Margaret Paston to John Paston

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Title
Margaret Paston to John Paston
Reference
Add. 34888, f. 91
Date
?29 January 1454
Library / Archive
  • The British Library
Transcript location(s) in printed volume(s)
Gairdner, Vol II, item 236; Fenn, Vol III, Henry VI item 40
Transcript from John Fenn, 'Original Letters, written during the reigns of Henry VI., Edward IV., and Richard III…. Volume III' (1st transcript)

LETTER XL.

 

      To my Right wurshipfull
     hosbond Iohn Paston be yis
     delyv’yd in hast.

RIGHT worshipfull Hosbond I recōmawnd me to yow
     prayīg yow to wete yt I spak yistirday wt my Suster and
she told me yt she was sory yt she myght not speke wt yow or ye
yede And she desyrith if itt pleased yow yt ye shuld yeve ye
Jantylman yt ye know of seche langage as he myght fele by yow
yt ye wull be wele will[SYM]g to ye matr yt ye know of For she told
me yt he hath seyd befor yis tym yt he cōseyvid yt ye have sett but
lytil yrby Wherefor she prayth yow yt ye woll be here gode
brother and yt ye myght have a full answer at yis tym whedder it
shall be ya or nay for her moder hath seyd to her syth yt ye
redyn hens yt she hath no fantesy yrinne but yt it shall com to A
jape And seyth to her yt y’ is gode Crafte in dawb[SYM]g And hath
seche langage to her yt she thynkt right strange and so yt she is
right wery y’of Wherefor she desyrith ye rather to have A full
cōclusyon y’inne she seyth her full trost is in yow and as ye do
y’inne she woll agre her y’to Maystr. 1Braklee be her yistrday
to have spoke wt yow I spak wt hym but he wold not tell me
what his erond was it is seyd her yt ye cesc’ons shall be at Thet-
ford on Satrday next kom[SYM]g and ther shall be my lord of Norff’
and other wt grette pupill as it is seyd oyr tydyngs have we none
yett The blissefull Trynyte have yow in his kep[SYM]g Wretyn at
Norwyche on ye Tewysday next befor Candelmasse.

     I p’y yow yt ye woll vowchesa[ILL] to remembr to p’vey a thīg
for my nekke and to do make my gyrdill.

                                                                                    Yowris,

                                                                                             3 M. P.

     My Cos’ 2 Crane recōmawndt her to yow and p’ytth yow to
remēbr her mater &c. for she may not slepe on nyghtys for hym.

 

            11 ½ by 5 ¾.

The conversation in this Letter must refer to some offer of marriage made to his sister
Elizabeth Paston, who afterwards married Robert Poynings; and I should suppose the
Letter to have been written in January 1452-3, from the request in it for him to buy his
wife some ornament for her neck, as the same petition had been made in Letter XV.
Vol. I. p. 71. which was dated April 1452, and probably not yet complied with.

     1 John Bracklee or Brackley, was a brother of the Convent of Grey Friars, or Friars
Minors, in Norwich; he took a Doctor of Divinity’s degree, and was a famous preacher.

2 Who the gentleman was, or what the important matter could be, which prevented,
her cousin Crane from sleeping, must be lest in doubt, unless some of my fair Readers,
who shall do me the honour to peruse these Letters, may have penetration enough to dis-
cover either the one or the other.

     3 Autograph. Pl. II. No 25.

 

 Paper Mark,
       Bull’s Head and Star.
             Pl. XXII. No 13.

Norwich, Tuesday 30th of January,
             1452-3. 31 H. VI.
Transcript from John Fenn, 'Original Letters, written during the reigns of Henry VI., Edward IV., and Richard III…. Volume III' (2nd transcript)

LETTER XL.

 

To my right worshipful husband John Paston, be this
delivered in haste.

 

RIGHT worshipful husband, I recommend me to you,
     praying you to weet that I spake yesterday with my sister,
and she told me that she was sorry that she might not speak
with you ere ye yede (went); and she desired, if it pleased
you, that ye should give the Gentleman, that ye know of, such
language as he might feel by you, that ye will be well willing
to the matter that ye know of; for she told me that he hath
said before this time that he conceived that ye have set but little
thereby; wherefore she prayeth you that ye will be her good
brother, and that ye might have a full answer at this time
whether it shall be yea or nay; for her mother hath said to her
syth (since) that ye ridden hence, that she hath no fantasy
therein, but that it shall come to a jape (come to nothing); and
saith to her that there is good crast in daubing; and hath
such language to her that she thinketh right strange, and so
that she is right weary thereof; wherefore she desireth the rather
to have a full conclusion therein. She saith her full trust is in
you, and as ye do therein, she will agree her thereto.

