Margaret Paston to John Paston

                                                    LETTERS LII.

    To my ryth Worchepfull
    husbond Ion Paston be
    thys delyv'yd in hast.

RYTH Worchepfull husbonde I recomand me to yow ple-
syth it yow to weet that I receyvyd yowyr lett^r y^t ye sent
me by nycolas Colman on Sonday last past and as for the mater
y^t ye desyiryd me to breke of to my Cosyn rokwode it fortunyd
so y^t he came to me on Sonday to dyner sone aftyr y^t I had yowyr
lett^r and when we had dynyd I mevyd to hym ther of in covert
termys as playt^r shall informe yow eraftyr and as I thowt by
hym and so ded playt^r also by the langwage y^t he had to us
y^t he wold be as feythfull as he kowd or myte be to that good
lorde y^t ye wrot of and to yow also in ony thyge y^t he kowde or
myte do in case wer y^t he wer set in offyse so y^t he myth owte
do and ther to he seyd he wolde be bownde in a mlli. and he
was so myche worthe as for the todyr y^t ye desyiryd I scholde
meve to of the same mat^r me semyth he is to yonge to take ony
swhyche thyngys up on hym and also I knowe vryly y^t he scholl
nev^r love feythfully the todyr man that ye desyiryd y^t he schuld
do for when he rembryth the tyme y^t is paste and ther for I spak
not to hym ther of thys day was holde a gret day at Okyll befor
the undyr schreve and the undyr exchetor for the mat^r of syr Ion
Fastolfys londys and ther was my Cosyn rookwod and my Cosyn
Ion Berney of Redh'm and dyv's odyr jentylmen and thryfty
men of the contr^r and the matr is well sped afty^r yowr intent
blyssyd be god as ye schall have knowlage of in hast I suppose
playtr schall be w^t yow on Sonday or on monday next comyg if
he may ye have many good prayers of the poer pepyl y^t god
schuld sped yow at thys prlement for they leve in hope y^t ye
shcold helpe to set a wey y^t they myte leve in bett^r pese in thys
contre' thane they have do before and y^t 1 Wollys schold be pr-
veyd for y^t they schuld not go owt of thys lond as it hathe be
fuffryd to do be for and thane schall the poer pepyll more leve
bettyr thane they have do by her ocwpacon ther in Thom's Bone
hathe salde all yowyr wole her for xx^d a stone and goode swerte
fownd to yow ther for to be payid a myhellmas next comyg and
it is solde ryth well aftyr y^t the wole was for the moste part was
ryte febyll It' ther be bowt for yow iij horse at seynt 2 feythys
feyr and all be trotterys ryth fayir horse god fave hem and they
be well kepyd It' yowyr myllys at Heylysdo be late for xij marke
and the myller to fynde the reparacon and rychard Calle hathe
let all yowyr londys at Cast but as for mawtby londys they be not
let yet Wyll'm Whyte hathe payid me a geyne thys daye hys
x li. and I have mad hym a qwetans ther of be cause I had not
hys oblygacon Ther is gret talkyg in thys contre of the desyir of
my lorde of ³ York the pepyll reporte full worchepfully of my
lord of ⁴ Warwyk they have no fer her buy y^t he and othyr
fcholde schewe to gret favor to hem y^t have be rewyllerys of thys
contre be for tyme I have done all yowyr erandys to Syr Thom's
Howes y^t ye wrote to me for I ame ryth glade y^t ye have sped
welle in yowyr materys be twyx syr Fylyp Wentworthe and yow
and so I p'y god ye may do in all othyr mat'ys to hys plesans as
for the wrytygys y^t ye desyiryd y^t Playtr schulde sende yow
rychard Call told me y^t they wer at Herry Barborys at the tem-
pyll Gate the ⁵ mayir and the mayires sent hedyr her dynerys
thys day and Ion Dame came w^t hem and they dynyd her I am
beholde to hem for they have sent to me dyv's tymys fythe ye
yed hense the meyr seyth y^t ther is no Ientylman in Northefolk
yt he woll do more for thane he wole for yow if it laye in hys
poer to do for yow ⁶ J Perse is stylle in p^rsone but he wolle not
confese mor thane he ded when ye wer at home Edmond Brome
was w^t me and tolde me y^t perse sent for hym for to come spek
wt hym and he tolde my y^t he was w^t hym and examynyd hym
but he wold not be a knowe to hym y^t he hade no knowlage wher
no goode was of hys mast^rys more thane he hade knowlageyd
to yow he tolde me y^t he sent for hym to desyir hym to labor to
yow and to me for hym if ye had be at home and he tolde me yt
he seyd to hym a yen y^t he wold nev^r labor for hym but he myth
know y^t he wer trwe to hys mastyr thow it lay in hys power to
do ryth myche for hym I suppose it schulde do none harme thow
the seyd Perfe wer remevyd ferther I p'y to Gode yeve g'ce y^t
the trowthe may be knowe and that the dede may have part of
hys ow'ne good and the blyssyd t'nyte have yow in hys kepyg
Wretyn i haft at Heylysden the tuesday next aftyr seynt lwke.

