Margaret Paston to Dame Elizabeth Brews

Add. 27445, f. 112

11 June 1477

Gairdner, Vol V, item 913; Fenn, Vol V, Edward IV item 43

LETTER XLIII.

To ye Ryght wurchepfull
and my verry good Lady and Cosyn
Dame Elyzabeth Brews.

RYGHT Wurchepful and my cheff lady and Cosyn as hertly
as I Can I recomaunde me to yow Madam lycketh yow to
undyrstand that y^e cheff cause of my wrytyng to yow at
thys season ys thys J wot well yt ys not unreme˜bred w^t
yow the large communycacyon that dyuers tymes hathe
ben had towchy˜g the maryage of my Cosyn Margery yowyr
dowghter and my son John of whyche I have ben as glad
and now late wardes as sory as euyr I was for eny maryage
in My lyve and wher or in whom the defawte of y^e breche
ys I can haue no p˜fyte knowlage but Madam yf yt be in me
or eny of myn I prey yow assygne a day when my Cosyn
yowyr husbond And ye thynk to be at Norwych to wards
Salle And I wyll com theder to yow And I thynk or ye
And I departe y^t ye defawte schall be knowe wher yt ys
And also that w^t yowyr advyse and helpe and my˜ to gedyrs
we schall take some wey y^t yt schal not breke for yf yt dyd
yt wer non honoure to neyther p^rtyes And in cheff to them
in whom the defawte ys Consyderyng that it ys so ferre
spoken And Madam I prey yow y^t I may have p^rfyte know-
lage be my Son Yelu^rton berar herof when thys metyng
schall be yf ye thynk it expedyent And y^e soner the better
in eschewy˜g of worsse For Madam J know well yf yt be
not co˜cludyd in ryght schort tyme that as for my son he
entendith to doo ryght well by my Cosyn Margery and not
so well by hym sylf And y^t schuld be to me nor J trust to
yow no gret plesur yf yt so fortunyd as god deffend whom
I beseche to send yow your levest desyers Madam I besech
yow y^t I may be recomawndyd by y^is bylle to my Cosyn
yowyr husbond And to my Cosyn Margery to whom I sup-
posyd to have gevyn an otheyr name or thys tyme Wretyn
at Mawteby on Seynt Barnaby is Day.

By yo^r MARGARET PASTON.

11? by 6?.

              Paper Mark,
             The Letter G
             with a Cross.
             Pl. xii. No. 18.

Some difficulties having occurred as to settlements, the marriage seems, at
this period, to have been almost broken off. Margaret Paston now comes for-
ward and solicits a meeting in order to accommodate any differences. She
cautiously avoids mentioning on which part the difficulties arose, but seems
inclined to meet them more than half way. She announces her son’s inclina-
tions to do every thing in his power, even to the hurting of his own interest,
but hopes that will not be insisted on.

The letter is polite towards Lady Brews, and shews the writer’s maternal
concern for her son’s happiness.

The manner in which she recommends herself to her intended daughter is
both easy and natural, and expressed in a way to interest the young lady in her
son’s favour.

Autograph, Pl. xi. No. 20.

LETTER XLIII.

To the Right Worshipful and my very good Lady and Cousin
Dame Elizabeth Brews.

RIGHT worshipful, and my chief Lady and Cousin, as
heartily as I can I recommend me to you; Madam, liketh
you to understand that the chief cause of my writing to you
at this season is this; I wot well it is not unremembered
with you the large communication that divers times hath
been had touching the marriage of my Cousin Margery
your daughter and my son John, of which I have been as
glad, and now latewards as sorry, as ever I was for any
marriage in my life; and where or in whom the default of
the breach is, I can have no perfect knowledge; but, Madam,
if it be in me or any of mine, I pray you assign a day, when
my Cousin your husband and ye think to be at Norwich
towards Sall, and I will come thither to you, and I think,
ere ye and I depart, that the default shall be known where
it is, and also that with your advice and help, and mine to-
gether, we shall take some way that it shall not break; for
if it did, it were none honour to neither parties, and in chief
to them in whom the default is, considering that it is so far
spoken.

