The Paston Letters
Chapter 279 : MARGERY PASTON TO JOHN PASTON[58-1]_To my ryght wurchupfull mayster, John Paston, Esqu

MARGERY PASTON TO JOHN PASTON[58-1]

_To my ryght wurchupfull mayster, John Paston, Esquyer, be this letter delyverd in hast._

[Sidenote: 1482 / NOV. [3]]

Myne owyn swete hert, in my most humylwyse, I recomaund me on to you, desyryng hertly to here of your welfar, the wheche I beseche Alle myghty G.o.d preserve and kepe to His plesur, and your hertes desyer.

Ser, the cause of my wrytyng to you at this tyme: on Friday att nyght last past come Alexander Wharton, John Hous, and John Fille, with ij.

good carts well mannyd and horsyd with hem to Marlyngford, and there at the maner of Malyngford and at the mille lodyn bothe cartes with mestlyon[58-2] and whete, and betymys on Sat.u.r.day, in the mornyng, they departyd fro Marlyngford towardes Bongey, as it is seyd; for the seyd cartes come fro Bongey, as I soppose, by the sendynge of Bryon, for he goth hastyly over the se, as it is seyd. And as I suppose he wyll have the mestlyon over with hym, for the most part of the cart loodes was mestlyon, &c.

Item, ser, on Sat.u.r.day last past, I s.p.a.cke with my cosyn Gornay, and he seyd, if I wold goo to my Lady of Norffolk, and beseche hyr good grace to be your good and gracyous lady, she wold so be, for he seyd that one word of a woman should do more than the wordes of xx. men, yiffe I coude rewyll my tonge, and speke non harme of myn unkyll. And if ye comaund me so for to do, I trist I shuld sey nothynge to my ladys displesure, but to your profyt; for me thynkyth bi the wordes of them and of your good fermore of Oxned, that thei wyll sone drawe to an ende. For he cursyth the tyme that ever he come in the ferme of Oxned, for he seyth that he wotyth well that he shall have a grette losse, and yet he wyll not be a knowyn wheder he hathe payd or nought; but whan he sethe his tyme, he wyll sey trowth.

I understond by my seyd cosyn Gornay that my lady is nere wery of hyr parte, and he seyth my lady shal come on pylgremage in to this towne, but he knowth not wheder afore Cristmes or aftyr; and if I wold thanne gete my Lady Calthorpe, my moder in lawe, and my moder, and myselfe, and come before my lady, besechyng hyr to be your good and gracyous lady, he thynkyth ye shull have an ende; for fayne she wold be redde of it with hyr onowr savyd, but yette money she wold have.

No more to you at this tyme, b.u.t.te I mervell sore that I have no letter from you, but I prey G.o.d preserve you, and send me good tydynges from you, and spede you well in your materes. And as for me, I have gotyn me anothyr logyn felawe, the ferst letter of hyr name is Mastras Byschoppe.

She recomaundyth hyr to you by the same tokyn that ye wold have had a tokyn to my Mayster Bryon.

Att Norwych, the Sonday next after the Fest of All Seyntes.

Be yowr servaunt and bedewoman,

MARGERY PASTON.

[Footnote 58-1: [From Paston MSS., B.M.] For evidence of date, see preliminary note to last letter.]

[Footnote 58-2: Mixed corn, commonly rye and wheat, which were most in demand to make bread of.]

984

B. R. TO JOHN PASTON[60-1]

_To the right wors.h.i.+pfull John Paston, squier, with my lord Chamburlayn._

[Sidenote: 1479-83]

Right wors.h.i.+pfull sir, y recommaunde me to you, as hartily as y can, desiring to undrestand zour welefare, and also to knowe somwhat certainly hou your matier dothe with your uncle, and hou fer ye be, for in thes parties y a.s.sertayne you, moche mater is shewed and proclaimed in wors.h.i.+pful presence, fer fro th'entent of your welewillers, of the discorage and reprofe in maner of you, and by such as men supposed you to have ben right wele favoured with, and the contrary shewed in the presence of right wors.h.i.+pfull, and right many, and as it is said, iij.

scor in nombre, with such termes and under such forme, as it is reported, as is full hevy to diverse here for to here. Hou it is ye knowe beste, and hou it is I pray you lete your frendis in this c.u.n.tre undirstand; for right a wors.h.i.+pfull persone told me of this, to the which y coude not answer, I se al day the world so unsure. But, Sir, ye did of policy some thingis that peradventure, and it were to do, ye wold take anothir avise, &c. I can nomore but _sapienti pauca_, &c. And I biseche you, Sir, send me some tidingis of the parties beyonde the se, for owr wyves here speke of many thingis, &c. Moreovir, Sir, Margarete Ronhale told me late that my maistres your wif fareth wele, blissed be Almighti G.o.d, and all your other frendis here, blissed be G.o.d. Sir, it is so that, as y am enformed, there is a soudiour of Caleis called John Jacob, of olde tyme duelling in Lynne.[60-2] I pray you to inquir secretly what maner man he ys, and in what condicion there, for I know a man hath to do with him; but be ye beknowen of no thinge, but that ye list wisely to enquere what he is and of what condicion, &c. And if there be any thing in thies parties that y can do you service yn, I pray you commaunde you, and I shalbe as redy to the accomplisshment therof to my power, as any man lyvyng; and that knowith G.o.d, Who I biseche to send me good tidingis fro you, and you your n.o.ble desires. From Weston.

