Margaret Paston to John Paston

LETTER XVI.

            To my ryth w^rchypful hwsbond
            Jon Paston be yis lettyr delyveryd
            jn hast.

RYTH wyrchypful hwsbond I recomawnd me to zw de-
     fyr[SYM]g hertyly to heryn of z^r wel fare prayīg z^w to wete
yat I was w^t my lady ¹ Morley on ye Satyrday next aft^r yat ze
dep^rtyd from hens and told here qhat answer y^t ze had of Jon
Butt and sche toke jt ryth strawgely and seyd yat sche had told
z^w and schewyd z^w. j now qher by ze myth haue knowleche y^t ye
releve ow^t to ben payd to her And sche seyd sche wyst wel y^t
ze delay jt forye yat sche xuld nowth haue yat longyth to her
ryth And sche told me hw jt was payd in Thomas Chawmbers
tym qhan her dowt^r hast[SYM]gs was weddyd And sche seyd sythyn
yat ze wyl make none end w^t her sche wyl few y’fore as law wyl
I cōseyvyd be here yat sche had cwnsel to labore azens zw y^rjn
w^tjn ryth schort tym. And yan I prayd her y^t sche wuld
vwche save nowth to labowr azens z^w jn yis mater tyl ze kom
hom and sche seyd nay be her feyth sche wuld no more days
zeve z^w y’jn sche seyd sche had sett z^w so many days to a kord w^t
her and ze had broke yem yat sche was ryth wery y’of And sche
seyd sche was but a woman sche must don be her Cownseyl and
her cwnseyle had avysyd her so sche seyd sche wyld do yan I
prayd her azyn yat sche would teryn tyl ze kom hom and j seyd
I trostyd veryly yat ze wuld don qhan ze kom horn as jtt long^t
to z^w to don And if ze myth have very knowleche yat sche
awyth of ryth for to have jtt I seyd I wyst wel yat ze wuld pay
jt w^t ryth gode wyl And told her yat ze had sergyd to a fownd
wrytyng y’of and ze kwd non fynd in non wyse And sche sayd
sche wyst wele y’ was wryt[SYM]g y’of jnow And sche hath wrytyng
y’of hw syr robert of Mawthby and S^r Jon and my grawnsyre
and dyv^rse oy^r of m[SYM] awncest^tys payd jt and seyd nevyre nay y’to.
And jn no wyse I kwd not geyn no grawnth of her to sesyn tyl
ze kom hom. And sche bad me yat I xuld don an er’nd to
my mod^r and qhan I kam hom I dede myn er’nd to her And sche
axyd me jf I had spokyn to my lady of yis forseyd mater. And
I told her hw I had do and qhat answer I had And sche seyd sche
xuld gon to my lady Morles on ye nexst day and sche xuld
speken to her y’of and a say to getyn grawnt of her to sesyn of
ye forsayd mater tyl yat ze kom hom And t^uly my mod^r dede
her dever ryth feythfully y’jn. as my cosyn Clare xal tellyn z^w
qhan yat he spek^t w^t z^w And sche gete grawnt of my seyd lady
y^t y’ xuld nowth ben don azens zw y’in and ze wold acordyn
w^t her and don as ze owyn to do be twyx yis tym and t’nyte
sūday. Laverawce rede of Mawthby recōmawd^t hym to z^u and
prayt z^w yat ze wyl vwchesave to leten hym byn of z^w ye ferm
barly yat ze xuld have of hym and if ze wyl laten hym have jt
to a resonabyl p^rs he wyl have jt w^t ryth a gode wyl and he p^ryit
z^w jf ze wyl yat he have jt yat ze wyl owche save to send hym
w^rd at qhat p^rs he xuld have ye kowmb as hastyly as ze may
And ellys he must be purvayd in oy^r plase. As twch[SYM]g oy^r
tyd[SYM]gs I sopose Jon of Dam xal send z^w w^rd jn a lett^r. As jt js
told me veryly Heydon xal not kom at London y^is term. It is
seyd jn yis Contre yat Danyell js owth of ye k[SYM]gs gode grase and
he xal dwn and all hys mene and all y^t ben hys wele wyllers y’
xal no man ben so hardy to don ney^r seyn azens my lord of
^a Sowthfolk nere non yat long^t to hym And all yat hau’ don
and seyd azens hym yey xul sore repent hem. Kateryn Walsam
xal be weddyd on ye mūday nexst aft^r. t’nyte sonday as it is told
me to ye galau’te w^t ye grete ³ chene And y^r js p^rvayd for her
meche gode aray of gwnys gyrdelys and atyrys and meche oy^r
gode aray And he hathe p^rcheysyd a gret purcheys of v mark
be zer to zevyn her to her joynture.

