Margaret Paston to John Paston

462

MARGARET PASTON TO JOHN PASTON¹

To my right worchepfull hosbond, John Paston, be this
letter deliveryd in hast.

RIGHT worchepfull hosbond, I recommand me to you.
     Please you to wete that thys day in the mornyng the
     parson of Snoryng came to Thomas Denys and fechyd
hym owt of hys hows, and beryth hym a hand,² that he shuld
a mad byllys agayns Twyer and hym, and hathe a leed hym
ferthe with hem. Hys wyf hathe no knowlege of it. Ferther
more the seid parson seythe that the seyd Thomas Denys
shuld a take sowdyors owt of hys felachep whan he went to
Seynt Albons;³ that hys a nother of hys compleynts. Item,
anothyr of hys compleynts ys, a beryth the seyd Thomas a
hand,² that he had awey a hors of John Coppyng of Bryslee,
and a nother of Kyng of Donham, the wyche hors were stole
be the seyd ij. personys. Wher for the seyd Thomas toke
hem as a comyshaner and delyveryd hem to the exchetor,
Frances Costard, and one of them he bowt of the seyd
Fraunces. And the seyd parson hathe a wey the seyd hors,
and seyth that he wolle the seyd thevys shuld be recompenst
be Thomas Denys. Thys I am enformyd of all thesse maters
be hys wyffe, and sche prayythe yow in the reverence of God
ye wolle be hyr good maister, and helpe that hyr hosbond may
have sume remedy be your labor in thys mater, [for she]
seythe syn that hyr hosbond ys the Kyngs offycer, that they
owt to spar hym the rather. But they that hathe hym take no
. . . . . . told me that they hope to have a newe
chonge in hast.
     Item, Pers that was with my unkyll Barney¹ sent you a
l[etter] . . . . . . er desyryng to have your good
masterchep, and he woll fyynd sufficient suerte² for hym for to
com . . . . . . whan som ever ye woll require hym.
I’ good feyth it ys told me hys leggs ar all . . . . . .
[Send] me word, encas the suerte be sufficient, in what sum ye
woll have hem bownd for hy . . . . . . te in bayle.
Item, it ys told me that ther be many Freynche shyppys of se
a geyns Yamothe, a[nd . . . . . . t]hey woll do
harme on the coste. I pray yow hertely that ye woll send
me word in hast howe that ye do with my [Lord] of Norffolk,
and with your adversaryys. Item, I have do purveyed in thys
wareyn xj.^xx. [eleven score] rabets and sent up be the berer
herof. The blyssyd Trinite have yow in Hys kepyng, and
send yow the better of all your adversariis, and good sped
in all your maters. Wretyn in hast, the same day that ye
departyd hens.

     Item, I pray yow that ye wolle remembre my unkyll
Barneys mater tochyng the executyng of his wylle, and how
ye wolle that we be demenyd for kepyng of hys yerday, and
that it lekyth you to send me word be Mr. John Smy[th].

     ¹ [From Paston MSS., B.M.] This letter appears from internal evidence to have
been written some time after the second battle of St. Albans, which was fought in
February 1461, and before the murder of Thomas Denys in July following. But to
all appearance it was not very long before the latter date. The MS. is mutilated, and
a few words are lost in eight consecutive lines.

     ² i.e. accuses him. See vol. ii. p. 110, Note.

     ³ Thomas Denys was at the second battle of St. Albans in February 1461. See
No. 455.

¹ John Berney.                                  ² See Letter 424.

JUNE

1461
JUNE