Margaret Paston to Sir John Paston

LETTER XXII.

Un to Syr John Paston
     be this delyu’ed i˜ hast

RYGHT welbelouyd son I grete you well and send you
c’stes blissyng and myne desyringe to know how ye faire, J
mervaile y^t I haue herd no tydynges from you sythe ye
sent me y^e lettyr of an answere of y^e xx li the which J have
layde pleages for to my Cosyn Cleere the which lett^r was
wryten y^e xxij^ty day of Febr And as for y^e money J can not
gete no lenger day y’of yan mydsomer or fourte nyght aft^r
And towardys y^t money And y^e xx^ty li y^t I send yow by
syde to london by Sym J have receyued no mor money of
yowres but as moch as J send yow wreten in yis lettr And
as for any discharge y^t I promysed at y^e boroeng y^t of y^e
xx^ti l’ when J leyde the pleages y’ for I thought not but y^t
yo^r uncle shuld a boroed yem owte And I to have had my
pleages as well as he his neu^r y^e less I shall be the warer
how J shall dele her aftyr by my trowth J wote not how to
do y’ for, the kyng goth so ner us in yis Contre both to
pooer and ryche y^t I wote not how we shall lyff but yff ye
world amend god amend it whan his wyll is J can nor sell
corne nor catell to no good preve malt is her but at x^d a
comb wheete a comb xxviij^d ootes a Comb x^d And y’ of is
but lytell to geet her at thys tyme. Will’m Pekok shall
send you a byll what he hath payde for yow for ij tasks
at y^is tyme And how he hath purveyde for y^e rem-
naunte of yo^r corne And also of oy^r thyngs y^t be necessary
y^t shuld be purveyd for in yo^r absence. Send me word also
whome ye wyll desyre to do for yow in this Contre or ellys
wher in yo^r absence And wryte to them to do for yow and
they wyll be the bett^r wylled to do for yow And I wyll do
my devyrs for yow also as well as I can. The som of mo-
ney y^t I have Receyvyd of Will’m Pecok fyrst xls of
Runnh’m. Jt’m of Bastwyk xxs It’m of Runnh’m xxs It’m
of hym for barly at runnh’m xxs It’m of y^e Fyschynge at
Bastwyk xiij^s iiij^d It’m for Barely sold at Runnh’m viij sum’a
total’ vjl xvj^d. It’m J have receyuyd of Ric Calle of Sporle
Wodd xxvj^s viij^d And mor shall I hope her aftyr w^tin short
tym As J receyue for yow I hope to yeff yow a trew acownt.
And yis is all y^t I have receyuyd for yow zytt sen ye de-
partyd hens god bryng yow well ageyn to y^is contre to his
pleasans and to yo^r wurshyp and profyzt. Wryten at
Mawteby y^e xxiij^tij day of May and y^e Tewsday next aftyr
t’nyte Sonday. For godds loue And yo^r brey’ go ou^r y^e see
auyse them as ye thynk best for her saue garde. For som
of them be but yonge sawgers And wote full lytyll what yt
meneth to be as a sauger nor for to endur to do as a sawger
shuld do. God saue yow all and send me good tythyngs
of yow all And send ye me word in hast how ye doo For I
thynk longe to j her of yow

                                                                 Be youre modyr.

     Jt’m J wold not i˜ no wyse y^t ye
shuld nor sell nor sett to pleage y^t ye
haue in Runnh’m. What som eu^r for-
tune of y^e remnaund for y^t is a prety
thyng And resonable well payde And
nere thys towne J wold be ryght sory
y^t ye shuld for ber that J had leu^r ye
for bor y^t yo^r uncle hath to morgage
than y^t.

      11½ by 9.

    This Letter, in reply to Sir John Paston’s of the 22d of February, still com-
plains of the times, and shows us how the country was distressed by the large
demands from the King; that the price of corn, &c. was low, and money
scarce.

