John Paston, The Elder Son, to His Father

Add. 34888, f. 137

5 March 1459

Gairdner, Vol III, item 375; Fenn, Vol III, Henry VI item 83

LETTER LXXXIII.

         To my ryght wyrschypful Fadre
         John Paston esquyer be thys lettr
         delyu_ryd in basty wyse.

RYGHT Worschypful Syr jn the most lowly wyse I co-
maund me to yowr good Faderhod Besechyng yow of
yowre blyssyng mut it plese yowr faderhod to remembre and
concydre the peyn and henynesse y^t it hathe ben to me syn yowr
dep^rtyng owt of thys contre’ here abydyng tyl the tyme it please
yow to schewe me grace And tyl the tyme that by reporte my
demenyng be to yowr plesyng Besechyng yow to concydre y^t I
may not her haue noo mene to seke to yow as I awght to do and
sauyng vnder thys Forme whych I besech yow be not take to no
dysplesur ner am not of power to do any thynge in thys contre
for Worschyp or profyht of yow ner ease of yowr tenantys whych
myght and scholde be to yowr pleasyng. Wherfor I beseche yow
of yowr Faderly pyte to tendre y^e more thys symple wryghtyng
As I schal owt of dowght her after doo y^t schal please yow to y^e
uttermest of my power and labor And if ther be any servyce y^t
I may do if it please yow to Comaund me or if y maye under-
stonde it J wyl be as glad to do it as any thyng erthely if it wer
any thyng y^t myght be to yowr pleasyng And no mor but
Allmyghty god haue yow in kepyng Wretyn the v day of
Marche.

By your older Sone,

John Paston.

11 ? by 5 ?.

             Paper Mark,
      A Bull’s Head and Star.
             Pl. XXII. N^o 13.

         Norwich,
              Monday, 5th of March,
              1458-9. 37 H. VI.

We see here a plain, manly, and sensible Letter from a Son, who by some miscon-
duct had given his father offence; his sorrow for having done amiss is properly ex-
pressed, and his promises for future amendment appear to be sincere.

The offence seems to have been some personal ill behaviour to his father, if we may
judge from what he says here, and from what his Mother mentions in a Letter to
J. Paston in the following month, (see Letter XLIV. Vol. I. p. 175.)

Autograph. Pl. XX. N^o 29.

This is the first Letter in this Collection from John, afterwards Sir John Paston,
knight.

LETTER LXXXIII.

To my right worshipful Father, John Paston, Esquire, be this
Letter delivered in hasty wise.

RIGHT worshipful Sir, in the most lowly wise I com-
mend me to your good fatherhood, beseeching you of
your blessing; might it please your fatherhood to remember and
consider the pain and heaviness that it hath been to me since your
departing out of this country, here abiding till the time it please
you to shew me grace, and till the time that by report my de-
meaning be to your pleasing; beseeching you to consider that I
may not, nor have no mean to seek you as I ought to do, saving
under this form, which I beseech you be not taken to no dis-
pleasure, nor am not of power to do any thing in this country
for worship or prosit of you, nor ease of your tenants which
might and should be to your pleasing; wherefore I beseech you
of your fatherly pity to tender the more this simple writing; as
I shall out of doubt hereafter do that shall please you to the
uttermost of my power and labour; and if there be any service
that I may do, if it please you to command me, or if I may un-
derstand it, I will be as glad to do it as any thing earthly, if it
were any thing that might be to your pleasing. And no more,
but Almighty God have you in keeping. Written at Norwich,
the 5th day of March.

By your elder Son,

JOHN PASTON.

11 ? by 5 ?.

             Paper Mark,
      A Bull’s Head and Star.
             Pl. XXII. N^o 13.

         Norwich,
              Monday, 5th of March,
              1458-9. 37 H. VI.

We see here a plain, manly, and sensible Letter from a Son, who by some miscon-
duct had given his father offence; his sorrow for having done amiss is properly ex-
pressed, and his promises for future amendment appear to be sincere.

The offence seems to have been some personal ill behaviour to his father, if we may
judge from what he says here, and from what his Mother mentions in a Letter to
J. Paston in the following month, (see Letter XLIV. Vol. I. p. 175.)

Autograph. Pl. XX. N^o 29.

This is the first Letter in this Collection from John, afterwards Sir John Paston,
knight.

375

JOHN PASTON, THE ELDER SON, TO HIS FATHER¹

To my ryght wyrschypful fadre, John Paston, Esquyer,
be thys letter delyveryd in hasty wyse.

     RYGHT worschypful Syr, in the most lowly wyse, I
        comaund me to yowr good faderhod, besechyng yow
         of yowre blyssyng. Mut it plese yowr faderhod to
remembre and concydre the peyn and hevynesse that it
hath ben to me syn yowr departyng owt of thys contre, here
abydyng tyl the tyme it please yow to schewe me grace,
and tyl the tyme that by reporte my demenyng be to yowr
plesyng; besechyng yow to, concydre that I may not, ner
have noo mene to seke to yow as I awght to do, and savyng
under thys forme, whych I besech yow be not take to no dys-
plesur, ner am not of power to do any thynge in thys contre
for worschyp or profyht of yow, ner ease of yowr tenantys
whych myght and scholde be to yowr pleasyng. Wherfor I
besech yow of yowr faderly pyte to tendre the more thys
symple wryghtyng, as I schal owt of dowght her after doo
that schal please yow to the uttermest of my power and
labor; and if ther be any servyce that I may do if it please
yow to comaund me, or if y maye understonde it, I wyl be
as glad to do it as any thyng erthely, if it wer any thyng
that myght be to yowr pleasyng. And no mor, but All-
myghty God have yow in kepyng.

Wretyn the v. day of Marche.

By your older sone,

JOHN PASTON.

¹ [From Fenn, iii. 336.] By Letter 377 following, it will be seen that the
writer of this letter had given displeasure to his father in the early part of the year
1459. There can be no doubt that this letter refers to the same occasion.

1459
MARCH 5