Margaret Paston to John Paston

LETTER V.

                 To my rygth Worchepful husbond
                 John Paston dwellyng in y^e inner
                 Temple at London in hast.

RYTH worchipful hosbon I recomande me to yow de-
     syryng hertely to her of yo^r wilsar thanckyng God of yo^r
A mendyng of y^e grete dysese y^t ye have hade and I thancke
yow for y^e lett^r y^t ye sent me for be my trowthe my mod^r and I
wer nowth in hertys es fro y^e tyme y^t we woste of yo^r sekenesse
tyl we woste verely of yo^r A mendyng my mod^r be hestyd a
nodyr ¹ ymmage of Wax of y^e weytte of yow to oy^r lady of
Walsyngh’m and sche sent iiij nobelys to y^e iiij orderys of frerys
at Norweche to pary for yow and I have be hestyd to gon on
pylgreymmays to Walsingh’m and to sent ² levenardys for yow
be my trowth I had neu^r so heuy a sesyn as I had fro’ y^e tyme
y^t I woste of yo^r sekenesse tyl I woste of yo^r A mendyng And
zyth myn hert is in no grete esse ne nowth xal be tyl I wott
y^t ze ben very hal yo^{r 3} fad^r and myn was dysday sevenyth at
bekelys for a matyr of the pryor of Bromholme and he lay at
Gerlyston y^t nyth and was y’ tyl it was ix of the cloke and y^e
tod^r day And I sentte thedyr for a goune and my mod^r seyde y^t
I xulde non have dan tyl I had be y’ a non and so yei cowde
non gete. My ⁴ fad^r garneyss sentte me worde y^t he xulde ben
her y^e nexch weke and my Emme Also and pleyn hem her w^t
herr hawkys and yei xulde haue me hom w^t hem And so god
help me I xal exsousse me of myn goyng dedyr yf I may for I
sopose y^t I xal redelyer have tydyngys from yow herr dan I xulde
have y^r I xal sende my mody^r a tokyn y^t sche toke me for I
sopose y^e tyme is cum y^t I xulde sendeth her yf I kepe y^e be
hest y^t I have made I sopose I have tolde yow wat it was
 pray yow hertely y^t wol wochesaf to sende me a lett^r as hastely
as ze may yf wryhyn be non dysesse to yow And y^t ye wollen
wochesaf to sende me worde quowe yo^r sor dott yf I mythe have
hade my wylle I xulde a seyne yow er dystyme I wolde ye wern
at hom yf it wer yo^r ese and yo^r for myth ben as wyl lokyth to
her as it tys y’ ze ben now lever dan a new goune zow it wer
of scarlette I pray yow yf yo^r sor be hol and so y^t ze may indur
to ryde wan my fad^r com to london y^t ze wol askyn leve and
com hom wan y^e hors xul be sentte hom a zeyn for I hope ze
xulde be kepte as tend^rly herr as ze ben at london I may non
leyser have to do wrytyn half a qrt^r so meche as I xulde seyn to
yow yf I myth speke w^t yow I xal sende yow a nothyr lett^r as
hastely as I may I thanke yow y^t ze wolde wochesaffe to rememb^r
my gyrdyl and y^t ze wol de wryte to me at y^e tyme for I sopose
y^e wrytyng was non esse to yow All myth God have yow in his
kepyn and sende yow helth Wretyn at Oxenede in Ryth grate
hast on Sent Mikyllys Evyn.

                                                                     Yours,

                                                                           ⁵ M. Paston.

             11 ½ by 5 ½

     My Modyr grette yow wel and sendyth yow Goddys blyssyng
and hers and sche prayeth yow and I pray yow also y^t ye be wel
⁶ dyetyd of mete and drynke for y^t is y^e grettest helpe yat ye may
have now to you^r helthe ward yo^{r 7} sone faryth wel blyssyd
be God.

This is a most affectionate letter, and cannot be read without emotion; it gives us an
high opinion of the writer’s tenderness towards her husband, her wish to have him at home,
and under her tender care, “lever dan a new goune zow it wer of scarlette” shews the
artlessness of her regard, and impresses us with an idea of the purest simplicity.

     The Letter was written after the birth of her son, and before the death of sir William
Paston, I have therefore fixed it to 1443.

     ¹ This offering of an image of wax, of the weight of the person for whose good it was
promised, is a curious circumstance. The same of our lady of Walsingham has been
before remarked, in Letter VI. Vol. 1. p. 21. Note.

     ² The church of the priory of St. Leonard, at Norwich, was famous at this time for
the resort of pilgrims to the images of the holy virgin, the holy cross, and St. Anthony;
but became afterwards much more famous by the visitation of pilgrims far and near, to
the image of good king Henry VI. by whose miraculous effects great cures were supposed
to have been performed.

