Agnes Paston to John Paston

LETTER XI.

             Tho my wele be lovyd Son
             John Paston be yis delyv’ed
             in haste.

SONNE I grete zow wele and lete zow wete y^t for as myche
     as zoure broyir Clement leteth me wete y^t ze desyre feyth-
fully my blyssyng y^t blyssyng y^t I prayed zoure fadir to gysse
zow y^e laste day y^t ev^r he spakke And y^e blyssyng of all seyntes
undir heven and myn mote come to zow all dayes and tymes
And thynke veryly non oy^r but y^t ze have it And shal have it
w^t yat y^t I fynde zow kynde and wyllyng to y^e wele of zoure
fadres soule and to ye welfare of zoure breyeren Be my conseyle
dyspose zoureselfe as myche as ze may to have lesse to do in y^e
worlde zoure fadye sayde jn lityl bysynes lyeth muche reste yis
world is but a yorough fare and ful of Woo And whā we departe
y’fro rizth nouzght bere w^t us but oure good dedys and ylle
And y’ knoweth no man how soon god woll clepe h[SYM] And y’
for it is good for ev’y creature to be redy qhom god vysyteth hī
he lovyth. And as for zoure breyeren yei wylle I knowe cer-
teynly laboren all y^t in hē lyeth for yow. Oure lorde have zow
in his blyssed kepyng body and soule. Writen at Norwyche y^e
xxix day of Octobyr,

                                                                       Be zoure Modir,

                                                                                           A. P.

12 by 4.

Norwich,
 29th of October.
  About or after 1444.

     This Letter I should suppose was written not long after Sir William Paston’s death in
1444, as it refers to the blessing which the asked of him to bestow upon his Children,
probably immediately after some sickness or misfortune which had befallen her Son.

     The style of it is that of a most affectionate Mother, and the introduction of his Father’s
saying is a masterly stroke. Her own reflections are judicious, apposite, and well timed,
and the whole of the discourse would do honour to a Parent at this day, when our thoughts,
manners, and language are so much more refined than they were during the age in which
this was written.

Autograph. Pl. II. N^o 19.

LETTER XI.

To my well beloved Son, John Paston, be this delivered in haste.

SON, I greet you well, and let you weet, that for as much
     as your brother Clement letteth me weet that ye desire
faithfully my blessing; that blessing that I prayed your father to
give you the last day that ever he spake, and the blessing of all
saints under heaven, and mine mote [must] come to you all days
and times; and think verily none other but that ye have it, and
shall have it, with that [on condition] that I find you kind and
willing to the weal of your Father’s soul, and to the welfare of
your brethren.

     By my counsel dispose yourself as much as ye may to have less
to do in the world; your Father said, “In little business lyeth
much rest.” This world is but a thoroughfare, and full of woe;
and, when we depart therefrom, right nought bear with us,
but our good deeds and ill; and there knoweth no man how soon
God will clepe [call] him; and therefore it is good for every
creature to be ready. Whom God visiteth him he loveth.

     And as for your brethren they will I know certainly labour
all that in them lyeth for you. Our Lord have you in his
blessed keeping, body and soul. Written at Norwich, the 29th
day of October.

                                                                 By your Mother,

                                                                              AGNES PASTON.

12 by 4.

Norwich,
 29th of October.
About or after 1444.

     This Letter I should suppose was written not long after Sir William Paston’s death in
1444, as it refers to the blessing which the asked of him to bestow upon his Children,
probably immediately after some sickness or misfortune which had befallen her Son.

     The style of it is that of a most affectionate Mother, and the introduction of his Father’s
saying is a masterly stroke. Her own reflections are judicious, apposite, and well timed,
and the whole of the discourse would do honour to a Parent at this day, when our thoughts,
manners, and language are so much more refined than they were during the age in which
this was written.

Autograph. Pl. II. N^o 19.

363

AGNES PASTON TO JOHN PASTON¹

Tho my wele be lovyd son, John Paston,
be this delyvered in haste.

SONNE, I grete zow wele, and lete zow wete that for as
     myche as zoure brothir Clement leteth me wete that ze
     desyre feythfully my blyssyng,—that blyssyng that I
prayed zoure fadir to gyffe zow the laste day that ever he
spakke, and the blyssyng of all seyntes undir heven, and myn
mote come to zow all dayes and tymes; and thynke veryly
non other but that ze have it, and shal have it, with that that
I fynde zow kynde and wyllyng to the wele of zoure fadres
soule, and to the welfare of zoure bretheren.

     Be my conseyle dypose zoureselfe as myche as ze may to
have lesse to do in the worlde; zoure fadye sayde: In lityl
bysynes lyeth muche reste. This world is but a thorough fare,
and ful of woo; and whan we departe therefro, rizth nouzght
bere with us but oure good dedys and ylle. And ther knoweth
no man how soon God woll clepe hym, and therfor it is good
for every creature to be redy. Qhom God vysyteth him he
lovyth.

     And as for zoure bretheren, thei wylle I knowe certeynly
laboren all that in hem lyeth for yow. Oure Lorde have zow
in his blyssed kepyng, body and soule.

     Writen at Norwyche, the xxix. day of Octobyr.

                                           Be zoure modir,                                    A. P.

     ¹ [From Fenn, iii. 40.] As there is no distinct evidence of the date of this letter,
I have placed it after another paper written by Agnes Paston, and making mention
of Clement, though I rather suspect it may be a little later. It certainly cannot have
been, as Fenn supposes, written within a short time after William Paston’s death in
1444, as Clement Paston was then only two years old. From some of the expressions
we might be led to suspect that John Paston was in trouble at the time.