Dame Elizabeth Brews to Sir John Paston

LETTER IX.

To my rytth worchupfull
      Son S^r Jon Paston be thys
      byll delyvyrd jn hast

RYTH worchupfull Son J recomme˜d me on to zow And to
my lady zowyr wyf And thankyng zow harttyly for the
grett labyr thatt ze had on thorys day for me and for zowyr
kynd nes for and odyr had don asse ze ded I had had my
purpos qwerfor I prey god do be them asse they do be me
Son J must prey zow to haue adosseyn me˜ in harnes w^t
bowys and wepyn Convenyent for them that I may feche my
stres agey˜ the schrevyf man wasse her wythe me and j of
yowyr he seyth heys and he hatth mad me feythful promes
y^t he wel be wyth me Agey˜ on Mo˜day qwerfor I prey zow
harttyly Son and reqwere zow y^t zowyr me˜ may be wyth me
on Monday as my werry tros ys jn zow qwo sknowyth
blyssyd Juhu hom haff zow and yowyr jn yss kepyng.

                                                        Be zouyr trew Modyr,

                                                    Dam ELYSABETHE BREWYSSE.

   8½ by 5.

            Paper Mark.
            The Letter T.
          Pl. xxxiii. No. 1.

     Lady Brewse in this letter, at the same time that she thanks her son for his ser-
vices, shows her dissatisfaction with others. A distress which she had taken,
appears to have been gotten from her, and she finds it necessary to apply to
Sir John for a dozen men, completely armed, to recover it again; this shows
the inefficacy of the law alone to do her justice, when so strong a force was
necessary to secure the execution of it.

     She was the daughter of Sir Giles Debenham, and mother to Sir John Pas-
ton’s lady.

     Autograph, Pl. xxx. No. 8.

LETTER IX.

To my Right Worshipful Son, Sir John Paston, be this delivered
in haste.

RIGHT worshipful Son, I recommend me unto you and to
my Lady your wife, and thanking you heartily for the great
labour that ye had on Thursday for me, and for your kindness,
for and [if] other had done as ye did, I had had my purpose,
wherefore I pray God do by them as they do by me.

     Son, I must pray you to have a dozen men in harness,
with bows and weapon convenient for them, that I may fetch
my stres [distress] again; the Sheriff’s man was here with
me, and one of yours, he saith his, and he hath made me
faithful promise that he will be with me again on Monday,
wherefore I pray you heartily, Son, and require you that
your men may be with me on Monday, as my very trust is
in you, which knoweth blessed Jesu, whom have you and
your in his keeping.

                                                          By your true Mother,

                                                       Dame ELIZABETH BREWSE.

         About 1487.
          3 H. vii.

   Lady Brewse in this letter, at the same time that she thanks her son for his ser-
vices, shows her dissatisfaction with others. A distress which she had taken,
appears to have been gotten from her, and she finds it necessary to apply to
Sir John for a dozen men, completely armed, to recover it again; this shows
the inefficacy of the law alone to do her justice, when so strong a force was
necessary to secure the execution of it.

     She was the daughter of Sir Giles Debenham, and mother to Sir John Pas-
ton’s lady.

     Autograph, Pl. xxx. No. 8.

1017

DAME ELIZABETH BREWS TO SIR JOHN PASTON²

To my rytth worchupfull son, Sir Jon Paston, be thys
byll delyvyrd in hast.

     RYTH worchupfull son, I recommend me on to zow and
         to my lady zowyr wyf, and thankyng zow harttyly
         for the grett labyr thatt ze had on Thorys day for me,
and for zowyr kyndnes; for and odyr had don asse ze ded, I

had had my purpos; qwerfor I prey God do be them asse they
do be me.

     Son, I must prey zow to have a dosseyn men in harnes,
with bowys and wepyn convenyent for them, that I may feche
my stres ageyn. The schrevys man wasse here wythe me, and
[j. of] yowyres, he seyth he ys, and he hatth mad me feythful
promes that he wol be wyth me ageyn on Monday, qwerfor I
prey zow harttyly, son, and reqwere zow that zowyr men may
be wyth me on Monday, as my werry tros ys in zow, qwo
sknowyth blyssyd Jesu, Horn haff zow and zowyr in Yss
keppyng.

                                     Be zowyr trew modyr,

                                                   DAM ELYSABETHE BREWYSSE.

     ² [From Paston MSS., B.M.] Fenn dates this letter ‘about 1487.’ It cannot be
earlier than June of that year, and may be a few years later. But the date is
unimportant. This letter appears to be a holograph. The next is written by a
scribe.

1487,
or later

1487,
or later