Agnes Paston to John Paston

LETTER XLIX.

                To John Paston be yis
                lett^r delyv^ryd.

SOON I grete zow wel w^t goddys blyssyng and myn and
      I latte zow wette y^t my Cosyn Cler wrytted to me y^t sche
spake w^t Schrowpe aftyr y^t he had byen w^t me at Norwyche and
tolde her what cher y^t I had made hym and he seyde to her he
lyked wel by y^e cher y^t I made hym he had swyche wordys to
my Cosyn Cler y^t lesse yan ze made hym good cher and zaf hym
wordys of conforth at london he wolde no mor speke of ye matyr
my Cosyn Cler thynkyth y^t it wer a foly to forsake hym lesse
yan ze knew of on owdyr as good or better and I haue assayde
zowr suster and I fonde her neu^r so wylly to noon as sche is to
hym zyf it be so y^t his londe stande cleer. J sent zow a lett^r by
Brawnton for sylke and for yis matyr befor my Cosyn Cler wrote
to me ye qwyche was wrytten on ye Wednysday nexzt aftyr
mydsomer day. S^r Harry ynglows is ryzth besy a bowt Schrowpe
for on of his dozther’s. I prey zow for zette nozth to brynge
me my mony fro Horwelbery as ze com fro London edyr all or
a grete parte ye dew dette was at Crystemesse last paste no thynge
a lowyd vij li. xiiij^s viij^d and at yis mydsomer it is v li. mor and
thow j a low hym all his askyng it is but xxvj^s vj^d lesse but I
am nozth so avysyth zytt as for ye frer he hath byen at sent
benetts and at Norwyche and made grete bowste of ye sewte y^t
he hath azens me and bowzthe many boxes to what jntent J
wett neu^r it is wel doen to be war at london in drede gyf he
bryng ony syse at sent Margarets tyme. I kan no mor but
almyzty god be owr good lorde who have zow eu^r in kepyng.
Wryten at Oxnede in grete hast on ye satyr next aftyr myd-
somer.

                                                                By yowr modyr,

                                                                                         A. P.

             11 ? by 4 ?.

                Paper Mark,
         A Bull’s Head and Star.
             Pl. XXII. N^o 15.

      Oxnead,
          Saturday, 29th of June,
          1454. 32 H. VI.

We find about this time several alliances proposed to the family for their daughter
Elizabeth, none of which as yet took place. This of Scroope seems to have been approv-
ed not only by the young Lady herself, but likewise by her mother and friends, though
conditionally that a better could not be obtained. She afterwards married Robert
Poynings, &c.

     Autograph. Pl. II. N^o 19.

LETTER XLIX.

To John Paston be this Letter delivered.

SON, I greet you well, with God?s blessing and mine, and I
      let you weet that my Cousin Clere writted (wrote) to me
that she spake with Scroope after that he had been with me at
Norwich, and told her what cheer that I had made him; and
he said to her he liked well by the cheer that I made him.

     He had such words to my Cousin Clere, that, less than (unless)
ye made him good cheer and gave him words of comfort at
London, he would no more speak of the matter.

     My Cousin Clere thinketh that it were a folly to forsake him
less than ye know of one other as good or better; and I have
assayed your Sister, and I found her never so willing to none as
she is to him: if it be so that his land stand clear.

     I sent you a Letter by Brawnton for silk, and for this matter
before my Cousin Clere wrote to me, the which was written on
the Wednesday next after Midsummer day.

     Sir Harry Inglose is right busy about Scroope for one of his
daughters.

     I pray you forget not to bring me my money from Horwel-
berry, as ye come from London, either all or a great part; the
due debt was at Christmas last past, nothing allowed, 7l. 14s. 8d.
and at this Midsummer it is 5l. more; and though I allow him
all his asking, it is but 1l. 6s. 6d. less, but I am not so advised
yet. As for the Friar he hath been at Saint Benet?s, and at
Norwich, and made great boast of the suit that he hath against
me, and bought many boxes, to what intent I weet never; it is
well done to beware at London, in dread if he bring any syse
(writ of Assise) at Saint Margaret?s (20th July) time.

     I can no more, but Almighty God be our good Lord, who have
you ever in keeping. Written at Oxnead in great haste, on the
Saturday next after Midsummer.

                                                By your Mother,

                                                                AGNES PASTON.

              11 ½ by 4 ¾.

                Paper Mark,
         A Bull’s Head and Star.
             Pl. XXII. N^o 15.

      Oxnead,
          Saturday, 29th of June,
          1454. 32 H. VI.

We find about this time several alliances proposed to the family for their daughter
Elizabeth, none of which as yet took place. This of Scroope seems to have been approv-
ed not only by the young Lady herself, but likewise by her mother and friends, though
conditionally that a better could not be obtained. She afterwards married Robert
Poynings, &c.

     Autograph. Pl. II. N^o 19.

93

AGNES PASTON TO JOHN PASTON²

To John Paston be this letter delyveryd.

        SOON, I grete zow wel with Goddis blyssyng and myn,
              and I latte zow wette that my cosyn Cler³ wrytted to
              me that sche spake with Schrowpe⁴ after that he had
byen with me at Norwyche, and tolde her what cher that I had
made hym, and he seyde to her he lyked wel by the cher I
made hym.

     He had swyche wordys to my cosyn Cler that lesse than ze
made hym good cher, and zaf hym wordys of conforth at
London, he wolde no mor speke of the matyr.

     My cosyn Cler thynkyth that it were a foly to forsake
hym lesse than ze knew of on owdyr as good or better; and
I have assayde zowr suster,⁵ and I fonde her never so wylly
to noon as sche is to hym, zyf it be so that his londe stande
cleer.

     I sent zow a letter by Brawnton for sylke, and for this
matyr befor my cosyn Cler wrote to me, the qwyche was
wrytten on the Wednysday nexzt aftyr Mydsomer day.

     Sir Harry Ynglows is ryzth besy a bowt Schrowpe for one
of his dozthers.

     I prey zow, for zette nozth to brynge me my mony fro
Horwelbery, as ze com fro London, edyr all or a grete parte.
The dew dette was at Crystemesse last paste, no thynge a
lowyd, vijli. xiiijs. viijd., and at this Mydsomer it is vli. more;
and thow I a low hym all his askyng, it is but xxvjs. vjd. less,
but I am nozth so avysyth zytt. As for the Frer,¹ he hath
byen at Sent Benetts, and at Norwyche, and made grete bowste
of the sewte that he hath azens me, and bowzthe many boxes,
to what intent I wett never. It is wel doen to be war at
London, in drede gyf he bryng ońy syse at Sent Margarets
tyme.

     I kan no more, but Almyzty God be owr good lorde, who
have zow ever in kepyng. Wryten at Oxnede in grete hast,
on the Satyr next aftyr Mydsomer.

                                                       By yowr Modyr,            A. P.

     ² [From Fenn, iii. 202.] This letter is dated by Fenn 1454, with some others
relating to matches proposed for Elizabeth Paston; but the date of this cannot be later
than 1451, as Sir Harry Inglos died that year. Moreover, it cannot be either 1451 or
1450, as ‘the Saturday next after Midsummer,’ when this letter is dated, preceded
‘the Wednesday next after Midsummer day’ in both these years. Thus 1449 is the
latest possible date.

     ³ Elizabeth, widow of Robert Clere of Ormesby, Esq.

     ⁴ Stephen Scrope, a son of Sir John Fastolf’s wife by a former husband.

     ⁵ Elizabeth Paston.

    ¹ John Hawteyn.—See Nos. 46, 50, and 63.

Not
after
1449

Not
after
1449