John Paston to Margaret Paston

LETTER XXX.

To my ryght worchepful
      modyr Margaret Paston

AFTYR all dewtes of recomendacyon pleasyt yow to weet
that as yest^rday att noon my brodyr S^t Iohn dep^rtyd fro
Norwyche towards london for as now all the sped is w^t the
kyng for the swerte of the maner of Castr consedery˜g the
dyei˜g^r seasyd of my lord of Norff he trustyth to be in thys
contre ayen w^t in x or xij dayes And at hys dep^rty˜g he seyd
to me that ye sent hym woord to selle the clothe of gold
if he myght selle it well whyche clothe I thynke may be
sold if ye wyll agre not w^tstandy˜g I wylle make no bar-
gayn for it tyll ye send me woord of the serteyn some what
ye wyll haue for it or ellys ye to have it ayen S^r Robard
Wyngfeld offyrd me yest^rday xx mark for it but I wot
well ye shall haue more for it if ye wyll sell it Wher
for as ye wyll deele in this mater I prey yow send me
woord to morow be tymys for if thys bargayn be forsakyn
I trow it wyll be longe er ye kan get one other Bargayn
to selle it eny thyng aftyr that it is woorthe Modyr in as
humbyll wyse as I can I beseche yow of yo^r blyssy˜g
I trust fro hense foorthe that we shall have our chyldy^r
in rest w^t ought rebwky˜g for their pleyi˜g wanton for it is
told me your ostess at Freton hathe gotyn hyr syche a
thyng to pley w^t that our other chyldyr shall haue leve to
sporte theym god send hyr joye of it Wretyn at Norwyche
thys Sonday.

                                                                         JOHN PASTON.

       8½ by 7¾.

             Paper Mark,
              a Coronet,
            Pl. xxvi. No. 2.

     There is no date to this Letter, but I think the contents will fix the date to
the summer of 1476, after Sir John Paston’s return from Calais; when, having
received back the cloth of gold from the Duchess of Norfolk, his mother
wished to sell it.

     We shall find afterwards that the money arising from the sale of it was in-
tended to be employed about her husband’s tomb, which we have been before
informed had been neglected.

     The latter part of this Letter contains a deserving censure on his mother’s
hostess at Fritton, who appears to have been a person too ready to find fault
with the conduct of others: she seems here to have shown her own frailty;
J. Paston therefore hopes that young people in future will be free from her
remarks: his manner of mentioning her misfortune is humorous, and at the
same time severe.

Autograph, Pl. iv. No. 12.

LETTER XXX.

To my right worshipful Mother, Margaret Paston.

AFTER all duties of recommendation, please it you to weet,
that as yesterday noon my brother Sir John departed from
Norwich towards London; for as now all the speed is with
the King for the surety of the manor of Caister, consider-
ing the dying seised of my Lord of Norfolk: he trusteth to
be in this country again within ten or twelve days; and at
his departing he said to me, that ye sent him word to sell
the cloth of gold, if he might sell it well, which cloth I
think may be sold, if ye will agree; notwithstanding I
will make no bargain for it, till ye send me word of the
certain sum, what ye will have for it, or else ye to have it
again.

     Sir Robert Wingfield offered me yesterday twenty
marks (13l. 6s. 8d.) for it, but I wot well ye shall have more
for it, if ye will sell it; wherefore as ye will deal in this
matter, I pray you send me word to-morrow betimes;
for if this bargain be forsaken, I trow it will be long ere ye
can get another bargain to sell it any thing after that it is
worth.

     Mother, in as humble wise as I can, I beseech you of
your blessing; I trust from henceforth that we shall have
our chyldyr [children] in rest without rebuking for their
playing wanton, for it is told me your hostess at Fritton
hath gotten her such a thing to play with, that our other
chyldyr shall have leave to sport them. God send her joy
of it.

     Written at Norwich, this Sunday.

                                              Your son and humble servant,

                                                                                    JOHN PASTON.

             Norwich,
      Sunday, May or June,
          1476. 16 E. iv.

  There is no date to this Letter, but I think the contents will fix the date to
the summer of 1476, after Sir John Paston’s return from Calais; when, having
received back the cloth of gold from the Duchess of Norfolk, his mother
wished to sell it.

     We shall find afterwards that the money arising from the sale of it was in-
tended to be employed about her husband’s tomb, which we have been before
informed had been neglected.

     The latter part of this Letter contains a deserving censure on his mother’s
hostess at Fritton, who appears to have been a person too ready to find fault
with the conduct of others: she seems here to have shown her own frailty;
J. Paston therefore hopes that young people in future will be free from her
remarks: his manner of mentioning her misfortune is humorous, and at the
same time severe.

Autograph, Pl. iv. No. 12.

882

JOHN PASTON TO MARGARET PASTON¹

To my ryght worchepful modyr, Margaret Paston.

AFTYR all dewtes of recomendacyon, pleasyt yow to weet
          that as yesterday att noon my brodyr Sir John departyd
          fro Norwyche towardes London; for as now all the
sped is with the Kyng for the swerte of the maner of Caster,
consyderyng the dyeing seasyd of my Lord of Norffolk. He
trustyth to be in thys contre ayen with in x. or xij. dayes.
And at hys departyng he seyd to me that ye sent hym woord
to selle the clothe of gold, if he myght selle it well, whyche
clothe I thynke may be sold, iff ye wyll agre; not withstandyng
I wylle make no bargayn for it, tyll ye send me woord of the
serteyn some what ye wyll have for it, or ellys ye to have it
ayen. Sir Robard Wyngfeld offyrd me yesterday xx. mark
for it, but I wot well ye shall have more for it, if ye wyll
sell it; wher for, as ye wyll deele in this mater, I prey yow
send me woord to morew be tymys, for if thys bargayn be
forsakyn, I trow it wyll be longe er ye kan get an other
bargayn to selle it eny thyng aftyr that is woorthe.

     Modyr, in as humbyll wyse as I can, I beseche yow of your
blyssyng. I trust fro hense foorthe that we shall have our
chyldyr in rest with ought rebwkyng for ther pleying wanton;
for it is told me your ostass at Freton hathe gotyn hyr syche a
thyng to pley with, that our other chyldyr shall have leve to
sporte theym. God send hyr joye of it.
     Wretyn at Norwyche, thys Sonday.

                       Your sone and humbyll servaunt,

                                                                             JOHN PASTON.

     ¹ [From Paston MSS., B.M.] This letter is shown by internal evidence to have
been written shortly after the Duke of Norfolk’s death, which, as we have seen, took
place on the 17th January 1476. It was written on a Sunday, and states that Sir John
Paston had left Norwich the day before. The letter following, which is of the 23rd
January, is dated by John Paston, ‘Tuesday next after your (Sir John’s) departing,’
so that the Sunday on which this was written must certainly have been the 21st.        

JAN. 21

1476
JAN. 21