Margaret Paston to John Paston

505

MARGARET PASTON TO JOHN PASTON¹

RYTH worchepfull husbond, I recomand me to yow.
     Plesyt yow to wet that Perse was delyveryd owt [of]
     preson by the generall pardon that the Kynge hathe
grantyd, whyche was opynly proclamyd in the Gyld Hall. A
none as he was delyveryd he cam hedyr to me, God wote in
an evyll plyte, and he desyiryd me wepyng that I wold be hys
good mastres and to be mene to yow to be hys good mastyr,
and swore sore that he was nevyr defawty in that ye have thowte
hym defawty in. He seyd that if ther wer ony coyne in the cofyr
that was at Wylliam Tavernerys it was ther withowt hys know-
lage, for hys mastyr wold nevyr lat hym se what was in that
cofyr, and he told me that the keyis wer sent to Thomas Holler²
by mastyr John Smyth. What Holler leyd in or took owte he
wot not as he sweryth. He offyrd me to be rewlyd as ye and I
wold have hym, and if I wold comand hym, to go ageyn to
preson, whedyr I wold to the Castyll or to the Gyld Hall, he
wold obey my comandment. And seth that he came of hys
owne fre wyll withowt ony comandment of ony man or desyir,
I seyd I wold not send hym ageyn to preson, so that he wold
abyde yowyr rewyll when ye came home. And so he is here
with me and schall be tyll ye send me word how ye wole that
I do with hym. Where fore, I pray yow that ye wole lete me
have knowlage in hast how ye wole that I do with hym.

     Item, I have spok with John Dame and Playter for the
lettyr testymonyall, and John Dame hathe promysyd to get it,
and Playter schall bryng it to yow to London. Item, I have
purveyd yow of a man that schall be here in Barsamys sted
and ye wole, the wyche can bettyr cherysch yowyr wood, bothe
in fellyng and fensyng there of than Barsam can; and he
schall mak yow as many hyrdyllys as ye nede for yowyr fold,
of yowyr owne wood at Drayton, and schall tak as lytyll to
hys wagys as Barsam dothe; and he is holdyn a trew man.
Item, Playter schall tell yow of a woman that compleynyd to
the Dwk of Sowthefolk of yow, and the sey[d] Playter schall
tell yow of the demenyng and answeryng of the scheryfe for
yow, and also of the demenyng of the seyd Dwke, and of
othir materys the wyche wer to longe mater to put in wryttyn.
The pepyll of that kontre be ryth glad that the day yed [went]
with yow on Monday as it ded. Ye wer nevyr so welcome in
to Norfolk as ye schall be when ye come home, I trowe. And
the blyssyd Trynyte have yow in Hys kepyng. Wretyn in
hast on Wednysday next aftyr Seynt Augnet the Fyrst.

                                                                          By yowyr M. P.

     Item, Ric. Calle told me that he hathe sent you a answer
of all erands that ye wold shuld be do to Sir Thomas Howes.
Sir Thomas Howes cam nowther to me nor sent syn that he
cam home from London.

     Will Worceter was at me in Cristemes at Heylysdon, and
he told [me] that he spake with you dyvers tymys at London
the last terme; and he told me that he hopyd that ye wolle
be hys good master, and seyd he hopyd ye shuld have non
other cause but for to be hys god maister. I hope and so do
my moder and my cosyn Clere, that he wolle do well inowe,
so that he be fayre fare with Dawbeney and Playter. Avise
me to lete Peers go at large and to take a promys of hym to
com to me a mong unto your comyng hom, and in the mene
while his demenyng may be knowyn and espyed in mo thyngs.

     ¹ [From Paston MSS., B.M.] This letter relates to the prisoner Piers mentioned
in Nos. 423, 424, and 426. He seems to have been delivered by a general pardon
issued at the commencement of the reign of Edward IV. The letter bears no address.
It is endorsed, but in a much later hand:—’ A lettre to J. Paston, Ar., from his
wife.’

     ² He was John Berney’s executor.

JAN. 27

1462

JAN. 27

1462

JAN. 27