By yours,

B. R.

[Footnote 60-1: [Add. MS. 34,889, f. 220.] This letter is probably late in the reign of Edward IV. John Paston would seem to have entered the service of Hastings, the Lord Chamberlain, some time after the death of his brother Sir John in 1479. _See_ No. 993.]

[Footnote 60-2: Against this pa.s.sage in the margin is written in another hand:--'M^{d}. pro Barnard.']

985

WILLIAM PASTON AND SIR JOHN FASTOLF[61-1]

To alle maner of pepill to whome this present wrytyng shall come unto, se, or here, we, William Barker, late of Blofeld, in the cownte of Norffolk, clark, and Margret Wyssetour, wedow, late the wyf of William Wyssetyr, late of Pokethorp, be Norwich, gentylman, dyssesid, send gretyng in our Lord G.o.d Everlastyng.

For as meche as it is merytory to wytnesse and testyfy the treuth in materes dowtabill or beyng in varyaunce, whan ony persons is lefully ther to requyred, It is so that I, the seid William Barker, was late howshold servaunte be the s.p.a.ce of xxj. yere with Sir John Fastolf, Knyght, dyssesid, and had wedded Annes, late dyssesid, that was the hoole syster, bothe on to Sir Thomas Howes, clerk, dyssesid, and also hoole syster to Isabell, modyr to the seid Margret Wyssetyr, which forseid Thomas Howys and William Wyssetyr were bothe howshold servauntes many yerys to the seid Sir John Fastolf, and were with hym in such syngler trust that he made them bothe his feoffes in alle his landes with in the reame of Ynglond, and also his exsecutores: Be it knowen to alle maner persons that we, the seid William Barker and Margret Wyssetyr, testyfy, depose, and wytnesse for trouthe that we have full serteyn prof and knowlache that William Paston, of the seid counte of Norffolk, jentylman, was kynnysman unto the seid Sir John Fastolf, and was with hym in ryght syngler G.o.de favour and trust; wherupon the seid Sir John Fastolf made the seid William Paston one of his seid feoffes in all his seyd maneres, londes, and tenementes, rentes, and servyces with in this seid reame of Ynglond, and made this seid William prevy to many of his materys of gret charge, and putt the seid William Paston to many lawbores in his lyf, which the seid William Paston ded of G.o.de love and kynd dysposycion, for he never had of the seid Sir John Fastolf fee ne reward in hys lyf; notwithstondyng he had for the seid Syr John Fastolf and for his materes many grete lawboures, costes, jornays, and besynesse in the lyf of the seid Sir John Fastolf, and ded for hym many kynd dedes at his owne charge, for the which the seid Sir John, and he had contenuyd lyff, wold have largely have recompensed. And also the seid William Paston had, aftir the desesse of the seid Sir John Fastolf, at the desyr and instans of the exsecutores of the seid Syr John, had many gret lawboures, costes, and jurnays to his gret peyne, as well in rydyng to London many and sundry tymes, contenuyng many yeres to help suche materes as were devysyd ayens the seid exsecutors, and also to answer to suche accions and sutys and byll putt into the Kynges Chauncery, wherupon wryttes of _subpena_ dyvers and many tymes made upon gret peynys were delyvered to the seid William to appere in the Kynges Chauncery, which were taken be gret astates and be suche myghty persons as wold have recoveryd the lond wrongfully, and thus trobelyd the seid William Paston, be cause he was a feffee, and taryd hym there and his councell to his gret inportunabill charges. Wherupon we, the seid William Barker and Margret Wyssetyr depose, wytnesse, and be this present sertyfye for trouthe that we war present whan the seid Sir Thomas Howys and William Wyssetyr, in parcell of recompens of suche forseid lawbours and costes as the seid William Paston had had, as wele in the lyfe of the seid Sir John as after his dyssese, graunted and yaf to the seid William Paston a peyer of basons coveryd of sylver of Parysh towche and over gylt, powncyd and imbossyd with rooses, and with grete large amellys [_enamels_] in the botome of bothe basons, with serteyn bestys inbossyd stondyng with inn an hegge of sylver and gylt upon the seid amellys, which bothe basons ded way of Troy weyt ix^xx. unces, and also a gredeyren of sylver of Parysse towche, not gylt, weying of Troy weyth ----[63-1] unces, and also a gret chargeour of sylver of Parysse towche, not gylt, weying of Troy weyth ----[63-1] unces, to have and to hold to the seid William, his eyres, excecutores, and a.s.signes, as his own G.o.des for ever. And also we wytnesse that we ware also present whan, for a serteyn som of mony to be payd be the seid William Paston, whereof a parte be comenawnt was payd be the seid William Paston to the seid Sir Thomas Howys, and a parte to on Edmond Holkham, and the remenaunt was payd to one Margret Holkham, syster to the seid Edmond; and so the seid William Paston had clerly payed all the seid mony. The seid Thomas Howse and William Wyssetyr bargayned, sold, and graunted to the seid William Paston, his eyres, exsecutores, and a.s.signes, in fee sympille for ever, a tenement called Methis, otherwyse called Holkham, with alle the londes and tenementes, rentes and servyces, free or bond, and with all the apportenaunces ther to belongyng, in the town of Cayster ond oder townnys adjoynyng with inne the seid cownte of Norffolk, and delyvered to the seid [William] Paston and to his a.s.signes a state of all the seid tenementes, londes, rentes, and servyces, with all the seid aportenaunces ... ... . sold and bargayned to the seid William Paston alle suche londes, rente, and servyces as the seid Sir John Fastolf ... ... . . or be the ryght of ony manere that he or ony man to his use had in possession, or that the seid Thoma[s] ... ... .