By yowyrs
                                         ⁷ M. P.

      11 3/4 by 8 1/2.
    Paper Marke,
        A Bull.
        Pl. IX. No 10.

 This Letter discovers to us some of the polities of the times, probably when the Earl of
Warwick had taken displeasure at the King's marriage, and informs us that the Yorkists
were fearful that too much lenity might be shewn to the Lancastrians; to what good Lord
Margaret Paston and her Husband wished her Cousin Rookwood to be faithful is not
mentioned, it probably was to the Duke of Norfolk.

    1 We find by this Letter that the exportation of wool was an hardship upon the poor,
who by that means were deprived of work in that branch of the manufacture which
affected their spinning, &c.

    2 There is at this time a considerable Fair at this place.

    3 George Nevil became Archbishop of York in 1464, and died in 1476.

    ⁴ Richard Nevil, Earl of Warwick, was slain at the battle of Barnet, in 1471.

    ⁵ As the exact date of the year of this Letter cannot be ascertained, we cannot deter-
mine who this Mayor of Norwich was, though it must have been either John Gilbert,
Thomas Ellis, or John Chytock. Johm Damme had been the Recorder, and might per-
haps be so now.

    ⁶ What offence Perse had committed does not apeear, nor can I understand the expres-
sion "that the Dede may have part of hys owne Goode." An ingenious Friend suggested
the following explanation: might not Perse have murdered some one and secreted his
goods, which he refuses to acknowledge, but part of which, if they had been discovered
would have been disposed off for the benefit of the Soul of the deceased, in procuring
Masses, &c. to be sung for him, so that in fact by these means the dead might be said to
b av e part of his own goods.

    This explanation will appear perhaps far-setched, but it is adduced solely with a hope
that it might prove a clue to a discovery of the real meaning of this passage.

    ⁷ Autograph. Pl. II. No 25. Seal, a Fleur de Lys. Pl. XIV. No 4.

LETTER LII.

  To my right worshipful Husband John Paston, be this delivered in haste.

RIGHT worshipful Husband, I recommend me to you,
pleaseth it you to weet that I received your Letter, that ye
sent me by Nicholas Colman on Sunday last past; and as for the
matter that ye desired me to break of to my Cousin Rookwood,
it fortuned so that he came to me on Sunday to dinner, soon after
that I had your Letter, and when we had dined, I moved to him
thereof in covert terms, as Playters shall inform you hereafter;
and as I thought by him, and so did Playters also, by the lan-
guage that he had to us, that he would be as faithful as he could
or might be to that good Lord that ye wrote of, and to you also,
in any thing that he could or might do, in case were that he
were set in office so that he might ought do, and thereto he said he
would be bound in a 1000l. and (if) he were so much worth.

    As for the other, that ye desired I should move to of the same
matter, me seemeth he is too young to take any such things upon
him, and also I know verily that he shall never love faithfully
the other man, that ye desired that he should do for, when he
remembereth the time that is past, and therefore I spake not to
him thereof.

    This day was holden a great day at Okyll (Acle) before the
Under Sheriff and the Under Escheator of the matter of Sir John
Fastolf's Lands, and there was my Cousin Rookwood, and my
Coufin John Berney, of Reedham, and divers other gentlemen,
and thrifty men of the country, and the matter is well sped after
your intent, blessed be God! as ye shall have knowledge of in haste.

    I suppose Playters shall be with you on Sunday or on Monday
next coming if he may; ye have many good prayers of the poor
people that God should speed you at this Parliament, for they live
in hope that ye should help to set a way that they might live in
better peace in this Country than they have done before, and that
² Wools should be purveyed for, that they should not go out of
this land, as it hath been suffered to do before, and then shall the
poor people more live better than they have done by their occu-
pation therein. Thomas Bone hath sold all your Wool here for
20d. a stone, and good surety found to you therefore to be paid at
Michaelmas next coming, and it is sold right well after that
(because) the wool was for the most part right feeble.

    Item, there be bought for you three horses at Saint ² Faith's
Fair, and all be trotters, right fair horses, God save them, and
they be well keeped.

    Item, your Mills Hellesdon be let for twelve marks (8l.) and
the Miller to find the reparation; and Richard Calle hath let all
your lands at Caister, but as for Mawtby lands they be not let yet.
William White hath paid me again this day his 10l. and I have
made him an acquittance thereof, because I had not his obligation.

