John Paston to Margaret Paston

LETTER LXII.

To my ryght worchepfull
     and most kynd modyr
     Margarett Paston.

RYGHT werchepfull Modyr aftyr all dutes of humble re-
comendacyon as lowly as I can I beseche yow of your dayly
blysy˜g and preyer pleasyt yow to undyrstand that wher as
ye wyllyd me by Paines to hast me ought of the heyer that
I am jn it is so that I must put me in god For her must I
be for a season and in good feyth I shall neuer whyll god
sendyth me lyff dred mor dethe than shame And thankyd
be god the sykness is well seasyd here and also my besyness
puttyth awey my fere I am drevyn to labore in letty˜g of
thexecucyon of myn unkynd oncly’s entent wher in I haue
as yet non other dyscorage but that I trust in god he shall
fayle of it I haue spokyn w^t my lord of Ely dyvers tymys
whyche hathe put me in serteynte by hys woord that he
wyll be ayenst myn oncle in iche mater that I can shewe
that he entendyth to wrong me in And he wold fayne have
a resonable end betwyx us wher to he wyll helpe as he
seythe and it is serteyn my brodyr god haue hys soule had
p’mysed to a byde the reule of my lord Chamberleyn and of
my lord Ely but J am not yett so ferr forthe ner not wyll be
tyll I know my lord Chamberleyns intent And that I p’pose
to do to morow for then I thynk to be w^t hym w^t gods leve
And sythe it is so that god hathe p^rveyd me to be the soly-
sytore of thys mater I thank hym of hys grace for the good
lords mastrys and frendys that he hathe sent me whyche
haue p^rfytely p’mysyd me to take my cause as ther owne and
those Frends be not a fewe And modyr as I best can and
may I thank yow and my Cosyn lemenore of the good avyse
that ye haue sent me And J shall aplye me to do ther aftyr
also Modyr I beseche on my behalf to thank myn cosyn
lamnore for y^e kindness that he hathe shewyd on to me in
geuy˜g of hys answer to myn onclys serv’nt whyche was w^t
hym Modyr I wryght not so largely to yow as I wold do for
I haue not most leyser and also when I haue ben w^t my
lord Chamberleyn I p’pose not to tery lenge aftyr in london
but to dresse me to yow wards at whyche tyme I trust I
shall brynge yow more serteynte of all the fordell that I
haue in my besyness then I can as yett wryght I am put in
serteynte by my most specyall good mastyr my mastyr of
the rollys that my lord of Ely is and shal be bettyr lord to
me then he hathe shewyd as yet And yet hathe he delt w^t
me ryght well and honourably Modyr I beseche yow that
Pekok may be sent to p^rvey me as myche money as is pos-
sybyll for hym to make ayenst my comy˜g hom for I haue
myche to pay her in london what for the Funerall costs
detts and legatts that must be content in gretter hast then
shal be myn ease Also I wold the Ferme barly in Flegge as
well as at Paston if ther be eny wer gadryd And if it may
be resonably sold then to be sold or putt to the malty˜g but
I wold at Castr that it were ought of the ten’nts handys for
thyngs that I here kepe ye consell thys fro Pekok and all
folkys whyche mater I shall appese if god wyll geve me
leve.

       11½ by 8½.

          Paper Mark,
     French Arms and t.
        Pl. xii. No. 21.

    This letter gives further information concerning the steps taken by J. Paston
to prevent his uncle William’s intention of entering into possession of some of
those estates fallen to him by the death of his grandmother and brother. He
writes like a dutiful son and a man of business; shewing himself active, but at
the same time cautious.

LETTER LXII.

To my right worshipful and most kind Mother,
Margaret Paston.

RIGHT worshipful mother, after all duties of humble recom-
mendation, as lowly as I can, I beseech you of your daily
blessing and prayer.

     Please it you to understand that whereas ye willed me
by Paines, to haste me out of the air that I am in; it is so
that I must put me in God, for here must I be for a season,
and in good faith I shall never, while God sendeth me life,
dread more death than shame; and thanked be God, the
sickness is well ceased here, and also my business putteth
away my fear. I am driven to labour in letting of [hinder-
ing] the execution of mine unkind uncle’s intent, wherein I
have as yet none other discourage, but that I trust in God
he shall fail of it.

     I have spoken to my Lord of Ely divers times, which
hath put me in certainty by his words, that he will be with
me against mine uncle, in each matter that I can shew that
he intendeth to wrong me in; and he would fain have a
reasonable end betwixt us, whereto he will help, as he saith;
and it is certain, my brother, God have his soul! had pro-
mised to abide the rule of my Lord Chamberlain and of my
Lord of Ely; but I am not yet so far forth; nor not will be,
till I know my Lord Chamberlain’s intent, and that I pur-
pose to do to-morrow, for then I think to be with him, with
God’s leave. And since it is so that God hath purveyed
me to be the solicitor of this matter, I thank him of his
grace for the good lords, masters, and friends that he hath
sent me, which have perfectly promised me to take my cause
as their own, and these friends be not a few.

     And, mother, as I best can and may, I thank you and my
cousin Lomnor of the good advise that ye have sent me,
and I shall apply me to do thereafter; also, mother, I shall
beseech you on my behalf to thank mine cousin Lomnor for
the kindness that he hath shewed unto me in giving of his
answer to mine uncle’s servant, which was with him.

