Agnes Paston to John Paston

LETTER XIII.

              To John Paston dwellyng
              jn y^e Tempyll at london
              be thys letter delyv’d ī hast.

I Grete yow wele and lete yow wete that on y^e sonday befor
     sent Edmond After evyn Songe Augnes Ball com to me to
my closett and Bad me good evyn and Clemēt Spycer w^t hyr
and j acsyd hym what he wold and he askyd me why I had
stoppyd jn y^e kyngs wey and I Seyd to hym j stoppyd no wey
butt myn owyn and askyd hym why he had Sold my lond to
John Ball And he sor he was nevyr a cordyd w^t yo^r fadyr and I
told hym if hys fadyr had do as he dede he wold a be a
Chamyd to A seyd as he seyd and all that tyme Waryn Herman
lenyd ovyr the parklos and lystynd what we seyd and seyd y^t y^e
Chaunge was a rewly Chaunge for y^e towne was un do y^erby
and is y^e werse by an C li. And I told hym it was no curtese to
medyll hym jn a mat’ Butt if he wer callyd to Councell and
prowdly goyn for the w^t me jn y^e Cherche he seyd the Stoppyng
of y^e Wey xuld coste me xx nobylls and zet it shuld downe
Ageyn And j lete hym wete he y^t putte it downe chull pay
y^erfor Also he seyd y^t it was well don y^t j Sett men to Werke to
¹owle meney whyll I was her butt jn y^e ende I chale lese my
coste than he askyd me why I had a wey hys hey at Wals’m
seyng to me he wold he had wyst it whan it was karryd and
he chuld A lettyd it and j told hym it was myn owyn grownde
and for myn owyn I wold holde it and he bad me take iiij Acr’
And go no ferther and thus Churtly he departyd fro me jn
y^e Cherche zerde and syt j spacke w^t a serteyn man and acsyd hym
if he herd owt sey why y^e dyner was mad att Norfolkys howse
and he told me herd sey that serteyn men had sentt to london
to gete A Comyssyon owt of y^e Chaunstre to putt downe ageyn
y^e Wall and y^e dyk I Receyvyd yor letter by Rob’ Reppys thys
day aft^r thys lett^r wretyn thus far I have Red it butt I con’ yeve
yow non Aunswer mor than I have wretyn Save the wyfe of
Harma’ hathe y^e name of owr lady whos blyssyn ye have and
myn Wretyn at Paston on y^e day after Sent Edmond.

                                                         Be yowyr modyr,

                                                                         ² Augnes Paston.

        11 ¾ by 7 ½.

         Paston,
        17 November, after 1444. 23 H. VI.

     I have given this Letter as a specimen of disputes which frequently arise at present, as
well as in former times, when either encroachments are really made by the principal Per-
son in a parish, or when any act is done which appears such to some self-important little
owner. Which party was right in this matter is at this distance of time very immaterial;
it only shews human nature to have been the same yesterday and to-day.

     It may not be entirely foreign to the purpose in this place just to observe, how very
beneficial both to the public and to individuals the Act of the 13 Geo. III. is contrived,
whereby Roads are ordered to be diverted and turned upon a view of two Justices. This
Act certainly gives great power to the Gentlemen in the Commission of the Peace, but as
long as that Power is directed to the benefit of the public, no one ought to find fault with
it; though, if the private Interest of Individuals should often supersede the public conve-
nience, an alarm ought then to be taken, and it will perhaps become necessary to repeal,
or at least to alter, an Act wisely planned for the common benefit.

     ¹ To owl may signify to deceive, as an Owler is a person who carries contraband goods
in the night; though I rather think it means in this place to oil, that is to smooth to her
purpose, but q.?

     ² Autograph Pl. II. N^o 19. Seal imperfect, but see Letter LXXV.

LETTER XIII.

To John Paston, dwelling in the Temple at London, be this
Letter delivered in haste.

I Greet you well, and let you weet, that, on the Sunday before
     Saint Edmond, after even Song, Augnes Ball come to me
to my closet and bad me good even, and Clement Spicer with
her; and I asked him what he would; and he asked me why I
had stopped in the King’s way; and I said to him, I stopped no
way but mine own, and asked him why he had sold my land to
John Ball, and he swore he was never accorded with your father;
and I told him if his father had done as he did, he would have
been ashamed to have said as he said; and all that time Waryn
Herman leaned over the park close and listened what we said;
and said that the change was a rewly [grievous] change, for the
town was undo [undone] thereby, and is the worse by an 100l.
And I told him it was no courtesy to meddle him in a matter
but if [unless] he were called to council; and proudly going
forth with me in the church, he said, the stopping of the way should
cost me twenty nobles (6l. 13s. 4d.) and yet it should down again.
And I let him weet, he that put it down should pay therefore.

