John Paston of Gelston to Margaret Paston

LETTER I.

Lra Io Paston arm

     mtri suœ

AFTYR humbyll and most dew recomendacyo˜n Jn as hum-
byll wyse as I can I beseche you of yo^r blyssy˜g preyi˜g God
to reward you w^t as myche plesyer and hertys ease as I haue
latward causyd yo^u to haue trowbyll and thought And w^t
godys grace it shall not be longe to or then my wrongs and
othyr menys shall be redressyd for the world was neuyr so
lyek to be owyrs as it is now werfor I prey you let lomnor
no be tobesy as yet Modyr I beseche you and ye may spare
eny money y^t ye wyll do yo^r almesse on me and send me
some in as hasty wyse as is possybyll for by my trowthe
my leche crafte and fesyk and rewardys to them that haue
kept me and condyt me to london hathe cost me sythe Estern
day more then V li and now I haue neythyr met drynk
clothys lechecraft ner money but upon borowy˜g And J
haue asayid my frendys so ferre that they be gyn to fayle
now in my gretest ned that euyr I was in Also Modyr I
beseche you and my horse y^t was at lechecraft at the ¹Holt
be not takyn up for the Ky˜gs ²Hawyks that he may be had
hom and kept in yo^r plase and not to go owght to wetyr nor
no whedyr ellys but that the gat be shet and he too be
chasyd aftyr watyr w^tin yo^r plase and that he haue as myche
met as he may ete I haue hey j new of myn owne And as
for otys Dollys wyll p’uey for hym or who that dothe it J
wyll paye And I beseche yow y^t he haue eu^ry wek iij
boshell of otys and eu^ry day a penyworthe of bred and if
boton^r be not at Norwyche And Syme kep hym J shall geve
hym well for hys labore Also y^t Phelypp loveday put the
othyr horse to gresse ther as he and J wer acordyd Jt’ that
Boton^r send me hyddyr the two shyrtys that wer in my
Casket and y^t he send me hydyr xl s. by the next messenger
y^t comyth to london Jt’ that Mastress Broom send me
hedyr iij long gownys and ij doblets and a Jaket of Plonket
Chamlett and a morey bonet out of my cofyr S^r Jamys hathe
the key as I sent hyr werd be for thys Jt’ that syche othyr
wryghty˜gs and stuff as was in my kasket be in yo^r kepyg
and y^t nobody look my wryghty˜gs. It’ that the horse y^t
Purdy hathe of myne be put to some good gresse in hast
And if it plese yue to haue knowlage of ou^r royal person
J thank god I am hole of my Syknesse and trust to be clere
hole of all my hurttys w^tin a sevenyght at the ferthest by
wyche tym I trust to have othyr tydyg˜s And those tydy˜gs
onys had J trust not to be longe owght of Norff w^t godys
grace whom J beseche p’serve yo^u and yo^r for my part
Wrety y^e last Day of Apryll.

the berer herof can tell yo^u       Yo^r humbylest Servant,
tydy˜gs syche as be trew for                           J. OF GELSTON.
v’y serteyn

      11 ½ by 9

T.KERRICH del.Jan 1822.

HENRICUS VI.

From an Ancient Picture in the possession of the Rev^d. THO^s KERRICH. M.A.

Principal Librarian to the University of Cambridge.

12½ In. high. by 9⅞ In wide.                                  Printed by C. Hullmandel.

London. Pub. by J.Murray. Albemarle St.^r May. 1823.

This is a sequel to that letter written by Sir John Paston to his mother
wherein he informs her of his brother?s being wounded, &c. See Letter xl.
vol. ii. p. 62.

     This Letter has no direction, the words ?Lra Io. Paston, &c.? having since
been added by a more modern hand; the writer likewise styles himself J. of
Gelston [Geldestone in Norfolk, a place where he sometimes resided] and not
J. Paston; these cautions were certainly necessary, when public affairs were in
so uncertain a situation; the bearer, we likewise find, was a trusty man, and
one who could most probably give his mother the intelligence upon which he
seems still to form the most sanguine hopes of Henry?s success; and which, it
may be supposed, arose from Queen Margaret?s return and the undoubted in-
formation he had of the formidable army now raised by her adherents, but
which was, a few days after the writing of this letter, completely routed at
Tewksbury in Gloucestershire, when the Queen, the Prince her son, and her
Commander the Duke of Somerset, being taken prisoners, suffered in the fol-
lowing manner: she was confined in the Tower, her son most barbarously
murdered, almost in the royal presence, and the Duke beheaded. This was the
twelfth and last battle fought between these contending powers during this pre-
sent reign, and for a season caused the White Rose of the House of York to
flourish, till it was blasted by the hand of the Earl of Richmond at Bosworth
field in 1485.