And, Madam, I pray you that I may have perfect know-
ledge by my son Yelverton, bearer hereof, when this meet-
ing shall be, if ye think it expedient, and the sooner the
better in eschewing of worse; for, Madam, I know well if it
be not concluded in right short time, that as for my son he
intendeth to do right well by my Cousin Margery and not
so well by himself, and that should be to me, nor I trust to
you, no great pleasure, if it so fortuned, as God defend,
[forbid] whom I beseech to send you your levest [dearest]
desires.

Madam, I beseech you that I may be recommended by
this bill to my cousin your husband, and to my Cousin Mar-
gery, to whom I supposed to have given another name ere
this time. Written at Mawtby on Saint Barnabas’s day.

By your

MARGARET PASTON.

              Mawtby,
     Wednesday, 11 June,
         1477. 17 E. iv.

Some difficulties having occurred as to settlements, the marriage seems, at
this period, to have been almost broken off. Margaret Paston now comes for-
ward and solicits a meeting in order to accommodate any differences. She
cautiously avoids mentioning on which part the difficulties arose, but seems
inclined to meet them more than half way. She announces her son’s inclina-
tions to do every thing in his power, even to the hurting of his own interest,
but hopes that will not be insisted on.

The letter is polite towards Lady Brews, and shews the writer’s maternal
concern for her son’s happiness.

The manner in which she recommends herself to her intended daughter is
both easy and natural, and expressed in a way to interest the young lady in her
son’s favour.

Autograph, Pl. xi. No. 20.

913

MARGARET PASTON TO DAME ELIZABETH BREWS¹

To the ryght wurchypfull and my verry good [lady and cosyn,
Dame Elyzabeth]² Brews.

RYGHT wurchepful and my cheff lady and cosyn, as
hertly as I can, I recomaunde me to yow. Madam,
lyeketh yow to undyrstand that the cheff cause of my
wrytyng to yow at thys season ys thys: I wot well yt ys not
unremembred with yow the large comunycacyon that dyvers
tymes hathe ben had towchyng the maryage of my cosyn
Margery, yowyr dowghter, and my son John; of whyche I
have ben as glad, and now late wardes as sory, as evyr I was
for eny maryage in myn lyve. And wher or in whom the
defawte of the breche ys, I can have no perfyte knowlage;
but, madam, yf yt be in me or eny of myn, I prey yow
assygne a day when my cosyn yowyr husbond and ye thynk to
be at Norwych to wardes Salle, and I wyll com theder to yow;
and I thynk or ye and I departe, that the defawte schall be
knowe where yt ys, and also that, with yowyr advyse and helpe
and myn to gedyrs, we schall take some wey that yt schal not
breke; for yf yt dyd, yt wer non honoure to neyther partyes,
and in cheff to them in whom the defawte ys, consyderyng
that it ys so ferre spokun.

And, madam, I prey yow that I may have perfyte know-
lage be my son Yelverton,³ berar here of, when thys metyng
schall be, yf ye thynk it expedyent, and the soner the better,
in eschewyng of worsse; for, madam, I know well, yf yt be
not concludyd in ryght schort tyme, that as for my son he
entendyth to doo ryght well by my cosyn Margery, and not
so well by hym sylf, and that schuld be to me, nor I trust to
yow no gret plesur, yf yt so fortunyd, as God deffend, Whom
I beseche to send yow your levest desyers.

Madam, I besech yow that I may be recomawndyd by this
bylle to my cosyn yowr husbond, and to my cosyn Margery,
to whom I supposyd to have gevyn an othyr name or thys
tyme.

Wretyn at Mawteby, on Seynt Barnaby is Day.

By your, MARGARET PASTON.

¹ [From Paston MSS., B.M.] This is another letter relative to the negotiations
for the marriage of John Paston and Margery Brews, which took place in 1477.

² The words bracketed are indistinct, but we follow Fenn’s reading.

³ William Yelverton, grandson of Judge Yelverton, now married to Anne Paston,
one of Margaret’s daughters.

JUNE 11

1477

JUNE 11