Margaret Paston to John Paston

LETTER XV.

To my right wurshipfull Mayster John Paston be yis de-
lyv^ryd ī hast.

        RIGHT wurshipfull Hosband I recom’and me to yow
              p’yīg yow to wete, &c. (here follows some account of
money received, &c.)

     As for tydyngs y^e Quene come in to y^is town on ¹ Tewysday
last past aft^r none and abode her’ tyll itt was Thursday iij aft^r
none and she sent aft’ my Cos Elysabeth ² Cler’ by Sharyn
born to come to her and she durst not dysabey her com’and-
ment and come to her and when she come in y^e Quenys
p’sens y^e Quene made ryght meche of her and desyrid here
to have an hosbond y^e which ye shall know of her’ aft^r,
but as for that he is nev^r nerrer than he was befor.

     The Quene was right well pleasid w^t her answer and reportyht
of her in y^e best wyse and seyth be here trowth she sey no
Jantylwoman syn she come into Norffolk y^t she lyk^t bett^r
yan she doth her.

 Blake y^e Bayle of Swaffh’m was here w^t y^e Kyngs ³ broy^r
and he come to me weny’g y^t ye had be at hom and seyd y^t y^e
Kyngs broy^r desyrid hym y^t he shuld p’y yow in his name
to come to hym for he wold right fayn that ye had come to hym
if ye had ben at hom’, And he told me y^t he west wele y^t he
shuld send for yow when he come to London, boy^e for Cossey
and other thyngs.

     I p’y yow y^t ye woll do y^r cost on me ayens Witsontyd y^t I
may have somme thyng for my nekke, when y^e Quene was her’
I borowd my Cos: Elysab^t Cleris ⁴ Devys for I durst not for
shame go w^t my ⁵ beds among so many ⁶ fresch Jantylwomen
as her’ wer’ at y^t tym.

     The blissid T’nyte have yow in his kepy’g.

     Wretyn at Norwych on y^e fryday next befor Seynt George.

                                                                           Be yowrs,

           8 ½ by 8 ½.

                                                                                  ⁷ M. Paston.

  Paper Mark,
             a Flower.
           Pl. VIII. N^o 8.

 Norwich,
                Friday, 21st of April,
                1452, 30 H. VI.

 Margaret of Anjou, Queen of Henry VI. alarmed at the report of the approach of
Edward, Earl of March, (Son to the Duke of York,) towards London with a great
power endeavoured to make what Friends she could; and amongst other places, on her
journey for that purpose, visited Norwich, Edmund de Hadham, and Jasper of Hatfield,
the King’s half Brothers attending her.

 Her familiarity and obliging address pleased the Gentry, and shows that she understood
the art of conciliating the goodwill of those with whom she conversed.

     ¹ Tuesday 18th of April. Thursday 20th of April.

     ² Daughter of Robert Clere, Esq. of Ormesby.

  ³ Either Edmund, afterwards Earl of Richmond, Father to Henry VII. or Jasper,
Earl of Pembroke.

     ⁴ A Device or Ornament for the neck.

     ⁵ Necklaces of Beads, &c. appear to have been worn at this time, though she either
did not think her’s handsome, or fashionable enough to be put on upon this occasion

 ⁶ May not the word fresch mean French or foreign Gentlewomen, attendant on the
Queen? though it most probably means, fresh, gay, or well-dressed Ladies.

     ⁷ Margaret, Wife of John Paston, Esq. &c. Pl. II. N^o 20.

LETTER XV.

To my right worshipful Master, John Paston, be this deli-
vered in haste.

           RIGHT worshipful Husband, I recommend me to you,
                  praying you to weet, &c. (here follows some account of
money received, &c.)

     As for tidings, the Queen came into this town on ¹ Tuesday
last past after noon, and abode here till it was Thursday three
(o’clock) afternoon; and she sent after my Cousin Elizabeth
² Clere by Sharinborn to come to her; and she durst not disobey
her commandment, and came to her; and when she came in the
Queen’s Presence, the Queen made right much of her, and
desired her to have an husband, the which ye shall know of
hereafter; but as for that he is never nearer than he was before;
the Queen was right well pleased with her answer, and report-
eth of her in the best wise, and faith, by her truth, she saw no
Gentlewoman since she came into Norfolk, that she liked better
than she doth her.

Blake, the Bailey of Swaffham, was here with the King’s
Brother, and he came to me, wening that ye had been at
home; and said, that the King’s brother desired him that he
should pray you in his name to come to him, for he would right
fain that ye had come to him, if ye had been at home; and
he told me, that he wist well that he should send for you, when
he came to London, both for Cossey and other things.

     I pray you that ye will do your cost on me against Whitsuntide,
that I may have something for my neck; when the Queen was
here, I borrowed my Cousin Elizabeth Clere’s ⁴ Device, for I
durst not for shame go with my ⁵ Beads amongst so many ⁶ fresh
Gentlewomen as here were at that time.

     The blessed Trinity have you in his keeping.

