The Paston Letters
Chapter 181 : Be your Moder.[Footnote 220.1: [Add. MS. 34,889, f. 99.] This letter was written befor

Be your Moder.

[Footnote 220.1: [Add. MS. 34,889, f. 99.] This letter was written before administration had been obtained of John Paston's will; presumably therefore in the year in which he died, 1466. It may be observed, likewise, that in 1467 'my lord of Canterbury' would probably have been called 'my lord Cardinal.']

[Footnote 221.1: Omitted in MS.]

[Footnote 221.2: _of_ repeated in MS.]

630

MARGARET PASTON TO JOHN PASTON[222.1]

_To my right wurchipfull husbond, John Paston, be this deliverd in hast._

[Sidenote: Year uncertain / NOV.]

Ryth worchepfull husbonde, I recomande me to yow. Plesyth yow to weet that Thomas Grene was with me as on Saterday last paste, and let me have knowlage that the scherre schold be as thys day at the Gyld Hall in Norwyche, and he desyiryd me that the swte that ye have ageyns Thomas Jeryng and othyr myth be sesyd as for thys schere; and I seyd that I durste do ryth not there in. And he tolde me that Thomas Jeryng was with yow in Flegge the laste tyme that ye wer ther, and ye seyd to hym that he scholde not be hurte by the swte. And Thomas Grene told me that if the seyd Jeryng and othyrs in the same wryte mad not an end with yow by the nexte schere, the whyche schall be thys day monyth, that he the seyd Thomas Grene wole purchese a new wryte of hys owne coste ayens that daye. I woste not that the scher shuld be so sone when I wrote to yow yowyr laste lettyr. And he remembyryd the trobulus werd [_world_] that is nowe, and also that they wer nowtye felawys that ye suyd, and ther fore he thowte that it war best to let it be respyte at thys tyme, and so they schall be respyth at thys tyme. I have sent to Jaferay Spyrlyng for the bokys that ye sent to me fore, and he seyth that he hathe none there of, for he seyth he lefte hem with yow when he was with yow in the Northe contre; for he seyth ye left hym behynd yow at Lynkcolne. He supposyth they be at Kaster.

Item, my cosyn Crane recomandyth hyr to yow, and prayith yow that ye wole wychesave to spek to Jamys Gresham for to swe ferthe the mater betwyx Dame Margaret Spurdans and hyr; and sche prayith yow at the reverens of G.o.d that ye wole tendyr that mater well, for all hyr troste is in yow.

Item, the tenauntys at Sweynysthorp prayid me for to wryte to yow for to pray yow for G.o.ddys sake that ye wole help for to get hem a good baly of the hundyryd that they be in; for they sey that they have be gretly hurte by swyche offyserys as they have had ther be fore tyme. Folk wold fayne in thys contre that Heydon scholde be purveyd for, that he goo not so at large as he dothe, for he is in thys towne nere every wek, and hathe be ever syne ye yd hens. And also it is seyd in thys towne that ye have be good maister thys terme to Yatys, and many be ryth sory ther of, and that he dothe so well as it [is] seyd here that he dothe. It is seyd that he is scapyd all dangerys, and he hathe tak new accionys ageyns hys neyborys, as it is seyd. Othyr tydyngys have we none here but that ye have more pleynly there. And the Blyssyd Trinyte have yow in Hys kepyng, and send yow good sped in all yowyr materys. Wretyn in haste at Norwyche the Monday next be fore Seynt Edmunde the Kynge.

Be yowyr,

M. P.

My modyr wold ryth fayne know how that ye and my brodyr Wyllam wer acordyd, sche wold ryth fayne that all wer well betwene yow.

