Margaret Paston to John Paston

LETTER VII.

                Margaret Paston to Iobn Paston.

    I Recomand me to yow please yow to wete that I haue sent to
my Cosyn Barney Acordyng to yo^r desy^r in y^e lette^r y^t y^e
deed wright on Relec Sonday to me wheropon he hathe wreten
a lett^r to yow and anothyr bylle to me y^e wyche J send yow he
tolde ye Masang^r y^t I sent to hym y^t y^e vndr shereve nedyth not
to fer hym nor non of hys for he seyd aft^r y^e Aleccion was doo
he spak w^t hym at y^e grey fryers nad p'yyd hym of hys good
mast^rchep And seyd to hym y^t he feryd no man of bodely
harme but only Twyer and hys felachep It'm Sr Iohn Tatersalle
and y^e baly of Walsynsh'm and ye constabyll hathe take ye prson of
Snoryng and iiij of hys men and sete hem fast in y^e Stokkys on
Monday at nyght and as it is seyd they shuld be carryyd up to
y^e kyng in hast God defend yt but they be shastyfyd as ye lawe
wolle Twyer and hys felachep beryth a gret wyght of Thom's
Denys dethe in ys contry abowght Walsynh'm and it is seyd
ther yf Iohn Osberne hade owght hym as good wylle as he deed
befor yt he was aqueytyd w^t Twyer he shuld not adyyd for he
myght rewlyd al Walsynh'm as he had lyst as it ys seyd. It'm
Will Iynys yt was wt Mastr Fastolf and swyche other as he is wt
hym goo fast abowght in y^e Contr and ber men a hand prests
and others they be Skotts and take brybys of hem and let hem
goo ageyn he toke the last wek y^e p'son of Freton and but for
my Cosyn Iarnyngh'm ye yonger ther wold a led hem forther wt
hem And he told hem pleyly yf they made any suche doyngs
ther but they had y^e lettr to schewe for hem they shuld aley on
her bodyys it wer welle do ty they wer metw^t be tymys it is told
me yt ye seyd will reportyth of yow as shamfully as he can in
dyu's place Jhu have yow in hys kepyng Wreten in hast ye
Wednysday aft Relec sonday.

    yf y^e vndrshereve Come home.

J woll a say to do for hym as ye desyryd me in yor lettr As for
mony I have sent abowght and I can get non but xiijs iiijd fyn
ye went owght J wolle do my prte to get mor as hastely as
ye may.

                                                             By yor,

                                                                                                    M.P.

  11 1/2 by 3 1/2.            

    This is an answer to the preceding Letter, and is plainly by Margaret Paston to
her Husband John Paston, though it has no direction; it informs him what she had done
towards executing his commands, and gives him further him information.

    Richard Cheyne was parson of Little Snoring at this time, and John Fowler of Great
Snoring.

    Autograph. Pl.II. No 25.

LETTER VII.

Margaret Paston, to John Paston.

    I Recommend me to you, please you to weet that I have sent
to my Cousin Berney, according to your desire in the Letter
that ye did write on Relick Sunday to me, whereupon he hath
written a letter to you and another bill to me, the which I send
you. He told the messenger, that I sent to him, that the Under
Sheriff needeth not to fear him nor none of his, for he said, after
the Election was done, he spake with him at the Grey Friars,
and prayed him of his good mastership, and said to him that he
feared no man of bodily harm, but only Twyer and his fel-
lowship.

    Item, Sir John Tatersalle, and the Bailiff of Walsingham, and
the Constable, hath taken the parson of Snoring and four of his
men, and set them fast in the stocks on Monday at night; and
as it is said they should be carried up to the King in haste; God
defend it but they be chastised as the law will. Twyer and his

ship beareth a great weight of Thomas Denys' death in the
Country about Walsingham, and it is said there, if John Osbern
had ought him as good will, as he did before that he was ac-
quainted with Twyer, he should not have died, for the might
(have) ruled all Walsingham, as he had list, as it is said.

