John Paston to Sir John Paston

LETTER XLVI.

To my ryght Worchepfull brodyr S^r. John Paston knyght.

RYGHT worchepfull S^r. I recomand me to yow. (Here
     follows an Account of some money transactions, &c.) It’.
Mastyr John Smythe tellyth me y^t S^r. T. Lyneys Goodys ar
not abyll to paye a q’rter of hys detts y^t be axyd hym, wherfor.

syche money as is be left it most be ¹ devydyd to eu?y man
a p?te aftyr the quantyte whyehe dyvysyon is not yet mad, but
when it is mad he hathe promyseyd me y^t yo^r part shalbe worthe
¹ iij the best, &c.

     It? as for I of Barneys hors whoso have leest need to hym
he shall cost hym xx marks not a peny lesse.

     Ye send me woord of y^e maryage of my Lady Jane, ō mary-
age for an other on Norse and Bedford were ² axed in the
chyrche on sonday last past. As for my Syst? Anne my modyr
wyll not remeve fro W. Yellu?ton for Bedyngfeld for she
hathe comend ferther in y^t mater syn ye wer in y^is contre
as it aperyth in hyr lettyr y^t she sendyth yow by Thyrston.

     Tydyngs her my Lady of Norff? is w^t chyld she wenyth
hyrsylf and so do all y^e women abowght hyr insomyche she
waytys the qwykn[SYM]g w^t in thes vj wekys at the ferthest.
Also W. Gernay wenyth that Heydon is swyr of Saxthorp
and that Lady Boleyn of Gwton. John Osberne avysythe yow
to take brethe for yo^r Wodsale at Sporle for he hathe cast it
that it is woorthe as good as IX^xxli bewar of Montayn for he
may not pay yow so moche mony w^t hys ease.

     I prey yow recomand me to S^r. John Parre w^t all my servys
and tell hym by my trouthe I longyd never sorer to see my
Lady than I do to se hys Mast?shepe And I prey God that
he aryse never a morn[SYM]g fro my Lady hys wyff w^t owght

t be ageyn hyr wyll tyll syche tyme as he bryng hyr to
Ou^r Lady of Wals[SYM]gh?m.

     Also I prey yow to recomand me in my most humbyll wyse
onto y^e good Lordshepe of y^e most corteys gentylest wysest
kyndest most compenabyll freest largeest most bowntesous knyght
my Lord the Erle of ³ Arran whych hathe maryed the Kyngs
Sustyr of Scotland. Herto he is on? the lyghtest delynerst
best spokyn fayrest Archer devowghtest most p?fyghte and trewest
to hys Lady of all the Knyghtys that ever I was aqweyntyd
w^t so wold God my Lady lyekyd me as well as I do hys person
and most knyghtly condycyons w^t whom I prey yow to be
aqweyntyd as yow semyth best he is lodgyd at y^e George in
Lombard street, he hath a book of my Syst^r. Annys of y^e
Sege of Thebes when he hathe doon with it he p?mysyd to
delyver it yow I prey lete Portland bryng y^e book horn w^t hym.
Portland is loggyd at y^e George in Lombard street also.

     And thys I promyse yow ye schall not be so longe ayen w^t
ought a byll fro me as ye have ben thow I shold wryght how
ofte the wynd changyth for I se be yo^r wryghtyng ye can be
                                    crosse it

                                 +      +      +     

wrothe and ye wyll ⁴ for lytyll. Wretyn the v day of June.

                                 +      +      +     

                                                                        ⁵ J. Paston.

11 ? by 8 ?

           Paper Mark,
     Bull’s Head and Star,
           Pl. x. N^o 1.

5th of June, 1472, 12 E. IV.
                   (Or perhaps it may be 5th
                   of June, 1470, 10 E. IV.
                   see Letter XXXIV.)

 ¹The proportioning of the Money left, amongst the Creditors, to pay the debts seems
to be fair, but how Sir John’s part should be justly worth three the best I do not un-
derstand.

²Banns of marriage we here find were published at this time in the Church.

