Margery Paston to John Paston

LETTER LXVIII.

To my Right Worshipfull
     Mast^r John Paston in haste

RIGHT reu^rnt and wershipfull S^r in my moste vmble vice I
recomaunde me vnto yow as lowly as I can &c Plese you
to wete John Howes Alex’ Qwharteyn John Fille w^t the
p^rson and the newe myller of Marlyngforthe have goten
Thom’ at Willes Carte of Estetodenh’m fermor and myn
Uncle Will’m Paston Herry Hervy of Meelton mag˜a fermor
and baly to my seide vncle Ric Barkers Carte of the seide
towne of Multon late fermo^r And yette is in daunger to my
seide vncle And Will’m Smythes Carte of brandon iux’
Bernh’m broom late fermo^r and baly and also in daunger to
my seide vncle on Monday And Twesday last past caryed
A wey from Merlyngforth in to the place at Seint Edmonds
in Norwich xij of yo^r greete plankes of the weche they made
vj loodes beryng A bowte the seide Cartes bowes and gleves
for feere of takyng A wey S^r as for yo^r serv’nts of Marlyng-
forth they w^tholde her Catell and hem selfe bothe from the
Coorte and Come not w^tin the lordship nor make noon
attornment except Thom’ Davy and John Water weche
absentyng of the ten’nts is to them a greet hurt and los for
lak of sedyng ther londs w^t ther wynter Corn besechyng you
for gods sake to reme˜bre som remedy for them My lady
Calthorp hath ben at Geppeswich on pilgry mathe and
came homward be my lady of Norff. And ther was moche
Conv^rcacon of yo^r mat^r be twix you and myn vncle seyng to
my lady Caltorp ye nede not A goune to london ye myght
haue had an ende at home rememberyng to my seid lady
Caltorp of the mocon that he made towchyng the man^r of
Sporle p’myttyng to my lady to Abide y^t and to write and
seale as largely as any man wol desire hym And at his
dep^rtyng from my lady he was not mery what the Cauce
was I wot not my lady Calthorp desireth me to write to yow
to have ende for he intendes largely to have a peace w^t yow
as he seth but truste hym not to moche for he is not goode
my mother in lawe thynketh longe she here no word from
you She is in goode heele blissed be god and al yo^r babies
also I mervel J here no word from you weche greveth me
ful evele I sent you a lett^r be brasio^r sone of Norwiche wher
of I here no word No more to you at this tyme but Almyghty
Ihu haue you in his blissed kepyng Wreten at Norwich on
Allowmes Day at nyght

                                           Be yowr sru˜nt and bedewo˜n

                                                                   MARGERY PASTON.

     S^r I prey yow if ye tary longe at
london y^t it wil plese to sende for me
for J thynke longe sen I lay in yo^r
Armes

     12 by 8½.

   The former part of this letter relates to the disputes still subsisting between
J. Paston and his uncle, who, from the conversation here mentioned to have
passed between him and Lady Calthorpe, seems to wish for an accommodation.

     Lady Calthorpe, the daughter and co-heir of Sir Miles Stapleton, was the
second wife of Sir William Calthorpe, Kt.

     The simplicity of manners, and the amiable affection of the writer towards
her husband, exhibited above, will remind the reader of those delicate letters
written by her when a maiden, and which, as he will most probably wish to
refer to them here, he will find in vol. ii. pp. 209. 211. Letters LXXI. and
LXXII.

     Autograph, Pl. xxix. No. 11.

LETTER LXVIII.

To my Right Worshipful Master, John Paston, in haste.