    Item, William Lynys that was with Master Fastolf, and such
other, as he is, with him, go fast about in the Country and bear
men a hand priests and other, they be Scots, and take bribes of
them and let them go again. He took the last week the parson
of Fritton, and but for my Cousin Jarnyngham the younger,
they would have led him forth with them, and he told them
plainly if they made any such doings there, but (unless) they had
the Letter to shew for them, they should have aley on their bo-
dies (be beaten); it were well done that the they were met wtih him
by times. It is told me that the said William reporteth of you
as shamefully as he can in divers places. Juse have you in his
keeping. Written in haste, the Wednesday after Relick Sunday.

    It the Under Sheriff come home I will assay to do for him as
ye desired me in your Letter; as for money, I have sent about,
and can get none but 13s. 4d. since ye went out; I will do my
part to get more as hastily as I may.

        By your,

                                                      MARGARET PASTON.

Wednesday.

        15th July, 1461.

        I. E. IV.

    This is an answer to the preceding Letter, and is plainly by Margaret Paston to
her Husband John Paston, though it has no direction; it informs him what she had done
towards executing his commands, and gives him further him information.

    Richard Cheyne was parson of Little Snoring at this time, and John Fowler of Great
Snoring.

    Autograph. Pl.II. No 25.

469

MARGARET PASTON TO JOHN PASTON²

I RECOMAND me to yow. Please yow to wete that
     I have sent to my cosyn Barney, acordyng to your desyr
     in the letter that ye deed wright on Relec Sonday to me,
wheropon he hathe wreten a letter to yow and anothyr bylle
to me, the wyche I send yow. He tolde the masanger that I
sent to hym that the Undershereve nedyth not to fer hym nor
non of hys; for he seyd, after the aleccion was doo, he spak
with hym at the Grey Fryers, and prayyd hym of hys good
masterchep, and seyd to hym that he feryd no man of bodely
harme, but only Twyer and hys felachep.

     Item, Sir John Tatersalle and the baly of Walsynsham and
the constabyll hathe take the parson of Snoryng and iiij. of hys
men, and sete hem fast in the stokkys on Monday at nyght;
and, as it is seyd, they shuld be carryyd up to the Kyng in
hast. God defend yt but they be shastysyd as the lawe wolle.
Twyer and hys felachep beryth a gret wyght of Thomas Denys
dethe in this contry abowght Walsynham; and it is seyd ther
yf John Osberne hade owght hym as good wylle, as he deed
befor that he was acqueyntyd with Twyer, he shuld not
adyyd [have died], for he myght rewlyd al Walsynham as he
had lyst, as it ys seyd.

     Item, Will Lynys, that was with Master Fastolf, and
swyche other as he is with hym, goo fast abowght in the
contr, and ber men a hand,¹ prests and others, they be Skotts,
and take brybys of hem and let hem goo ageyn. He toke the
last wek the parson of Freton, and but for my cosyn Jarnyng-
ham the younger,² ther wold a led hem forthe with hem; and
he told hem pleynly yf they mad any suche doyngs ther, but
[i.e. unless] they had the letter to schewe for hem, they shuld
aley on her bodyys. It wer welle do that they wer met with be
tymys. It is told me that the seyd Will reportyth of yow as
shamfully as he can in dyvers place. Jesu have yow in Hys
kepyng. Wreten in hast, the Wednysday after Relec Sonday.

     Yf the Undershereve come home, I woll a say to do for
hym as ye desyryd me in your letter. As for mony, I have
sent abowght, and I can get non but xiijs. iiijd. syn ye went
owght. I wolle do my parte to get mor as hastely as ye may.

                                         By yowr,                                      M. P.

          ¹ In hugger-mugger, i.e. clandestinely.

          ² [From Fenn, iv. 24.] See note to preceding letter, p. 289, Note 1.

JULY 15

1461
JULY 15