     Mother, I write not so largely to you as I would do, for
I have not most leisure; and also when I have been with
my Lord Chamberlain, I purpose not to tarry long after in
London, but to dress me to you wards, at which time I
trust I shall bring you more certainty of all the fardel that
I have in my business than I can as yet write.

     I am put in certainty by my most special good master,
my Master of the Rolls, that my Lord of Ely is and shall
be better lord to me than he hath shewed as yet, and yet
hath he dealt with me right well and honourably.

     Mother, I beseech you that Peacock may be sent to pur-
vey me as much money as is possible for him to make
against my coming home, for I have much to pay here in
London, what for the funeral costs, debts, and legacies, that
must be content in greater haste than shall be mine ease.
Also I would the farm barley in Fleg, as well as at Paston,
if there be any, were gathered, and if it may be reasonably
sold, then to be sold, or put to the malting; but I would at
Caister that it were out of the tenants? hands, for things that
I hear: keep ye counsel this from Peacock and from all
folks, which matter I shall appease, if God will give me
leave.

                                                                      JOHN PASTON.

            London,
          December,
      1479. 19 E. iv.

    This letter gives further information concerning the steps taken by J. Paston
to prevent his uncle William’s intention of entering into possession of some of
those estates fallen to him by the death of his grandmother and brother. He
writes like a dutiful son and a man of business; shewing himself active, but at
the same time cautious.

965

JOHN PASTON TO MARGARET PASTON²

To my ryght worchepfull and most kynd modyr,
Margarett Paston.

      RYGHT werchepfull modyr, aftyr all dutes of humble
          recomendacyon, as lowly as I can, I beseche yow of
          your dayly blessyng and preyer. Pleasyt yow to
undyrstand that wher as ye wyllyd me by Poiness to hast me
ought of the heyer that I am in, it is so that I must pwt me
in God, for her must I be for a season, and in good feyth I
shall never, whyll God sendyth me lyff, dred mor dethe than
shame; and thankyd be God, the sykness is well seasyd here,
and also my besyness puttyth awey my fere. I am drevyn to
labore in lettyng of th’execucyon of myn unkynd onclys entent,
wher in I have as yet non other dyscorage, but that I trust in
God he shall fayle of it.

     I have spokyn with my Lord of Ely¹ dyvers tymys, whyche
hathe put me in serteynte by hys woord, that he wyll be with
me ayenst myn oncle in iche mater that I can shewe that he
entendyth to wrong me in; and he wold fayne have a reson-
able end betwyx us, wher to he wyll helpe, as he seythe. And
it is serteyn my brodyr, God have hys soule, had promysed to
a byde the reule of my Lord Chamberleyn² and of my Lord
Ely; but I am not yett so far forthe, nor not wyll be, tyll I
know my Lord Chamberleyns intent, and that I purpose to do
to morow, for then I thynk to bewith hym, with Godes leve.
And sythe it is so that God hathe purveyd me to be the
solysytore of thys mater, I thank Hym of Hys grace for the
good lordes, mastrys, and frendys that He hathe sent me,
whyche have perfytely promysyd me to take my cause as ther
owne, and those frendes be not a fewe.

     And, modyr, as I best can and may, I thank yow and my
cosyn Lomenore of the good avyse that ye have sent me,
and I shall aplye me to do ther aftyr. Also, modyr, I beseche
you on my behalf to thank myn cosyn Lomnorre for the kind-
ness that he hathe shewyd on to me in gevyng of hys answer
to myn onclys servaunt, whyche was with hym.

     Modyr, I wryght not so largely to yow as I wold do, for
I have not most leyser; and also when I have ben with my
Lord Chamberleyn, I purpose not to tery longe aftyr in
London, but to dresse me to yow wardes; at whyche tyme
I trust I shall brynge yow more serteynte of all the fordell
[advantage] that I have in my besyness then I can as yett
wryght.

     I am put in serteynte by my most specyall good mastyr,
my Mastyr of the Rollys,³ that my Lord of Ely is, and shal be
bettyr lord to me then he hathe shewyd as yet, and yet hathe
he delt with me ryght well and honourably.

     Modyr, I beseche yow that Pekok may be sent to purvey
me as myche money as is possybyll for hym to make ayenst
my comyng home, for I have myche to pay her in London,
what for the funerall costes, dettes, and legattes that must be
content in gretter hast then shalbe myn ease. Also I wold
the ferme barly in Flegge, as well as at Paston, if ther be eny,
wer gadryd, and iff it may be resonably sold, then to be sold
or putt to the maltyng; but I wold at Caster that it were
ought of the tenauntes handys for thynges that I here (kepe
ye consell thys fro Pekok and all folkys), whyche mater I shall
appese, if God wyll geve me leve.

     ² [From Paston MSS., B.M.] It is evident from the contents that this letter was
written shortly after the death of Sir John Paston. The year 1479 was a year of great
mortality, in which the Paston family lost three of its members. The letter is not
signed, but is in John Paston’s hand.

     ¹ John Morton, Bishop of Ely.             ² Lord Hastings.

     ³ Robert Morton.

DEC.

1479
DEC.

1479
DEC.