Margaret Paston to John Paston

466

MARGARET PASTON TO JOHN PASTON¹

To my ryth worchepfull hosbond, John Paston,
be thys deliverid in hast.

RIGHT worchepful hosbond, I recommand me to yow.
     Please yow to wete that I have spoke with Thomas
     Denys wyffe, and she recommand hyr to your good
masterchep, and she prayeth yow to be her good master, and
prayet yow of your good masterchep, that ye wolle geve her
your advice howe to be demenid for hyr person and hyr
goodes. For as towchyng hyr owne person, she dare not goo
home to hyr owne place, for she is thret if that she myght be
take, she shuld be slayne or be put in ferfull place, in shortyng
of hyr lyve dayes, and so she standyth in gret hevynes, God
her helpe. Ferther more she is nowe put be her brother in
Norwich with Awbry, and she thynkyth the place is right
conversaunt of pupyll for hyr to abeyd in, for she kepyth
hyr as close as she may for spyyng. Item, as I went to
Seynt Levenard ward, I spake with Maister John Salet, and
commonyd with hym of hyr, and me thowgt be hym that he
howyth hyr ryght good wylle. And than I haskyd hym howe
she myght be demenyd with hys² goodes and hyr. He
cownseld me that she shuld get hyr a trosty frend, that war a
good, trewe, poor man, that had not moche to lese, and wold
be rewlyd after hyr, and to have a letter of ministracion; and
so I told hyr. Than she seyd she wold have hyr broder
advice therin. Item, she seyth ther be no mor feffes in hys
londes but ye and Rokwood, and she prayeth yow that it
please yow to speke to Rokwood that he make no relesse but
be your advice, as she trostyth to yowr good masterchep.
Item, the last tyme that I spake with hyr she mad suche a
petows mone and seyd that she wost ner howe to do for mony,
and so I lent vjs. viijd. Item, I sent my cosyn Barney the
bylle that John Pampyng wrot be yowr commanddement to
me, and he hath sent a letter of hys entent to yow and to
Rokwod therof, and also but if it please yow to take better
hed to hys mater than he can do hym self, I can thynk he
shall ellis fare the wors for i’ feyth he standyth daly in gret
fere, for the false contrary party ageyns hym. Item, at the
reverence of God, be ware howe ye ryd or go, for nowgty and
evyll desposyd felacheps. I am put en fere dayly for myn
abydyng here, and cownsellyd be my moder and be other good
frendes, that I shuld not abeyd here but yf the world wher in
mor quiete than it is. God for hys merci send us a good
world, and send yow helthe in body and sowle, and good
speed in all your maters. Wreten in hast the Thursday next
after Seynt Thomas.

                                                    By your,                            M. P.

     ¹ [From Paston MSS., B.M.] This letter clearly relates to the affairs of Thomas
Denys’s wife, after the murder of her husband in 1461. John Paston and William
Rokewood were trustees of his lands, and Margaret’s cousin, John Berney of
Witchingham, it will be seen, wrote more than one letter to them about this time.

     ² i.e. her husband’s.

JULY 9

1461
JULY 9