    There is great talking in this country of the desire of my Lord
of ³ York, the people report full worshipfully of my Lord of

⁴ Warwick, they have no fear here but that he and other should
shew too great favour to them that have been rulers of this coun-
try before time.

    I have done all your errands to Sir Thomas Howes that ye
wrote to me for; I am right glad that ye have sped will in your
matters betwixt Sir Philip Wentworth and you, and so I pray
God ye may do in all other matters to his pleasance (pleasure)-

    As for the writings that ye desired that Playters should send
you, Richard Calle told me that they were at Harry Barber's2 at
the Temple Gate.

    The ⁵ Mayor and the Mayoress sent hither their dinners this
day, and John Damme came with them, and they dined here;
I am beholden to them for they have sent to me divers times
since ye yed (went) hence; the Mayor faith that there is no gen-
tleman in Norfolk that he would do more for than he would for
you, if it lay his power to do for you.

    ⁶ J. Perse is still in prison, but he will not confess more than he
did when ye were at home. Edmund Brome was with me, and
told me that Perse sent for him for to come and speak with him,
and he told me that he was with him and examined him, but he
would not be a knowe (acknowledge) to him, that he had no
knowledge where no goods was of his Master's more than he had
knowledged to you; he told me that he sent for him to desire
him to labour to you and to me for him if ye had been at home;
and the told me, that he said to him again, that he would never
labour for him but (unless) he might know that he were true to
his Master, thought it lay in his power to do right much for him;
I suppose it should do none harm though the said Perse were
removed further. I pray to God give grace that the truth
may be known, and that the dead may have part of his own
goods, and the blessed Trinity have you in his keeping.

    Written in haste, at Hellesdon, the Tuesday next after Saint
Luke.

By yours
                                ⁷ MARGARET PASTON.

    Hellesdon,
        Tuesday, October,
        between 1464 and 1466.
        4 and 6 E. IV.

This Letter discovers to us some of the polities of the times, probably when the Earl of
Warwick had taken displeasure at the King's marriage, and informs us that the Yorkists
were fearful that too much lenity might be shewn to the Lancastrians; to what good Lord
Margaret Paston and her Husband wished her Cousin Rookwood to be faithful is not
mentioned, it probably was to the Duke of Norfolk.

    ¹ We find by this Letter that the exportation of wool was an hardship upon the poor,
who by that means were deprived of work in that branch of the manufacture which
affected their spinning, &c.

    ² There is at this time a considerable Fair at this place.

    ³ George Nevil became Archbishop of York in 1464, and died in 1476.

   ⁴ Richard Nevil, Earl of Warwick, was slain at the battle of Barnet, in 1471.

   ⁵ As the exact date of the year of this Letter cannot be ascertained, we cannot deter-
mine who this Mayor of Norwich was, though it must have been either John Gilbert,
Thomas Ellis, or John Chytock. Johm Damme had been the Recorder, and might per-
haps be so now.

    ⁶ What offence Perse had committed does not apeear, nor can I understand the expres-
sion "that the Dede may have part of hys owne Goode." An ingenious Friend suggested
the following explanation: might not Perse have murdered some one and secreted his
goods, which he refuses to acknowledge, but part of which, if they had been discovered
would have been disposed off for the benefit of the Soul of the deceased, in procuring
Masses, &c. to be sung for him, so that in fact by these means the dead might be said to
b av e part of his own goods.

    This explanation will appear perhaps far-setched, but it is adduced solely with a hope
that it might prove a clue to a discovery of the real meaning of this passage.

   ⁷ Autograph. Pl. II. No 25. Seal, a Fleur de Lys. Pl. XIV. No 4.

423

MARGARET PASTON TO JOHN PASTON¹

To my ryth worchepfull husbond, Jon Paston,
be thys delyveryd in hast.

     RYTH worchepfull husbonde, I recomand me to yow.
         Plesyth it yow to weet that I receyvyd yowyr letter that
          ye sent me by Nycolas Colman on Sonday last past.
And as for the mater that ye desyiryd me to breke of to my
cosyn Rokwode, it fortunyd so that he came to me on Sonday
to dyner sone aftyr that I had yowyr letter; and when we had
dynyd, I mevyd to hym ther of in covert termys, as Playter
shall informe yow eraftyr. And as I thowt by hym, and so
ded Playter also by the langwage that he had to us, that he
wold be as feythfull as he kowd or myte be to that good Lorde
that ye wrot of, and to yow also, in ony thynge that he kowde
or myte do in case wer that he wer set in offyse, so that he
myth owte do; and ther to he seyd he wolde be bownde in a
m^l. li. [£ 1000] and he was so myche worthe.

