Margaret Paston to John Paston, Esquire

Add. 34889, f. 211

?[1] December 1471

Gairdner, Vol V, item 792; Fenn, Vol IV, Edward IV item 34; Gairdner, 'Paston Letters', item 86

LETTER XXXIV.

     To the right wrshypful
     my right honor abyl maysir
     Iohn Paston.

RIGHT wrshipfull S^r and my right honorabill maist^r I re-
comaund me to you jn my most humble wyse and please
your maistrship to wete that here is on Thom's Chapman an
evyl disposyd man al wey ayens you as I haue Jnformyd yo're
maistirship many tymes and now he hathe labo'ryd to my lord
Tresorer to subplante me and brought down wryghting from the
Kyng and my lord Tresorer but or hise wryting cam Wydwell
fond the meanlys be the supportacion of Maist^r Feen that we had
a discharge for hym out of the Chauncery Wherfor the seyd
Chapman p'posyth to be at London in all haste and to av^rtise the
Kyng and my Lord Tresorer ageyn me to the grettest hurt the
can Imagyne wherfor I beseke yo're maystirship consedryng is
evyl disposecion to yow and also the rather at my pore Instaunce
that ye lyke that my lord Tresorer myght undyrstonde that he
seyd Chapman is of no reputacion but evyl disposyd to brybory
of Straungers and be colour of hise office of sup^rvisor of the
s^rche shal gretly hurte the port the seyd Chapman supportors is
Blakeney clerk of the sygnet and Au'ey Cornburght yoman of
the kyng's Chau'bre he hathe here of Aurelyes xxiiij Tune wyn

whereof at the long wey he shal make make the seyd Au'ey a lewd re-
kenyng the seyd Chapman louyth not you nor no man to yow
wards &c. S^r I parey god brynge you onys to regne amongs
youre cuntre men in love and to be dred the lenger ye contynwe
there the more hurt growyth to you men sey ye will neyther
folwe the avyse of youre owyn kynred nor of youre Counsell
but contynwe your owyn wylfullnesse whiche but grace be shal
be youre distrucion it is my part to enfo^rme youre maistirshyp
as the Comown voyse is god betir it and graunt yow onys herts
ease for it is half a deth to me to here the gen^rall voyse of the
pepyll whiche dayli encreassyth &c. S^r I beseke youre maistirshyp
to remebre my maystresse for the lytil sylvir whiche for s^rteyn
thyngs delyvrid to youre use is dewe to me J haue nede of it now
I haue bought salt and other thyngs whiche hathe brought me
out of myche sylvir I wold trust and I nedyd to borwe xx li.
yo're maist^rshyp wold ease me for a tyme but thys that I desyre
is myn owyn dute and Jhu graunt yow ev^r yowr herts desyre to
yo're w^rshyp and prosyt and p's^rve yow my right hono^rabyll
maist^r from all advrsyte Wretyn at Iernemuthe the xv day of
iuly here is a Dervyl of Cane in Normandy and he takyth
Duchemen and raunsumyth hem grevously.

Yore srvaunt and bedman

John Ausse.

12 by 8 1/2.

Paper Mark,

Bull's Head and Stat.

PI. IX. No 12.

The date of this Letter cannot be exactly ascertained ; it must have been written after
the preceding one, as J. Russe seems now to be in office at Yarmouth. He speaks freely
of Chapman, and as sreely tells J. Paston of the common voice against him.

I have given this Letter for the strictures it contains on the character of J. Paston, and
to shew the anxiety of the Writer of it, for the good of his Master.

Autograph. PI. v. No 18. Seal. PI. XIV. N 21.

Master Fenn, here mentioned, appears to have been a Lawyer of eminence, and was a
person in great considence with J. Paston, &c. as may be collected from several of the
Letters in this collection.

LETTER XXXIV.

To the right worshipful my right honourable Master John paston.