     Margaret Paston’s anxiety for her children, some of whom were now first
going to France as soldiers, attracts our notice, and interests us in their safety
and welfare. There is no doubt but that her son complied with her earnest
request, and gave them proper caution and advice, as he always showed him-
self a kind and affectionate brother.

     The contents of the letter are both curious and interesting.

     Seal, a Fleur-de-lys. Pl. xiv. No. 4.

LETTER XXII.

Unto Sir John Paston, be this delivered in haste.

RIGHT well-beloved son, I greet you well, and send you
Christ’s blessing and mine, desiring to know how ye fare.
I marvel that I have heard no tidings from you since ye
sent me the letter of an answer of the 20l. the which I have
laid pledges for to my cousin Clere; the which letter was
written the 22d day of February; and as for that money, I
cannot get no longer day thereof than Midsummer, or fort-
night after; and towards that money, and the 20l. that I
sent you besides to London by Sym, I have received no
more money of yours, but as much as I send you written in
this letter. And as for any discharge that I promised at
the borrowing of the 20l. when I laid the pledges therefore,
I thought not but that your uncle should have borrowed
them out, and I to have my pledges, as well as he his:
nevertheless I shall be the warer how I shall deal here-
after.

     By my troth, I wot not how to do therefore; the King
goeth so near us in this country, both to poor and rich, that
I wot not how we shall live, but if [unless] the world amend:
God amend it, when his will is. I can neither sell corn
nor cattle to no good preve [proof].

     Malt is here but at 10d. a comb; wheat, a comb, 28d.;
oats, a comb, 10d.; and thereof is but little to get here at
this time.

     William Peacock shall send you a bill what he hath paid
for you for two tasks [subsidies] at this time; and how he hath
purveyed for the remenant of your corn; and also of other
things that be necessary, that should be purveyed for in
your absence. Send me word also whom ye will desire to
do for you in this country, or elsewhere in your absence;
and write to them to do for you, and they will be the better
willed to do for you; and I will do my endeavour for you
also, as well as I can.

     The sum of money that I have received of William
Peacock:

     First, 40s. of Runham. Item, of Bastwick, 20s. Item,
of Runham, 20s. Item, of him for barley at Runham, 20s.
Item, of the fishing at Bastwick, 13s. 4d. Item, for barley
sold at Runham, 8s. Sum total, 6l. 1s. 4d.

     Item, I have received of Richard Call, of Sporle woods,
26s. 8d. and more shall I hope for hereafter within short
time; as I receive for you, I hope to give you a true ac-
count: and this is all that I have received for you yet, since
ye departed hence.

     God bring you well again to this country, to his plea-
sance, and to your worship and profit. Written at
Maulteby, the 23d day of May, and the Tuesday next after
Trinity Sunday.

     For God’s love, and [if] your brethren go over the sea,
advise them as ye think best for their safeguard, for some of
them be but young soldiers, and wot full little what it
meaneth to be as a soldier, nor for to endure to do as a
soldier should do. God save you all, and send me good
tidings of you all. And send ye me word in haste how ye
do, for I think long till I hear from you.

                                         By your mother,

                                                            MARGARET PASTON.

               Maultby,
        Tuesday, 23d May,
        1475. 15 E. iv.

     Item, I would not in no wise that ye should sell nor set
to pledge that ye have in Runham, whatsoever fortune of
the remanent; for it is a pretty thing, and reasonable well
paid, and near this town: I would be right sorry that ye
should forbear that: I had lever [rather] ye forbore that your
uncle hath to mortgage than that.

   This Letter, in reply to Sir John Paston’s of the 22d of February, still com-
plains of the times, and shows us how the country was distressed by the large
demands from the King; that the price of corn, &c. was low, and money
scarce.

     Margaret Paston’s anxiety for her children, some of whom were now first
going to France as soldiers, attracts our notice, and interests us in their safety
and welfare. There is no doubt but that her son complied with her earnest
request, and gave them proper caution and advice, as he always showed him-
self a kind and affectionate brother.

