Margaret Paston to John Paston

LETTER XXVIII.

                    To my Rygth Worshypfull
                    hosbond jon Paston be this
                    delyverd in hast.

RYGTH worchypfull hosbond I recōmawnd me to yow de-
     fyr[SYM]g hertyly to her of yowr wellfar Preying yow to
wete that I have spoke w^t my lady Felbrygg of that ye bad me
speke to her of And she seyd pleynly to me that she wold not ne
nevyr was avysyd ney^r to lete y^e lord Moleyns ne non oy^r to have
ther intents as for y^t Mat^r whyll y^t she levyth And she was
rygth evyll payd w^t Sawtr that he shuld reporte as itt was told
yow yat he shuld have reportyd And she made rygth moche of
yow and seyd y^t she wold nowgth y^t no s^rvau’te of herys shuld
reporte no thyng y^t shuld be ayens yow oy^rwyse yan she wolld
y^t yo^r s^rvawnts shud do or seyn ayens her And if oy^r yo^r s^rvawnts
dede ayens her or any of her ayens yow she wold y^t itt shuld be
reformyd be twyx yow and her And y^t ye mygth ben all on For
she seyd in good feyth she desyryth yo^r frendshep And as for
y^e report of Sawtr she seyd she supposyd y^t he wold nowgth re-
porte so And if she mygth know y^t he dede she wold blame hym
y’for. I told her y^t itt was told me syth y^t ye reden and y^t itt
grevyd me mor y^t y^e seyd Sawtr shuld r’porte as he dede yan itt
had be reportyd of anoy^r in als moche as I had awgth hym good-
wyll befor And she p’yid me y^t I shud not beleve seche reports
tyll I knew the trowth I was att Toppys at dyner on seynt Pety’s
day ther my lady Felbrygg and oy^r Jantyll Women desyryd to
have hadde yow ther they seyd they shuld all abe y^e meryer If
ye hadde ben ther my Cosyn Toppys hath moche Car tyll she
her goode tydyngs of her broy’is mat^r sche told me y^t y^y shuld
kepte a day on Monday next kom[SYM]g be twyx her broy^r and Ser
Andrew Hugard and Wyndh’m I p’y yow send me word how
they spede and how ye spede in yowr owyn mat’ys also Also I
p’y yow hertyly that ye woll send me a potte w^t t’acle in hast
For I have ben rygth evyll att ese and yo^r dowghter boy^e syth
y^t ye yeden hens and on of y^e tallest yo’nge men of y^is parysch
lyth syke and hath a gr’te ¹ myrr’ how he shall do god knowyth
I have sent myn Unkyll Berney the potte w^t t’acle y^t ye dede bey
for hym myn Awnte r’cōmawnd^t her to yow and p’yith yow to
do for her as the byll mak^t mencon of that I send you w^t this
lett^r and as ye thenk best for to do y’inne Ser Henry Inglose is
passyd to God this nygth hoys sowle god asoy¹¹ and was caryid
fory^e this day at ix of y^e clok to Seynt Feyy^is and ther shall be
beryid If ye desyer to bey any of hys stuff I p’y y^u send me word
y^rof in hast and I shall speke to Rob’t Inglose and to Wychyngh’m
y’ of I suppose yei ben executors The blyssyd t’nyte have y^u in
his kep[SYM]g Wretyn at Norwyche in hast on the Thursday next
aft^r Seynt Pet^r.

    I p’y yow trost nott to y^{e 2} Sheryve for no fayr langage.

                                                                         ³ Yours,

                                                                              M. P.

            11 ¾ by 8 ½.

 The former part of this Letter is of little consequence; we learn from it indeed that
misrepresentations subversive of good neighbourhood proceeded then as now from ser-
vants and others.

     In the latter part we find Treacle spoken of as a medicine of great efficacy and con-
sequence.