RIGHT worshipful Sir, and my right honourable Master,
I recommend me to you in my most humble wise, and
please your mastership to weet, that here is one Thomas Chap-
man, an evil disposed man alway against you, as I have informed
your mastership many times, and now he hath laboured to my
Lord Treasurer to supplant me, and ( bath) brought down writing
from the King and my Lord Treasurer ; but, ere his writing came,
Wydeville found the means, by the supportation of Master Fenn,
that we had a discharge for him out of Chancery ; wherefore the
said Chapman proposeth to be at London in all haste, and to
advertise the King and my Lord Treasurer against me, to the
greatest hurt he can imagine : wherefore I beseech your mas-
tership considering his evil disposition to you, and also the rather
at my poor instance, that ye like that my Lord Treasurer might
understand that the said Chapman is of no reputation, but evil
disposed to bribery of Strangers, and by colour of his office of
supervisor of the Search shall greatly hurt the port ; the said
Chapman's supporters is Blakeney, Clerk of the Signet, and Avery
Cornburgh, Yeoman of the King's Chamber ; he hath here of
Avery's twenty-four Tuns ( of ) Wine, whereof at the long
way, he shall make the said Avery a lewd ( bad ) reckoning ; the
said Chapman loveth not you, nor no man to you ward, &c.

Sir, I pray God bring you once to reign among your country-
men in love, and to be dreaded ; the longer ye continue there the
more hurt groweth to you ; men say ye will neither follow the
advice of your own kindred, nor of your counsel, but only your
own wilsulness, and which, but grace be, shall be your destruction.

It is my part to inform your mastership as the common voice
is, God better it, and grant you once heart's ease ; for it is half
a death to me to hear the general voice of the people, which
daily encreaseth, &c.

Sir, I beseech your mastership to remember my mistress for the
little silver, which, for certain things delivered to your use, is
due to me, I have need of it now, I have bought Salt and other
things, which hath brought me out of much silver, I would trust
and ( if ) I needed to borrow twenty pounds your mastership
would ease me for a time, but this that I desire is mine own duty.
And Jesu grant you ever your heart's desire to your worship and
profit, and preserve you my right honourable master from all
adversity.

Written at Yarmouth, the 15th day of July. Here is a Carvel
of Caen, in Normandy, and he taketh Dutchmen, and ransom-

eth them grievously.

Your servant and Beadsman

JOHN RUSSE.

Yarmouth,

15 July, 1462, or 1463.

2 or 3 E. IV.

The date of this Letter cannot be exactly ascertained ; it must have been written after
the preceding one, as J. Russe seems now to be in office at Yarmouth. He speaks freely
of Chapman, and as sreely tells J. Paston of the common voice against him.

I have given this Letter for the strictures it contains on the character of J. Paston, and
to shew the anxiety of the Writer of it, for the good of his Master.

Autograph. PI. v. No 18. Seal. PI. XIV. N 21.

Master Fenn, here mentioned, appears to have been a Lawyer of eminence, and was a
person in great considence with J. Paston, &c. as may be collected from several of the
Letters in this collection.

792

MARGARET PASTON TO JOHN PASTON, ESQUIRE¹

To John Paston, Esquyer, be this deliuered.

I GRETE you wele, and send you Goddis blyssyng and
myn. Desyryng you to send me word how that your
brother doth. It was told her that he shuld have be ded,
which caused many folkis and me bothyn to be right hevy.
Also it was told me this day that ye wer hurt be affray that
was mad up on you be feles disgysed. Ther fore, in any wyse
send me word in hast how your brother doth and ye bothyn;
for I shall not ben wele at eas till I know how that ye do.
And for Goddis love lete your brother and ye be ware how
that ye walken, and with what felesshep ye etyn or drynkyn,
and in what place, for it was seid here pleynly that your
brothere was poysoned. And this weke was on of Drayton
with me and told me that there were diverse of the tenauntis
seid that thei wost not what to do if that your brothere came
home; and ther was on of the Duk of Suffolkis men by, and
bad them not feryn, for his wey shuld be shorted and [i.e. if]
he shuld come there. Wherfore, in any wyse be ware of your
self, for I can thynk thei geve no fors what to do to be wenged
and to put you from your entent, that thei myght have her
wyll in Ser John Fastolflis land. Thy[nke]² what gret
sor[ow]² it [shu]ld² be to me and any . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . I had lever ye had never know the lond; remem-
bre it was the distruccion of your fadre; trost not mych up on
promyses of lordis now a days that ye shuld be the suerer of
the favor of there men. For there was a man, and a lordis
sone, seid but late, and toke it for an exampill that Sir Robert
Harecourt had the good will of the lordis after ther comyng in,
and yet within shorte tyme after here men kylled hym in hys
owyn place. A mannes deth is litill set by now a days.
Therefore be ware of symulacion, for thei wull speke ryht fayr
to you that wuld ye ferd [fared] right evyll. The blissid
Trynyte have you in his kepyng. Wretyn in gret hast the
Saterday next after Sent Andrewe.

