John Paston to Margaret Paston

LETTER VI.

                     To my Cosyn Margret
                     Paston.

I Recomaund me to yow letyng yow wete yt the undershreve
doughtyth hym of John Berney Wherfore I pray yow bryng
hem to gedyr and set hem acord if ye can fo yt the feyd onder-
shreve be sure yt he shall not be hurt be hym ner of hys Cuntry
men And eyf he woll not lete hym verely understonde yt he
shall be Compellyd to fynd hym suerte of the pes to agry in thys
heed And yt shall nowther be p'fitabyll ner worchepful and lete
hym wete yt there have be many Compleynts of hym be yt
knavyssh Knyght Sr Miles r Stapilton as I sent yow word before
but he shall Come to hys excuse wele Jnow so he have a
mannys hert and the seyd Stapylton shall ben ondyrstand as he
ys a fals shrewe and he and hys wyfe and other have blaveryd
here of my kynred in hedermoder but be y^t tyme we have
rekned of old dayes and late dayes myn shall be found more
worchepfull thanne hys and hys wyfes or ellys J woll not for
hys gilt z gypcer Also telle the seyd Berney y^t y^e Shreve ys in a
dought whedyr he shall make a newe eleccon of knyghts of the
shyre be cause of hym and Grey where in it were bettyr for hym
to have the shreves good wyll Jt'm me thynkyth for quiete of the
Countre it were most worchepfull yt as wele Berney as Grey shuld
get A record of all suche yt myght spend xls ayere yt wer at the
day of eleccon whech of them yt had fewest to geve it vp wer at the
wold Wretyn at london on 3 Relyk Sonday.

Jt'm y^t ye send abought for sylver acordyng to the old bylle
yt I sent yow from lynne.

                                                                               ⁴ John Paston.

11 1/2 by 3 1/2.
        Paper Mark,
    3 something resembling
        an Helmet.
        Pl. XXVI. No 7.

     This Letter is undoubtedly written by John Paston to his wife Margaret Paston, it is
therefore difficult to say why he directs to her as to his Cousin; I suppose from the late
change of government he was cautious of being known to correspond with any one, left
he should be suspected by either party; and as this Letter was on matters relative to an
Election of Knights of the Shire, he might be particularly careful not to have his senti-
ments known, fearing another change might take place, as the times were so unsettled.

    Sir John Howard was Sheriff of Norfolk and Suffolk at this time, though the Under-
Sheriff seems to have been the manager in these Election disputes.

    J. Paston's advice concerning the Election seems not only judicious, but calculated to
promote the peace of the county; a thing at this period much to be desired by the new
King.

    ¹ Sir Miles Stapylton, knight, of Ingham, died in 1466, and was there buried; his first
wife was Elizabeth, daughter of Sir Simon Felbrigg; his second was Catharine, daugh-
ter of Thomas de la Pole, second son to be Earl of Suffolk; she was living in 1464, and
was most probably the lady here mentioned.

    ² This word is used by Chaucer in his Prologues, where describing "The Frankeleyn,"
he says,

            "An Onelace and Gypsere al of sylk,

            "Hung at his gyrdle, white as morowe milke."

    ³ Relick Sunday is the Sunday following the translation of St. Thomas a Becket.

    4 Autograph. Pl. XXIV.No 6.

LETTER VI.

To my Coufin Margaret Paston.

I Recommend me to you, letting you weet that the Under
Sheriff doubteth him of John Berney, Wherefore I pray you
bring them together, and set them accord (through) if ye can,
so that the said Under Sheriff be sure that he shall not be hurt by
him nor of his countrymen; and if he will not, let him verily
understand, that he shall be compelled to find him surety of the
peace to agree on this head, and that shall neither be profitable
nor worshipful; and let him weet that there have been many
complaints of him by that knavish Knight Sir Miles r Staplton,
as I sent you word before, but he shall come to his excuse well
enough so he have a man's heart, and the said Stapylton shall be
understood, as he is a false shrew, and he and his wife and other
have blavered (blabbed or prated) here of my kindred in hoder
moder (bugger mugger, clandestinely,) but, by that time we have
reckoned of old days and late days, mine shall be found more
worshipful than his and his wife's, or else I will not for his gilt
2 gypcer (purse).

