Margaret Paston to John Paston

                                              LETTER XLVII.

     To my welbelouyd
     Son Sr John Paston
     be this deliu'yd in hast.

I Gret yow welle and send yow godds blissyng and myn latyng
yow wet that I haue rec' a lett^r from you y^e wyche ye de-
liu'yd of Mastr Rogr at Lynne wherby I conseyue that ye thynke
ye ded not well that ye deprtyd hens w^tow^t my knowlage
Wherfor I late yow wett I was ryght euyll payed w^t yow yo^r
fad^r thowght and thynkyth yet y^t I was asentyd to yor deprtyng
And that hathe causyd me to have gret hevinesse J hope he wolle
be yo^r goodsad^r heraft^r yf ye demene you welle and do as ye owe
to do to hym And I charge you upon my blyssyg yt in any
thnyg towchyg yo^r sad^r y^t shuld be hys worchep p'fyte or avayle
that ye do yo^r deu^r and dylygent labor to y^e fortherans therin as
ye wulle haue my good wille and yt shall cause yor sadr to be
bett^r fad^r to you. It was told me ye sent hym a lettr to london
what ye entent therof was I wot not but thowge he take it but
lyghtly I wold ye shuld not spar to write to hym ageyn as lowly
as ye cane besechyg hym to be yo^r good fadr and send hym suche
tydyngs and be in the contr' thir ye bethe in and that ye war
of yo^r expe'ce bettyr and ye haue be befor thys tyme and be yor
owne puse berer J trowe ye shall fyndyt most p'fytable to you I
wold ye shuld send me word howghe ye doo and howghe ye
have schevyfte for yorself syn ye dep^rtyd hens be s'm trosty man
     and that yo^r fad^r have no knowlage therof J durste not late
hym knowe of y^e laste lett^r y^t ye wrot to me be cause he was so
sor dyspleasyd w^t me at y^t tyme. It' J wold ye shuld speke w^t
Wekis and knowed hys dysposysion to Iane Walsh'm she hathe
seyd syn he dep^rtyd hens but she myght have hym she wold neu^r
maryd hyr hert ys for set on hym she told me y^t he seyd to hyr
y^t ther was no woman in y^e world he louyd so welle. I wold not
he shuld jape hyr for she menythe good feythe and yf he wolle
not haue hyr late me wete in hast and I shall p^rvey for hyr in
othyr wysse. As for yo^r harneys and ger that ye left her it ys in
Daubeneys kepyng it was neu^r remeuyd syn yo^r dep^rtyng be cause
that he had not y^e keyes I trowe it shall apeyer but if it be take
hed hate be tymys yot^r fad^r knowythe not wher it is. I sent yo^r
grey hors to Ruston to y^e ferror and he seythe he shull neu^r be
nowght to rood nowthyr ryght good to plowe nor to carte he
seythe he was splayyd and hys shuldr rent from ye body J wot
not what to do w^t hym yo^r grandam wold fayne her su tydyngs
from yow it wer welle do y^t ye sent a lett^r to hyr howe ye do as
astely as ye may And god have you in hys kepyng and make
yow a good man and zyf yow grace to do as well as J wold ye

shuld do Wretyn at Cast' ye Tewisday next before seynt Edmund
y^e Kynge.

                                               Yo^r. moder

                                                                                       M. Paston.

J wold ye shuld make mech of
y^e prson Fylby y^e berer herof
and make hym good cheryf ye
may.

                    11 1/2 by 9.
                   Paper Mark,
            A Bugle Horn strung.
               Pl. XXVII. No 15.

     No one can read this Letter without seeling concern for the displeasure that Sir John
had occasioned his Mother by his improper departure; she tenderly blames his conduct,
gives him the advice of a kind, affectionated, and sensible parent, and at the same time is
anxious to hear of his welfare.

    Her account of Jane Washam's regard fo Wykes is natrual and pleasing, and interese,
the Reader in her behalf.

