Margaret Paston to John Paston

LETTER LVI.

    To my ryght worschipfull
    Husbond Iohn Paston in hast.

      RYGHT worshypful husbond I recomaund me to yow Prey-
         eng you hertyly y^t wyl seke a meen y^t yowr s^rvauntys
may be in pees for they be dayly in fer of ther lyvys the Duke
Suff. Men thretyn dayly Dawbeney Wykys and Ric Calle y^t
wher so euer they may gete them they schold dye And affrayes
have ben made on Rychared Calle this weke so y^t he was on gret
Jupperte at Norwych among them And gret Affrayes have ben
made uppon me and my Felashep her on Monday last passyd of
whych Rychard Calle tellyth me y^t he hath sent yow word of
in wryghtyng mor pleynly than I may doo at thys tyme but I
shal Jnforme yow mor pleynly herastyr I suppose ther shal be
  gret labor ageyn yow and yowr seruaunts at the assysis and ces-
cions her wherfor me semyth sauyng your bett^r advyce it wer
wele do y^t he shold speke w^t y^e Justicys or they come her And yf
ye wol y^t I compleyn to them or to any other if good fortune
me lyfe and helth I wol do as ye advyse me to do for in good
feyth I haue ben symply intretid amonge them And what w^t
syknesse and troble y^t I haue had I am browte ryght lowe and
weyke but to my power I wyl do as I can or may in your
maters The Duk of ¹ Suff and bothe y^e Duchessys shal com to
Claxton thys day as I am Jnformyd and thys next weke he shal
be at Coffey whether he wol com ferther hyddyr ward of not I
wot not yit It is seyd y^t he schold com hyddyr And yet hys men
seyd her on Monday y^t he cleymyd no tytyl to thys place they
seyd ther Comyng was but to take out such ryotus peple as was
her w^tin thys place And suche as wer the kyngys felonys and
Indytyd and outlawyd men neu'the lesse they wold schew no
warauntys wherby to take non such thow ther had suche her I
suppose if they myght have com in pesably they wold have made
an other cause of ther comyng whan alle was doo and they
scholde dep^rte Harlyston and other desyryd me y^t I schold com
and se myn olde lady and sewe to my lorde and if any thyng wer
amysse it schold be amendyd I seyd if I scholde sewe for any
remedye y^t I scholde sewe ferther and lete the kynge and alle the

lordys of thys londe to haue knowlech what hathe be don to vs
if so wer that the Deuk wolde meynten y^t hathe be don to vs by
hys s^ruauntys if ye wolde geue me leve I pray yow sende me
worde if ye wyl y^t I make any compleynt to the Duke or the
Duchesse For as it is ² tolde me they know not the pleynesse
that hathe ben don in such thyngys as hathe ben don in her
namys I schold wryght muche mor to yow but for lak of leyser I
comaundyd my mayst^r Tom thys Day to have com ageyn by me
from Norwych when he had spokyn w^t rychard Calle but he
cam not I wolde he wer qwyte of hys Jndytments so y^t he wer
qwyte of yowr servyc for by my trowthe I holde the place y^e mor
ongracyous y^t he is in for hys dysposycion in dyverce thyngys
y^e whych y^e schal be inform^d of her aft^r The Trynyte haue yow
in kepyng Wretyn the Fryday next aft^r seynt Thom's.

                                                     By yowr.

                                                                                  ³ M. P.

                  11 ? by 12.

                Paper Mark,

                      A Bull.

               PI. XXII. No 16.

         Seal, a Fleur de Lys.

                Pl. XXIII. N^o 7.

Margaret Paston in this Letter in some measure continues the narrative of the riotous
proceedings at Hellesdon and Norwich against her Husbands' Servants and Tenants by the
Retainers of the Duke of Suffolk; she pathetically complains of her troubles both of body
and mind, and gives an alarming account of her bad state of health, appearing however,
under all her misfortunes, the careful, tender, and amiable Wife.