     Written at Norwich on the Friday next before Saint George.

                                                                       By yours,

                                                         ⁷ MARGARET PASTON.

 8 ? by 8 ?.

Paper Mark,
             a Flower.
           Pl. VIII. N^o 8.

 Norwich,
                Friday, 21st of April,
                1452, 30 H. VI.

 Margaret of Anjou, Queen of Henry VI. alarmed at the report of the approach of
Edward, Earl of March, (Son to the Duke of York,) towards London with a great
power endeavoured to make what Friends she could; and amongst other places, on her
journey for that purpose, visited Norwich, Edmund de Hadham, and Jasper of Hatfield,
the King’s half Brothers attending her.

 Her familiarity and obliging address pleased the Gentry, and shows that she understood
the art of conciliating the goodwill of those with whom she conversed.

     ¹ Tuesday 18th of April. Thursday 20th of April.

     ² Daughter of Robert Clere, Esq. of Ormesby.

  ³ Either Edmund, afterwards Earl of Richmond, Father to Henry VII. or Jasper,
Earl of Pembroke.

     ⁴ A Device or Ornament for the neck.

     ⁵ Necklaces of Beads, &c. appear to have been worn at this time, though she either
did not think her’s handsome, or fashionable enough to be put on upon this occasion

 ⁶ May not the word fresch mean French or foreign Gentlewomen, attendant on the
Queen? though it most probably means, fresh, gay, or well-dressed Ladies.

     ⁷ Margaret, Wife of John Paston, Esq. &c. Pl. II. N^o 20.

226

MARGARET PASTON TO JOHN PASTON¹

To my right wurshipfull Mayster, Jon Paston, be
this delyveryd in hast.

    RIGHT wurshipfull hosbond, I recommand me to yow,
       preying yow to wete, &c.² . . .

       As for tydyngs, the Quene³ come in to this town
on Tewysday last past after none, and abode here tyll itt was
Thursday, iij. after none; and she sent after my cos. Elysabeth
Clere⁴ by Sharynborn, to come to her; and she durst not
dysabey her commandment, and come to her. And when she
come in the Quenys presens, the Quene made ryght meche of
her, and desyrid here to have an hosbond, the which ye shall
know of here after. But as for that, he is never nerrer than
he was befor.
The Quene was right well pleasid with her answer, and
reportyht of her in the best wyse, and seyth, be her trowth,
she sey no jantylwoman syn she come into Norffolk that she
lykit better than she doth her.

     Blake, the bayle¹ of Swaffham, was here with the Kyngs
brother,² and he come to me, wenyng that ye had be at hom,
and seyd that the Kyngs brother desyrid hym that he shuld
pray yow in his name to come to hym, for he wold right fayn
that ye had come to hym, if ye had ben at home; and he told
me that he west wele that he shuld send for yow when he come
to London, bothe for Cossey and other thyngs.

     I pray yow that ye woll do your cost on me ayens Witson-
tyd, that I may have somme thyng for my nekke. When the
Quene was here, I borowd my coseyn Elysabeth Cleris devys,
for I durst not for shame go with my beds among so many
fresch jantylwomen as here were at that tym. The blissid
Trinyte have yow in his kepyng.

     Wretyn at Norwych on the Fryday next befor Seynt
George.

                                        Be yowrs,                        M. PASTON.

     ¹ [From Fenn, i. 68.] According to Blomefield (Hist. of Norf. iii. 158), Margaret
of Anjou, Queen of Henry VI., visited Norwich in the spring of 1452; but by the
same authority, it would appear that she had returned to Westminster before the 17th
of March in that year, which would not suit the date of this letter. Besides, John
Paston was at Norwich in April 1452, and dates a letter at Norwich on St. George’s
day, complaining of the assault made upon him at the door of Norwich Cathedral on
Monday before Easter. It is impossible, therefore, that Margaret Paston could have
written to him from Norwich two days before St. George’s day in that year. From
an undated entry in the Norwich city records, which bears internal evidence of having
been made in the year 1453, it would appear that the King’s half-brothers, Edmund,
Earl of Richmond, and Jasper, Earl of Pembroke, visited Norwich in that year.—(See
fol. 19 of a volume, entitled An Old Free Book, in the Norwich city archives.) As
to the Queen’s visit I find no direct evidence, but I think it possible she may have
come with one of the King’s brothers, and that the other may have come a little
later.

     ² Here (says Fenn) follows some account of money received, etc.

     ³ Margaret of Anjou.

     ⁴ Widow of Robert Clere, Esq. of Ormesby, who died in 1446. Fenn says his
daughter, but no notice is found of a daughter of that name, while the widow occurs
frequently in this correspondence.

     ¹ Bailiff.

     ² Either Edmund Tudor, who was created Earl of Richmond about November
1452, or Jasper, who was created Earl of Pembroke at the same time. They were half-
brothers to the King, being sons of his mother, Catherine, Queen of Henry V., by her
subsequent marriage to Sir Owen Tudor.

APRIL 20

1453
APRIL 20