     The whole Letter is written in a clear and easy style, and shews the maternal affection.
of the Writer for her Son.

     Autograph. Pl. II. No. 20.

                                                   LETTER XLVII.

         To my well-beloved Son, Sir John Paston, be this delivered in haste.

I Greet you well, and send you God's blessing and mine, let.
ting you weet that I have received a Letter from you, the
which ye delivered to Master Roger at Lynn, whereby I con-
ceive that ye think ye did not well that ye departed hence
without my knowledge, wherefore I let you weet I was right
evil paid with you, your father thought, and thinketh yet, that
I was assented to your departing, and that hath caused me to
have great heaviness; I hope he will be your good father
hereafter, if ye demean you well, and do as ye ought to do to
him; and I charge you upon my blessing that in any thing
touching your father that should be (to) his worship, profit, or
avail, that ye do your devoir and diligent labour to the further-
ance therein, as ye will have my good will, and that shall cause
your father to be better father to your.

     It was told me ye sent him a Letter to London, what the intent
thereof was I wot not, but though he take it but lightly, I
would ye should not spare to write to him again as lowly as ye
can, beseeching him to be your good father; and send him such
tidings as be in the country there ye be in, and that ye be ware
of your expences better and (than) ye have been before this
time, and be your own purse-bearer, I trow ye shall find it most
profitable to you.

     I would ye should send me word how ye do, and how ye have
shifted for yourself since ye departed hence, by some trusty man,
and that your father have no knowledge thereof; I durst not let
him know of the last Letter that ye wrote to me, because he was
so fore displeased with me at that time.

     Item, I would ye should speak with Wykes, and know his
disposition to Jane Walsham, she hath said, since he departed
hence, but (unless) she might have him, she would never (be)
married, her heart is sore set on him; she told me that he said
to her, that there was no woman in the world he loved so well;
I would not he should jape (deceive) her, for she meaneth good
faith; and if he will not have her, let me weet in haste, for I
shall purvey for her in other wise.

     As for your harness and geer that ye left here, it is in
Daubeney's keeping, it was never removed since your depart-
ing, because that he had not hte keys, I trow it shall apeyer
(grow worse) but if (unless) it be taken heed at betimes; your
father knoweth not where it is.

     I sent your grey horse to Ruston to the farrier, and he faith he
shall never be nought to ride, neither right good to plough nor
to cart, he said he was splayed, and his shoulder rent from the
body, I wot not what to do with him.

     Your Grandam would fain hear some tidings from you; it
were well done that ye sent a Letter to her how ye do, as hastily
as ye may, and God have you in his keeping, and make you a
good man, and give you grace to do well, as I would ye
should do.

Written at Caister, the Tuesday, next before Saint Edmund
the King, (20th of November.)

                                    Your Mother

                                                                       MARGARET PASTON.

     I would ye should make much of the Parson of Filby, the
bearer hereof, and make him good cheer if ye may.

 11 1/2 by 9.
       Caister, Tuesday, November,
           between 1463 and 1466.
           3 and 6 E. IV.

     No one can read this Letter without seeling concern for the displeasure that Sir John
had occasioned his Mother by his improper departure; she tenderly blames his conduct,
gives him the advice of a kind, affectionated, and sensible parent, and at the same time is
anxious to hear of his welfare.

    Her account of Jane Washam's regard fo Wykes is natrual and pleasing, and interese,
the Reader in her behalf.

     The whole Letter is written in a clear and easy style, and shews the maternal affection.
of the Writer for her Son.

     Autograph. Pl. II. No. 20.

552

MARGARET PASTON TO SIR JOHN PASTON²

To my welbelovyd son, Sir John Paston,
be this deliveryd in hast.