     ³ Sir William Paston, the judge.

     ⁴ This was probably her godfather, and Emme was very likely his daughter or niece,
and Margaret Paston’s friend. The family of Garneys were at this time lords of
Gelderstone; they have continued a family of consequence, and Charles Garneys esq. a
descendent from this branch, was high sheriff of Norfolk, in 1777.

 ⁵ Autograph. Pl. ii. N^o 20.

     ⁶ This advice seems very proper, and the same would be recommended at this day.

 ⁷ This was most probably Sir John Paston, who was born in 1442.

LETTER V.

To my right worshipful husband John Paston, dwelling in the
Inner Temple at London, in haste.

RIGHT worshipful husband, I recommend me to you,
     desiring heartily to hear of your welfare, thanking God
of your amending of the great disease that ye have had, and I
thank you for the letter that ye sent me, for by my troth my
mother and I were nought in heart’s ease from the time that we
wist [knew] of your sickness, till we wist verily of your amending.
  My Mother behested [vowed] another ¹ Image of Wax of the
weight of you, to our Lady of Walsingham, and she sent four
Nobles [1l. 6s. 8d.] to the four Orders of Friars at Norwich to
pray for you, and I have behested to go on Pilgrimage to Wal-
singham, and to ² St. Leonard’s for you; by my troth I had
never so heavy a season as I had from the time that I wist of your
sickness, till I wist of your amending, and yet my heart is in
no great ease, nor nought shall be, ‘till I weet that ye be very
whole. Your ³ Father and mine was this day sev’night at Beccles,
for a matter of the Prior of Bromholm, and he lay at Gelder-
stone that night, and was there till it was 9 of the clock, and
the other day. And I sent thither for a gown, and my mother
said that I should none have then, till I had been there anon,
and so they could none get.

     My ⁴ Father Garneys sent me word that he should have been
here the next week, and mine Emme also, and play them here with
their Hawks, and they should have me home with them; and so
God help me, I shall excuse me of my going thither if I may, for I
suppose that I shall readilier have tidings from you here than I
should have there. I shall send my Mother a Token that she
took [brought to] me, for I suppose the time is come that I should
send it her, if I keep the behest that I have made; I suppose I
have told you what it was; I pray you heartily that [ye] will
vouchsafe to send me a Letter, as hastily as ye may, if writing
be none disease [pain] to you, and that ye will vouchsafe to send
me word how your sore do. If I might have had my will, I
should have seen you ere this time; I would ye were at home,
if it were your ease, and your sore might be as well looked
to here as it is there ye be, now lever [rather] than a new Gown
though it were of Scarlet. I pray you if your sore be whole, and
so that ye may endure to ride, when my father come to London,
that ye will ask leave and come home when the horse should be
sent home again, for I hope ye shall be kept as tenderly here as
ye be at London. I may none leisure have to do write half a
quarter so much as I should say to you if I might speak with you.
I shall send you another Letter as hastily as I may. I thank you
that ye would vouchsafe to remember my girdle, and that ye
would write to me at the time, for I suppose that writing was none
ease to you. Almighty God have you in his keeping, and send
you health. Written at Oxnead, in right great haste, on St.
Michael’s Even.

                                                 Yours,

                                                       ⁵ MARGARET PASTON.

       Oxnead.
            Saturday, 28th September, 1443. 22 H. VI.

     My Mother greet you well, and sendeth you God’s blessing and
hers; and she prayeth you, and I pray you also, that ye be well
⁶ dieted of meat and drink, for that is the greatest help that ye may
have now to your healthward. Your ⁷ Son fareth well, blessed
be God!

This is a most affectionate letter, and cannot be read without emotion; it gives us an
high opinion of the writer’s tenderness towards her husband, her wish to have him at home,
and under her tender care, “lever dan a new goune zow it wer of scarlette” shews the
artlessness of her regard, and impresses us with an idea of the purest simplicity.

     The Letter was written after the birth of her son, and before the death of sir William
Paston, I have therefore fixed it to 1443.

     ¹ This offering of an image of wax, of the weight of the person for whose good it was
promised, is a curious circumstance. The same of our lady of Walsingham has been
before remarked, in Letter VI. Vol. 1. p. 21. Note.

     ² The church of the priory of St. Leonard, at Norwich, was famous at this time for
the resort of pilgrims to the images of the holy virgin, the holy cross, and St. Anthony;
but became afterwards much more famous by the visitation of pilgrims far and near, to
the image of good king Henry VI. by whose miraculous effects great cures were supposed
to have been performed.

     ³ Sir William Paston, the judge.