     Also he said that it was well done that I set men to work to
¹ owl many while I was here, but in the end I shall lose my cost.
Then he asked me why I had away his hay at Walsham, saying
to me he would he had wist it, when it was carried, and he
should a letted [have hindered] it; and I told him it was mine
own ground, and for mine own I would hold it; and he bad me
take four acres and go no farther; and thus churtly [churlishly q.?]
he departed from me in the church-yard; and since I spake
with a certain man, and asked him if he heard ought say why
the dinner was made at Norfolk’s house, and he told me, [he]
heard say that certain men had sent to London to get a Commission
out of the Chancery to put down again the wall and the dyke.
I received your Letter by Robert Repps this day, after this Letter
(was) written thus far; I have read it, but I can give you none
answer more than I have written, save the wife of Harman hath
the name of our Lady, whose blessing ye have and mine.
Written at Paston, on the day after Saint Edmond.

                                                        By your Mother,

                                                                  ² AGNES PASTON.

 11 ¾ by 7 ½.

 Paston,
17 November, after 1444. 23 H. VI.

     I have given this Letter as a specimen of disputes which frequently arise at present, as
well as in former times, when either encroachments are really made by the principal Per-
son in a parish, or when any act is done which appears such to some self-important little
owner. Which party was right in this matter is at this distance of time very immaterial;
it only shews human nature to have been the same yesterday and to-day.

     It may not be entirely foreign to the purpose in this place just to observe, how very
beneficial both to the public and to individuals the Act of the 13 Geo. III. is contrived,
whereby Roads are ordered to be diverted and turned upon a view of two Justices. This
Act certainly gives great power to the Gentlemen in the Commission of the Peace, but as
long as that Power is directed to the benefit of the public, no one ought to find fault with
it; though, if the private Interest of Individuals should often supersede the public conve-
nience, an alarm ought then to be taken, and it will perhaps become necessary to repeal,
or at least to alter, an Act wisely planned for the common benefit.

     ¹ To owl may signify to deceive, as an Owler is a person who carries contraband goods
in the night; though I rather think it means in this place to oil, that is to smooth to her
purpose, but q.?

     ² Autograph Pl. II. N^o 19. Seal imperfect, but see Letter LXXV.

196

AGNES PASTON TO JOHN PASTON¹

To John Paston, dwellyng in the Tempyll at London,
be thys letter delyverd in hast.

      I GRETE yow wele, and lete yow wete that on the Sonday
          befor Sent Edmond, after evyn songe, Augnes Ball com
          to me to my closett and bad me good evyn, and Clement
Spycer with hyr. And I acsyd hym what he wold? And he
askyd me why I had stoppyd in the Kyngs wey? And I seyd
to hym I stoppyd no wey butt myn owyn, and askyd hym why
he had sold my lond to John Ball? And he sor [swore] he was
nevyr a cordyd with your fadyr; and I told hym if hys fadyr
had do as he dede, he wold a be a chamyd to a seyd as he
seyd. And all that tyme Waryn Herman lenyd ovyr the
parklos² and lystynd what we seyd, and seyd that the chaunge
was a rewly chaunge, for the towne was un do therby, and is
the werse by an Cli. And I told hym it was no curtese to
medyll hym in a mater butt if he wer callyd to councell; and
prowdly goyn forthe with me in the cherche, he seyd the
stoppyng of the wey xuld coste me xx. nobylls, and zet it shuld
downe ageyn. And I lete hym wete he that putte it downe
chull pay therfor. Also he seyd that it was well don that I
sett men to werke to owle³ meney whyll I was her, butt in the
ende I chale lese my coste. Than he askyd me why I had a
wey hys hey at Walsham, seyng to me he wold he had wyst it
whan it was karryd, and he chuld a lettyd it; and I told hym
it was myn owyn grownde, and for myn owyn I wold holde it;
and he bad me take iiij. acre and go no ferther. And thus
churtly he departyd from me in the cherche zerde. And syt
[since] I spacke with a serteyn man, and acsyd hym if he herd
owt sey why the dyner was mad att Norfolkys howse, and he
told me [he] herd sey that serteyn men had sentt to London
to gete a commyssyon owt of the chaunstre to putt downe
ageyn the wall and the dyk.

     I receyvyd yor letter by Robert Reppys thys day after thys
letter wretyn thus far. I have red it, butt I conn yeve yow
non aunswer mor than I have wretyn, save the wyfe of Harman
hathe the name of owr Lady, whos blyssyn ye have and myn.
Wretyn at Paston, on the day after Sent Edmond,¹

                               Be yowyr modyr,                AUGNES PASTON.

     ¹ [From Fenn, iii. 44.] This letter of Agnes Paston’s refers to the same subject
of dispute as the two preceding, and was probably written after them; but the exact
year is not certain.

     ² The half door of her ‘closet’ or pew in church.

     ³ ‘To owl,’ says Fenn, ‘may signify to deceive, as an owler is a person who carries
contraband goods in the night; though I rather think it means in this place to oil,
that is, to smooth to her purpose; but q.?’ The explanation certainly is not very
satisfactory. From the definition of ‘owler’ we might perhaps conjecture with more
probability that ‘to owl’ was to work in the night time. Did Agnes Paston, to avoid
interruption, set men to build the wall by night?

  ¹ St. Edmund’s day was the 16th November.

1451
or later

1451
or later