  Sir Henry Inglos’s Will was proved on the 4th of July, 1451, by which he desired to
be buried in the Presbytery of the Priory of St. Faith, at Horsham St. Faith’s, in Nor-
folk, a Priory founded by Robert de Caen, in 1105, in memory of a miraculous delivery
from imprisonment by his prayers to God and St. Faith, the Virgin. The removal of his
body so immediately after his death seems extraordinary.

¹ If myrr’ here signifies murrain, it must mean a Consumption.

² John Clopton was Sheriff of Norfolk and Suffolk this year.

³ Autograph. Pl. II. N^o 25.

LETTER XXVIII.

To my right worshipful husband, John Paston, be this de-
livered in haste.

RIGHT worshipful husband, I recommend me to you,
     desiring heartily to hear of your welfare, praying you to
weet that I have spoken with my Lady Felbrigg of that ye bade
me speak to her of, and she said plainly to me, that she would
not, nor never was advised, neither to let the Lord Molyns nor
none other to have their intents as for that matter, while that
she liveth; and she was right evil paid with Sauter that he
should report as it was told you that he should have reported;
and she made right much of you, and said, that she would
nought that no servant of hers should report nothing that should
be against you, otherwise than she would that your servants
should do or say against her; and if either your servants did
against her, or any of hers against you, she would that it should
be reformed betwixt you and her, and that ye might be all one;
for she said in good faith she desired your friendship; and as
for the report of Sauter, she said, she supposed that he would
nought report so, and if she might know that he did, she would
blame him therefore; I told her that it was told me since that
ye rode, and that it grieved me more that the said Sauter should
report as he did, than it had been reported of another, inasmuch
as I had ought him good will before; and she prayed me that I
should not believe such reports till I know the truth.

     I was at Topps’s at dinner on saint Peter’s day, there my Lady
Felbrigg and other Gentlewomen desired to have had you there;
they said, they should all have been the merrier if ye had been
there. My Cousin Topps hath much care till she hears good
tidings of her brother’s matter, she told me that they should keep
a day on Monday next coming betwixt her brother and Sir
Andrew Hugard [Ogard] and Wyndham; I pray you send me
word how they speed, and how ye speed in your own matters also.

     Also, I pray you heartily that ye will send me a pot with
Treacle in haste, for I have been right evil at ease, and your
Daughter both, since that ye yeden [went] hence, and one of
the tallest young men of this parish lyeth sick, and hath a great
¹ Myrr [murrain q?] how he shall do God knoweth.

     I have sent my Uncle Berney the pot with treacle that ye did
buy for him, mine aunt recommendeth her to you, and prayeth
you to do for her as the bill maketh mention of, that I send you
with this letter, and as ye think best for to do therein. Sir
Harry Inglos is passed to God this night, whose soul God assoil;
and was carried forth this day at nine of the clock to Saint Faith’s,
and there shall be buried.

     If ye desire to buy any of his stuff, I pray you send me word
thereof in haste, and I shall speak to Robert Inglos, and to
Wichingham thereof; I suppose they be Executors. The blessed
Trinity have you in his keeping. Written at Norwich in haste
on the Thursday next after Saint Peter.

I pray you trust not to the ² Sheriff for no fair language.

                                               Yours,

                                                       ³ MARGARET PASTON.

           Norwich,
           Thursday, 1st of July
           1451. 29 H. VI.

     The former part of this Letter is of little consequence; we learn from it indeed that
misrepresentations subversive of good neighbourhood proceeded then as now from ser-
vants and others.

     In the latter part we find Treacle spoken of as a medicine of great efficacy and con-
sequence.

  Sir Henry Inglos’s Will was proved on the 4th of July, 1451, by which he desired to
be buried in the Presbytery of the Priory of St. Faith, at Horsham St. Faith’s, in Nor-
folk, a Priory founded by Robert de Caen, in 1105, in memory of a miraculous delivery
from imprisonment by his prayers to God and St. Faith, the Virgin. The removal of his
body so immediately after his death seems extraordinary.

 ¹ If myrr’ here signifies murrain, it must mean a Consumption.

