Margaret Paston to John Paston

229

MARGARET PASTON TO JOHN PASTON¹

RYTH worchepfull howsbonde, I recomende me on to
     yow. Plesyt yow to wete that I sent Tomas Bon to
     Edwarde Coteler to have one ansuer of the mater that
ye spak to hym of, and he sent me worde that he hade spok to
hys man therof, and he tolde hym that he hade no wrytynge
nor evidens of no swyche thyng as ye spak to hym of, ner not
wyst were he scholde have cnowlage of no swyche thyng, save
that he tolde hym that he receyvyd onys j.c.s. [100s.] of the
same rent; but and he may have cnowlage of ony man that
havyth ony wrytyng or ony thyng that may out prevayle, he
schal late yow have cnoulage therof.

     As for Wylliam Yellverton, he come here never syn ye
yede. As for my Lady Stapullton, att the wrytyng of thys
letter sche was not come home. Wyndhamys² erand to my
Lady of Southefolk³ was to desiyr hyr gode Ladychep and to
beseche hyr that sche wold spek to my cosyn Evenyngham⁴
that he myt have hys gode wyll, for he levith in hope to have
hys modyr, and he hath made menys to have her by John
Gros and hys wyf, and by Bokynham and by odyr dyvers, and
profuryth hyr to find suerte to acquitt hyr housbondys dettes,
the qwyche is CCC. marc, and to payit doune on j. day. And
by thys mene, as he seyth, he hathe bargeynid with j. marchande
of London, and hath solde to hym the mariage of hys son, for
the qwyche he scal have vij. C. [700] marc, and of that the iij.
C. [300] marc schoulde be payd for the forseyd dettes; and
also he proforyth to yeve hyr the maner of Felbryg to hyr
joyntour, and odyr la[r]ge profors as ye schal here eraffter.
As for the good wyll of my cosyn Hevenyngham, he seyth
Wyndh[am]¹ he schall never have hytt, nott for to have hyr
gode konyth he [abydyth]² hys soull hevy therof, for he is
aferde that and if the large profors may be perfor[m]yd, that
sche wyll have hym. My seyd cosyn preyith yow, att the
reverens of Gode, that ye wyll do yowyr [devoir]³ therin to
brec it and ye can. He schall be here ayen on Mychaell mas
evyn. He was full sory that ye wer outt att this tyme, for he
hopyd that ye schoulde have do myche goode att this tyme.
He hathe seyde as myche ther ageyns as he dar do to have
hyr gode modyrchep. My Lady of Southfolce sent j. letter to
hyr yesterday by Stanle, the qwyche is callyd j. well cherysyd
man with my seyd Lady, and desyiryng hyr in the letter that
sche wolde owe hyr godde wyll and favor to Wyndham in that
that he desyiryd of hyr, and of more matterys that ye schall
here er after, for I suppose sche wyll schew yow the same
letter and mak yow of hyr counsel in many thyngys, and I
schall do my part as feythfully as I can to lett Wyndhamys
porpose tyl ye come home. I pray yow sende me a copy of
hys petygre, that I may schew to hyr how worchepphull it is,
for in goode feythe sche is informyd bi hyr gentyll son Gros
and Bokenham that he is mor worcheppfull in berthe and in
lyvelode therto than they or ony odyr can preve, as I suppose.
I pray yow lett nott thys mater be discuyryd tyl ye her more
therof or after, for my cosyn Hevenyngham tolde myche here
of in secret wyse, and of odyr thyngis qwyche ye schall have
cnoulage of qwan ye come home, &c.

In hast, all in hast.

     ¹ [From Paston MSS., B.M.] There is neither signature nor address to this
letter, but it is undoubtedly from Margaret Paston to her husband. The hand-
writing is the same as that of her other letters. The date seems to be after the death
of Sir John Heveningham in 1453, and is not likely to have been a later year, as the
Duchess of Suffolk’s influence must have been diminished when the Duke of York
came into power, though it may possibly have been powerful again in 1456.

     ² John Wyndham, Esq. of Felbrigg.

     ³ Alice, widow of William de la Pole, Duke of Suffolk.

     ⁴ John, son of Sir John Heveningham.—See p. 227, Note 3.

     ¹ Mutilated.

     ² Erased in MS. Apparently some further correction should have been made.

     ³ Omitted in MS. ‘Do your devoir,’ i.e. endeavour, seems to have been the phrase
intended.

1453
SEPT. (?)

1453
SEPT. (?)