     1Master Brackley was here yesterday to have spoken with you;
I spake with him, but he would not tell me what his errand was.

     It is said here that the Sessions shall be at Thetford on Satur-
day next coming, and there shall be my Lord of Norfolk and
others with great people, as it is said.

     Other tidings have we none yet, the blessful Trinity have you
in his keeping. Written at Norwich on the Tuesday next before
Candlemass.

     I pray you that ye will vouchsafe to remember to purvey a
thing for my neck, and to do make (have made) my girdle.

                                                    Yours,

                                                            3 MARGARET PASTON.

 

     My Cousin 2 Crane recommendeth her to you, and prayeth
you to remember her matter, &c. for she may not sleep on
nights for him.

 

     The conversation in this Letter must refer to some offer of marriage made to his sister
Elizabeth Paston, who afterwards married Robert Poynings; and I should suppose the
Letter to have been written in January 1452-3, from the request in it for him to buy his
wife some ornament for her neck, as the same petition had been made in Letter XV.
Vol. I. p. 71. which was dated April 1452, and probably not yet complied with.

     1 John Bracklee or Brackley, was a brother of the Convent of Grey Friars, or Friars
Minors, in Norwich; he took a Doctor of Divinity’s degree, and was a famous preacher.

2 Who the gentleman was, or what the important matter could be, which prevented,
her cousin Crane from sleeping, must be lest in doubt, unless some of my fair Readers,
who shall do me the honour to peruse these Letters, may have penetration enough to dis-
cover either the one or the other.

     3 Autograph. Pl. II. No 25.

  Paper Mark,
       Bull’s Head and Star.
             Pl. XXII. No 13.

Norwich, Tuesday 30th of January,
             1452-3. 31 H. VI.

Transcript from James Gairdner, 'The Paston Letters, A.D., 1422-1509, New Complete Library Edition, Volume II'

236

 

MARGARET PASTON TO JOHN PASTON1

 

To my right wurshipfull hosbond, John Paston,
be this delyveryd in hast.

 

RIGHT worshipfull hosbond, I recommawnd me to yow,
     praying yow to wete that I spak yistirday with my
     suster,2 and she told me that she was sory that she
myght not speke with yow or ye yede; and she desyrith if itt
pleased yow, that ye shuld yeve the jantylman, that ye know
of, seche langage as he myght fele by yow that ye wull be wele
willyng to the mater that ye know of; for she told me that he
hath seyd befor this tym that he conseyvid that ye have sett
but lytil therby, wherefor she prayth yow that ye woll be here
gode brother, and that ye myght have a full answer at this tym
whedder it shall be ya or nay. For her moder hath seyd to
her syth that ye redyn hens, that she hath no fantesy therinne,
but that it shall com to a jape; and seyth to her that ther is
gode crafte in dawbyng; and hath seche langage to her that
she thynkyt right strange, and so that she is right wery therof,
wherefor she desyrith the rather to have a full conclusyon
therinne. She seyth her full trost is in yow, and as ye do
therinne, she woll agre her therto.

     Mayster Braklee3 be her yisterday to have spoke with
yow; I spak with hym, but he wold not tell me what his
erond was.

     It is seyd her that the cescions shall be at Thetford on
Saterday next komyng, and ther shall be my Lord of Norffolk
and other with grette pupill [people], as it is seyd.

     Other tydyngs have we none yett. The blissefull Trynyte
have yow in his kepyng. Wretyn at Norwyche, on the
Tewysday next befor Candelmasse.

     I pray yow that ye woll vowchesawf to remembr to purvey
a thing for my nekke, and to do make my gyrdill.

                                                      Yowris,                              M. P.

 

     My cosyn Crane recommawndeth her to yow, and praytth
yow to remembr her mater, &c., for she may not slepe on
nyghtys for hym.

     1 [From Fenn, iii. 170.] The request made at the end of this letter that John
Paston would procure his wife an ornament for her neck, is noted by Fenn as one that
she had made in April 1452, and of which this was probably a repetition nine months
afterwards. There seems no better evidence of date to go by, so we follow the same
mode of inference; but as we have placed the letter containing the first petition for
the necklace in 1453 instead of 1452, we must attribute this letter to the year 1454.

     2 Elizabeth Paston.

     3 John Bracklee or Brackley was a brother of the Convent of Grey Friars, or
Friars Minors, in Norwich. He took a Doctor of Divinity’s degree, and was a famous
preacher.—F.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1454(?)
JAN. 29

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1454
JAN. 29