ony other be the reson that they were feffes of trust of the seid John Fastolf had or claymed to have ... ... . or claymed to have to be yssant or chargeabill oute or upon the seid tenement called Methe[s]

... ... ... . londes, tenementes, rentes, servyces at ony tyme afore or than longyng to the seid tenement or owt ... ... . a manere called h.o.r.n.ynghall, with the apportenaunces, late Clerys, in the seid town of Castyr, to have [and to hold to the said William] Paston, his eyres and a.s.sygnes, the seid lond, rent, and servyce for ever mor. And utterly be ther dede and ... ... ... ... . and dyscharged the seid William Paston, his eyres and his a.s.sygnes for yeldyng of payment of ony ... ... ... . servyce; and also dyscharged all the seid tenement and the seid manere, and alle oder the premysses, with alle the ... ... ... . as now have or shalle here aftir be possessoneres of the seid tenement or manere with the aportenaunces ... ... ... . more. Alle whiche mater afore rehersid, and every parte therof, we, the seid William Barker and Margre[t Wyssetyr ...

... . ] trew, and we, and iche one of us, will at alle tyme be redy to wytnesse and depose the same be ony suche ... ... ... persones outh to do or may do afore ony Juge Spyrytualle or Temperall as we will answer a fore G.o.d [at the dreadful] day of Dome. In wytnesse wherof we, the seid William Barker and Margret Wyssetyr, to this present have sett to our [sealles].

Wretyn the ----[64-1] day of the ----[64-1] yer of the reyn of Kyng.[64-2]

(L. S.)

(L. S.)

[Footnote 61-1: [Add. Charter 17,256, B.M.] This declaration was drawn up after the death of William Worcester, and perhaps after that of William Paston also. The exact date of Worcester's death is uncertain. We only know that he was alive as late as 1480, when he visited Oxford on his travels and measured some of the churches there (_see_ his _Itinerarium_, 296), and that he was dead in Richard III.'s time. The doc.u.ment, however, may be conveniently placed at the end of the reign of Edward IV. The original MS. is a sheet of paper mutilated on the right-hand side towards the end.

The seals of William Barker and Margaret Worcester are attached by tails of parchment to a parchment binding at the bottom. On the back is written in a more modern hand:--'A Testymonyall that William Paston, Gent., was kinsman to Sir Jo. Fastolf, and other matters within concernyng the landes somtyme Holhams in Caster, afterwardes the sayd William Paston.']

[Footnote 63-1: Blank in original.]

[Footnote 64-1: Blanks in MS.]

[Footnote 64-2: So in MS.]

986

ABSTRACT[65-1]

W. BARKER TO [MARGARET PASTON?]

Begs her 'maystra.s.s.h.i.+pp' to inform his rightwors.h.i.+pful master of the conduct of Master Keche at Wetyng, who on Monday means to be there with a great fellows.h.i.+p.

[This letter is unimportant, but as being written by William Barker it may conveniently be placed after the last No., although probably addressed to Margaret Paston, and if so, most likely during the life of her husband. It appears by inquisition _post-mortem_, 1 Edw. IV., No. 46, that Elizabeth, Countess of Oxford, held the manor of Weting in Feltwell of the Duke of Norfolk.]

[Footnote 65-1: [From Paston MSS., B.M.]]

987

JOHN PASTON'S BOOKS[65-2]

_The Inventory off Englysshe Boks off John ... . . made the v. daye of Novembre, anno regni Regis E. iiij... . ._

1. A boke had off myn ostesse at the George ... . off _the Dethe off Arthr begynyng at Ca.s.sab[elaun, Guy Earl of] Warwyk, Kyng Ri. Cur de Lyon, a Cronic[le] ... . . to Edwarde the iij._, prec... .

2. Item, a Boke of Troylus whyche William Bra ... . . hath hadde neer x. yer, and lent it to Dame ... . Wyngfelde, and _ibi ego vidi_; valet ... . .

3. Item, a blak Boke with _the Legende off Lad[ies_, _la Belle Dame]