     I am aferd yat Jon of ⁴ Sp’h’m is so schyttyl wyttyd yat he wyl
sett hys gode to morgage to Heydon or to sū oy^r of ywre gode
frendys but if I can hold hym inne ye bett^r ere ze kom hom he
hath ben arestyd sythyn yat ye went and hath had moche sorw at
ye sewte of mayst^r Joh Stoks of Lōdon for x mark y^t Sp’ham
owt to hym, and in gode feyth he hath had so moche sorow and
hevynesse yat he wyst nowth qhat he myth don I fell hym so
disposyd yat he wold asold and asett to morgage all yat he hath he
had nowth rowth to qhom so yat he myth an had mony to an
holpyn hym self wyth, and I entretyd hym so yatt I sopose he
wyll noy^r sellyn ner sett to morgage noy^r catel ner oy^r gode of
hese tyl he speke w^t zw he soposeth yat al yat is don to hym is att
ye request of ye p’son of Sp’h’m and Knatylsale. I sopose it is
almas to cōfort hym for in gode feyth he is ryth hevy and hys
wyf al so he is nowth nw und^r arest he hath payd hys feys and
goth at large he was arestyd att Sp’h’m of on of Knatysales men.
Hodge Feke told me yatt Sym Schepherd is styl w^t Wylly and if
ze wyl I xal p^rvey y^t he xal be browth horn er ze kom horn. It
is told me yat he yatk ept z^r schep was owth lawyd on mūday
at ye swth of S^r. Thom’s Tod[SYM]h’m, and if it be so ze am nowth
lyk to kepe hym longe, and as twchyng y^t yat ze badeyn me
spekyn for to Bakton he seyth he is wel avysyd yat sche seyd
sche wuld nev^r have to don w^t all ner he kan not pek yat sche
hath non ryth to have it, and he wyl say lyche as he hath herd
her seyd, and if sche speke to hym y^rof he wyll ray^r hold w^t z^w
yan w^t her, I p’y ye y^t ze wyl vwche save to send me wd hw ze
spede in z^r matt^r twchyng Gressam and hw Danyel is in grace,
Herry Goneld hath browth to me xl s. of Gressam syn ze zede
and he seyth I xal have more or qhythson tyd if he may pyk
it up, I sopose Jamys Gressam hath told z^w of oy^r th[SYM]gs y^t I
have sped syn ze zedyn hens, If I her any straw’ge tyd[SYM]gs in y^is
contre I xall send z^w w^rd, I p^ry zw y^t I may ben recom’awdyd
to my lord Danyel.

 Ye holy trynyte have z^w jn hys kep[SYM]g and send z^w helth and
gode spede jn al z^r maters twchyng z^r ryth. Wretyn at norwyche
on ye wedenys day nexst aft^r yatt ze p^rtyd hens.

                                                                Yors,

                                                                    ⁵ Margarete Paston.

     There is nothing particularly interesting to many readers in this long Letter, but as it
contains several traits of common life, and such occurrences as daily happen now as well
as between three and four centuries ago, I have ventured to give it, as a picture of the
transactions of mankind one with another.

     ¹ Lady Morley was the Daughter of a Lord Spencer or Despencer, and had to her
first husband Sir Hugh Hastyngs, of Elsing, in Norfolk; after his decease she married
Thomas, Lord Morley, and was not his widow, and must have been considerably ad-
vanced in age. She seems to have had right on her side, as the Mawteby Estate in
Sparham had been granted away by the family of Hastyngs, and most probably under a
reserved rent or relief.

