The Paston Letters
Chapter 201 : The letter is endorsed in another hand:-- 'The Counsell of my Lord of Suffolk, Ro

The letter is endorsed in another hand:--

'The Counsell of my Lord of Suffolk, Robert Harlesdon. The Counsell of my Lord of Norffolk, Sir Thomas Walgrave, knyght [sergeant at]

lawe and Richard Southwell and to everiche of them.'

[Footnote 23-2: [Add. MS. 33,889, f. 70.] The date of this letter is fixed by Roger Ree being Sheriff of Norfolk, which he was from November 1468 to November 1469. The time would seem to be April or May 1469, when the Duke of Norfolk was proposing to take forcible possession of Caister.]

[Footnote 23-3: These words are interlined before '&c.,' but possibly are intended to be read with the next sentence, which is difficult to construe, there being no punctuation in the MS.]

[Footnote 24-1: Before the word 'a' 'nothere' is interlined, probably by inadvertence.]

[Footnote 24-2: Archbishop Nevill.]

712

ABSTRACT[24-3]

RICHARD CALLE TO SIR JOHN PASTON

[Sidenote: 1469 / MAY 22]

I would have been with you on Sunday before Ascension Day, had I received any command to that effect. Henry Wheler told me my day of the surety of peace was _quindena Trinitatis_, 'and thereof he made me a bill. He is foully to blame to serve me so.' I am much bound to you, nevertheless, for the safeguard of my sureties. Gives an account of monies disbursed since parting with Sir John at London. Repaid 'my mistress' 66_s._ 8_d._, part of 100_s._ she lent for Mariot's matter.

Paid Dawbeney for household since Midlent, 30_s._ Received from the farmer of the dairy, 11, 11_s._ 4_d._ Delivered 'to the master of the college onward for his hire,' 50_s._ Has received of Paston's 'lifelode'

since he came from London but 18, 10_s._ Has spent 12, 10_s._ more than he received, and has borrowed of John Wellys and others. Could borrow nothing of Mr. William. 'And of all this twelvemonth I have not had one penny for my wages. There is none of them that hath purveyed nor chevised have so much as I have done. Here is no man paid of their wages, but all spent in household.' Cannot get a penny in all Suffolk or Flegge, of Paston's 'lifelode,' nor in Boyton nor Heyneford. Can get money only at Gughton, which I must gather myself, for the bailiff will not come there. Much malt made, which had better be sold to pay the men's wages, who complain grievously, 'and the master of the college and Sir John Stille both.' Will obtain for Dawbeney in ten days 6 or 7 marks more, which should keep the household for the next seven or eight weeks.

The price of malt is but 20_d._ a quarter, but it would be better to sell some than that the men should be unpaid. Wonders he has no word from him about letting Spoorle. Cannot give Mariot an estate in Bekham as Paston directs, for Paston has the deed which James Andrewes sealed, but will talk with him and see how he is disposed; for it would be well that Paston were through with him. He is not trusty, but seeks pretexts for delay. Jekson's crossbow is broken. Shall he send it to London to be mended?

Caster, Monday in Pentecost week.

[The mention of Jekson's crossbow being broken proves this letter to be of the year 1469. Compare No. 710, p. 23.]

[Footnote 24-3: [From Paston MSS., B.M.]]

713

RICHARD CALLE TO MARGERY PASTON[25-1]

[Sidenote: 1469]

Myn owne lady and mastres, and be for G.o.d very trewe wyff, I with herte full sorowefull recomaunde me unto you, as he that can not be mery, nor nought shalbe tyll it be othewise with us then it is yet, for thys lyf that we lede nough is nowther plesur to G.o.dde nor to the worlde, consederyng the gret bonde of matrymonye that is made be twix us, and also the greete love that hath be, and as I truste yet is be twix us, and as on my parte never gretter; wherfor I beseche Almyghty G.o.dde comfort us as sone as it plesyth Hym, for we that ought of very ryght to be moost to gether ar moost asondre; me semyth it is a m^ll.

[_thousand_] yere a goo son that I speke with you. I had lever thenne all the goode in the worlde I myght be with you. Alas, alas! goode lady, full litell remembre they what they doo that kepe us thus asunder; iiij.

tymes in the yere ar they a cursid that lette matrymonye; it causith many men to deme in hem they have large consyence in other maters as wele as herin. But what lady suffre as ye have do; and make you as mery as ye can, for I wys, lady, at the longe wey G.o.dde woll of Hys ryght wysnes helpe Hys servants that meane truly, and wolde leve accordyng to Hes lawys, &c.

I undrestende, lady, ye have hadde asmoche sorwe for me as any gentelwoman hath hadde in the worlde, aswolde G.o.dd all that sorwe that ye have hadde had rested upon me, so that ye hadde be discharged of it, for I wis, lady, it is to me a deethe to her that ye be entreted other wise thene ye ought to be. This is a peyneful lyfe that we lede. I can not leve thus withoute it be a gret displesure to G.o.dde.

Also like you to wete that I had sent you a letter be my ladde from London, and he tolde me he myght not speeke with you, ther was made so gret awayte upon hym and upon you boothe. He told me John Threscher come to hym in your name, and seide that ye sent hym to my ladde for a letter or a token, weche I shulde have sent you, but he truste hym not; he wold not delyver hym noon. After that he brought hym a rynge, seyng that ye sent it hym, comaundyng hym that he schulde delyver the letter or token to hym, weche I conceyve sethen be my ladde it was not be your sendyng, it was be my mastres and Sir Jamys[26-1] a vys. Alas, what meane they? I suppose they deeme we be not ensuryd to gether, and if they so doo I merveyll, for thene they ar not wele avised, remembryng the pleynes that I breke to my mastres at the begynnyng, and I suppose be you bothe, and ye dede as ye ought to do of very ryght; and if ye have do the contrare, as I have be enformed ye have do, ye dede nouther concyensly nor to the plesure of G.o.dde, withoute ye dede it for feere, and for the tyme to please suche as were at that tyme a boute you; and if ye so dede it for this service it was a resonable cause, consederyng the grete and importable callyng upon that ye hadde, and many an on trewe tale was made to you of me, weche G.o.d knowt I was never gylty of.