I GRET yow welle, and send yow Godds blissyng and
     myn, latyng yow wet that I have receyved a letter
     from you, the wyche ye deliveryd to Master Roger at
Lynne, wherby I conseyve thar ye thynke ye ded not well that
ye departyd hens withowt my knowlage. Wherfor I late yow
wett I was ryght evyll payed with yow. Your fader thowght,
and thynkyth yet, that I was asentyd to your departyng, and
that hathe causyd me to have gret hevinesse. I hope he wolle
be your good fader hereafter, yf ye demene you welle, and do
as ye owe to do to hym; and I charge you upon my blyssyng
that in any thyng towchyng your fader that shuld be hys
worchep, profyte, or avayle, that ye do your devoyr and
dylygent labor to the fortherans therin, as ye wulle have
my good wille, and that shall cause your fader to be better
fader to you.

     It was told me ye sent hym a letter to London. What
the entent therof was I wot not, but thowge he take it but
lyghtly, I wold ye shuld not spar to write to hym ageyn
as lowly as ye cane, besechyng hym to be your good fader;
and send hym suche tydyngs as be in the contre thir ye bethe
in, and that ye war [beware] of your expence bettyr and ye
have be befor thys tyme, and be your owne purse berer, I
trowe ye shall fyndyt most profytable to you.

     I wold ye shuld send me word howghe ye doo, and howghe
ye have schevyfte for yourself syn ye departyd hens, be som
trosty man, and that your fader have no knowlage therof.
I durste not late hym knowe of the laste letter that ye wrot to
me, be cause he was so sor dyspleasyd with me at that tyme.

     Item, I wold ye shuld speke with Wekis, and knowe
hys dysposysion to Jane Walsham. She hathe seyd, syn he
departyd hens, but [unless] she myght have hym, she wold
never maryd, hyr hert ys sor set on hym; she told me that he
seyd to hyr that ther was no woman in the world he lovyd so
welle. I wold not he shuld jape hyr, for she menythe good
feythe; and yf he wolle not have hyr, late me wete in hast,
and I shall purvey for hyr in othyr wysse.

     As for your harneys and ger that ye left here, it ys in
Daubeneys kepyng; it was never remevyd syn your departyng,
be cause that he had not the keyes. I trowe it shall apeyer [get
injured], but if it be take hed hate [unless it be taken heed at, or
to] be tymys. Your fader knowythe not wher it is.

     I sent your grey hors to Ruston to the ferror, and he
seythe he shull never be nowght to rood, nowthyr ryght good
to plowe nor to carte; he seyth he was splayyd, and hys
shulder rent from the body. I wot not what to do with hym.

     Your grandam wold fayne here sum tydyngs from yow.

It wer welle do that ye sent a letter to hyr howe ye do,
as astely as ye may. And God have you in Hys kepyng, and
make yow a good man, and zyf yow grace to do as well as I
wold ye shuld do.

     Wretyn at Caster, ye Tewisday next befor Seynt Edmund
the Kynge.

                                        Your moder,                      M. PASTON.

     I wold ye shuld make mech of the parson [of] Fylby, the
berer herof, and make hym good cher yf ye may.

     ² [From Fenn, iv. 168.] As Sir John Paston was knighted in the year 1463, and
his father died in May 1466, the date of this letter must lie between the years 1463
and 1465. I think the first of these years is probably the true date. Sir John
Paston, it seems, had left home without letting his mother know of his intention.
Whither had he gone? Not to London, because he addressed a letter to his father
there; besides he had passed by Lynn. One would naturally suppose, therefore, that
he had gone to wait upon the King, at a time when Edward was at a distance from
the capital. And in this view we are confirmed by the passage in which Margaret
desires her son to speak with Wykes, who, as we know by Letter 514, was an usher
of the King’s Chamber. Now Edward IV. was in Yorkshire, staying, for the most
part, at Pomfret, during October and November 1463, while about the same time of
year in 1464 he was at Reading, and in 1465 at Greenwich. Sir John would
naturally have passed through Lynn on his road to the North.

NOV. 15

1463
NOV. 15

1463
NOV. 15