² At this time William de la Pole, Marquis of Suffolk, received the greatest marks of
favour from the Queen, and was very soon after the waiting of this Letter created Duke
of Suffolk.

 ³ It appears that chains of gold were at this time worn as ornaments of dress, and that
this gallant out-did his contemporaries in the size of his.

     ⁴ The Sparhams were an ancient family, residing at Sparham, in Norfolk: this was
the last male of that branch, and seems with himself to have finished his estate, &c.

⁵ Autograph. Pl. II. N^o 20.

     On the back of this Letter is endorsed ?Lit^re t^rm^ro pasche A^o. xxvj.” and in a more
modern hand “Relief demaunded by the Lady Morley, for the Manno^r of Sparham.”

11 ? by 11.

            Paper Mark,
                 A Bull.
            Pl. IX. N^o 10

LETTER XVI.

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

RIGHT worshipful husband, I recommend me to you,
     desiring heartily to hear of your welfare, praying you to
weet that I was with my Lady ¹ Morley on the Saturday next
after that ye departed from hence, and told her what answer that
ye had of John Butt, and she took it right strangely, and said
that the had told you and shewed you enough, whereby ye
might have knowledge that the relief ought to be paid to her;
and the said the wist well that ye delay it forth that the should
not have that longeth [belongeth] to her right; and she told me
how it was paid in Thomas Chamber’s time, when her daugh-
ter Hastyngs was wedded; and she said since that ye will make
none end with her, she will sue therefore as law will.

     I conceived by her that she had counsel to labour against you
therein within right short time, and then I prayed her that she
would vouchsafe not to labour against you in this matter till ye
came home, and she said nay by her faith, she would no more
days give you therein; she said she had set you so many days
to accord with her, and ye had broke them, that she was right
weary thereof; and she said she was but a woman, she must do
by her counsel, and [as] her counsel had advised her, so she said
she will do; then I prayed her again that she would tarry till
ye came home, and I said I trusted verily that ye would do
when ye came home, as it longeth to you to do, and if ye might
have very knowledge that she ought of right for to have it, I said
I wist well that ye would pay it with right good will; and told
her that ye had searched to have found writing thereof, and ye
could none find in none wise; and she said she wist well there
was writing thereof enough, and she hath writing thereof how
Sir Robert of Mawteby, and Sir John, and my Grandfire and
divers other of my ancestors paid it, and said never nay thereto;
and in no wise I could not get no grant of her to cease till ye came
home; and she bad me that I should do an errand to my mother,
and when I came home I did mine errand to her, and she asked
me if I had spoken to my Lady of this foresaid matter, and I told
her how I had done, and what answer I had; and she said she
should go to my Lady Morley’s on the next day, and she should
speak to her thereof, and essay to get grant of her to cease of the
foresaid matter till that ye come home; and truly my mother
did her devour [endeavour] right faithfully therein, as my Cousin
Clere shall tell you when that he speak with you; and she got
grant of my said Lady that there should nought be done against
you therein, and [if] ye would accord with her, and do as
ye ought to do betwixt this time and Trinity Sunday.

     Laurence Reed of Mawteby recommendeth him to you, and
prayeth you that ye will vouchsafe to let him buy of you the farm
barley that ye should have of him, and if ye will let him have
it to a reasonable price, he will have it with right a good will, and
he prayeth you if ye will that he have it, that ye will vouchsafe
to send him word at what price he should have the Comb as
hastily as ye may, and else he must be purveyed in other place.

     As touching other tidings, I suppose John of Damme shall
send you word in a Letter. As it is told me verily Heydon shall
not come at London this term.

     It is said in this Country that Daniel is out of the King’s
good grace, and he shall down and all his men, and all that be
his well willers, there shall no man be so hardy to do neither
say against my Lord of ² Suffolk, nor none that longeth to him,
and all that have done and said against him, they shall sore
repent them. Katharine Walsham shall be wedded on the
Monday next after Trinity Sunday, as it is told me, to the
galant with the great ³ chain; and there is purveyed for her
much good array of Gowns, Girdles, and Attires, and much
other good array, and he hath purchased a great purchase of five
marks (3l. 6s. 8d.) by the year to give her to her jointure.