    Also tell the said Berney that the Sheriff is in a doubt whether
he shall make a new election of Knights of the Shire, because
of him and Grey, whereing it were better for him to have the
Sheriff's good will.

    Item, me thinketh for quiet of the Country it were most wor-
shipful, that as well Berney as Grey should get a record of all
such that might spend forty Shillings a year, that were at the
day of election, which of them that had fewest to give it up as
reason would. Written at London, on 3 Relick Sunday.

Item, that ye send about for Silver according to the old bill
that I sent you from Lynn.
                                                                              ⁴ JOHN PASTON.

 London, Sunday,

        12 July, 1461.

        I E. IV.

     This Letter is undoubtedly written by John Paston to his wife Margaret Paston, it is
therefore difficult to say why he directs to her as to his Cousin; I suppose from the late
change of government he was cautious of being known to correspond with any one, left
he should be suspected by either party; and as this Letter was on matters relative to an
Election of Knights of the Shire, he might be particularly careful not to have his senti-
ments known, fearing another change might take place, as the times were so unsettled.

    Sir John Howard was Sheriff of Norfolk and Suffolk at this time, though the Under-
Sheriff seems to have been the manager in these Election disputes.

    J. Paston's advice concerning the Election seems not only judicious, but calculated to
promote the peace of the county; a thing at this period much to be desired by the new
King.

    ¹ Sir Miles Stapylton, knight, of Ingham, died in 1466, and was there buried; his first
wife was Elizabeth, daughter of Sir Simon Felbrigg; his second was Catharine, daugh-
ter of Thomas de la Pole, second son to be Earl of Suffolk; she was living in 1464, and
was most probably the lady here mentioned.

    ² This word is used by Chaucer in his Prologues, where describing "The Frankeleyn,"
he says,

            "An Onelace and Gypsere al of sylk,

            "Hung at his gyrdle, white as morowe milke."

    ³ Relick Sunday is the Sunday following the translation of St. Thomas a Becket.

    4 Autograph. Pl. XXIV.No 6.

468

JOHN PASTON TO MARGARET PASTON¹

To my cosyn, Margaret Paston.

I RECOMAUND me to yow, letyng yow wete tha the
     Undershreve doughtyth hym of John Berney; wherfore
     I pray yow bryng hem to gedyr, and set hem acord, if ye
can, so that the seyd Ondershreve be sure that he shall not be
hurt be hym, ner of hys cuntrymen. And eyf he woll not, lete
hym verely understonde that he shall be compellyd to fynd
hym suerte of the pes to agry in thys heed, and that shall
nowther be profitabyll, ner worchepful. And lete hym wete
that there have be many compleynts of hym be that knavyssh
knyght, Sir Miles Stapilton, as I sent yow word before; but
he shall come to hys excuse wele inow, so he have a mannys
hert, and the seyd Stapylton shall ben ondyrstand as he ys, a
fals shrewe. And he and hys wyfe and other have blaveryd
here of my kynred in hedermoder;¹ but, be that tyme we
have rekned of old dayes and late dayes, myn shall be found
more worchepfull thanne hys and hys wyfes, or ellys I woll not
for hys gilt gypcer.

     Also telle the seyd Berney that the Shreve ys in a dought
whedyr he shall make a newe eleccion of knyghts of the shyre,
be cause of hym and Grey; where in it were bettyr for hym to
have the Shreves good wyll.

     Item, me thynkyth for quiete of the cuntre it were most
worchepfull that as wele Berney as Grey shuld get a record of
all suche that myght spend xls. ayere, that were at the day of
eleccon, whech of them that had fewest to geve it up as reson
wold. Wretyn at London, on Relyk Sonday.

     Item, that ye send abought for sylver acordyng to the old
bylle that I sent yow from Lynne.                      JOHN PASTON.

     ¹ [From Fenn, iv. 20.] This letter and the next, which is an answer to it, are
evidently of the same year as No. 471. Relic Sunday (the third Sunday after Mid-
summer Day) was the 12th July in 1461.

JULY 12

1461
JULY 12