The Paston Letters Volume V Part 54

[Footnote 258-3: Light head-pieces.--F.]

[Footnote 258-4: Embossed ornaments, chains, buckles, etc.--F.]

[[departyng xij. myle on thyse-halff Roome _printed with ambiguous hyphen at line break_]]

890

JOHN PASTON TO SIR JOHN PASTON[259-1]

_To the ryght worchepfull Sir John Paston, Knyght, lodgyd at the George, by Powlys Wharf, in London._

[Sidenote: 1476 / MAY 6]

Aftyr all dewtes of recomendacyon, lyeketh yow to wet, that to my power ye be welcom ayen in to Inglond. And as for the Castell of Shene, ther is no mor in it but Colle and hys mak, and a goose may get it; but in no wyse I wold not that wey, and my modyr thynkyth the same. Take not that wey, if ther be eny other.

I undyrstand that Mastres Fytzwater hathe a syster, a mayd, to mary.

I trow, and ye entretyd hym, she myght come into Crysten menys handys.

I prey yow spek with Mastyr Fytzwater of that mater for me, and ye may telle hym, synse that he wyll have my servyse, it wer as good, and syche a bargayn myght be mad, that bothe she and I awaytyd on hym and my mastress hys wyff at oure owne cost, as I a lone to awayt on hym at hys cost; for then he shold be swer that I shold not be flyttyng, and I had syche a qwarell to kepe me at home. And I have hys good wylle, it is non inpossybyll to bryng a bowght.

I thynk to be at London with in a xiiij. dayes at the ferthest, and peraventure my mastress also, in consayll be it clatryd. G.o.d kepe yow and yours.

At Norwyche, the vj. day of May, anno E. iiij^ti xvj^{o}.

J. P.

[Footnote 259-1: [From Paston MSS., B.M.]]

891

SIR JOHN PASTON TO MARGARET PASTON[260-1]

_To Mestresse Margret Paston, in Norwyche, or to hyr sone John Paston, Knyght._

[Sidenote: 1476 / MAY 27]

Please it yow to weete that as for my materes, and theye appeyre nott,[260-2] the doo, blessyd be G.o.dde, as weell as I wolde they dyd, saffe that it shalle cost me grett mony, and it hathe cost me moche laboor. It is soo that the Kynge most have C. marke, and other costes will drawe xl. marke. And my mater is examynyd by the Kynges Cowncell, and declaryd affoor alle the Lordes, and now lakkythe noo thynge but [the Pry]vy Seals, and wryghtyng to Master Colv[ill][260-3] to avoide; for the[260-3] [Kyng hath p]romysed me as moche as I wolde he sholde fullefille, and alle the Lordes, Juges, Serjauntes, have affermyd my t.i.tle goode. Nott withstandyng Sowthewell, James Hubberde, and Sir W.

Braundon, where at ther owne desyrs, offryd to afferme and advowe my tytell for goode, and that my Lorde off Norffolk that ded is had noo tytell, thatt they knywe, they tolde my tale as ille as they cowde, and yitt a lye or too to helpe it, and yit it servyth them nott, they be knowen as they ar (in Cowncell be it seyde, and so most all thys letter be).

I have moche payne to gete so moche mony. Neverthelesse, but iff myne oncle schewe hym selfe werse than ever he was, I shalle nott fayle, if he kepe me promyse, and thatt is but as he dyde last, that is b.u.t.t to be my sywerte, and I to make hym sywerte ageyn.

The Kynge departythe thys daye, and wille nott be heer tyll Frydaye, whyche lettyth me, or ellys by thatt daye I wolde have hopyd to have comen homeward, and erst per aventure. No moor, but Jesus have yow in kepyng.

Wretyn at London, the xxvj. daye of Maye, the Mondaye next Holy Thurrysdaye, the a.s.sencion.

The Kynge wold have bowte it, but he was enfformyd off the trowthe, and that it was nott for a prynce, and off the greet pryse that I wolde selle it att; for that I myght nott for bere it, for he scholde have payed m^{l.}m^l. marke or moor, iff he hadde hadde it.

Your sone,

J. PASTON, K.

[Footnote 260-1: [From Paston MSS., B.M.] This letter relates to Sir John Paston's claim to Caister after the Duke of Norfolk's death, which claim he succeeded in establishing in June 1476, as appears by the letter following. The date 26th May at the end of the letter is an error. The 'Monday next Holy Thursday' was the 27th.]

[Footnote 260-2: _i.e._ if they do not get worse.]

[Footnote 260-3: Paper decayed.]

[[Salutation ... or to hyr sone John Paston, Knyght.

_printed as shown: misreading of Fenn's header?_ To Mestresse Margret Paston, in Norwyche or to hyr Sone John Paston K^t]]

892

SIR JOHN PASTON TO JOHN PASTON[261-1]

_To John Paston, Esquier, beyng at the Syngne of the George, at Powles Wharffe._

[Sidenote: 1476 / JUNE 30]

I recomaunde me to yow, letyng yow weete that I hav receyvyd yowr letter, wretyn the next daye aftre Mydsomer; for answer wheroff I thynke that to be bownde in v^c. [500] marke, I thynke it is to moche, where as I felt by yow ye sholde have with the gentylwoman but iiij^c [400]; neverthelesse I agree. But ye shall undrestande that I wyll not be bownde for yow that ye shall make hyr joyntour past xx_li._ by yer, within a sertayne daye lymyted; be it j. yere or ij., that is the largest that ye maye performe. For as for the maner of Sparham, my moodre and ye acorde notte in yowr saynges; she wyll nowght graunte yow ther in, whylse she levyth, saff, as she seythe to me, she hathe grauntyd yow x. marke by yeer tyll xl_li._ be payed, that is but vj.

yeer; and aftre hyr dyscease she woll agree with goode will, so that it maye be yowr proferment, that ye sholde have that maner in joynture with yowr wyffe to the lenger lyver off yow bothe, payng x. marke by yeer, soo or th ... as she wyll that it shall be. Therfore, as for l. marke joynture, I pray yow bynde me in no suche clawse, b.u.t.t iff it be for xx_li._ by a resonable daye, and xx. marke aftre the dyssease off my moodre. Take example at Derby.

Item, ye make yow sywerer than I deme yow bee, for I deme that her frendes wyll nott be content with Bedyngfeldes sywerte, nor yowres.

I deme thys mater will ocopy lenger leyser than ye deme for.

Item, I remembre thatt thys mony that she sholde have is nott redy, but in the handes of marchauntes of the Estaple, whyche at a prove ye shall fynde per case so slakke payeres, that ye myght be deseyvyd ther by.

I knowe dyverse have lost mony er they cowde gete ther dywtes owte off the Staple. G.o.d spede yow, and sende yow that ye wolde have.

I sende yow the obligacion here with acordyng to yowr desyr, and a letter to Bedyngfelde, thankyng hym for yow, and more over letyng hym know of myn entent. Opyn it, and close it ageyn, if ye lyst.

Item, where I tolde yow that the gowne clothe off olde chamlott, I wolde have it hoome for my suster Anne; ye for gate it. I praye yow sende it home by the next ma.s.senger, and a letter with it of suche tydynges as ye knowe.

Item, blissed be G.o.d, I have Castre at my will. G.o.d holde it better than it doone her to foore.

No moore, but wretyn the next daye aftre Seynt Petre, anno E. iiij^ti xvj^{o}.

J. PASTON, K.

[Footnote 261-1: [From Paston MSS., B.M.]]

893

SIR JOHN PASTON TO MARGARET PASTON[262-1]