     I am afraid that John of ⁴ Sparham is so schyttyl [light]
witted, that he will set his goods to mortgage to Heydon, or
to some other of your good friends, but if [unless] I can hold
him in the better, ere ye come home; he hath been arrested
since that ye went, and hath had much sorrow at the suit of
Master John Stokes of London for ten marks (6l. 13s. 4d.) that
Sparham owed to him; and in good faith he hath had so much
sorrow and heaviness that he wist not what he might do; I feel
him so disposed that he would have sold and have set to mortgage
all that he hath, he had not rowth [cared] to whom, so that he
might have had money to have holpen himself with; and I
entreated him so, that I suppose he will neither sell nor set to
mortgage, neither cattle nor other goods of his, till he speak
with you; he supposeth that all that is done to him is at the request
of the parson of Sparham and Knatysale. I suppose it is alma to
comfort him, for in good faith he is right heavy, and his wife
also; he is not now under arrest, he hath paid his fees, and goeth
at large; he was arrested at Sparham, of one of Knatysale’s men.

     Hodge Feke told me that Sym Shepherd is still with Wylly,
and if ye will I shall purvey that he shall be brought home ere
ye come home. It is told me that he that kept your sheep, was
outlawed on Monday, at the suit of Sir Thomas Todenham, and
if it be so, ye are not like to keep him long. And as touching
that, that ye bad me speak for to Bacton, he saith he is well ad-
vised that she said she would never have to do with all, nor he
cannot pick that she hath none right to have it, and he will say
like as he hath heard her say, and if she speak to him thereof, he
will rather hold with you than with her. I pray you that ye will
vouchsafe to send me word how ye speed in your matter touching
Gresham, and how Daniel is in grace. Harry Goneld hath
brought to me 40s. of Gresham since ye went, and he faith I
shall have more ere Whitsuntide, if he may pick it up.

     I suppose James Gresham have told you of other things that I
have sped since ye went hence. If I hear any strange tidings in
this country I shall send you word. I pray you that I may be
recommended to my lord Daniel.

 The holy Trinity have you in his keeping, and send you health
and good speed in all your matters touching your right. Written
at Norwich, on the Wednesday next after that ye parted hence.

                                                     Yours,

                                                              ⁵ MARGARET PASTON.

 There is nothing particularly interesting to many readers in this long Letter, but as it
contains several traits of common life, and such occurrences as daily happen now as well
as between three and four centuries ago, I have ventured to give it, as a picture of the
transactions of mankind one with another.

     ¹ Lady Morley was the Daughter of a Lord Spencer or Despencer, and had to her
first husband Sir Hugh Hastyngs, of Elsing, in Norfolk; after his decease she married
Thomas, Lord Morley, and was not his widow, and must have been considerably ad-
vanced in age. She seems to have had right on her side, as the Mawteby Estate in
Sparham had been granted away by the family of Hastyngs, and most probably under a
reserved rent or relief.

² At this time William de la Pole, Marquis of Suffolk, received the greatest marks of
favour from the Queen, and was very soon after the waiting of this Letter created Duke
of Suffolk.

 ³ It appears that chains of gold were at this time worn as ornaments of dress, and that
this gallant out-did his contemporaries in the size of his.

     ⁴ The Sparhams were an ancient family, residing at Sparham, in Norfolk: this was
the last male of that branch, and seems with himself to have finished his estate, &c.

⁵ Autograph. Pl. II. N^o 20.

     On the back of this Letter is endorsed ?Lit^re t^rm^ro pasche A^o. xxvj.” and in a more
modern hand “Relief demaunded by the Lady Morley, for the Manno^r of Sparham.”

11 ? by 11.

            Paper Mark,
                 A Bull.
            Pl. IX. N^o 10

             Norwich,
             Wednesday,
             April, 1448.
             26 H. VI.

