John Paston the Youngest to Margaret Paston

LETTER LVII.

    To my mastras Margaret Paston
    be this deliu'yd in hast at london.

        AFTYR all humbyll and most dwe recomendacion as lowly
            as I can I beseche yow of yo^r blyssyng Plesyt yow to wet
y^t I haue sent to my fadyr to haue an answer of syche mat's as I
haue sent to hym for in hast of whyche maty's the grettest of
substans is for the man^r of Cotton besechyng yow to remēbyr
hym of the same mat^r y^t I may haue an answer in y^e most hasty
wyse Also I pray yow that myn Ante ¹ Poonyngys may be de-
syiryd to send me an answer of syche mat'ys as sche wotyth of
by hym y^t schall brynge me an answer of y^e mat^r of Cotton
Also modyr I beseche yow y^t ther may be p'ueyd some meane
y^t I myth haue sent me home by y^e same mesenger ij peyir hose
j payir blak and an othyr payir of Roset whyche be redy made
for me at the hosers w^t y^e crokyd bak next to y^e blak freyrs gate
w^tin ludgate Iohn Pampyng knowyth hym well Jnow I suppose
and y^e blak hose be payid for he wyll send me y^e Roset un payd
for I beseche yow y^t y^is ger be not forget for I haue not an hole
hose for to doon I trowe they schall cost bothe payr viij^s my

² brodyr and my Sustyr ³ Anne and all y^e garyson of Heylysdon
fare well blyssyd be god and recomand hem to yow eu'ychon I
pray yow voysyt y^e Rood of Northedor and seynt Sauyour at
⁴ barmonsey amonge whyll ye Abyd in london and lat my Sustyr
⁵ Margery goo w^t yow to prey to them y^t sche may haue a good
hosbond or sche Com hom ayen and now I pray yow send vs some
tydyngys as ye wer wonte to Comand me And the holy t'nyte
haue yow in kepyng and my fayir Mastras of y^e fleet Wretyn at
Norwyche on holy rood Daye.

Yo^r sone and lowly servūt

                                                                          ⁶ J. Paston, y^e youngest.

         10? by 4 ?.
 

    The easy and familiar style of this Letter will not be displeasing to the Reader, per-
haps he will smile at the particular directions concerning J. Paston's hose, and his minute
description of the Hosier.

    I should have been fearful that the jesting way in which he advises his sister Margery
to apply for a good Husband might have displeased the Saint, and made him turn a deaf
ear to her petition; it appears however rather remarkable that, as a papist, he should
make so free with the Holy Roods at Bermondsey.

    ¹ Elizabeth Paston, she first married Robert Poynings, Esq. and afterward Sir George
Browne, Knight, of Beechworth Castle, in Surrey.

    ² Sir John Paston.

    ³ Anne Paston, afterwards the Wife of William Yelverton.

    ⁴ The Abbey of Saint Saviour at Bermondsey, in Surrey, was founded in 1081,
15th William the Conqueror, by Alwin Child of London; it was surrendered in 1539,
31 H.VIII. when it was pulled down, and a Fair House built on the site by Sir Thomas
Pope, Knight.

    ⁵ Margery Paston, she afterwards married Richard Calle.

    ⁶Autograph. Pl. IV. N^o II.

LETTER LVII.

To my Mistress Margaret Paston, be this delivered in haste,
at London.

       AFTER all humble and most due recommendation, as
           lowly as I can, I beseech you of your blessing, please it
you to weet that I have sent to my Father to have an answer of
such matters as I have sent to him for in haste, of which matters
the greatest of substance is for the Manor of Cotton, beseeching
you to remember him of the same matter, that I may have an
answer in the most hasty wife.

    Also I pray you that mine Aunt ¹ Poynings may be desired to
send me an answer of such matters as she woteth of, by him that
shall bring me an answer of the matter of Cotton.

    Also Mother, I beseech you that there may be purveyed some
mean that I might have sent me home by the same messenger
two pair of Hose, one pair black, and another pair of russet,
which he ready made for me at the Hosier's with the crooked
back, next to the Black Friar's-Gate, within Ludgate; John
Pamping knoweth him well enough I suppose, and (if) the
black hose be paid for he will send me the russet unpaid for; I
beseech you that this geer be not forgotten, for I have not an
whole hose for to do on; I trow they shall cost both pair 8s.

  My ² Brother, and my Sister ³ Anne, and all the garrison of
Hellesdon fare well, blessed be God, and recommend them to
you everysh (every) one.

