Dame Elizabeth Brews to John Paston

LETTER XXXVI.

Un to my Ryght wurschypfull
      Cosyn John Paston be thys
      lettur delyu^red &c.

RYGHT wurschypfull Cosyn I recomande me in yowe &c
And I send myn husbonde A bill of the mat^r y^t ze knowe of
and he wrote An other bill to me Agayn towchyng the
same mat^r And he wold that ze schuld go on to my mais-
tresse your modur And Asaye if ze myght gete the hole
XX li in to zowr hands and then he wolde be mor gladd to
marye w^t zowe and will gyffe zowe An Cli And Cosyn y^t
day y^t sche is maryed my ¹fadur will gyffe hyr L merk But
and we acorde J schall gyffe yowe a grett tresur y^t is a
wytty gentylwoma˜ and if I sey it bothe good and v’tuos.
For if I schuld take money for hyr I wold not gyffe hyr for
    e
A m li but Cosyn J trust zowe so meche y^t I wold thynke
her wele besett on zowe And ye wer worthe meche mor.
And Cosyn A lytyll aft^r y^t ze wer gon Come A ma˜ fro my
Cosyn Derby and broght me wurde y^t suche A chance fell
y^t he myght not Com at the Day y^t was set as I schall let
zowe undyrstond more pleynly when I speke w^t zowe &c
But Cosyn and it wold please zowe to Com Agayn what
dey y^t ze will set J dar undyrtake y^t they schall kepe the
same day for J wold be glad y^t and myn husbond and
ze myght acorde in thys maryage y^t it myght be my fortune
to make and ende in thys mat^r betwene my Cosyns and
zowe y^t yche of zowe myght love oy^r in frendely wyse &c
And Cosyn if thys byll please not zowr Entent J pray
zowe y^t it may be brent &c No mor onto zowe at thys
tyme but almyghty Jhe p’s˜ve zowe &c

                                                          By yowr Cosyn Dame

                                                                  ²ELIZABETH BREWS.

      11¾ by 5½.

              Paper Mark,
                 a Flower.
              Pl. xxi. No. 3.

    This easy and familiar letter opens the terms on which the intended alliance
is to go forward: who can read the character which the mother so fondly gives
of her daughter without being interested in the affection and tenderness of
the parent?

     Young Reader, are not you in love already with this worthy girl? Do not
you wish that you had lived three centuries ago, that you might have had a
chance to have offered your addresses to so accomplished a maiden?

  Look around you, and, to the honour of the present age, I make no doubt,
but that you will soon find many youthful females worthy of your choice,
should you have made a proper use of those advantages and modes of educa-
tion, which your rank and fortune (whatsoever it be) may have enabled you to
procure.

     Thus accomplished, success will most probably attend your addresses. If
you have hitherto neglected the advantages in your power, it is not even now
too late to retrieve the lost time.

     Begin, proceed, and prosper!

     ¹  Sir Giles Debenham, Kt.

     ²  Autograph, Pl. v. No. 26. Seal, a Squirrel seiant, Pl. xxxiv. No. 3.

LETTER XXXVI.

Unto my Right Worshipful Cousin John Paston, be this Letter
delivered, &c.

RIGHT Worshipful Cousin, I recommend me unto you, &c.
And I sent mine husband a bill of the matter that ye know
of, and he wrote another bill to me again touching the same
matter, and he would that ye should go unto my mistress
your mother, and assay if ye might get the whole 20l. into
your hands, and then he would be more glad to marry with
you, and will give you an 100l., and Cousin, that day that
she is married, my ¹father will give her 50 marks, (33l. 6s. 8d.)
But and [if] we accord, I shall give you a great treasure,
that is, a witty gentlewoman, and if I say it, both good and
virtuous; for if I should take money for her, I would not
give her for a 1000l.; but, Cousin, I trust you so much,
that I would think her well beset on you, and [if] ye were
worth much more. And, Cousin, a little after that ye were
gone, came a man from my Cousin Derby, and brought me
word that such a change fell, that he might not come at
the day that was set, as I shall let you understand more
plainly, when I speak with you, &c. But, Cousin, and it
would please you to come again, what day that ye will set,
I dare undertake that they shall keep the same day, for I
would be glad that, and [if] mine husband and ye might
accord in this marriage, that it might be my fortune to
make an end of this matter between my cousins and you,
that each of you might love other in friendly wise, &c.
And, Cousin, if this bill please not your intent, I pray you
that it may be burnt, &c. No more unto you at this time,
but Almighty Jesu preserve you, &c.

                                                            By your Cousin,

                                                    ²Dame ELIZABETH BREWS.

      Jan. or Feb.
    1476-7. 16 E. IV.

   This easy and familiar letter opens the terms on which the intended alliance
is to go forward: who can read the character which the mother so fondly gives
of her daughter without being interested in the affection and tenderness of
the parent?

     Young Reader, are not you in love already with this worthy girl? Do not
you wish that you had lived three centuries ago, that you might have had a
chance to have offered your addresses to so accomplished a maiden?

  Look around you, and, to the honour of the present age, I make no doubt,
but that you will soon find many youthful females worthy of your choice,
should you have made a proper use of those advantages and modes of educa-
tion, which your rank and fortune (whatsoever it be) may have enabled you to
procure.

     Thus accomplished, success will most probably attend your addresses. If
you have hitherto neglected the advantages in your power, it is not even now
too late to retrieve the lost time.

     Begin, proceed, and prosper!

     ¹  Sir Giles Debenham, Kt.

     ²  Autograph, Pl. v. No. 26. Seal, a Squirrel seiant, Pl. xxxiv. No. 3.

895

DAME ELIZABETH BREWS TO JOHN PASTON¹

Un to my ryght wurschypffull cosyn, John Paston, be
thys lettur delyvered, &c.

RYGHT wurschypfull cosyn, I recommande me un [to]
     yowe, &c. And I send my husbonde a bill of the
     mater that ze knowe of, and he wrote an other bill to
me agayn towchyng the same mater; and he wold that ze
schuld go un to my maistresse yowr modur, and asaye if ze
myght gete the hole xxli. in to zowr handes, and then he
wolde be more gladd to marye with zowe, and will gyffe zowe
an Cli. And, cosyn, that day that sche is maryed, my fadur
will gyffe hyr 1. merk. But and we acorde, I schall gyffe
yowe a grettere tresur, that is, a wytty gentylwoman, and if I
sey it, bothe good and vertuos; for if I schuld take money
for hyr, I wold not gyffe hyr for a mli. But, cosyn, I trust
zowe so meche that I wold thynke her wele besett on zowe,
and ze were worthe meche more. And, cosyn, a lytyll after
that ze were gone, come a man fro my cosyn Derby, and
broght me wurde that suche a chance fell that he myght not
come at the day that was set, as I schall let zowe undyrstond
more pleynly, when I speke with zowe, &c. But, cosyn, and
it wold please zowe to come agayn what dey that ze will set,
I dare undyrtake that they schall kepe the same daye; for I
wold be glad that, and myn husbond and ze myght acorde in
thys maryage, that it myght be my fortune to make and ende
in thys mater betwene my cosyns and zowe, that yche of zowe
myght love other in frendely wyse, &c. And, cosyn, if thys
byll please not zowr entent, I pray zowe that it may be
brent, &c.

     No more unto yowe at thys tyme, but Almyghty Jesus
preserve zowe, &c.

                                         By zowr cosyn,

                                                        Dame ELIZABETH BREWS.

¹ [From Paston MSS., B.M.] See preliminary note to last letter.