75

MARGARET PASTON TO JOHN PASTON¹

To my ryth wyrchypful hwsbond, Jon Paston, be this lettyr
delyveryd in hast.

      RYTH wyrchypful hwsbond, I recomawnd me to zw,
          desyryng hertyly to heryn of zour wel fare, praying
          zw to wete that I was with my Lady Morley² on the
Satyrday next after that ze departyd from hens, and told here
qhat answer that ze had of Jon Butt, and sche toke it ryth
straw[n]gely, and seyd that sche had told zw, and schewyd zw
i now [enough], qher by ze myth have knowleche that the
releve owt [ought] to ben payd to her. And sche seyd sche
wyst wel that ze delay it forthe, that sche xuld nowth have
that longyth to her ryth. And sche told me hw it was payd in
Thomas Chawmbers tym, qhan her dowther Hastyngs³ was
weddyd; and sche seyd sythyn that ze wyl make none end
with her, sche wyl sew therfore as law wyl.

     I conseyvyd be here that sche had cwnsel to labore azens
zw therin withyn ryth schort tym. And than I prayd her that
sche wuld vwche save nowth to labowr azens zw in this mater
tyl ze kom horn; and sche seyd nay, be her feyth, sche wuld
no more days zeve [give] zw therin. Sche seyd sche had sett
zw so many days to a kord with her, and ze had broke them,
that sche was ryth wery therof; and sche seyd sche was but a
woman, sche must don be her cownseyl, and her cwnseyle had
avysyd her, so sche seyd sche wyld do. Than I prayd her
azyn that sche wuld teryn [tarry] tyl ze kom hom, and I seyd
I trostyd veryly that ze wuld don qhan ze kom hom, as itt
longeth to zw to don; and if ze myth have very knowleche
that sche awyth of ryth for to have itt, I seyd I wyst wel that
ze wuld pay it with ryth gode wyl, and told her that ze had
sergyd to a fownd wrytyng therof, and ze kwd non fynd in
non wyse. And sche sayd sche wyst wele there was wrytyng
therof inow, and sche hath wrytyng therof hw Syr Robert of
Mawthby, and Sir Jon, and my grawnsyre, and dyverse other
of myn awncesterys payd it, and seyd nevyre nay therto. And
in no wyse I kwd not geyn no grawnth of her to sesyn tyl ze
kom hom; and sche bad me that I xuld don an erand to my
moder, and qhan I kam hom, I dede myn erand to her. And
sche axyd me if I had spokyn to my lady of this forseyd mater,
and I told her hw I had do, and qhat answer I had; and sche
seyd sche xuld gon to my Lady Morles on the nexst day, and
sche xuld speken to her therof, and a say to getyn grawnt of
her to sesyn of the forsayd mater tyl that ze kom hom. And
truly my moder dede her dever ryth feythfully therin, as my
cosyn Clare¹ xal tellyn zw qhan that he speketh with zow;
and sche gete grawnt of my seyd lady that there xuld nowth
ben don azens zw therin, and ze wold acordyn with her, and
don as ze owyn to do be twyx this tym and Trinyte Sunday.

     Laueraw[n]ce Rede of Mawthhy recommawndeth hym to
zu, and prayt zw that ze wyl vwchesave to leten hym byn
[buy] of zw the ferm barly that ze xuld have of hym, and if ze
wyl laten hym have it to a resonabyl pris, he wyl have it with
ryth a gode wyl; and he prayit zw if ze wyl that he have it,
that ze wyl owche save [vouchsafe] to send hym word at qhat
pris he xuld have the kowmb as hastyly as ze may, and ellys he
must be purvayd in other plase.

     As twchyng other tydyngs, I sopose Jon of Dam xal send
zw word in a letter. As it is told me veryly, Heydon xal not
kom at London this term.