My ladde tolde me that my mastres your modre axyd hym if he hadde brought any letter to you, and many other thyngs she bare hym on hande,[27-1] and a monge all other at the last she seide to hym that I wolde not make her prevy to the begynnyng, but she supposyd I wolde at the endyng; and as to that, G.o.d knowt sche knewe furst of me and non other. I wott not what her mastreschip meneth, for be my trowthe ther is no gentylwoman on lyve that my herte tendreth more then it dothe her, nor is lother to displese, savyng only your person, weche of very ryght I ought to tendre and love beste, for I am bounde therto be the lawe of G.o.dde, and so wol do whyle that I leve, what so ever falle of it.

I supose, and ye telle hem sadly the trouthe, they wold not dampne ther soules for us; though I telle hem the trouthe they woll not be leve me as weele as they woll do you; and ther for, goode lady, at the reverence of G.o.dde be pleyne to hem and telle the trouthe, and if they woll in no wise agree therto, betwix G.o.d, the Deelf, and them be it, and that perell that we schuld be in, I beseche G.o.dde it may lye upon them and not upon us. I am hevy and sory to remembre ther disposicion, G.o.d sende them grace to gyde all thyngs weele, as wele I wolde they dede; G.o.dde be ther gide, and sende them peas and reste, &c.

I mervell moche that they schulde take this mater so heedely as I undrestonde they doo, remembryng it is in suche case as it can not be remedyed, and my desert upon every be halfe it is for to be thought ther shulde be non obstacle a yenst it; and also the worchipfull that is in them, is not in your mariage, it is in ther owne mariage, weche I beseche G.o.dde sende hem suche as may be to ther worschip and plesur to G.o.dde, and to ther herts ease, for ell[es] were it gret pety. Mastres, I am aferde to write to you, for I undrestonde ye have schewyd my letters that I have sent you be for this tyme; but I prey you lete no creatur se this letter. As sone as ye have redde it lete it be brent, for I wolde no man schulde se it in no wise; ye had no wrytyng from me this ij. yere, nor I wolle not sende you no mor, therfor I remytte all this matre to your wysdom. Almyghty Jesu preserve, kepe, and [give] you your hertys desire, weche I wotte weele schulde be to Goods plesur, &c.

Thys letter was wreten with as greete peyne as ever wrote I thynge in my lyfe, for in goode feyth I have be ryght seke, and yet am not veryly weele at ease, G.o.d amend it, &c.

[Footnote 25-1: [From Fenn, iv. 350.] This letter was evidently written about the same period as No. 710. The original appears to have had no address, although Fenn prints one in the right-hand copy; but on the back was the following memorandum, evidently not quite contemporary: 'Litera Ric'i Calle Margeriae Paston filiae Joh'is Paston ar'i quam postea duxit in uxorem.']

[Footnote 26-1: Sir James Gloys, a priest.]

[Footnote 27-1: _See_ vol. ii. p. 110, Note 1.]

[[me semyth it is a m^ll. [_thousand_]

_final italic "d" misprinted as "a"_]]

714

JAMES HAWTE TO SIR JOHN PASTON[28-1]

_To my worchypfull brother, Sir John Paston, be thys byll delyvered in hast._

[Sidenote: 1469 / MAY 22]

Ryght worchipfull brother, I recomaund me onto you, lettyng you to wytte, that my Lorde Stafford[28-2] was made Erle of Deveneschere apon Sonday; and as for the Kyng, as I understond, he departyt [_departeth_]

to Walsynggame apon Fryday com vij. nygth, and the Quene also, yf G.o.d send hyr good hele.

And as for the Kyng [he] was apoyntyd to goo to Calys, and now hyt ys pute of. And also as for the goyng to the see, my Lord of Warwyke schyppys gothe to the see, as I understond. None other tydynggys I can none wryte unto you, but Jesu have you in Hys kepyng.

Wretyn at Wyndysore on Monday after Whytsonday, in hast, &c.

By your brother,

JAMES HAWTE.

[Footnote 28-1: [From Fenn, ii. 16.] The King's visit to Norfolk and the creation of Lord Stafford as Earl of Devons.h.i.+re both fix the date of this letter as 1469. The writer seems to be the brother of Anne Hawte, to whom Sir John Paston was engaged, and he accordingly calls him his brother.]

[Footnote 28-2: Humphrey Stafford, Lord Stafford of Southwick, was created Earl of Devons.h.i.+re on Sunday, 7th May 1469; so that the writer ought to have said, not 'upon Sunday,' but 'upon Sunday fortnight.']

715

SIR JOHN PASTON TO JOHN PASTON[29-1]

_To my Modr, and to my brother, John Paston._

[Sidenote: 1469 / JUNE]

Brother, it is so that the Kyng schall come in to Norffolk in hast, and I wot nat whethyr that I may come with hym or nowt; if I come I most do make a livere of xx^ti gownes, whyche I most pyke owt by your advyse; and as for clothe for suche persones as be in that contre, if it myght be had ther at Norwyche, or not, I wot not; and what persones I am not remembryd.