     ⁴ This was probably her godfather, and Emme was very likely his daughter or niece,
and Margaret Paston’s friend. The family of Garneys were at this time lords of
Gelderstone; they have continued a family of consequence, and Charles Garneys esq. a
descendent from this branch, was high sheriff of Norfolk, in 1777.

     ⁵ Autograph. Pl. ii. N^o 20.

     ⁶ This advice seems very proper, and the same would be recommended at this day.

     ⁷ This was most probably Sir John Paston, who was born in 1442.

47

MARGARET PASTON TO JOHN PASTON¹

To my rygth worchepful husbond, John Paston, dwellyng in the
Inner Temple at London, in hast.

RYTH worchipful hosbon, I recomande me to yow,
     desyryng hertely to her of yowr wilfar, thanckyng
     God of yowr a mendyng of the grete dysese that ye
have hade; and I thancke yow for the letter that ye sent me,
for be my trowthe my moder and I wer nowth in hertys es
fro the tyme that we woste of yowr sekenesse, tyl we woste
verely of your a mendyng. My moder be hestyd a nodyr
ymmage of wax of the weytte of yow to oyer Lady of
Walsyngham, and sche sent iiij. nobelys to the iiij. Orderys of
Frerys at Norweche to pray for yow, and I have be hestyd to
gon on pylgreymmays to Walsingham, and to Sent Levenardys²
for yow; be my trowth I had never so hevy a sesyn as I had

from the tyme that I woste of yowr sekenesse tyl I woste of
yowr a mendyng, and zyth myn hert is in no grete esse, ne
nowth xal be, tyl I wott that ze ben very hal. Your fader¹
and myn was dysday sevenyth [this day se’nnight] at Bekelys
for a matyr of the Pryor of Bromholme, and he lay at Gerlys-
ton that nyth, and was ther tyl it was ix. of the cloke, and the
toder day. And I sentte thedyr for a goune, and my moder
seyde that I xulde have dan [then], tyl I had be ther a non, and
so thei cowde non gete.

     My fader Garneyss² senttee me worde that he xulde ben
her the nexch weke, and my emme [uncle] also, and pleyn hem
her with herr hawkys, and thei xulde have me hom with hem;
and so God help me, I xal exscusse me of myn goyng dedyr
yf I may, for I sopose that I xal redelyer have tydyngys from
yow herr dan I xulde have ther. I xal sende my modyr a
tokyn that sche toke me, for I sopose the time is cum that
I xulde sendeth her, yf I kepe the be hest that I have made;
I sopose I have tolde yow wat it was. I pray yow hertely
that [ye] wol wochesaf to sende me a letter as hastely as ze
may, yf wryhyn be non dysesse to yow, and that ye wollen
wochesaf to sende me worde quowe your sor dott. Yf I
mythe have had my wylle, I xulde a seyne yow er dystyme; I
wolde ye wern at hom, yf it wer your ese, and your sor myth
ben as wyl lokyth to her as it tys ther ze ben, now lever dan a
goune zow [though] it wer of scarlette. I pray yow yf your
sor be hol, and so that ze may indur to ryde, wan my fader
com to London, that ze wol askyn leve, and com hom wan the
hors xul be sentte hom a zeyn, for I hope ze xulde be kepte as
tenderly herr as ze ben at London. I may non leyser have to
do wrytyn half a quarter so meche as I xulde sey [say] to yow
yf I myth speke with yow. I xall sende yow a nothyr letter
as hastely as I may. I thanke yow that ze wolde wochesaffe
to remember my gyrdyl, and that ze wolde wryte to me at
the tyme, for I sopose that wrytyng was non esse for yow.
All myth God have yow in his kepyn, and sende yow helth.

Wretyn at Oxenede, in ryth grete hast, on Sent Mikyllys
Evyn.

                                           Yorys,                     M. PASTON.

     My modyr grette yow wel, and sendyth yow Goddys
blyssyng and hers; and sche prayeth yow, and I pray yow
also, that ye be wel dyetyd of mete and drynke, for that is the
grettest helpe that ye may have now to your helthe ward.
Your sone¹ faryth wel, blyssyd be God.

     ¹ [From Fenn, iii. 20.] This letter was written after the birth of John Paston’s
eldest son, who was born in 1442, and cannot be later than 1443, as William Paston,
who is mentioned, died in August of the year following.

     ² St. Leonard’s Priory, Norwich.

     ¹ William Paston.

     ² Perhaps her godfather. The family of Garneys were Lords of Gelderstone, the
place called by Margaret Paston Gerlyston, a few lines above.

    ¹ Almost certainly his eldest son, John, afterwards Sir John Paston.

SEPT. 28

1443
SEPT. 28

1443
SEPT. 28