     As for the todyr that ye desyiryd I scholde meve to of the
same mater, me semyth he is to yonge to take ony swhyche
thyngys up on hym; and also I knowe veryly that he scholl
never love feythfully the todyr man that ye desyiryd that he
schuld do, for when he rem[em]bryth the tyme that is paste,
and ther for I spak not to hym ther of.

     Thys day was holde a gret day at Okyll² befor the undyr
schreve and the undyr exchetor, for the mater of Syr Jon
Fastolfys londys; and ther was my cosyn Rookwod and my
cosyn Jon Berney of Redham, and dyvers odyr jentylmen and
thryfty men of the contre; and the mater is well sped aftyr
your intent (blyssyd be God!) as ye schall have knowlage of
in hast.

  I suppose Playter schall be with yow on Sonday or on
Monday next comyng, if he may. Ye have many good prayers
of the poer pepyl that God schuld sped yow at thys Parlement,
for they leve in hope that ye schold helpe to set a wey that
they myte leve in better pese in thys contre thane they have
do befor, and that wollys schold be purveyd for, that they
schuld not go owt of thys lond as it hathe be suffryd to do be
for, and thane schall the poer pepyll more leve bettyr thane
they have do by her ocwpacion ther in.

     Thomas Bone hathe salde all yowyr wole her for xxd. a
stone, and goode swerte fownd to yow ther for, to be payid
a Myhellmas next comyng; and it is solde ryth well aftyr that
the wole was, for the moste part was ryte febyll. Item, ther
be bowt for yow iij. horse at Seynt Feythys feyer, and all be
trotterys, ryth fayir horse, God save hem, and they be well
kepyd. Item, your myllys at Heylysdon be late [let] for xij.
marke, and the myller to fynde the reparacion; and Rychard
Calle hathe let all yowyr londys at Caster; but as for Mawtby
londys, they be not let yet. Wylliam Whyte hathe payid me
a geyne thys daye hys x.li., and I have mad hym a qwetans
ther of, be cause I had not hys oblygacion.

     Ther is gret talkyng in thys contre of the desyir of my
Lorde of York.¹ The pepyll reporte full worchepfully of my
Lord of Warwyk. They have no fer her but that he and
othyr scholde schewe to gret favor to hem that have be
rewyllers of thys contre be for tyme.

     I have done all yowyr erandys to Syr Thomas Howes that
ye wrote to me for. I ame rythe glade that ye have sped
welle in yowyr materys be twyx Syr Fylyp Wentworthe and
yow, and so I pray God ye may do in all othyr materys to hys
plesans. As for the wrytyngys that ye desyirid that Playter
schulde sende yow, Rychard Call told me that they wer at
Herry Barborys, at the Tempyll gate.

     The mayir² and the mayires sent hedyr her dynerys thys
day, and Jon Dame came with hem, and they dynyd her. I
am beholde to hem, for they have sent to me dyvers tymys

sythe ye yed hense. The meyr seyth that ther is no jentyl-
man in Northefolk that he woll do more for than he wole for
yow, if it laye in hys poer to do for yow. J. Perse is stylle in
prisone, but he wolle not confese more thane he ded when ye
wer at home. Edmond Brome was with me, and tolde me
that Perse sent for hym for to come spek with hym, and he
tolde me that he was with hym and examynyd hym, but he
wold not be a knowe to hym that he hade no knowlage wher
no goode was of hys masterys more thane he hade knowlageyd
to yow. He tolde me that he sent for hym to desyir hym to
labor to yow and to me for hym if ye had be at home; and
he tolde me that he seyd to hym ayen that he wold never
labor for hym but [unless] he myth know that he wer trwe to
hys mastyr, thow it lay in hys power to do ryth myche for
hym. I suppose it schulde do none harme thow the seyd
Perse wer remeyyd ferther. I pray to Gode yeve grace that
the trowthe may be knowe, and that the dede may have part
of hys owne goode. And the blissyd Trinyte have yow in
Hys kepyng.

     Wretyn in hast at Heylysden the Tuesday next aftyr
Seynt Lwke.

                                         Be yowyrs,                                         M. P.

    ¹ [From Fenn, iv. 194.] Reference is made in this letter, as in the preceding, to
the holding of the inquisition on Sir John Fastolf’s lands at Acle, which was on
Tuesday the 21st October 1460, the day this letter was written.

     ² Acle, in Norfolk.

     ¹ The claim made by Richard, Duke of York, to the Crown in Parliament on the
17th October 1460.

     ² John Gilbert, Mayor of Norwich.

1460
OCT. 21

1460
OCT. 21

1460
OCT. 21