Margaret Paston to Sir John Paston

LETTER XLVI.

Copia lr˜e Jo. Paston mil. a m˜re suâ.

YT ys soo y^t I undyrstonde be yowyr lett^r wretyn y^e thyrs-
day nexte be for sey˜t lauerens y^t ze wulde haue knowlage
how y^t I wuld be demenyd in Coketts mater of weche I
send you her undyr wretyn I putte yow in c’teyn y^t I wull
neuyr pay him peny of y^t duty y^t ys owyng to hym thow he
sue me for yt not of myn owyn pursse for J wul not be
co˜pellyd to pay yowyr detts azens my well And thow J
wuld I may not wher for J a wyse yow to see me sauyd
harmelesse azens hym for yowyr owyn a wauntage in tyme
cu˜yng For yf I pay yt at longe wey ze xall ber y^e losse.
And wher as ze wryte to me y^t J gaue yow XX li and
p’mysyd odyr XX li y^t ys nat soo for J wutte wele yf I had
soo doon ze wuld nat assynyd me by yowyr lett^rys of yowyr
owyn hande wrytyng y^e whech J haue to schew y^t I schuld
refreyne a zen y^e same sum˜e of Wyll’m Pecok and of yowyr
fermors and byars of yowyr wood of Sporle and take y^rs for
a full c’clusyon in thys mater for y^t xall be noon othyr wyse
for me yan J wryte her to yow J meruel meche y^t ze haue
delte azen soo symply wyth Sporle c’syd’yng y^t ze and
yowyr frendys had so meche to doo for to geetyt yow azen
onys And ze hauy˜g noo grett^r mat’es of charge yan ze haue
had sythyn y^t was last pleggyt owte y^t causyth me to be in
grete dowte of yow what yowyr dysposycon wul be here
aftyr for swheche lyfelood as I haue be dysposyd before y^s
tyme to leve yow aft^r my decesse for I thynke veryly y^t ye
wulde be dysposyd heraftyr to selle or sette to morgage
y^e lond y^t ye xulde haue aft^r me yowyr modyr as gladdly
and rathyr yan y^t lyfe lood y^t ye haue aft^r yowyr fadyr
y^t greuyth me to thynke upon yowyr gydeyng aft^r y^e
greet good y^t ze haue had in yowyr rewle sythyn yowyr
fadyr deyyd whom god assoyle And soo symply spendyt as
y^t hath ben. God geue yow g’ce to be of sadde and good
dysposyn her aft^r to hys plesans and c’forte to me And to
all yowyr frendys and to yowyr wurchyp and p’fyte her aft^r
And as for yowyr brothyr Wyll’m J wuld ye xulde purvey
for hys fyndyng for as I told yow y^e laste tyme y^t ye war at
home J wuld no le˜g^r fynde hym at my cost and charge hys
boord and hys scole hyer ys owyng sythyn sey^t Thom’s day
a for c’stmesse And he hathe greet nede of gownys and
odyr ger y^t whar necessary for hym to haue in haste J wulde
ze xulde r’me˜byrt and purvey ye for as for me I wul nat
I thynke ze sette butte lytyl be my blessyng and yf ye dede
ye wulde a desyyrd y^t in yowyr wryty˜g to me God make
yow a good man to hys plesans Wretyn at Mawteby y^e
Day aft^r sey˜t lauerons y^e yer and y^e r’nge of Ky˜g E y^e iiij^te
ye xvij yer.

                                                                     Be yowyr modyr.

      12 by 8½.

             Paper Mark,
       Bull’s Head and Star.
            Pl. xxxii. No. 4.

    This letter, in answer to the foregoing, shews how much displeased Marga-
ret Paston was with her son, not only for his extravagance, but for insinuating
that she had given him different sums of money which, she here says, were only
lent to him.

     Perhaps her representations are just, and if so, though they are severe, she
has Sir John’s interest at heart; indeed several expressions in the letter con-
firm it; and her fears for his future difficulties make her express herself in
stronger terms than usual. The neglect of his brother William, who was at
school at Eton, is certainly reprehensible, as he had estates and manors left for
the provision and education of his brothers.

     These letters set family affairs clearly before us, and shew that human
nature has varied little during the course of three centuries.

LETTER XLVI.

The Copy of a Letter to Sir John Paston, Knt. from his
Mother.

IT is so that I understand by your letter, written the Thurs-
day next before Saint Laurence, that ye would have know-
ledge how that I would be demeaned in Kocket’s matter,
which I send you hereunder written: I put you in certain
that I will never pay him [a] penny of that duty that is
owing to him, though he sue me for it, not of mine own
purse; for I will not be compelled to pay your debts against
my will, and though I would, I may not: wherefore I advise
you to see me saved harmless against him for your own ad-
vantage in time coming; for, if I pay it, at long way ye
shall bear the loss. And whereas ye write to me that I
gave you 20l. and promised other 20l. that is not so, for I
wot well if I had so done, ye would not [have] assigned me
by your letters of your own hand writing, the which I have
to shew, that I should receive again the same sum of Wil-
liam Peacock, and of your farmers, and buyers of your wood
of Sporle; and take this for a full conclusion in this matter,
for it shall be none otherwise for me than I write here to
you.