     ³ Thomas Boyd, Earl of Arran, in 1466, married Mary, Daughter of James II. and
Sister of James the III. Kings of Scotland. He was appointed Regent, but becoming
unpopular was banished, and died in exile before 1474.

     ⁴ These two words are crossed as here represented, and over them is written, “crosse it.”

     ⁵ Autograph. Pl. IV. N^o 12.

LETTER XLVI.

 To my right worshipful Brother, Sir John Paston, Knight.

RIGHT worshipful Sir, I recommend me to you. (Here
     follows an Account of some money transactions, &c.) Item,
Master John Smythe telleth me, that Sir T. Lyney’s Goods
are not able to pay a quarter of his debts that be asked him,

wherefore such money as is beleft, it must be ¹ divided to every
man a part after the quantity, which division is not yet made,
but when it is made he hath promised me, that your part shall
be worth ¹ three the best, &c.

     Item, as for I. of Barney’s Horse, whoso hath least need to
him, he shall cost him 20 marks (13l. 6s. 8d.) not a penny less.

     Ye sent me word of the marriage of my Lady Jane; one
marriage for another one, Norse and Bedford were ² asked
in the church on Sunday last past.

     As for my Sister Anne, my Mother will not remove from W.
Yelverton for Bedyngfeld, for she hath communed farther in
that matter, since ye were in this country, as it appeareth in
her Letter, that she sendeth you by Thyrston.

     Tidings here, my Lady of Norfolk is with child she weneth
(thinketh) herself, and so do all the women about her, insomuch
she waits the quickening within these six weeks at the farthest.
Also W. Gernay weneth that Heydon is sure of Saxthorp, and
that Lady Boleyn, of Guyton.

     John Osbern adviseth you to take breath for the Wood sale
at Sporle, for he hath cast it, that it is worth as good as nine
score pounds. Beware of Montayn, for he may not pay you
so much money with his ease.

     I pray you recommend me to Sir John Parre with all my
service, and tell him by my truth, I longed never sorer to see
my Lady than I do to see his Mastership; and I pray God
that he arise never a morning from my Lady his wife, without

it be against her will, till such time as he bring her to Our
Lady of Walsingham.

     Also I pray you to recommend me in my most humble wise
unto the good Lordship of the most courteous, gentlest, wisest,
kindest, most companionable, freest, largest, and most boun-
teous Knight, my Lord the Earl of ³ Arran, which hath marri-
ed the King’s Sister of Scotland. Hereto he is one the lightest,
delyverst, (cleverest) best spoken, fairest archer; devoutest,
most perfect, and truest to his Lady of all the Knights that ever
I was acquainted with; so would God, my Lady liked me as
well as I do his person and most knightly conditions, with
whom I pray you to be acquainted, as (to) you seemeth best; he is
lodged at the George in Lombard-street. He hath a book of my
Sister Anne’s of the Siege of Thebes, when he hath done with
it, he promised to deliver it you. I pray you let Portland
bring the book home with him. Portland is lodged at the
George in Lombard street also.

     And this I promise you, ye shall not be so long again without
a bill from me, as ye have been, though I should write how
oft the wind changeth, for I see by your writing ye can be
                                       cross it
                                  +      +      +     
wrath and ye will ⁴ for little.
                                  +      +      +     
        Written the 5th day of June.

                                                                    ⁵ JOHN PASTON.

11 ? by 8 ?

           Paper Mark,
     Bull’s Head and Star,
           Pl. x. N^o 1.

5th of June, 1472, 12 E. IV.
                   (Or perhaps it may be 5th
                   of June, 1470, 10 E. IV.
                   see Letter XXXIV.)

¹The proportioning of the Money left, amongst the Creditors, to pay the debts seems
to be fair, but how Sir John’s part should be justly worth three the best I do not un-
derstand.

²Banns of marriage we here find were published at this time in the Church. 

     ³ Thomas Boyd, Earl of Arran, in 1466, married Mary, Daughter of James II. and
Sister of James the III. Kings of Scotland. He was appointed Regent, but becoming
unpopular was banished, and died in exile before 1474. 