     The contents of the letter are both curious and interesting.

     Seal, a Fleur-de-lys. Pl. xiv. No. 4.

871

MARGARET PASTON TO SIR JOHN PASTON¹

Un to Syr John Paston, be this delyvered in hast.

RYGHT welbelovyd son, I grete you well, and send you
           Cristes blissyng and myne, desyringe to know how ye
           faire. I mervaile that I have herd no tydynges from
you sythe ye sent me the lettyr of an answere of the xxli.
the which I have layde pleages for to my cosyn Cleere, the
which letter was wry ten the xxij^ty day of Februar; and as for
that money, I can not gete no lenger day therof than Myd-
somer, or fourte nyght after; and towardys that money, and
the xx^tyli. that I send yow by syde to London by Sym, I have
receyved no mor money of yowres, but as moch as I send
yow wryten in this letter. And as for any discharge that I
promysed at the boroeng off the xx^tili. when I leyde the
pleages ther fore, I thought not but that your uncle shuld a
boroed them owte, and I to have had my pleages, as well as
he his; never the less I shall be the warer how I shall dele here
aftyr. By my trowth, I wote not how to do ther fore; the
Kyng goth so nere us in this cuntre, both to pooer and
ryche, that I wote not how we shall lyff, but yff [unless] the
world amend. God amend it, whan His wyll is. We¹ can
nother sell corne ner catell to no good preve. Malt is here
but at xd. a comb; wheete, a comb xxviijd.; ootes, a comb xd.;
and ther of is but lytell to geet here at thys tyme. William
Pecok shall send you a byll what he hath payde for yow for ij.
taskes at this tyme; and how he hath purveyde for the rem-
naunte of your corne; and also off other thynges that be
necessary that shuld be purveyd for in your absence. Send
me word also whome ye wyll desyre to do for yow in this
contre, or ellys where in your absence; and wryte to them to
do for yow, and they wyll be the better wylled to do for yow;
and I wyll do my devyr for yow also, as well as I can.

     The somma off money that I have receyvyd off Wylliam
Pecok:—First, xls. off Runnham. Item, off Bastwyk, xxs.
Item, off Runnham, xxs. Item, off him for barly at Runn-
ham, xxs. Item, off the fyschynge at Bastwyke, xiijs. iiijd.
Item, for barely sold at Runnham, viijs. Summa totalis, vjli.
xvjd.

     Item, I have receyvyd of Ric. Calle, of Sporle wodd, xxvjs.
viijd., and more shall I hope here aftyr within short tyme; as
I receyve for yow, I hope to yeff yow a trew acownt; and
this is all that I have receyvyd for yow zytt, sen ye departyd
hens. God bryng yow well ageyn to this contre, to His
pleasans, and to your wurshyp and profyzt.

     Wryten at Mawteby, the xxiij^ty day of May, and the
Tewsday next afftyr Trinyte Sonday.

     For Goddes love, and your brether go over the see, avyse
them as ye thynk best for her [their] save garde. For some
of them be but yonge sawgeres, and wote full lytyll what yt
meneth to be as a sauger, nor for to endure to do as a sawger
shuld do. God save yow all, and send me good tythynges of
yow all. And send ye me word in hast how ye doo, for I
thynk longe to I here off yow.                      Be youre Modyr.

     Item, I wold not in no wyse that ye shuld nother sell
nor sett to pleage that ye have in Runnham, what som ever
fortune of the remnaund; for yt is a praty thyng, and reson-
able well payde, and nere thys towne. I wold be ryght sory
that ye shuld for bere that; I had lever ye for bore that your
uncle hath to morgage than that.

     ¹ [From Paston MSS., B.M.] This letter is endorsed ‘Mens’ Maii, anno xv^o.’
The date is confirmed by the fact that in 1475 the Tuesday after Trinity Sunday was
the 23rd of May.

    ¹ We. Originally written I, and corrected.

1475
MAY 23

1475
MAY 23

1475
MAY 23