[Margaret Paston] to [John Paston]

LETTER LXXVII.

RYT w’chipful hwsbond I recomawnd me to z^u and prey
     zw to gete som crosse bowis and ¹ w[SYM]dacs to bynd ye’ w^t
and ² quarrell for z^r hwsis her ben so low yat yer may non man
schet owt w^t no long bowe yow we hadde nev’ so moche nede I
sopose ze xuld have seche thy’gs of ser Ion Fastolf if ze wold
send to hym And also I wold ze xuld gete ij or iij schort pelle-
axis to kepe w^t doris a’d als’ many Iakkys and ye may P’tryche
and his felaschep arn for aferyd yat ze wold entren azen up on
’hem and yey have made grete ordynawce w^t jnne ye hwse as it
is told me yey have made barris to barre the dorys crosse weyse
and yey hav’ made wykets on ev’y quart’ of ye hwse to schote
owte atte bothe w^t bowys and w^t hand gu’nys and ye holys yat
ben made forr hand gu’nys yey ben scarse kne hey fro ye
plawicher and of socheholis ben made fyve yere can non man
schete owt at yen w^t no hand bowys Purry felle i’ felaschepe
w^t. Willyum Hasard at querles and told hym yat he wold com
and drynk w^t. P’tryche and w^t hym and he seyd he xuld ben
welcom and aft’ none he went yedd’ for to aspye qhat yey dedyn
and qhat felaschep yey hadde w^t. yem and qhan he com yedd’ ye
dors were fast sperid and yere wer non folks w^t. hem but Mary-
oth and Capron and hys wyf and querles wyf ad anoy’ man ī
ablac zede su’ qhate halty’g I sopo’ be his w’ds yat it was Nor-
folk of Gemy’gham and ye seyd purry aspyde alle yis forseyd
thy’gs And Marioth and his felaschep had meche grette langage
yat xall ben told zw qhen ze kom hom I p’y zw yat ze wyl
vowche save to don bye for me j li. of almands and j li. of fugyr
and yat ze wille do byen sume frese to maken of z^r child is
gwnys ze xall have best chepe and best choyse of Hayis wyf as
it is told me And yat ze wyld bye a zerd of brode clothe of blac
for an hode fore me of xliiij^d or IIIJ^s a zerd for y’ is n’ther
gode cloth ner god fryse in this twn as for ye child is gwnys and
I have yem I wel do hē maken.

     The trynyte have zw jn his kepi’g and send zw gode spede i
alle z^r mat’is.

          8 ? by 5 ?.

          No date,
               But before 1459.
               37 H. VI.

     The Direction of this curious Letter is obliterated, but it is plainly from Margaret
Paston to her Husband; and the paper is likewise so completely filled with writing that
she has not even either subscribed or dated it, but by the mentioning of Sir John Fastolf,
it must have been written before 1459.

     We have here a particular account of the offensive weapons used in the Castles, and
even in the common houses of the inferior people, who seemed to have lived in a con-
tinued state of warfare with their neighbours, and to be prepared to oppose force by force.

     We can from this account likewise form a judgment for what purposes the embrasures
now remaining in ancient buildings were intended; and from their heights and dimen-
sions determine whether they were to shoot through with arrows, or to fire through
with guns.

     ¹ Windacs, are what we now call grappling irons, with which the bow-string is
drawn home.

     ² An Arrow with a square head.

     The Seal has the impression of a Fleur-de-Lys. Pl. XXIII. N^o 7.

LETTER LXXVII.

To my right worshipful Husband, John Paston.

RIGHT worshipful husband, I recommend me to you, and
     pray you to get some Cross Bows and ¹ Wyndacs, (Wind-
lasses) to bind them with and ² Quarrels, for your houses here be
so low that there may none man shoot out with no long bow,
though we had never so much need.

     I suppose ye should have such things of Sir John Fastolf, if ye
would send to him; and also I would ye should get two or three
short Pole-axes to keep with doors, and as many Jackets, and
(if) ye may.

     Partrich and his fellowship are sore afraid that ye would enter
again upon them, and they have made great ordinance within
the house, and it is told me they have made bars to bar the doors
cross wise, and they have made wickets on every quarter of the
house to shoot out at, both with bows and with hand guns; and
the holes that be made for hand-guns they be scarce knee high
from the plancher (floor) and of such holes be made five, there
can none man shoot out at them with no hand-bows.

     Purry fell in fellowship with William Hafard at Quarles’s, and
told him that he would come and drink with Partrich and with
him, and he said he should be welcome, and after noon he went
thither for to espy what they dedyn (had done,) and what fellow-
ship they had with them; and when he came thither the doors
were fast speared (shut) and there were none folks with them but
Maryoth, and Capron and his wife, and Quarles’s wife, and
another man in a black yed (went) somewhat halting, I suppose
by his words that it was Norfolk of Gimmingham; and the said
Purry espied all these foresaid things.