     Under all his present misfortunes J. Paston writes in a style of humour and
pleasantry arising from the hopes he had formed of success, and seems to pay
as much attention to his horses as if he himself had been in the most comfort-
able condition.

     ¹ A pasture so called, and means the groves, or lands full of wood.

     ² This may signify, in jocular language, if he be not dead.

     Autograph, Pl. xxix.

     Seal, a Fleur-de-lys and Annulet, Pl. xiv. No. 22.

LETTER I.

A Letter of John Paston, Esq. to his Mother.

AFTER humble and most due recommendation, in as humble
wise as I can, I beseech you of your blessing, praying God
to reward you with as much pleasure and heart?s ease as I
have lateward caused you to have trouble and thought; and,
with God?s grace, it shall not be long to or than [before] my
wrongs and other men?s shall be redressed, for the world
was never so like to be ours as it is now; wherefore I pray
you let Lumnor not be too busy as yet.

     Mother, I beseech you, and [if] ye may spare any money,
that ye will do your alms on me and send me some in as
hasty wise as is possible; for by my troth my leechcraft and
physic and rewards to them that have kept me and con-
ducted me to London hath cost me since Easter day more
than five pounds, and now I have neither meat, drink,
clothes, leechcraft, nor money but upon borrowing; and I
have assayed my friends so far, that they begin to fail now in
my greatest need that ever I was in. Also, mother, I be-
seech you, and [if] my horse that was at leechcraft at the
¹Holt be not taken up for the King?s ²hawks, that he may be
had home and kept in your place, and not to go out to
water, nor no whither else, but that the gate be shut, and
he to be chased after water within the place, and that he
have as much meat as he may eat; I have hay enough of mine
own, and as for oats, Dollys will purvey for him, or who that
doth it, I will pay; and I beseech you that he have every
week three bushels of oats, and every day a pennyworth of
bread; and if Botoner be not at Norwich, and Sym keep
him, I shall give him well for his labour.

     Also that Philip Loveday put the other horse to grass
there, as he and I were accorded.

     Item, that Botoner send me hither the two shirts that
were in my casket, and that he send me hither forty shil-
lings by the next messenger that cometh to London.

     Item, that Mistress Broom send me hither three long
gowns, and two doublets, and a jacket of plunket [blue]
camblet, and a murrey [dark red] bonnet, out of my coffer.
Sir James [Glois] hath the key, as I sent her word before
this.

     Item, that such other writings and stuff as was in my
casket, be in your keeping, and that nobody look [over] my
writings.

     Item, that the horse that Purdy hath of mine, be put to
some good grass in haste; and if it please you to have
knowledge of our royal person, I thank God I am whole of
my sickness, and trust to be clean whole of all my hurts
within a sev?night at the farthest, by which time I trust to
have other tidings; and those tidings once had, I trust not to
be long out of Norfolk, with God?s grace, whom I beseech
preserve you and yours for my part. Written the last day
of April.

     The Bearer hereof can tell you tidings, such as be true for
very certain. Your humblest Servant,

                                                                 JOHN OF GELSTON.

               London,
      Tuesday, 30th April,
           1471. 11 E. IV.

This is a sequel to that letter written by Sir John Paston to his mother
wherein he informs her of his brother?s being wounded, &c. See Letter xl.
vol. ii. p. 62.

     This Letter has no direction, the words ?Lra Io. Paston, &c.? having since
been added by a more modern hand; the writer likewise styles himself J. of
Gelston [Geldestone in Norfolk, a place where he sometimes resided] and not
J. Paston; these cautions were certainly necessary, when public affairs were in
so uncertain a situation; the bearer, we likewise find, was a trusty man, and
one who could most probably give his mother the intelligence upon which he
seems still to form the most sanguine hopes of Henry?s success; and which, it
may be supposed, arose from Queen Margaret?s return and the undoubted in-
formation he had of the formidable army now raised by her adherents, but
which was, a few days after the writing of this letter, completely routed at
Tewksbury in Gloucestershire, when the Queen, the Prince her son, and her
Commander the Duke of Somerset, being taken prisoners, suffered in the fol-
lowing manner: she was confined in the Tower, her son most barbarously
murdered, almost in the royal presence, and the Duke beheaded. This was the
twelfth and last battle fought between these contending powers during this pre-
sent reign, and for a season caused the White Rose of the House of York to
flourish, till it was blasted by the hand of the Earl of Richmond at Bosworth
field in 1485.