    I pray you visit the Rood of Northdoor and St. Saviour, at
⁴ Bermondsey, among while ye abide (during your abode) in Lon-
don, and let my Sister ⁵ Margery go with you to pray to them
that she may have a good Husband ere she come home again;
and now I pray you send us some tidings as ye were wont to
command me; and the Holy Trinity have you in keeping; and
my fair Mistress of the Fleet. Written at Norwich, in Holy
Rood Day.

Your Son and lowly Servant
                                                          ⁶ JOHN PASTON, the youngest.

         10? by 4 ?.

The easy and familiar style of this Letter will not be displeasing to the Reader, per-
haps he will smile at the particular directions concerning J. Paston's hose, and his minute
description of the Hosier.

    I should have been fearful that the jesting way in which he advises his sister Margery
to apply for a good Husband might have displeased the Saint, and made him turn a deaf
ear to her petition; it appears however rather remarkable that, as a papist, he should
make so free with the Holy Roods at Bermondsey.

    ¹ Elizabeth Paston, she first married Robert Poynings, Esq. and afterward Sir George
Browne, Knight, of Beechworth Castle, in Surrey.

² Sir John Paston.

    ³ Anne Paston, afterwards the Wife of William Yelverton.

    ⁴ The Abbey of Saint Saviour at Bermondsey, in Surrey, was founded in 1081,
15th William the Conqueror, by Alwin Child of London; it was surrendered in 1539,
31 H.VIII. when it was pulled down, and a Fair House built on the site by Sir Thomas
Pope, Knight.

    ⁵ Margery Paston, she afterwards married Richard Calle.

    ⁶Autograph. Pl. IV. N^o II.

607

JOHN PASTON THE YOUNGEST TO
MARGARET PASTON¹

To my mastras, Margaret Paston, be this
deliveryd in hast, at London.

      AFTYR all humbyll and most dwe recomendacion, as
          lowly as I can, I beseche yow of your blyssyng.
         Plesyt yow to wet that I have sent to my fadyr
to have an answer of syche maters as I have sent to hym for
in hast, of whyche matyrs the grettest of substans is for the
maner of Cotton, besechyng yow to remembyr hym of the
same mater, that I may have an answer in the most hasty
wyse.

     Also I pray yow that myn Ante Poonyngys² may be
desyiryd to send me an answer of syche materys as sche
wotyth of, by hym that schall brynge me an answer of the
mater of Cotton.

     Also, modyr, I beseche yow that ther may be purveyd
some meane that I myth have sent me home by the same
mesenger ij. peyir hose, j. peyir blak and an othyr payir roset,
whyche be redy made for me at the hosers with the crokyd
bak, next to the Blak Freyrs Gate, within Ludgate; John
Pampyng knowyth hym well jnow I suppose. And [if] the
blak hose be payid for he wyll send me the roset un payd
for. I beseche yow that this ger be not forget, for I have
not an hole hose for to doon; I trowe they schall cost both
payr viijs.

     My brodyr¹ and my sustyr Anne,² and all the garyson of
Heylysdon fare well, blyssyd be God, and recomand hem to
yow everychon.

     I pray yow voysyt the Rood of Northedor³ and Seynt
Savyour, at Barmonsey,⁴ amonge whyll ye abyd in London,
and lat my sustyr Margery⁵ goo with yow to pray to them
that sche may have a good hosbond or sche com hom ayen;
and now I pray yow send us some tydyngys as ye wer wonte
to comand me; and the Holy Trinyte have yow in kepyng,
and my fayir mastras of the Fleet. Wretyn at Norwyche on
Holy Rood Daye.

                             Your sone and lowly servaunt,

                                                          J. PASTON THE YOUNGEST.

     ¹ [From Fenn, iv. 224.] It appears by Letter 610 following that Margaret
Paston was in London in September 1465. This letter must therefore have been
written in that year.

     ² Elizabeth Paston, now widow of Robert Poynings; afterwards married to Sir
George Brown of Betchworth Castle, Surrey.

     ¹ Sir John Paston.—F.

     ² Anne Paston, afterwards the wife of William Yelverton.—F.

     ³ The Cross at the north door of St. Paul’s.

     ⁴ The Abbey of Saint Saviour at Bermondsey, in Surrey, was founded in 1081,
15th William the Conqueror, by Alwin Child of London; it was surrendered in
1539, 31 Hen. VIII., when it was pulled down, and a Fair House built on the site by
Sir Thomas Pope, Knight.—F.

     ⁵ Margery Paston; she afterwards married Richard Calle.—F.

SEPT. 14

1465
SEPT. 14