The Paston Letters Volume V Part 46

When I undrestood all thys, and that over nyght she bad hyr that weent bytwyen hyr and me byd me brynge with me hyr muskeball[217-1] which, &c., than I aftr all thys axid iff she weer dyspleasyd with me ffor it, and she seyde, naye.

Than I tolde hyr, that I had nott sent it yowe, ffor synne off my sowle; and so I tolde hyr all, how I had wretyn to yow why that I wold nott sende it yow, by cawse I wyst weell ye sholde have slepyd the werse; but nowe, I tolde hyr, as G.o.d helpe me, that I wolde sende it yow, and gyffe yow myn advyse nott to hope ovyr moche on hyr, whyche is ovyr harde an hertyd lady ffor a yonge man to tryst on to; whyche I thowght that ffor all my words, ye cowde nott ner wolde nott do ffor all myn advyce.

Yitt ageynwards she is nott dyspleasyd, nor fforbad me nott but that ye sholde have the kepyng off hyr muskball; wherffor de ye with itt as ye lyke. I wolde it hadd doon weel; by Good, I spake ffor yow soo, that in ffeythe I trowe I kowde nott seye so weel ageyn.

Wherffor I sende yow herwith yowr rynge, and the onhappy muskeball. Also make ye mater off it herafftr as ye kan, I am nott happy to wow nowther ffor my selff ner noon other. I tolde hyr all the processe off the Lorde Howarde and off yowr grewnds [_greyhounds_] as I kowde; all helpys nott.[218-1]

I her no worde off my vessell, ner off my boks; I mervayll. No mor.

Wretyn at London, the xj. daye of Decembr, anno E. iiij.^ti xiiij^{o}.

J. P., K.

[Footnote 216-4: [From Fenn, ii. 170.]]

[Footnote 217-1: This muskball, or ball of perfume, seems to have been taken from Lady Walgrave by Sir John Paston in a jesting manner, to send to his brother as a present from her.--F.]

[Footnote 218-1: 'Here follows,' says Fenn, 'some displeasure at his uncle William's proceedings in matters between them, etc., of no consequence.']

[[wherffor de ye with itt _text unchanged: error for "do"?_]]

861

SIR JOHN PASTON TO JOHN PASTON[218-2]

_To the ryght worshypfull John Paston, Esquier, at Norwych, or to hys modr, Margreet Paston, in hys absence, in haste._

[Sidenote: 1475 / JAN. 17]

I recomande me to yow, praying yow hertely, that I maye have weetyng when that my Lorde and Lady of Norffolk shalle be at London, and howgh longe they shall tery theer, and in especiall my Lorde of Norffolk; ffor uppon ther comyng to London wer it ffor me to be guydyd. Neverthelesse I wolde be soory to come theer but iff I neds most. I thynke it wolde be to yow ovyr erksom a labor to solycyte the maters atwyen them and me, but iff I weer theer myselffe; wherffor, iff ye thynke it be convenyent that I com thyddr, I praye yow sende me worde as hastely as ye maye, and by what tyme ye thynke most convenyent, that I sholde be theer; and off all suche coumfforte as ye ffynde or heer off the towardnesse theroff, and when also that ye shall be theer yowr selffe. For it is so that as to morow I purpose to ryde in to Flaundrys to purveye me off horse and herneys, and percase I shall see the a.s.sege at Nwse[218-3] er I come ageyn, iff I have tyme; wherffor, iff I so doo, by lyklyhod it woll be a xiiij. dayes er I be heer ageyn; and afftr, as I heer ffrom yowe and other ther uppon, that at the next pa.s.sage, and G.o.d woll, I purpose to come to London warde: G.o.d sende me goode spede; in cheff ffor the mater above wretyn; and secondly, ffor to appoynt with the Kyng and my Lorde, ffor suche retynwe as I sholde have now in thees werrys in to Frawnce; wherffor I praye yow, in Norffolk and other places, comon with suche as ye thynke lykly ffor yow and me, that ar dysposyd to take wages in gentylmenns howsys and ellys wher, so that we maye be the moor redy, when that nede is; neverthelesse at thys owr, I wolde be gladde to have with me deyly iij. or iiij. mor than I have, suche as weer lykly; ffor I lakke off my retynwe, that I have neer so many. I praye yow sende me som tydyngs, suche as ye heer, and howghe that my brother Edmonde dothe.

For as ffor tydyngs heer, ther be but ffewe, saffe that the a.s.sege lastyth stylle by the Duke off Burgoyn affoor Nuse, and the Emperor[219-1] hathe besegyd also, not fferr from these, a castell, and an other town in lyke wyse, wher in the Dukys men ben. And also, the Frenshe Kynge, men seye, is comyn ryght to the water off Somme with iiij^ml. [4000] spers; and som men trowe that he woll, at the daye off brekyng off trewse, or ellys byffoor, sette uppon the Duks contreys heer. When I heer moor, I shall sende yowe moor tydyngs.

The Kyngs inba.s.sators, Sir Thomas Mongomere and the Master off the Rolls[219-2] be comyng homwards ffrom Nuse; and as ffor me, I thynke that I sholde be sek but iff I see it.

