John Paston to Margaret Paston

600

JOHN PASTON TO MARGARET PASTON¹

To my cosyn, Margaret Paston, at Heylisdonn.

      I RECOMAUND me to you. And as for the letter that I
          send yow touchyng John Russe, I will that ye and your
          counsell see it openly; and kepe this bille to your self or
to some secret frend of yours. And I pray yow remembir ij.
thynges; on, if ye fynd hym in any maner wise disposed to
leve his bargeyn, take it at his offer, and take ayen the writyng
that he hath of that bargeyn, or a writyng of his owne hand of
relesyng his bargeyn to me; for peraventure at this tyme he
woll be glad to leve his bargeyn, as I undirstand, and whanne
he sethe that I have peas he wolle calle theron ayen. Wherfore
I pray yow werk wisely herin, for he may in no maner wise
aske the money of me and kepe his bargeyn, for he hathe
divers tymes desired me to have take of hym more masse (?)
therfore. Another, as sone as ye may, or ye breke this mater
with John Russe, make due serche with the fermours at
Akthorp what mony Russe hath reseyved ther in my tyme,
that is to sey, for Mighelmes the first, the ij., iij., iiij. yeres of
Kyng E., of whech he hath reseyved ij. payments, that is xijli.
at the lest, or er the maner was trobelid by Jenney or Yelverton.
And I deme that he hath reseyvid some sithen, but that he
kepith counsell.

     Item, for as moch as Sir Thomas Howes gaderid for the
xxxix. yere of Kyng Herry, the seid John Russe woll, under
colour of that surmytte, that he reseyvid in my tyme was ther-
fore, wherfore ye must make a serche what he hath reseyvid
sith Sir John Fastolff dyed, and what tyme; and therupon ye
shall undirstand what he hath reseyvid for me, and what for
hym; and in case he hathe reseyvid xiili., and Richard hath
payd hym his dute as he promised, thanne growyth nat to John
Russe past iiij. or vli.; notwithstandyng fare fayre with hym
and resonabilly, so that he leve his bargeyn, and lend hym the
remnaunt of the xxli. upon suerte for xxli. He desireth to
have outher his dewte or borowyng at this tyme.

     Item, he that shall speke with the fermours of Akthorp, whos
name is Langham, he must inquere generally what mony he
hath payd to all men sith Sir John Fastolff dyed, and see his
billes of payment, and take therof a titelyng. Ric. Calle hath
a bille of parcellis of every mannes ferme, and he can serche
this best, in case he be not to favorabill to John Russe, wher-
fore I remitte this to your discrecion; but I suppose John
Russe woll telle yow what he hath reseyvid for hand bifore this
tyme wretyn by his seying what he had reseyvid, and I suppose
and he remembird that he seid to me, he wold not aske his
mony in this forme; nevirthelesse it shall do good, so he leve
his bargeyn by this meane.

     I mervyll that I here no tidyngges from yow hough ye
have do at the assisses. The berer of this letter is a comon
carier, and was at Norwich on Satirday, and brought me lettirs
from other men, but your servaunts inquere nat diligently after
the comyng of cariers and other men. Wretyn at London the
Wednesday next after Lammes day.

     Ye shall have lettirs of me this weke.

                                                                                   JOHN PASTON.

     ¹ [From Paston MSS., B.M.] It is sufficiently clear from the reference to accounts
of the 4th year of Edward IV., that this letter cannot be earlier than 1465, which is
the last year of the writer’s life.

1465
AUG. 7

1465
AUG. 7