     And Maryoth and his fellowship had much great language that
shall be told you when ye come home.

     I pray you that ye will vouchsafe to do buy for me one lb. of
Almonds and one 1b. of sugar, and that ye will do buy some
frieze to make of your children’s gowns, ye shall have best
cheap, and best choice of Hays’s wife, as it is told me. And
that ye will buy a yard of broad cloth of black for one hood for
me of 44d or four Shillings a yard, for there is neither good cloth
nor good frieze in this town. As for the children’s gowns and
(if) I have them, I will do them maken (have them made.)

     The Trinity have you in his keeping, and send you good
speed in all your matters.

                                                          MARGARET PASTON.

           8 ¾ by 5 ¼.

          No date,
               But before 1459.
               37 H. VI.

     The Direction of this curious Letter is obliterated, but it is plainly from Margaret
Paston to her Husband; and the paper is likewise so completely filled with writing that
she has not even either subscribed or dated it, but by the mentioning of Sir John Fastolf,
it must have been written before 1459.

     We have here a particular account of the offensive weapons used in the Castles, and
even in the common houses of the inferior people, who seemed to have lived in a con-
tinued state of warfare with their neighbours, and to be prepared to oppose force by force.

     We can from this account likewise form a judgment for what purposes the embrasures
now remaining in ancient buildings were intended; and from their heights and dimen-
sions determine whether they were to shoot through with arrows, or to fire through
with guns.

     ¹ Windacs, are what we now call grappling irons, with which the bow-string is
drawn home.

     ² An Arrow with a square head.

     The Seal has the impression of a Fleur-de-Lys. Pl. XXIII. N^o 7.

88

[MARGARET PASTON] TO [JOHN PASTON]¹

         RYT wurchipful hwsbond, I recomawnd me to zu, and
               prey zw to gete som crosse bowis, and wyndacs² to
               bynd them with, and quarrels;³ for zour hwsis her
ben so low that ther may non man schet owt with no long
bowe, thow we hadde never so moche nede.

     I sopose ze xuld have seche thyngs of Ser Jon Fastolf, if
ze wold send to hym; and also I wold ze xuld gete ij. or iij.
schort pelleaxis to kepe with doris, and als many jakkys, and
ye may.

     Partryche⁴ and his felaschep arn sor aferyd that ze wold
entren azen up on them, and they have made grete ordy-
naw[n]ce with inne the hwse, as it is told me. They have
made barris to barre the dorys crosse weyse, and they have
made wykets on every quarter of the hwse to schote owte atte,
bothe with bowys and with hand gunnys; and the holys that
ben made forr hand gunnys, they ben scarse kne hey fro the
plawncher [floor], and of soche holis ben made fyve. There
can non man schete owt at them with no hand bowys.

     Purry felle in felaschepe with Willyum Hasard at Querles,
and told hym that-he wold com and drynk with Partryche and
with hym, and he seyd he xuld ben welcome, and after none
he went thedder for to aspye qhat they dedyn, and qhat fela-
chep they hadde with them; and qhan he com thedder, the
dors were fast sperid [fastened], and there wer non folks with
hem but Maryoth, and Capron and hys wyf, and Queries wyf,
a[n]d another man in ablac (?) zede sum qhate haltyng, I
sopose be his words that it was Norfolk of Gemyngham; and
the seyd Purry aspyde alle this forseyd thyngs. And Marioth
and his felaschep had meche grette langage that xall ben told
zw qhen ze kom hom.

     I pray zw that ze wyl vowche save to don bye for me j. li.
[1 lb.] of almands and j. li. of sugyr, and that ze wille do byen
sume frese to maken of zour child is gwnys; ze xall have best
chepe and best choyse of Hayis wyf, as it is told me. And
that ze wyld bye a zerd of brode clothe of blac for an hode
fore me of xliiij^d. or iiij^s. a zerd, for ther is nether gode cloth
ner god fryse in this twn. As for the child is gwnys, and I
have them, I wel do hem maken.

     The Trynyte have zw in his keping, and send zw gode
spede i[n] alle zour materis.

     ¹ [From Fenn, iii. 314.] ‘The direction of this curious letter,’ says Fenn, ‘is
obliterated, but it is plainly from Margaret Paston to her husband; and the paper is
likewise so completely filled with writing, that she has not even either subscribed or
dated it, but by the mentioning of Sir John Fastolf it must have been written before
1459.’ It appears to us most probably to belong to the year 1449, when Paston was
making preparations to re-enter Gresham, which he actually did in October of that
year.

     ² Windacs are what we now call grappling irons, with which the bow-string is
drawn home.—F.

     ³ Properly quarreaux. They were square pyramids of iron shot out of cross-
bows.—Grose’s Milit. Antiq. i. 149.

     ⁴ John Partrich, one of Lord Molyns’s retainers.

1449(?)

1449(?)