    ¹ John de la Pole, Duke of Suffolk, married Elizabeth, Daughter of Richard Plan-
tagenet, Duke of York, and Sister of King Edward IV. The Duchess his Mother, the
relict of the late Duke of Suffolk, was widow of Thomas de Montacute, Earl of Salif-
bury, and Daughter and heir of Thomas Chaucer, Esq. She was grand-daughter to that
famous Poet, Geoffry Chaucer, and died in 1475.

    ²It seems from her expressions here, that this riotous fellowship had proceeded to these
outrageous lengths without the Duke's knowledge, and that she appears to believe the
report to be true.

    ³ Autograph. Pl. II. N^o 25.

LETTER LVI.

To my right worshipful Husband John Paston, in haste.

      RIGHT worshipful Husband, I recommend me to you,
           praying you heartily that ye will seek a mean that your
servants may be in peace, for they be daily in fear of their lives;
the Duke of Suffolk's men threaten daily Daubeney, Wykes,
and Richard Calle, that wheresoever they may get them they
shall die, and affrays have been made on Richard Calle this
week, so that he was in great jeopardy at Norwich among them;
and great affrays have been made upon me and my fellowship
here on Monday last past, of which Richard Calle telleth me
that he hath sent you word of in writing, more plainly than I
may do at this time, but I shall inform you more plainly here-
after.

     I suppose there shall be great labour against you and your ser-
vants at the Assizes and Sessions here, wherefore me seemeth,
saving your better advice, it were well done that ye should speak
with the Justices ere they come here; and if ye will that I com-
plain to them or to any other, if Good (God) fortune me
life and health, I will do as ye advise me to do, for in good
faith, I have been simply entreated among them; and what with
sickness, and trouble that I have had, I am brought right low and
weak, but to my power I will do as I can or may in your matters.

    The Duke of ¹ Suffolk and both the Duchesses shall come to
Claxton this day, as I am informed, and this next week he shall
be at Cossey, whether he will come further hitherward or not, I
wot not yet; it is said that he should come hither, and yet his
men said here on Monday that he claimed no title to this place;
they said their coming was but to take out such riotous people as
was here within this place, and such as were the King's felons,
and endicted and outlawed men, nevertheless they would shew
no warrants whereby to take none such, though there had been
such here; I suppose, if they might have come in peaceably,
they would have made another cause of their coming.

    When all was done and they should depart, Harleston and other
desired me that I should come and see mine old Lady, and sue to
my Lord, and if any thing were amiss it should be amended.

    I said if I should sue for any remedy, that I should sue fur-
ther, and let the King and all the Lords of this land to have

knowledge what hath been done to us, if so were that the Duke
would maintain that hath been done to us by his Servants, if ye
would give me leave.

    I pray you send me word, if ye will that I make any com-
plaint to the Duke or the Duchess, for as it is ² told me, they
know not the plainness that hath been done in such things as
hath been done in their names.

    I should write much more to you but for lack of leisure.

    I commanded my Master Tom this day to have come again by
me from Norwich, when he had spoken with Richard Calle,
but he came not; I would he were quit of his indictment, so
that he were quit of your service, for by my truth, I hold the
place the more ungracious that he is in, for his disposition in
divers things, the which he shall be informed of hereafter.

    The Trinity have you in keeping. Written the Friday next
after Saint Thomas,

                                  By your

                                                          ³ MARGARET PASTON.

            Friday, 12th of July,

               1465. 5 E. IV.

Margaret Paston in this Letter in some measure continues the narrative of the riotous
proceedings at Hellesdon and Norwich against her Husbands' Servants and Tenants by the
Retainers of the Duke of Suffolk; she pathetically complains of her troubles both of body
and mind, and gives an alarming account of her bad state of health, appearing however,
under all her misfortunes, the careful, tender, and amiable Wife.

