send yow good spede and foderance in yit. Ye have as good a season as ye wulde wysche, consyderyng that yowyr adversary standys not in best favyr with the Kynge.

Also ye have the voyse in this contre, that ye may do as meche with the Kyng, as any knygth that ys longyng to the corte. Yf yt be so, I pray G.o.d contynu yt; and also that ye shuld mary rygth nygth of the Qwenys blood; qwat sche ys we are not as certeyn, but yf yt be so, that yowyr lond schuld come agayne by the reason of yowyr maryage, and to be sett in rest, at the reverence of G.o.d for sake yt nowt, yf ye can fynde in yowyr harte to love hyr, so that sche be suche one as ye can thynke to have issu by, or ellys, by my trowthe, I had rather that ye never maryd in yowyr lyffe.

Also, yf yowyr mater take not now to good effecte, ye and all yowyr frendys may repent them that ye began yowyr cleyme, with owte that ye have take suche a suyr wey, as may be to yowyr intent, for many inconvenyens that may falle ther of. G.o.d send yow good spede in all yowyr maters.

Wretyn at Mawteby, the day after Seynt Austyn in May, the xviij. yer of Kyng Edward the iiij^te.

Be yowyr Modyr.

[Footnote 323-2: [From Fenn, ii. 264.]]

[Footnote 324-1: Fenn's literal text reads 'that be grawntyd,'

which seems to be an error. In the modern transcript it is 'that ye granted.']

934

OXNEAD PARSONAGE[325-1]