Syr John off Parre and William Berkeley com thys weye to Flaundrs ward to by them horse and herneys, and [I] made Sir J. Parr goode cheer as I cowde ffor yowr sake; and he tolde me, that ye made hym haulte cheer, &c. at Norwyche. No moor.

Wretyn at Caleys, the xvij. daye off Janever, anno Edwardi iiij^ti xiiij^o.

[Footnote 218-2: [From Fenn, ii. 174.] 'Though this letter,' says Fenn, 'has no signature, yet it is written by Sir John Paston, Knight.']

[Footnote 218-3: Neuss, not far from Dusseldorf, in the territory of Cologne, at this time besieged by Charles the Bold, Duke of Burgundy.]

[Footnote 219-1: Frederick III. of Austria, Emperor of Germany.]

[Footnote 219-2: Dr. John Morton, afterwards Bishop of Ely, Lord Chancellor, Archbishop of Canterbury, and Cardinal.]

862

MARGARET PASTON TO JOHN PASTON[220-1]

_To John Paston, Sqwyer, be thys delyveryd in hast._

Jh's.[220-2]

[Sidenote: 1475 / JAN. 29]

I gret yow well, and send yow G.o.ddes blyssyng and myn, letyng yow wet that my cosyn Robard Clere was her with me thys weke, and told me that he was nowt payd of the mony that ye know that was borowd of hys modyr and of hym, but iiij^xx._li._ The xx_li._ that my plegges ly for ys on payd. He seyd that he was desyryd to delyvere my plegges, and to have be payd the xx_li._; but he wold not, tyll he had spokyn with me, because of the promys that he had mad to me befor that he shuld not delyver them to non withowt my a.s.sent. I seyd to hym that I suppose veryly that yowyr brodyr hys a greyd with yowyr hunkyll that he shuld paye all the hole, for I suppose he hath a swerte for ale that and more. I wold undyrstond how yt ys, and how that my seyd cosyn shall be content, for I war loth to lese my plegges; I wot yt well, yowyr good hunkyll wold ben in possessyon with good well, but I wol not soo. I wold that ye shuld speke with yowyr hunkyll ther in, and send me word in hast what he seet [_saith_].

I marvyll, be my trowth, that I had no wrytyng fro yowyr brodyr, er he departyd fro London, as he promysyd in the last lettyr that he sent me, the wych was wretyn be for the Kynges comyng to Norwych; I went [_expected_] veryly to have hard from hym ar [_ere_] thys tyme. I wold ye shuld send hym word of yowyr hunkyles delyng in thys seyd mater, and send me an ansswer ther off.

Recomaund me to yowyr grauntdam. I wold she war her in Norffolk, as well at es as evyr I sy hyr, and as lytyll rewlyd be hyr son as evyr she was, and than I wold hope that we alle shuld far the bettyr for hyr. Yt ys told me that yowyr hunkyll hath mad gret menys and larg profyrs to John Bakton to make a relesse to hym of Oxinhed. Whedyr that be don or nowt, I wot nowt yet, but I shall wot in hast, yf I may.

I wold ye shuld spekyn with my Lord of Norwych, and a say to get a lysen of hym to that I may have the sacrement her in the chapell, because yt ys far to the chyrche, and I am sekly, and the parson ys oftyn owt. For all maner of casweltes of me and myn, I wold havyt grauntyd, yf I myth.

Send me word yf ye her ony tydynges from yowyr brodyr how he doth of hys seknes, and in odyr thynges, as farforth as ye know, as astely as ye may. I thynk long tyll I her from hym for dyvers causys. G.o.d kepe yow.

Wretyn in hast at Mawdby, on the Satyrday next be for Candelmes Day.

Send me an ansswer of thys lettyr in hast, and odyr tydynges, &c.

Be yowyr modyr.

My cosyn Robard told me that ther was mor than vij_li._ of the mony that was payd hym that was ryght on rysty, and he cowd nowt havyt chaungyd.

He was on goodly servyd ther in.

[Footnote 220-1: [From Paston MSS., B.M.] This letter was evidently written on the same day as that immediately following.]

[Footnote 220-2: This is the customary contraction of the name Jesus, which was frequently written at the head of a letter.]

[[to have hard from hym ar [_ere_] thys tyme _printed without s.p.a.ce between "ar" and brackets_]]

863

MARGARET PASTON TO SIR JOHN PASTON[221-1]

_To Ser John Paston, Knyght, be thys delyveryd in hast._

Jh's.[221-2]

[Sidenote: 1475]

Ryght welbelovyd son, I gret yow well, and send yow G.o.ddes blyssyng and myn, letyng yow wete that I marveyle that I have had no wrytyng from yow sethyn ye sent me the lettyr that ye sent me be for the Kynges comyng to Norwych; in the whyche lettyr ye wrot to me that ye shuld a wretyn azeyn to me or ye shuld de part owt of London. It ys so that yowyr hunkyll William hath do payd to my cosyn Robard Clere but iiij^xx._li._ of the C_li._ and he wol no mor pay but yf [_unless_] he hath delyveraunc of my plegges, the wych was leyd to plegg for xx^ti_li._; the wych ben bettyr.