    ¹ John de la Pole, Duke of Suffolk, married Elizabeth, Daughter of Richard Plan-
tagenet, Duke of York, and Sister of King Edward IV. The Duchess his Mother, the
relict of the late Duke of Suffolk, was widow of Thomas de Montacute, Earl of Salif-
bury, and Daughter and heir of Thomas Chaucer, Esq. She was grand-daughter to that
famous Poet, Geoffry Chaucer, and died in 1475.

    ²It seems from her expressions here, that this riotous fellowship had proceeded to these
outrageous lengths without the Duke's knowledge, and that she appears to believe the
report to be true.

    ³ Autograph. Pl. II. N^o 25

594

MARGARET PASTON TO JOHN PASTON¹

To my right worschipfull husbond, John Paston, in hast.

     RYGHT worshypful husbond, I recomaund me to yow,
         preyeng you hertyly that ye wyl seke a meen that
        yowr servauntys may be in pees, for they be dayly in
fer of ther lyvys. The Duke Suffolks men thretyn dayly
Dawbeney, Wykys, and Richard Calle, that wher so ever they
may gete them they schold dye; and affrayes have ben made
on Rychard Calle this weke, so that he was in gret jupperte
at Norwych among them; and gret affrayes have ben made
uppon me and my felashep her on Monday last passyd, of
whych Rychard Calle tellyth me that he hath sent yow word
of in wryghtyng, mor pleynly than I may doo at thys tyme,
but I shal informe yow mor pleynly heraftyr.

     I suppose ther shal be gret labor ageyn yow and yowr
servaunts at the Assysis and Cescions her; wherfor me
semyth, savyng your better advyce, it wer wele do that ye
shold speke with the Justicys or they com her; and yf ye
wol that I compleyn to them or to any other, if Good
fortune me lyfe and helth, I wol do as ye advyse me to do,
for in good feyth I have ben symply intretid among them;
and what with syknesse, and troble that I have had, I am
browte ryght lowe and weyke, but to my power I wyl do as I
can or may in your maters.

     The Duk of Suffolk and both the Duchessys shal com to
Claxton thys day, as I an informyd, and thys next weke he
shal be at Cossey; whether he wol com ferther hyddyr ward
or not, I wot not yit. It is seyd that he schold com hyddyr,
and yet hys men seyd her on Monday that he cleymyd no
tytyl to thys place; they seyd ther comyng was but to take
out such ryotus peple as was her within thys place, and suche
as wer the Kyngys felonys, and indytyd and outlawyd men.
Neverthe lesse they wold schew no warauntys wherby to take
non such, thow ther had suche her; I suppose if they myght
have com in pesably, they wold have made an other cause of
ther comyng.

     Whan alle was doo and they scholde departe, Harlyston
and other desyryd me that I schold com and se myn olde
Lady, and sewe to my Lorde, and if any thyng wer amysse
it schold be amendyd. I said if I scholde sewe for any
remedye, that I scholde sewe ferther, and lete the Kynge
and alle the Lordys of thys lond to have knowlech what
hathe be don to us, if so wer that the Deuk wolde meynten
that hathe be don to us by hys servauntys, if ye wolde geve
me leve.

     I pray yow sende me worde if ye wyl that I make any
compleynt to the Duke or the Duchesse; for as it is tolde
me, they know not the pleynesse that hathe ben don in such
thyngys as hathe ben don in her [their] namys.

     I schold wryght muche mor to yow but for lak of leyser.

     I comaundyd my Mayster Tom thys day to have com
ageyn by me from Norwych, when he had spokyn with
Rychard Calle, but he cam not. I wolde he wer qwyte of
hys indytments, so that he wer qwyte of yowr servyce; for
by my trowthe, I holde the place the mor ongracyous that he
is in, for hys dysposycion in dyverce thyngys, the whych ye
schal be informed of her after.

     The Trynyte have yow in kepyng. Wretyn the Fryday
next after Seynt Thomas.

                                                 By yowr,                                 M. P.

     ¹ [From Fenn, iv. 218.] It is needless to point out that this letter must have
been written in the same year as the last.

JULY 12

1465
JULY 12

1465
JULY 12