Agnes Paston to William Paston

LETTER I.

To my worshepefull housbond W.¹ Paston be y^is lett^r takyn.

       DERE housbond I recomaunde me to yow &c blessyd be God
            I sende yow gode tydynggs of ye comyng and ye brynggyn
hoom of ye² Gentylwomman yat ye wetyn of fro Redh’m yis
same nyght acordyng to póyntmen yat ye made yer for yowr self
And as for ye furste aqweyntaunce be twhen John³ Paston and ye
feyde Gentylwomman she made hym Gentil cher in Gyntyl wyse
and seyde he was verrayly your son. And so I hope yer shall
nede no gret trete be twyxe hym.

     Ye p’son of Stocton toold me yif ye wolde byin her a Goune
here moder wolde yeve ther to a godely ffurre ye goune nedyth
for to be had and of colour it wolde be a godely blew or erlys
a bryghte sangueyn.

 I prey yow do byen for me ij ⁴ pypys of gold.
Your ⁵ stewes do weel. The holy Trinite have you in gov^rnñce.
Wretyn at ⁶ Paston in hast ye wednesday next aft^r 7 Deus qui er-
rantib; for defaute of a good secretarye &c.

           Size 11¾ by 3¾.                                Yowres⁸ Agn. Paston.

 We are in this letter acquainted with the first introduction of a young Lady to the Gen-
tleman, intended for her husband, and are informed that she “made hym gentil cher in
gyntyl wise:” but it appears somewhat extraordinary, that being the Heiress of a family
of rank and fortune, any intimation should be given to the father of the Lover of pre-
senting her with a Gown, and especially as “the Goune nedyth for to be had.”

¹ Sir Wm. Paston, knt. a judge of the Common-Pleas, was born in 1378, died in
1444, Æt. 66.

     ² Margaret, daughter and heir of John Mauteby, esq. of Mauteby in Norfolk, by
Margaret, daughter of John Berney, of Reedham, esq. and, soon after the writing of
this letter, wife of John Paston, esq.

     ³ Son of Sir William and Agnes Paston, was born about 1420, and died in 1466.

⁴ Gold thread on pipes or rolls, for needle-work or embroidery, &c.

     ⁵ Ponds to keep fish alive for present use.

     ⁶ In Norfolk, the then residing place of sir William Paston.

     ⁷ The words beginning the Collect on the third Sunday after Easter.

     ⁸ Agnes, daughter and coheir of sir Edmund Barry, or Berry, of Harlingbury-hall,
  in Hertfordshire, by Alice, daughter and heir of sir Thomas Garbridge, knt. and wife
of sir William Paston, knt. She died in 1479, and was buried by her husband, in Our
Lady’s Chapel at the east end of Norwich cathedral. Pl. II. No 19.

     N. B. The reader is desired to observe, that the Saxon þ is generally used, in all
these original letters, for th, though represented by the English y.

LETTER I.

To my Worshipful Husband William¹ Paston, be this Letter taken.

       DEAR Husband, I recommend me to you, &c. Blessed be
            God I send you good tidings of the coming, and the
bringing home, of the² Gentlewoman, that ye weeten (know) of
from Reedham, this same night according to appointment, that
ye made there for yourself.

     And as for the first acquaintance between John¹ Paston and the
said Gentlewoman, she made him Gentle cheer in Gentle wise,
and said, he was verily your son; and so I hope there shall need
no great Treaty between them.

     The Parson of Stockton told me, if ye would buy her a Gown,
her mother would give thereto a goodly Fur; the Gown needeth
for to be had; and of colour it would be a goodly blew, or else
a bright sanguine.

I pray you to buy for me two ⁴ pipes of gold. Your ⁵ stews do
well. The Holy Trinity have you in governance.

     Written at ⁶ Paston in haste the Wednesday next after⁷ “Deus
qui errantibus;” for default of a good secretary, &c.

      Paston, Wednesday                  Yours⁸ AGNES PASTON.
           about 1440. 18 H. VI.

 We are in this letter acquainted with the first introduction of a young Lady to the Gen-
tleman, intended for her husband, and are informed that she “made hym gentil cher in
gyntyl wise:” but it appears somewhat extraordinary, that being the Heiress of a family
of rank and fortune, any intimation should be given to the father of the Lover of pre-
senting her with a Gown, and especially as “the Goune nedyth for to be had.”

¹ Sir Wm. Paston, knt. a judge of the Common-Pleas, was born in 1378, died in
1444, Æt. 66.

     ² Margaret, daughter and heir of John Mauteby, esq. of Mauteby in Norfolk, by
Margaret, daughter of John Berney, of Reedham, esq. and, soon after the writing of
this letter, wife of John Paston, esq.

     ³ Son of Sir William and Agnes Paston, was born about 1420, and died in 1466.

⁴ Gold thread on pipes or rolls, for needle-work or embroidery, &c.

     ⁵ Ponds to keep fish alive for present use.

     ⁶ In Norfolk, the then residing place of sir William Paston.

     ⁷ The words beginning the Collect on the third Sunday after Easter.

     ⁸ Agnes, daughter and coheir of sir Edmund Barry, or Berry, of Harlingbury-hall,
  in Hertfordshire, by Alice, daughter and heir of sir Thomas Garbridge, knt. and wife
of sir William Paston, knt. She died in 1479, and was buried by her husband, in Our
Lady’s Chapel at the east end of Norwich cathedral. Pl. II. No 19.

     N. B. The reader is desired to observe, that the Saxon þ is generally used, in all
these original letters, for th, though represented by the English y.

34

AGNES PASTON TO WILLIAM PASTON¹

To my worshepefull housbond, W. Paston, be this letter takyn

DERE housbond, I recomaunde me to yow, &c. Blessyd
     be God I sende yow gode tydynggs of the comyng,
     and the brynggyn hoom, of the gentylwomman² that
ye wetyn of fro Redham, this same nyght, acordyng to poynt-
men [appointment] that ye made ther for yowr self.

     And as for the furste aqweyntaunce be twhen John Paston³
and the seyde gentylwomman, she made hym gentil cher in
gyntyl wise, and seyde, he was verrayly your son. And so
I hope ther shall nede no gret trete be twyxe hym.

     The parson of Stocton⁴ toold me, yif ye wolde byin her a
goune, here moder wolde yeve ther to a godely furre. The
goune nedyth for to be had; and of colour it wolde be a
godely blew, or erlys a bryghte sangueyn.

     I prey yow do byen for me ij. pypys of gold.⁵ Your
stewes⁶ do weel.

     The Holy Trinite have you in governaunce.

     Wretyn at Paston, in hast, the Wednesday next after Deus
qui errantibus,⁷ for defaute of a good secretarye. Yowres,

                                                                                   AGN. PASTON.

     ¹ [From Fenn, i. 2.] This letter must have been written some little time before
the marriage of John Paston and Margaret Mauteby, which seems to have been about
1440.

     ² Margaret, daughter and heir of John Mauteby, shortly afterwards married to
John Paston, Esq.

     ³ Son of William and Agnes Paston.

     ⁴ Laurence Baldware was rector of Stockton ‘about 1440.—Blomefield, viii. 49.

     ⁵ Gold thread on pipes or rolls, for needlework or embroidery.—F.

     ⁶ Ponds to keep fish alive for present use.—F.

     ⁷ The Collect for the Third Sunday after Easter.

1440(?)