     Under all his present misfortunes J. Paston writes in a style of humour and
pleasantry arising from the hopes he had formed of success, and seems to pay
as much attention to his horses as if he himself had been in the most comfort-
able condition.

     ¹ A pasture so called, and means the groves, or lands full of wood.

     ² This may signify, in jocular language, if he be not dead.

     Autograph, Pl. xxix.

     Seal, a Fleur-de-lys and Annulet, Pl. xiv. No. 22.

776

JOHN PASTON OF GELSTON TO MARGARET
PASTON¹

AFTYR humbyll and most dew recomendacyon, in as
     humbyll wyse as I can, I beseche you of your blyssyng,
     preying God to reward you with as myche plesyer and
hertys ease as I have latward causyd you to have trowbyll and
thowght; and, with Godys grace, it shall not be longe to or
then my wronges and othyr menys shall be redressyd, for the
world was nevyr so lyek to be owyrs as it is now; werfor I
prey you let Lomnor no be to besy as yet. Modyr, I beseche
you, and ye may spare eny money, that ye wyll do your almesse
on me and send me some in as hasty wyse as is possybyll; for
by my trowthe my leche crafte and fesyk, and rewardys to
them that have kept me and condyt me to London, hathe cost
me sythe Estern Day² more than vli., and now I haue neythyr
met, drynk, clothys, lechecraft, ner money but up on borow-
yng; and I have asayid my frendys so ferre, that they be gyn
to fayle now in my gretest ned that evyr I was in. Also,
modyr, I beseche yow, and my horse that was at lechecraft at
the Holt³ be not takyn up for the Kynges hawkys,⁴ that he
may be had hom and kept in your plase, and not to go owght
to watyr, nor no whedyr ellys, but that the gat be shet, and he
to be chasyd aftyr watyr within your plase, and that he have as
myche met as he may ete; I have hey i new of myn owne, and
as for otys, Dollys will purvey for hym, or who that dothe it I
wyll paye. And I beseche yow that he have every wek iij.
boshell of otys, and every day a penyworthe of bred; and if
Botoner be not at Norwyche, and Syme kep hym, I shall geve
hym well for hys labore. Also that Phelypp Loveday put the
othyr horse to gresse ther, as he and I wer acordyd.

     Item, that Botoner send me hyddyr the two shyrtys that
wer in my casket, and that he send me hydyr xls. by the next
messenger that comyth to London.

     Item, that Mastress Broom send me hedyr iij. longe gownys
and ij. doblettes, and a jaket of plonket chamlett, and a morey
bonet out of my cofyr. Sir Jamys hathe the key, as I sent hyr
werd be for thys.

     Item, that syche othyr wryghtynges and stuff as was in
my kasket be in your kepyng, and that no body look my
wryghtynges.

     Item, that the horse that Purdy hathe of myne be put to
some good gresse in haste; and if it plese yow to have know-
lage of our royal person, I thank God I am hole of my
syknesse, and trust to be clene hole of all my hurttys within a
sevennyght at the ferthest, by wyche tym I trust to have othyr
tydynges; and those tydynges onys had, I trust not to be longe
owght of Norffolk, with Godys grace, Whom I beseche preserve
you and your for my part.

     Wretyn the last day of Apryll. The berer herof can tell
you tydynges, syche as be trew for very serteyn.

                               Your humbylest servaunt,

                                                                           J. OF GELSTON.

     ¹ [From Paston MSS., B.M.] This letter was printed by Fenn in his fifth volume,
of which the original MSS. are now recovered. It was evidently written in April 1471,
when the writer was recovering from the wound he had received at the battle of Barnet
(see No. 774. It is not addressed, but is endorsed in a later hand, ‘Litera Johannis
Paston armigeri matri suæ.’

     ² The battle of Barnet was fought on Easter Day, 14th April 1471.

     ³ A pasture so called, and means the groves, or lands full of wood.—F.

     ⁴ This may signify, in jocular language, if he be not dead.—F.

APRIL 30

APRIL 30