Margaret Paston to John Paston

791

MARGARET PASTON TO JOHN PASTON¹

To John Paston, Esquier, be this delyverd in hast.

I GRETE zow welle, and send zow Goddes blyssyng and
     myn, letyng zow wete that I have a letter from zour
     brother, wherby I undyrstand that he cannot, ner may,
make no porveyans for the C. mark; the wyche causythe me
to be rythgh hevy, and for other thynges that he wrytht to me
of that he is in dawnger. For remembering wat we have had
befor thys and ho symppylly yt hath be spente and to lytyl
profythe to any of us, and now am in soche casse that non of
us may welle helpe other with owte that we schuld do that wer
to gret a dysworschip for us to do, owther to selle wood or
lond or soche stuffe that were nessessary for us to have in owr
howsys; so mot I answer a for God, I wot not how to do for
the seyde money, and for other thyngges that I have to do of
scharge, and my worshup saved. Yt is a deth to me to thynk
up on yt. Me thynkyth be zour brothers wrythtyng, that he
thynkyth that I am informed be sume that be a bowthe me to
do and to sey as I have be for thys, but be my trowthe he
demyth a mysse; yt nedyth me not to be informed of no
soche thengges. I construe in my owyn mend, and conseyve i
now and to myche, and whan I have brokyn my conseyte to
sume that in happe he deniythe yt too, they have put me in
cownforth more than I kowde have be any imajynasyon in my
owyn conseythe. He wrythetyth to me also, that he hath
spend thys terme xlli. Yt is a gret thyng; me thynkyth be
good dyscresyon ther mythe myche ther of aben sparyd. Zour
fadyr, God blysse hys sowle, hathe had as gret maters to do as
I trowe he hathe had thys terme, and hath not spend halfe the
mony up on them in so lytyl tyme, and hath do ryth well. At
the reverens of God, avyse hym zet to be war of hys expences
and gydyng that yt be no schame to us alle. Yt is a schame

and a thyng that is myche spokyn of in thys contre that zour
faders graveston is not mad. For Goddes love, late yt be
remembyrd and porveyde for in hast. Ther hathe be mych
mor spend in waste than schuld have mad that, me thynkyth
be zour brother that he is wery to wrythe to me and there fore
I wyl not a kumbyr hym with wrythtyng to hym. Ze may
telle hym as I wryth to zow. Item, I woold ze schuld remem-
byr zour brother of Pekerngges mater, if he cum not hom
hastely, that ze and Townesend and Lumnor may examyn and
sette yt thorow. The pore man is almost on don ther by, and
hys brother suethe hym and trobylyth hym sor zet; and also
for the plesur of my koseyn Clere and the Lady Bolen, I woold
yt were sette thorow.

     As for my rowndlet of wyne, I schuld send zow mony there
fore, but I dar not put yt in joperte, ther be so many theves
stereng. John Lovedayes man was robbyd in to hys schyrte
as he cam home ward. I trow, and ze assaye Towneshend or
Playter, or sum other good kuntery man of owrys to lend yt
zow for me tyl they cum hom, they wyl do so myche for me
and I schal contente them a geyn. Item, Jamys Gressham
hath ben passyng sekke and ys zet. Judy tellythe me that
zour brother is avysed for to sue hym. For Goddes sake, late
non onkyndnesse be schewed to hym, for that woold sone make
an hend of hym. Remembyr ho keynd and true hartyd he
hath ben to us to hys powre; and he had nevere take that
offyce upon hym that he is in dawnger for, ne had be for
owr sakkes. He hathe sold a gret parte of hys lond there for,
as I suppose ze have knowlache of. Late yt be remembyrd,
and ellys owr enmyes wyl rejoysyt, and ther wyl no wurshup
be ther in at long way.

     I schuld wryth mor but I have no leyser at thys tyme. I
trow ze wyl sone kum hom, and there fore I wryth the lesse.
God kepe zow and send zow good speede, &c. Wretyn the
Fryday, Sen Andrue Ev.

                                                                                Be zour modyr.

¹ [From Paston MSS., B.M.] St. Andrew’s Eve, the 29th November, fell on a
Friday in 1471. It will also be seen that the beginning of this letter refers to the
same subject as the beginning of Letter 787.

     The following note is written on the back of the Letter in Sir John Fenn’s hand:—
’This letter was fastened by threads brought through with a needle and made fast by
the seal. The threads being cut on the directed side, the letter is opened without
breaking the seal.’

1471
NOV. 29

1471
NOV. 29