     It is seyd in this contre that Danyell¹ is owth of the Kyngs
gode grase, and he xal dwn and all hys mene, and all that ben
hys wele wyllers; there xal no man ben so hardy to don
nether seyn azens my Lord of Sowthfolk,² nere non that
longeth to hym; and all that have don and seyd azens hym,
they xul sore repent hem. Kateryn Walsam xal be weddyd
on the Munday nexst after Trinyte Sonday, as it is told me, to
the galaunte with the grete chene; and there is purvayd for
her meche gode aray of gwnys, gyrdelys, and atyrys, and
meche other gode aray, and he hathe purcheysyd a gret
purcheys of v. mark be zer to zevyn her to her joynture.

     I am aferd that Jon of Sparham is so schyttyl wyttyd, that
he wyl sett hys gode to morgage to Heydon, or to sum other
of ywre gode frendys, but if [i.e. unless] I can hold hym inne
the better, ere ze kom hom. He hath ben arestyd sythyn
that ye went, and hath had moche sorw at the sewte of mayster
Joh Stoks of London for x. mark that Sparham owt to hym;
and in gode feyth he hath had so moche sorow and hevynesse
that he wyst nowth qhat he myth don. I fell hym so disposyd
that he wold asold and asett to morgage all that he hath, he
had nowth rowth to qhom, so that he myth an had mony to
an holpyn hym self wyth; and I entretyd hym so, thatt I
sopose he wyll nother sellyn ner sett to morgage, nother catel
ner other gode of hese, tyl he speke with zw. He soposeth
that al that is don to hym is att the request of the Parson of
Sparham and Knatylsale. I sopose it is almas to comfort hym,
for in gode feyth he is ryth hevy, and hys wyf al so. He is
nowth nw under arest, he hath payd hys feys, and goth at
large; he was arestyd att Sparham, of on of Knatysales men.

     Hodge Feke told me thatt Sym Schepherd is styl with
Wylly,³ and if ze wyl I xal purvey that he xal be browth hom
er ze kom hom. It is told me that he that kept zour schep
was owth lawyd on Munday at the swth of Sir Thomas
Todynham, and if it be so, ze arn nowth lyk to kepe hym
longe. And as twchyng that that ze badeyn me spekyn for to
Bakton, he seyth he is wel avysyd that sche seyd sche wuld
never have to don with all, ner he kan not pek that sche seyd
sche hath non ryth to have it, and he wyl say lyche as he hath
herd her seyd; and if sche speke to hym therof, he wyll rather
hold with zw than with her. I pray ye that ze wyl vwche save
to send me word hw ze spede in zour matter twchyng Gressam,
and hw Danyel is in grace. Harry Goneld hath browth to me
xls. of Gressam syn ze zede, and he seyth I xal have more or
Qhythson tyd, if he may pyk it up.

     I sopose Jamys Gressam hath told zw of other thyngs
that I have sped syn ze zedyn hens. If I her any strawnge
tydyngs in this contre, I xall send zw word. I pray zw that I
may ben recommawndyd to my Lord Danyel.

     The Holy Trynyte have zw in hys kepyng, and send zw
helth and gode spede in al zour maters twchyng zour ryth.

     Wretyn at Norwyche, on the Wedenys day nexst after
thatt ze partyd hens.

                                    Yors,                    MARGARETE PASTON.

     ¹ [From Fenn, iii. 54.] The date of this letter is fixed by an endorsement in
these words, ?Liter? termino Pasch? anno xxvj.,? showing that it was written in
Easter term, in the 26th year of Henry VI. Easter term in that year lasted from the
10th of April to the 6th of May.

     ² Isabel, widow of Thomas, Lord Morley, who died in 1435. She was the
daughter of Michael de la Pole, Earl of Suffolk. Fenn confounds her with the
widow of the Lord Morley who died in 1417, who was a daughter of Edward, Lord
Dispencer, and had previously married Sir Hugh Hastings. But this lady died about
1426 (Blomefield, ii. 440), and cannot be the lady mentioned in the text.

     ³ Ann, married to John Hastyngs.?See Blomefield, ii. 430.

    ¹ Probably William, eldest son of Robert Clere of Ormesby, who died in 1446.—
See Blomefield, vi. 336.

    ¹ Thomas Daniel.                      ² See p. 80, note 2.

             ³ William Paston, son of the Judge (?).

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