Dame Elizabeth Browne to John Paston

LETTER I.

To my ryght worchepfull and hertly
      beloved Nevew John Paston Squyer

RIGHT worchepfull And my ryght hertly beloved Nevew
I recomand me to yow And wher as ye desier me to send
yow woord whether my brodyr John Paston yo^r fadyr was
w^t my fadyr and hys whō God assoyle dury˜g hys last syk-
nesse and at the tyme of hys dissease at Seynt brydis er
nowght Nevew I assarteyn yow upon my feythe and poore
honore that I was xiiij xv yer or xvj yer old and at Seynt
brydis w^t my fadyr and my modyr when my fadyrs last syk-
nesse took hym And tyll he was disseassid And I dare de-
pose befor ony p^rsone honorable that when my fadyrs last
siknesse tooke hym my brodyr your fadyr was in Norff’
And he came not to london tyll aftyr that my fadyr was dis-
seasid And that can S^r Will’m Cootyng and Jamys Gressh’m
record for they bothe were my fadyrs clerkys at that tyme
And I remembre and wot well that Jamys Gressh’m was w^t
my fadyr at Seynt brydys dury˜g all hys siknesse and at hys
disseasse And thys wyll I wyttnesse whyle I leve for A
trowthe as knowith god whom I beseche to p’serve you and
yours And nevew I prey yow recomand to my neese your
wyff whom I wold be glad to se onys A yen in london wher
thys bylle was wretyn Signed w^t myn hand and sealed w^t
my seale (the thursday next befor whyghtsonday the second
yer of Kyng Richard the thred) the xxiij daye of Septem-
ber the first yer of the reyngne of Kyng Herry the vij^th

                                                  your loveng awnte

                                                              ELIZABETH BROWNE.

      8½ by 9.

     This letter from Dame Elizabeth Browne to her nephew, J. Paston, appears
to have been written to disprove some assertion of William Paston concerning
the matters in dispute between him and his nephew.

     By its having two dates (the former scratched through with a pen), it seems
to have been originally written in May, but not sent till September; the trou-
bles during the latter months of Richard’s reign employing not only the
thoughts, but probably the time of the parties concerned.

     The writer was the daughter of Sir William Paston, the judge, who died in
1444, and must have been now about 56 or 57 years old; she married to her
second husband, Sir George Browne, Kt. of Beechworth Castle, in Surry.

     Autograph, Pl. xxix. No. 12.

LETTER I.

To my Right Worshipful and heartily beloved Nephew,
John Paston, Esq.

RIGHT worshipful and my right heartily beloved nephew,
I recommend me to you; and whereas ye desire me to
send you word, whether my brother John Paston, your
father, was with my father and his, whom God assoil! du-
ring his last sickness and at the time of his decease at St.
Bride’s, or not.

     Nephew, I ascertain you upon my faith and poor honour,
that I was 14, 15 year, or 16 year old, and at St. Bride’s
with my father and my mother, when my father’s last sick-
ness took him, and till he was deceased; and I dare depose
before any person honourable, that when my father’s last
sickness took him, my brother your father was in Norfolk,
and he came not to London till after that my father was
deceased; and that can Sir William Cooting and James
Gresham record, for they both were my father’s clerks at
that time; and I remember and wot well, that James Gre-
sham was with my father at St. Bride’s during all his sick-
ness, and at his decease, and this will I witness while I live
for a truth, as knoweth God, whom I beseech to preserve
you and yours.

     And, Nephew, I pray you recommend [me] to my niece
your wife, whom I would be glad to see once again in Lon-
don, where this bill was written, signed with mine hand and
sealed with my seal (the Thursday next before Whitsunday,
the second year of King Richard the Third), the 23d day of
September, the first year of the reign of King Henry the
VIIth.

                                                 Your loving Aunt,

                                                             ELIZABETH BROWNE.

           London,
Thursday, 19th May, 14S5. 2 R. iii.
Friday, 23d September, 1485. 1 H. vii.

    This letter from Dame Elizabeth Browne to her nephew, J. Paston, appears
to have been written to disprove some assertion of William Paston concerning
the matters in dispute between him and his nephew.

     By its having two dates (the former scratched through with a pen), it seems
to have been originally written in May, but not sent till September; the trou-
bles during the latter months of Richard’s reign employing not only the
thoughts, but probably the time of the parties concerned.

     The writer was the daughter of Sir William Paston, the judge, who died in
1444, and must have been now about 56 or 57 years old; she married to her
second husband, Sir George Browne, Kt. of Beechworth Castle, in Surry.

     Autograph, Pl. xxix. No. 12.

1003

DAME ELIZABETH BROWNE TO JOHN PASTON¹

To my ryght worchepfull and hertly beloved nevew,
John Paston, Sqwyer.

     RIGHT worchepfull, and my ryght hertly beloved nevew,
          I recomand me to yow. And wher as ye desier me
          to send yow woord whether my brodyr John Paston,
your fadyr, was with my fadyr and hys, whom God assoyle,
duryng hys last syknesse and at the tyme of hys dissease at
Seynt Brydis, or nowght.

     Nevew, I assarteyn yow upon my feythe and poore honore
that I was xiiij., xv. yer or xvj. yer old, and² at Seynt Brydis
with my fadyr and my modyr when my fadyrs last syknesse took
hym, and tyll he was disseassid; and I dare depose befor ony
persone honorable that when my fadyrs last siknesse tooke
hym, my brodyr your fadyr was in Norffolk, and he came not
to London tyll aftyr that my fadyr was disseassid, and that can
Sir William Cootyng³ and Jamys Gressham record, for they
bothe were my fadyrs clerkys at that tyme. And I remembre
and wot well that Jamys Gressham was with my fadyr at Seynt
Brydys duryng all hys siknesse and at hys disseasse, and thys
wyll I wyttnesse whyle I leve for a trowthe, as knowith God,
Whom I beseche to preserve you and yours.

     And, nevew, I prey yow recomand to my neese your wyff,
whom I wold be glad to se onys a yen in London, wher thys
bylle was wretyn, signed with myn hand, and sealed with my
seale [the Thursday next befor Whyghtsonday, the second yer
of Kyng Richard the Thred],¹ the xxiij. daye of September the
first yer of the reyngne of Kyng Herry the vij^th.

                       Your loveing awnte,          EL[IZA]BETH BROWNE.

     ¹ [From Paston MSS., B.M.] The MS. from which this letter is printed is not in
the handwriting of Dame Eliz. Browne. It is a corrected draft in the handwriting of
John Paston, with the address at the head.

     ² The words ‘xiiij. —— old, and’ are an interlineation, J. P. apparently did not
know his sister’s exact age at the time and wished her to supply it.

     ³ Rector of Swainsthorpe from 1444 to 1450, and of Titchwell from 1450 to 1457.
He was presented to the former living by Judge Paston and John Dam.

     ¹ This date is scratched through with the pen.

1485
SEPT. 23

1485
SEPT. 23