     ⁴ These two words are crossed as here represented, and over them is written, “crosse it.”

     ⁵ Autograph. Pl. IV. N^o 12.

804

JOHN PASTON TO SIR JOHN PASTON²

To my ryght worchepfull brodyr, Sir John Paston, Knyght.

RYGHT worchepfull sir, I recomand me to yow.³
     . . . . . . . . .

     Item, Mastyr John Smythe tellyth me that Sir T.
Lyneys goodys ar not abyll to paye a quarter of hys detts
that be axyd hym; wherfor syche money as is be left
it most be devydyd to every man a parte aftyr the quan-
tyte, whyche dyvysyon is not yet mad, but when it is mad
he hathe promyseyd me that your part shalbe worthe iij. the
best, &c.

     Item, as for J. of Barneys hors, whoso have leest need to
hym he shall cost hym xx. marks, not a peny lesse.

     Ye send me woord of the maryage of my Lady Jane; one
maryage for an other on, Norse and Bedford were axed in the
chyrche on Sonday last past. As for my syster Anne, my
modyr wyll not remeve fro W. Yellverton for Bedyngfeld, for
she hathe comend ferther in that mater, syn ye wer in this
contre, as it aperyth in hyr lettyr that she sendyth yow by
Thyrston.

     Tydyngs her, my Lady of Norffolk is with chyld, she
wenyth hyrsylf, and so do all the women abowght hyr, inso-
myche she waytys the qwyknyng with in thes vj. wekys at the
ferthest. Also W. Gernay wenyth that Heydon is swyr of
Saxthorp, and that Lady Boleyn of Gwton. John Osberne
avysythe yow to take brethe for your wodsale at Sporle, for he
hathe cast it, that it is woorthe as good as ix.^xx.li. Bewar of
Montayn, for he may not pay yow so moche mony with hys
ease.

     I prey yow recomand me to Sir John Parre with all my
servys, and tell hym by my trouthe I longyd never sorer to
see my Lady than I do to se hys Mastershepe; and I prey
God that he aryse never a mornyng fro my Lady hys wyff,
with owght it be ageyn hyr wyll, tyll syche tyme as he bryng
hyr to Our Lady of Walsyngham.

     Also I prey yow to recomand me in my most humbyll
wyse unto the good Lordshepe of the most corteys, gentylest,
wysest, kyndest, most compenabyll, freest, largeest, most
bowntesous knyght, my Lord the Erle of Arran,¹ whych
hathe maryed the Kyngs sustyr of Scotland. Herto he is
one the lyghtest, delyverst, best spokyn, fayrest archer; de-
vowghtest, most perfyghte, and trewest to hys lady of all
the knyghtys that ever I was aqweyntyd with; so wold
God, my Lady lyekyd me as well as I do hys person and
most knyghtly condycyons, with whom I prey yow to be
aqweyntyd, as yow semyth best; he is lodgyd at the George
in Lombard Street. He hath a book of my syster Annys of
the Sege of Thebes; when he hathe doon with it, he promysyd
to delyver it yow. I prey lete Portland bryng the book hom
with hym. Portland is loggyd at the George in Lombard
Street also.

     And thys I promyse yow, ye schall not be so longe ayen
with ought a byll fro me, as ye have ben, thow I shold wryght
how ofte the wynd changyth, for I se be your wryghtyng, ye

crosse it.

. - . - . -

can be wrothe and ye wyll for lytyll.² Wretyn the v. day of

. - . - . -

June.                                                                        J. PASTON.

     ² [From Fenn, ii. 92.] This letter, like the last, is dated by the reference to
Gurney and Heydon. The date is confirmed by the allusion to the proposal to sell
Sporle wood.

     ³ Here follows an account of some money transactions, etc.—F.

¹ Thomas Boyd, Earl of Arran, in 1466, married Mary, daughter of James II.
and sister of James III., Kings of Scotland. He was appointed Regent, but be-
coming unpopular, was banished, and died in exile before 1474.—F.

     ² These two words are crossed as here represented, and over them is written,
’crosse it.’

1472
JUNE 5

1472
JUNE 5