[Footnote 222.1: [From Paston MSS., B.M.] I find no very satisfactory evidence touching the date of this letter. Allusion is made to John Paston having been at Lincoln. The occasion referred to might have been in 1458, when, as we know by No. 373, he went into the North as far as Doncaster; or it may have been in the spring of 1461. (_See_ Nos. 452 and 458.) It is not probable, however, that this letter was earlier than the latter date, as there is no appearance at that time of any dispute having arisen between John Paston and his brother William. On the contrary, William Paston is in correspondence with his brother in April 1461 (No. 450). On the other hand, if the occasion referred to when John Paston was at Lincoln was in the spring of 1461, this letter could hardly have been written in the same year; for it cannot be supposed that he left books at Caister on his return south, when Caister was in the possession of the Duke of Norfolk. The date, however, being so uncertain, I prefer to place this letter at the end of John Paston's correspondence rather than a.s.sign it doubtfully to any particular year.]

[[and he desyiryd me _text has "and be"_]]

631

B. D. M. S. TO JOHN PASTON[224.1]

_Be this delyvered to Mastyr John Paston._

I recomaunde me unto you as unknowyn. And as for the wryting I send unto you, the cause why yt was nate endossed was, for the berer ther of knew yow wel i now. And as for youre Cossyn Mary, she ys no longer with us, as a pon Seynt Mathewys Evyn she departyd from me, and went to Awdry Croxeston, and she told me that ye wold pay for her borde ther. But on thyng I let you know; she hathe demenyd her ful symply bothe for youre wors.h.i.+p and also for her awne. Ther ys but few within oure pla.s.se but they know how yt is with her, and al by her awne bessynes of her tunge.

And I had knowyn as myche at the begynnyng as I have don sythe, I wold not have delt in the mater nat for xl. pound; for I wys she ys no thyng so sadde as I wold she wer.

No more to you at thys tyme, but the Holy Gost have you in His kepyng, and send you youre hertys esse. I pray you hertly that I may sp[e]ke with you.

B. D. M. S.

[Footnote 224.1: [From Fenn, iv. 262.] There is no evidence of the date either of this or of the four following letters beyond the fact that this and the two next are addressed to John Paston, while the two last are addressed to Margaret Paston during her husband's life. None of them, therefore, can be later than 1466.]

632

ABSTRACT[224.2]

RICHARD SUTHWELL TO JOHN PASTON, ESQUIRE.

Thanks him for speaking to the Mayor and Recorder for the appearance of certain persons at this last session, as he wrote from Walsingham.

Thomas Wolvesby and Colyns make great labor for the poor men's undoing.

Begs him to move the Mayor to have pity, considering their trouble at Walsingham, when they were prisoners.

Thetford, Shere-Thursday.

[Footnote 224.2: [From Paston MSS., B.M.]]

633

ABSTRACT[225.1]

JOHN PASTON, JUNIOR, TO HIS FATHER, JOHN PASTON

Has spoken 'with Warwyk and Stwkle' for the place and lands in Arleham.

Declined their offer of 6_d._ an acre, they keeping the place in repair; but Stwkle has promised all the lands shall be purveyed for, as for this year. Warwyk this day offered my mother 7_d._ an acre for the lands in Arleham, but I counselled her to hold out for a longer term. Kook will no longer hold the place for 7_d._ or 8_d._ an acre, and will only give 6_d._, if he is to keep it in repair. Has spoken with Dame Alice Weche and Geoffrey Spyrlyng, who have agreed to set a tenant to occupy the lands in dispute till Paston comes home.

St. Martin's Even.

[Footnote 225.1: [From Paston MSS., B.M.]]

634

ABSTRACT[225.2]

THOMAS GNATYSHALE TO MRS. PASTON

I hope the young man I sent will please 'my master and you.' I hope you will not receive him at this time, and when my master comes home refuse him. As for your lands at Sparham, there are not many lands to let. Has inquired at Salle. Master Edward[225.3] is clearly answered of 18 a year and 7_s._ or 8_s._ more. Bryston, Thyrnyng, and Owleton are let, which belong to the manor of Salle. So he is clearly answered twice a year at London, besides the fees, viz., of the receiver 26_s._ 8_d._, of the steward 20_d._, and of the bailliff 26_s._ 8_d._

Sparham, Wednesday before Ascension.

[Footnote 225.2: _Ibid._]

[Footnote 225.3: Probably Edward, son of Robert Mauteby. He was Margaret Paston's uncle.]

635

ABSTRACT[225.4]

T. GNATYSHALE TO MRS. PASTON