 ² John Clopton was Sheriff of Norfolk and Suffolk this year.

³ Autograph. Pl. II. N^o 25.

201

MARGARET PASTON TO JOHN PASTON¹

To my rygth worshypfull hosbond Jon Paston,
be this delyverd in hast.

        RYGTH worchypfull hosbond, I recommawnd me to yow,
             desyryng hertyly to her of yowr wellfar, preying yow
             to wete that I have spoke with my Lady Felbrygg² of
that ye bad me speke to her of, and she seyd pleynly to me
that she wold not, ne nevyr was avysyd, neyther to lete the
Lord Moleyns ne non other to have ther intents as for that
mater, whyll yet she levyth. And she was rygth evyll payd
with Sawtr that he shuld reporte as itt was told yow that he
shuld have reportyd; and she made rygth moche of yow, and
seyd that she wold nowgth that no servaunte of herys shuld
reporte no thyng that shuld be ayens yow otherwyse than she
wolld that your servawnts shud do or seyn ayens her; and if
other your servawnts dede ayens her, or any of her ayens yow,
she wold that itt shuld be reformyd be twyx yow and her, and
that ye mygth ben all on; for she seyd in good feyth she
desyryth your frendshep; and as for the report of Sawtr, she
seyd she supposyd that he wold nowgth reporte so; and if she
mygth know that he dede, she wold blame hym therfor. I
told her that itt was told me syth that ye reden [? yeden, i.e.
went], and that itt grevyd me mor that the seyd Sawtr shuld
reporte as he dede than itt had be reportyd of another, in als
moche as I had awgth hym goodwyll befor; and she prayid
me that I shud not beleve seche reports tyll I knewe the
trowth.

     I was att Toppys at dyner on Seynt Petyrs day; ther my
Lady Felbrygg and other jantyll women desyryd to have hadde
yow ther. They seyd they shuld all abe [have been] the meryer
if ye hadde ben ther. My cosyn Toppys hath moche car tyll
she her goode tydyngs of her brotheris mater. Sche told me
that they shuld kepte a day on Monday next komyng be twyx
her brother and Ser Andrew Hugard and Wyndham. I pray
yow send me word how they spede, and how ye spede in yowr
owyn materys also. Also I pray yow hertyly that ye woll send
me a potte with treacle in hast; for I have ben rygth evyll att
ese, and your dowghter bothe, syth that ye yeden hens, and on
of the tallest younge men of this parysch lyth syke and hath
a grete myrr’. How he shall do God knowyth. I have sent
myn unkyll Berney¹ the potte with treacle that ye dede bey
for hym. Myn awnte recommawndeth her to yow, and prayith
yow to do for her as the byll maketh mencion of that I send
you with this letter, and as ye thenk best for to do therinne.

     Ser Henry Inglose is passyd to God this nygth, hoys sowle
God asoyll, and was caryid forthe this day at ix. of the clok to
Seynt Feythis, and ther shall be beryid. If ye desyer to bey
any of hys stuff, I pray you send me word therof in hast, and
I shall speke to Robert Inglose and to Wychyngham therof;
I suppose thei ben executors. The blyssyd Trinyte have you
in his kepyng. Wretyn at Norwyche in hast on the Thursday
next after Seynt Peter.²

     I pray yow trost nott to the sheryve³ for no fayr langage.

                                                   Yours,                               M. P.

     ¹ [From Fenn, iii. 124.] The mention made of the death of Sir Harry Inglos at
the end of this letter proves it to have been written in the year 1451. According to
the inquisition post mortem 29 Hen. VI., No. 9, he died on the 1st July 1451, which
corresponds exactly with ‘the Thursday next after St. Peter,’ the day this letter was
written.                                                             ² See p. 224, Note 2.
 

     ¹ Philip Berney.                   ² St. Peter’s day was the 29th June.

     ³ John Jermyn was sheriff of Norfolk and Suffolk this year.

JULY 1

1451

JULY 1