Margery Brews to John Paston

Add. 43490, f. 23

February 1477

Gairdner, Vol V, item 897; Fenn, Vol II, Edward IV item 72

LETTER LXXII.

Unto my Ryght welebelovyd Voluntyn John Paston Squyer be
y^is bill delyu’ed, &c.

RYGHT reu’ent and wurschypfull and my ryght welebe-
loved Voluntyne I recomande me unto yowe ffull hertely
desyring to her’ of yowr welefare whech I beseche almyghty
God long for to p’s’ve un to hys plesur and yowr herts desyr’
And yf it please yowe to her’ of my welefar I am not in good
heele of body nor of herte nor schall be tyll I her ffrom yowe ffor
y^r wottys no creatur’ what peyn y^t I endur’ and for to be deede
I dar’ it nor dyscur’. And my Lady my mod’ hath labored
y^e mat’ to my ffadur full delygently but sche can no mor gete.
yen ye knowe of for y^e whech God knowyth I am full sory
But yf that ye loffe me as I tryste verely that ye do ye will
not leffe me y^rfor, for if y^t ye hade not halfe y^e lyvelode
y^t ye hafe for to do y^e grettest labur y^t any woma’ on lyve
myght I wold not forsake yowe. And yf ye cōmande me to
kepe me true whereu’ I go, I wyse I will do all my myght
yowe to love and neu’ no mo. And yf my freends say y^t I do
amys yei schal not me let so for to do myn’ herte me bydds
eu’ mor’ to love yowe truly ou’ all erthely thing and yf yei
be neu’ so wroth I tryst it schall be bett’ in tyme cōmyng.

No mor’ to yowe at this tyme but the Holy Trinite hafe yowe
in kepyng And I besech yowe y^t this bill be not seyn of non’
erthely creatur safe only yo^r Selffe, &c. And thys lett’ was
indyte at Topcroft w^t full hevy herte, &c.

By your own,

Margery Brews.

12 by 4 ½.

Topcroft,
February 1476-7.
16 E. IV.

We have in this letter the genuine dictates of the heart of a young Lady deeply in
love, and fearing that her father will not give her such a fortune on her marriage, as
the Gentleman, who paid his addresses to her, expected. She therefore fears the conti-
nuance of his affection, but assures him of hers.

Some parts of the letter seem intended for verse, as the lines, though unequal, rhyme;
I have written them, in the modernized letter so that the rhymes end the lines.

The lady appears conscious that she has opened her heart in the letter, and with a
becoming modesty conjures J. Paston, that it may “be seyn of non’ erthely Creatur
safe only himself.” Pl. VI. N^o 27.

LETTER LXXII.

Unto my right well beloved Valentine, John Paston, Esquire, be
this Bill delivered, &c.

RIGHT reverend and worshipful, and my right well beloved
Valentine, I recommend me unto you, full heartily desir-
ing to hear of your welfare, which I beseech Almighty God long
for to preserve unto his pleasure, and your heart’s desire.

And if it please you to hear of my welfare, I am not in good
heel (health) of body, nor of heart, nor shall be till I hear
from you; for there wottys (knows) no creature, what pain
that I endure, and for to be dead I dare it not discover.

And my Lady my Mother hath laboured the matter to my
father full diligently, but she can no more get than ye know of,
for the which God knoweth I am full sorry. Eut if that ye
love me, as I trust verily that ye do, ye will not leave me
therefore.

         And if ye command me to keep me true wherever I go,
         I wis I will do all my might you to love, and never no mo.
              And if my Friends say, that I do amiss,
                  They shall not me let so for to do,
              Mine heart me bids evermore to love you,
                   Truly over all earthly thing,
              And if they be never so wrath,
              I trust it shall be better in time coming.

No more to you at this time, but the Holy Trinity have
you in keeping; and I beseech you that this bill be not seen of
none earthly Creature save only yourself, &c.

And this Letter was endited at Topcroft, with full heavy
heart, &c.

By your own,

MARGERY BREWS.

12 by 4 ?.

Topcroft,
February 1476-7.
16 E. IV.

We have in this letter the genuine dictates of the heart of a young Lady deeply in
love, and fearing that her father will not give her such a fortune on her marriage, as
the Gentleman, who paid his addresses to her, expected. She therefore fears the conti-
nuance of his affection, but assures him of hers.

Some parts of the letter seem intended for verse, as the lines, though unequal, rhyme;
I have written them, in the modernized letter so that the rhymes end the lines.

The lady appears conscious that she has opened her heart in the letter, and with a
becoming modesty conjures J. Paston, that it may “be seyn of non’ erthely Creatur
safe only himself.” Pl. VI. N^o 27.

897

MARGERY BREWS TO JOHN PASTON¹

Unto my ryght welebelovyd Voluntyn, John Paston,
Squyer, be this bill delyvered, &c.

RYGHT reverent and wurschypfull, and my ryght wele-
beloved Voluntyne, I recomande me unto yowe, ffull
hertely desyring to here of yowr welefare, whech I
beseche Almyghty God long for to preserve un to Hys plesur,
and yowr herts desyre. And yf it please yowe to here of my
welefar, I am not in good heele of body, nor of herte, nor schall
be tyll I her ffrom yowe;

For there wottys no creature what peyn that I endure,
And for to be deede, I dare it not dyscure [discover].

And my lady my moder hath labored the mater to my ffadur
full delygently, but sche can no mor gete then ye knowe of,
for the whech God knowyth I am full sory. But yf that ye
loffe me, as I tryste verely that ye do, ye will not leffe me
therefor; for if that ye hade not halfe the lyvelode that ye
hafe, for to do the grettest labur that any woman on lyve
myght, I wold not forsake yowe.

           And yf ye commande me to kepe me true wherever I go,
           I wyse I will do all my myght yowe to love and never no mo.
                 And yf my freends say, that I do amys,
                      Thei schal not me let so for to do,
                 Myne herte me bydds ever more to love yowe
                      Truly over all erthely thing,
                 And yf thei be never so wroth,
                      I tryst it schall be better in tyme commyng.

No more to yowe at this tyme, but the Holy Trinite hafe
yowe in kepyng. And I besech yowe that this bill be not seyn
of none erthely creatur safe only your selffe, &c.

And thys letter was indyte at Topcroft, with full hevy
herte, &c.

By your own, MARGERY BREWS.

¹ [From Fenn, ii. 210.]

1477
FEB.