     I marvel much that ye have dealt again so simply with
Sporle, considering that ye and your friends had so much
to do for to get it you again once, and ye having no greater
matters of charge than ye have had since it was last pledged
out, it causeth me to be in great doubt of you, what your
disposition will be hereafter for such livelihood as I have
been disposed before this time to leave you after my de-
cease; for I think verily that ye will be disposed hereafter
to sell or set to mortgage the land, that ye should have
after me your mother, as gladly and rather than that liveli-
hood that ye have after your father; it grieveth me to think
upon your guiding, after the great good that ye have had in
your rule, since your father died, whom God assoil, and so
simply spent as it hath been; God give you grace to be of
sad [serious] and good disposition hereafter to his pleasance
and comfort to me, and to all your friends, and to your
worship and profit hereafter.

     And as for your brother William, I would ye should pur-
vey for his finding, for as I told you the last time ye were
at home, I would no longer find him at my cost and charge;
his board and his school hire is owing since Saint Tho-
mas’s day afore Christmas; and he hath great need of
gowns, and other geer, that were necessary for him to have
in haste. I would ye should remember it, and purvey them,
for as for me I will not. I think ye set but little by my
blessing, and if ye did ye would have desired it in your
writing to me: God make you a good man to his plea-
sance.

     Written at Maultby the day after Saint Laurence, the
year of the reign of King Edward IV., the 17th year.

                                                                      your Mother,

                                                                   MARGARET PASTON.

              Maultby,
       Monday, 11th Aug.
          1477. 17 E. iv.

    This letter, in answer to the foregoing, shews how much displeased Marga-
ret Paston was with her son, not only for his extravagance, but for insinuating
that she had given him different sums of money which, she here says, were only
lent to him.

     Perhaps her representations are just, and if so, though they are severe, she
has Sir John’s interest at heart; indeed several expressions in the letter con-
firm it; and her fears for his future difficulties make her express herself in
stronger terms than usual. The neglect of his brother William, who was at
school at Eton, is certainly reprehensible, as he had estates and manors left for
the provision and education of his brothers.

     These letters set family affairs clearly before us, and shew that human
nature has varied little during the course of three centuries.

917

MARGARET PASTON TO SIR JOHN PASTON¹

YT ys soo that I undyrstonde be yowyr letter wretyn
     the Thyrsday nexte be fore Seynt Lauerons, that ze
     wulde have knowlage how that I wuld be demenyd in
Cokettes mater; qweche I send you here undyr wretyn. I
putte yow in certeyn that I wull nevyr pay him peny of that
duty that ys owyng to hym, thow he sue me for yt, not of
myn owyn pursse; for I wul nat be compellyd to pay yowyr
dettes azens my well, and thow I wuld, I may nat. Where
fore I a wyse yow to see me savyd harmelesse azens hym for
yowyr owyn a wauntage in tyme cumyng, for yf I pay yt, at
longe wey ze xall bere the losse.

     And where as ze wryte to me that I gave yow xxli., and
promysyd odyr xxli., that ys nat soo, for I wutte wele yf I had
soo doon, ze wuld nat assynyd me be yowyr letterys of yowyr
owyn hande wrytyng, the whech I have to schew, that I schuld
resseyve a zen the same summe of Wylliam Pecok, and of
yowyr fermores, and byars of yowyr wood of Sporle; and take
this for a full conclusyon in thys mater, for yt xall be noon
othyr wyse for me than I wryte here to yow.

     I mervel meche that ze have delte azen soo symply wyth
Sporle, consyderyng that ze and yowyr frendys had so meche
to doo for to geetyt yow azen onys; and ye havyng noo
gretter materes of charge than ze have had sythyn yt was laste
pleggyt owte, yt causyth me to be in gret dowte of yow what
yowyr dysposycion wul be here aftyr for swheche lyfelood as
I have be dysposyd before this tyme to leve yow after my
decesse. For I thynke veryly that ye wulde be dysposyd here
aftyr to selle or sette to morgage the lond that ye xulde have
after me yowyr modyr as gladdly and rathyr than that lyfe
lood that ye have after yowyr fadyr. Yt grevyth me to
thynke upon yowyr gydeyng after the greet good that ze have
had in yowyr rewle sythyn yowyr fadyr deyyd, whom God
assoyle, and soo symply spendyt as yt hath ben. God geve
yow grace to be of sadde and good dysposyn here after to
Hys plesans, and comforte to me, and to all yowyr frendys,
and to yowyr wurchyp and profyte here after.

     And as for yowyr brothyr Wylliam, I wuld ye xulde
purvey for hys fyndyng, for as I told yow the laste tyme that
ye ware at home, I wuld no lenger fynde hym at my cost and
charge; hys boord and hys scole hyer ys owyng sythyn Seynt
Thomas Day afore Cristmesse, and he hathe greet nede of
gownys and odyr gere that whare necessary for hym to have
in haste. I wulde ze xulde remembyrt and purvey them, for
as for me, I wul nat. I thynke ze sette butte lytyl be myn
blessyng, and yf ye dede, ye wulde a desyyrd yt in yowyr
wrytyng to me. God make yow a good man to Hys plesans.

     Wretyn at Mawteby, the day after Seynt Lauerons, the
yere and the renge of Kyng E. the iiij^te the xvij. zere.

                                                                           Be yowyr Modyr.

     ¹ [From Paston MSS., B.M.] This letter is not addressed, the original being a
corrected draft, but there is no doubt it was written to Sir John Paston in reply to the
last. It is endorsed in a more modern hand: ‘Copia literæ Jo. Paston, mil., a matre
sua.’

AUG. 11

1477

AUG. 11

1477

AUG. 11