John Russe to Margaret Paston

656

JOHN RUSSE TO MARGARET PASTON¹

To the worshypfull and my right honorabyll maistresse,
Maistresse Marget Paston.

RIGHT worshipfull and myn right honourable and good
     maistresse, I recomaund me to you in my most
     humble wyse, besekynge youre maistresshyp to take
no dyspleasure of the longe forberyng of youre mony, whiche
is ixli. xvjs. viijd. now. Be my trouthe, Maister Fen had of
me 1. marke at hyse beyng here fore custum, wherof a gret
part is owyng me tyl I may be leysere² gather it up. I thynke
of every day a wyke tyl ye be content, and I thanke God I owe
not al the world so myche as I do you. In as goodly haste as
I can, youre maistresship shal have it with ever my servise and
preyer, for ye do a meritory dede; it hathe savyd my pore
honestie and gretly avayled me; wher as if it had leyn in youre
coferys, as, I doute not, a M¹li. more dothe, no profit shuld
have growe to any man; it is a meritory dede to helpe them
that mene trewly, whiche, for Godis sake, maistresse consedre.
I truste I am of that substans that, what soever caswelte for-
tunyd, yourre maistresship shuld not lese on pene of yourre
dute. Every ourre (?) may be distreynid of myn the value of
C. marke in shyppis and literys, and owe not but to you Cs., I
dare afferme. Also, maystresse, ye have an obligacion of me
of xlli. a byll of xxli., and abil of xxli., and a byll of xli.; for
Godis sake, maistresse, spare me for a tyme, the rather for the
affeccion that my maister³ had to me, whos soule Jhesu assoyle.
Hyse maistirshyp grauntyd me many tymez to have lent me of
the dedys goodis xlli., to have payd hym ageyn in v. yeer; and
so I doute not but I shuld have had if hyse maistirshyp had
levyd. I lost a gret losse of hese departyng; for hyse sake,
maystresse, shewe me the more favour. I intende not to
debarre you of oon peny, so Jhesu helpe me, but in as goodly
haste as I can to contente you; be my trouthe, at thys seasun
I have not in my pocession x. marke which is right litil, what
casewelte that ever fortune. I am deseyvid of many men; be
my trouthe there is owyng me in thys town xl. marke of iij.
yeer passyd, that thow I shuld go to prison I knowe not to
have xxs. of ony of hem. Right worshypfull and my right
honourable maistresse, I beseke Almyghti Jhesu, ever preserve
you from adversite. Maistresse, for the servise that to my
pore powyr I aught my maister youre husbonde I am the werse
by xxli. and more sylvir; for Godis sake therfor, maistresse,
yit favour me a season; I aske not ellys.

                    Yourre bedeman and servaunt,              JOHN RUSSE.

     ¹ [Add. MS. 34,889, f. 226.] This letter must have been written some time after
John Paston’s death, but probably not many years later. Compare No. 651.

     ² Sic.                                                         ³ John Paston.

After
1466

After
1466

LXVIII

After A.D. 1466

JOHN RUSSE TO MARGARET PASTON

[Add. MS. 34,889, f. 226]

     This letter, No. 1081 in the Inventory, must have been written some
time after John Paston’s death, but probably not many years later.
Comp. No. 562.

To the worshypfull and my right honorabyll maistresse,
Maistresse Marget Paston.

RIGHT worshipfull and myn right honourable
     and good maistresse, I recomaund me to
     you in my most humble wyse, besekynge
     youre maistresshyp to take no dyspleasure
of the longe forberyng of youre mony, whiche is
ixli. xvjs. viijd. now. Be my trouthe, Maister Fen
had of me 1. marke at hyse beyng here fore custum,
wherof a gret part is owyng me tyl I may be leysere¹
gather it up. I thynke of every day a wyke tyl ye be
content, and I thanke God I owe not al the world so
myche as I do you. In as goodly haste as I can,
youre maistresship shal have it with ever my servise
and preyer, for ye do a meritory dede; it hathe savyd
my pore honestie and gretly avayled me; wher as if
it had leyn in youre coferys, as, I doute not, a M¹li.
more dothe, no profit shuld have growe to any man;
it is a meritory dede to helpe them that mene trewly,
whiche, for Godis sake, maistresse consedre. I
truste I am of that substans that, what soever
caswelte fortunyd, yourre maistresship shuld not lese
on pene of yourre dute. Every ourre (?) may be
distreynid of myn the value of C. marke in shyppis
and literys, and owe not but to you Cs., I dare
afferme. Also, maystresse, ye have an obligacion of
me of xlli. a byll of xxli., and abil of xxli., and a byll
of xli.; for Godis sake, maistresse, spare me for a
tyme, the rather for the affeccion that my maister²
had to me, whos soule Jhesu assoyle. Hyse maistir-
shyp grauntyd me many tymez to have lent me of
the dedys goodis xlli., to have payd hym ageyn in
v. yeer; and so I doute not but I shuld have had if
hyse maistirshyp had levyd. I lost a gret losse of
hese departyng; for hyse sake, maystresse, shewe
me the more favour. I intende not to debarre you of
oon peny, so Jhesu helpe me, but in as goodly haste
as I can to contente you; be my trouthe, at thys
seasun I have not in my pocession x. marke which is
right litil, what casewelte that ever fortune. I am
deseyvid of many men; be my trouthe there is
owyng me in thys town xl. marke of iij. yeer passyd,
that thow I shuld go to prison I knowe not to have
xxs. of ony of hem. Right worshypfull and my right
honourable maistresse, I beseke Almyghti Jhesu,
ever preserve you from adversite. Maistresse, for
the servise that to my pore powyr I aught my
maister youre husbonde I am the werse by xxli. and
more sylvir; for Godis sake therfor, maistresse, yit
favour me a season; I aske not ellys.—Yourre
bedeman and servaunt,                    JOHN RUSSE.

                ¹ Sic.                                   ² John Paston.