John Paston to Margaret Paston and Others

601

JOHN PASTON TO MARGARET PASTON
AND OTHERS¹

To my mastresse, Margret Paston, James
Gresham and Ric. Calle.

      I RECOMAUND me to yow, and have reseyvid ij. lettirs
          from John Russe, wherin he remembirth me that I shuld
          owe hym xixli., or therupon, for divers parcelles whech he
seith he shuld have deliverid in to myn hows, wherof he seith
xiiijli. was deliverid in to myn howse ij. yere g[oon], and that
I had a bille deliverid me therof, and the remnaunt sithen, and
desireth of me payment of the seid xixli. Wherfore I certi[fye]
yow as I undirstand in the mater; ye may lete John Russe
come to yow and take such a direccion in the mater as reason
and trought woll. I lete yow wete that abought ij. yer goo
the seid John Russe deliverid me first a bille of the seid xiiij.
[li.], and I examined the parcelles; and as I remembir xjli.
was my dewte, wherof the certeyn somme is writen in my blak
book of foreyn reseytes that yere, and the remnaunt was Ric.
Calles dewte, wherof he was allowed, savyng apart was Elys
dewte. And as for the seid xjli., I offerid the seid John
Russe payment in hand at that tyme, and desired hym he
shuld no more send in to myn howse, and warnyd yow and
Richard that ye shuld no more stuffe take in to myn hows
without ye peyd in hand, nowther of hym ner of non other.
And the seid John Russe prayd me to remembir that I had
grauntyd hym the maner of Akthorp in Leystoft, at a certeyn
prise, as it apperyd by writyng undir my seall, and desired me
that I wold take the seid somme in party of payment. And I
told hym that as for such mony that shuld com from hym for
that lond, I wold take it of hym and ley it up by the self, that
I myght purchase other lond therwith, bicause I wold lesse
Fastolffs lyvelode for the college, but I wold pay hym his
dewte without any stoppage. And he thanne desired me to
take that same xjli., and ley it up to the same use, seying to
me that it was as good to do so as I for to take it hym, and
he to take it me ayen. And thus he and I agreed, and de-
parted, and thanne he prayd me to take more chafar of hym,
whech I denyed. And nough I merveyll what shuld cause
hym to aske mony for that dewte; neverthelesse I deme he
supposith that he coud not opteyne his bargeyn by me, bi-
cause of the trobill that it standyth in; and for that or for
some other cause he repentyth his bargeyn and woll nomore
of it. Wherfore send for hym, and take James Gresham or
some of your frends and Richard Calle, and fele what he
menyth; and if ye can fynd hym disposed to leve his bargeyn
yet, though I myght kepe stille the seid mony I wold he shuld
not lese therby. Nevirthelesse if he woll refuse his bargeyn,
thanne take ayen the writyng that he hath of that bargeyn and
a writyng of his hand that he dischargyth me of the graunt
that I mad hym of that same bargeyn. And thanne loke that
ye enquere what mony he hath reseyvid of the seid maner in
my tyme, wherof the ferme is vjli. yerly whech I suffird
hym to occupie to his owne use by fors of the seid bargeyn all
my tyme; and aftir the parcellis cast what I have had of hym;
abbate therof the mony that he hath reseyvid of the seid
maner, and also as moch of the xiiijli. as the seid Ric. Calle
and Elys owen, wher of he is alowid; and thanne see that the
seid John Russe be content of the remnaunt of his parcellis
that is dew by me, but loke ye pay non other mennes dewtes.

     Also the seid John Russe writyth in his lettir that rather
thanne he shuld fayle this mony that I wold lend hym asmoch
to pay ayen at Cristemasse; wherfore, if he leve his bargeyn
I woll ye lend hym asmoch mony over his dewte as shall make
up xxli., takyng of hym suerte to pay ayen at Cristemasse, as
he writyth; in case be that he will kepe stille his bargeyn,
thanne ye may answere hym it is no reason that he shuld aske
me any part of that mony ayen, for he owyth that and moch
more.

     Item, the seyd John Rus sent me heder a man for this
mater only with in thes ij. daijs. Wherfor let him know an
ansue letyng (?) for I fel well (?) he hath mad agret bargen
but late, wherfor he hath mor nede of mony now, and I wol
do for hym that I may resonably. Nevertheles his wryting
merveylith me that he askith thes mony as dewte, wheche he
toke me for parte of my payment. I deme it comith not all
of his owne disposicion. Inquier ye that ye can what it
menith. God kepe yow. Wret the Wednisday nex Lammes.

                                                               Yowr JOHN PASTON.

     In cas ye han Drayton in any quiete take sewertie of yowr
tenants for paiment as I have wret befor.

     ¹ [From Paston MSS., B.M.] This is evidently the letter referred to in the begin-
ning of the last.

1465
AUG. 7

1465
AUG. 7

1465
AUG. 7