Lete this letter be brent whan ye have understond it.
Item, I pray you send me iiij. suger lofis, ich of them of iijli.,
and iiijli. of datis if thei be newe. I send you xs. be the berer
hereof; if ye pay more I shall pay it you ageyn whan ye come
home. And forgete not to send me word be the berere hereof
how ye don; and remembre the bylles and remembrauns for
the maner of Gresham that I wrote to your brother for.

Be your moder.

¹ [Add. MS. 34,889,f. 211.] This letter maybe of the year 1471, when it would
seem by No. 791 that the two brothers, Sir John and John, were both together (in
London, no doubt) about St. Andrew’s Day. If so, it was written just two days after
that letter, on the receipt of unpleasant news, which was evidently false.

² Mutilated.

1471 (?)
DEC. [1]

LXXXVI

A.D. 1471? [1] Dec.

MARGARET PASTON TO JOHN PASTON, ESQUIRE

[Add. MS. 34,889, f. 211]

This letter, No. 1072 in the Inventory, may be of the year 1471, when it
would seem by No. 685 that the two brothers, Sir John and John, were both
together (in London, no doubt) about St. Andrew’s Day. If so, it was
written just two days after that letter, on the receipt of unpleasant news,
which was evidently false.

To John Paston, Esquyer, be this deliuered.

I GRETE you wele, and send you Goddis blyss-
     yng and myn. Desyryng you to send me
     word how that your brother doth. It was told
     her that he shuld have be ded, which caused
many folkis and me bothyn to be right hevy. Also
it was told me this day that ye wer hurt be affray
that was mad up on you be feles disgysed. Ther fore,
in any wyse send me word in hast how your brother
doth and ye bothyn; for I shall not ben wele at eas
till I know how that ye do. And for Goddis love
lete your brother and ye be ware how that ye walken,
and with what felesshep ye etyn or drynkyn, and in
what place, for it was seid here pleynly that your
brothere was poysoned. And this weke was on of
Drayton with me and told me that there were diverse
of the tenauntis seid that thei wost not what to do if
that your brothere came home; and ther was on of
the Duk of Suffolkis men by, and bad them not feryn,
for his wey shuld be shorted and [i.e. if] he shuld
come there. Wherfore, in any wyse be ware of your
self, for I can thynk thei geve no fors what to do to
be wenged and to put you from your entent, that
thei myght have her wyll in Ser John Fastolffis
land. Thy[nke]¹ what gret sor[ow]¹ it [shu]ld¹ be
to me and any . . . . . . . . . . . . I
had lever ye had never know the lond; remembre it
was the distruccion of your fader; trost not mych up
on promyses of lordis now a days that ye shuld be the
suerer of the favor of there men. For there was a man,
and a lordis sone, seid but late, and toke it for an
exampill that Sir Robert Harecourt had the good
will of the lordis after ther comyng in, and yet within
shorte tyme after here men kylled hym in hys owyn
place. A mannes deth is litill set by now a days.
Therefore be ware of symulacion, for thei wull speke
ryht fayr to you that wuld ye ferd [fared] right evyll.
The blissid Trynyte have you in his kepyng. Wretyn
in gret hast the Saterday next after Sent Andrewe.

Lete this letter be brent whan ye have understond
it. Item, I pray you send me iiij. suger lofis, ich of
them of iijli., and iiijli. of datis if thei be newe. I
send you xs. be the berer hereof; if ye pay more I
shall pay it you ageyn whan ye come home. And
forgete not to send me word be the berere hereof how
ye don; and remembre the bylles and remembrauns
for the maner of Gresham that I wrote to your brother
for. Be your moder.

¹ Mutilated.