RIGHT reverend worshipful sir, in my most humble wise, I
recommend me unto you as lowly as I can, &c. Please
you to weet John Howes, Alexander Warden, John Fille,
with the parson and the new miller of Marlingford, have
gotten Thomas at Well’s cart of East Todenham, farmer;
and mine uncle William Paston, Harry Hervy of Melton
Magna, farmer, and bailiff to my said uncle, Richard Barker’s
cart of the said town of Melton, late farmer, and yet is in
danger [debt] to my said uncle, and William Smyth’s cart of
Brandon juxta Barnham Broom, late farmer, and bailiff, and
also in danger to my said uncle, on Monday and Tuesday
last past carried away from Marlingford into the place at
Saint Edmund’s in Norwich, twelve of your great planks,
of the which they made six loads, bearing about the said
carts bows and glaives [armed with bows and bills] for fear of
taking away. Sir, as for your tenants of Marlingford, they
withhold their cattle and themselves both from the court,
and come not within the lordship, nor make none attourn-
ment, except Thomas Davy and John Water, which absent-
ing of the tenants is to them a great hurt and loss, for lack
of seeding of their lands with their winter corn; beseeching
you for God’s sake to remember some remedy for them.

     My Lady Calthorpe hath been at Ipswich on pilgrimage,
and came home by my Lady of Norfolk, and there was
much communication of your matter betwixt you and mine
uncle, saying to my Lady Calthorpe, ye need not have gone
to London, ye might have had an end at home; remembering
to my said Lady Calthorpe of the motion that he made
touching the manor of Sporle, promising to my Lady to
abide that, and to write and seal as largely as any man will
desire him.

     And at his departing from my Lady he was not merry,
what the cause was I wot not. My Lady Calthorpe desired
me to write to you to have end, for he intends largely to
have a peace with you, as he saith; but trust him not too
much, for he is not good. My mother-in-law thinketh long
she hear no word from you; she is in good health, blessed
be God, and all your babes also. I marvel I hear no word
from you, which grieveth me full evil; I sent you a letter
by [the] brasier’s son of Norwich, whereof I hear no word.
No more to you at this time, but Almighty Jesu have you
in his blessed keeping. Written at Norwich on Halimas
day at night,

                                        By your servant and beadswoman

                                                                            MARGERY PASTON.

                Norwich,
                2d Nov.
      about 1482 or 1483.
           22 or 23 E. iv.

     Sir, I pray you, if ye tarry long at London, that it will
please [you] to send for me, for I think long since I lay in
your arms.

    The former part of this letter relates to the disputes still subsisting between
J. Paston and his uncle, who, from the conversation here mentioned to have
passed between him and Lady Calthorpe, seems to wish for an accommodation.

     Lady Calthorpe, the daughter and co-heir of Sir Miles Stapleton, was the
second wife of Sir William Calthorpe, Kt.

     The simplicity of manners, and the amiable affection of the writer towards
her husband, exhibited above, will remind the reader of those delicate letters
written by her when a maiden, and which, as he will most probably wish to
refer to them here, he will find in vol. ii. pp. 209. 211. Letters LXXI. and
LXXII.

     Autograph, Pl. xxix. No. 11.

982

MARGERY PASTON TO JOHN PASTON²

To my right worshipfull master, John Paston, in haste.

       RIGHT reverent and worshipfull sir, in my moste umble
            vice, I recomaunde me unto yow, as lowly as I can, &c.
            Plese you to wete, John Howes, Alexander Qwharteyn,
John Fille, with the parson and the newe myller of Marlyng-
forthe, have goten Thom’ At Welles carte of Estetodenham,
fermour to myn uncle William Paston, Herry Hervy of
Meelton Magna, fermour and baly to my seide uncle, Ric.
Barkers carte of the seide towne of Meelton, late fermour, and
yette is in daunger to¹ my seide uncle, and William Smythes
carte of Brandon juxta Bernham Broom, late fermour and baly,
and also in daunger to¹ my seide uncle, on Monday and Twes-
day last past, caryed a wey from Merlyngforth in to the place
at Seint Edmondes in Norwich, xij. of yowr greete plankes, of
the weche they made vj. loodes, beryng a bowte the seide
cartes, bowes and gleves, for feere of takyng a wey. Sir, as
for yowr servauntes of Marlyngforth, they withholde her catell
and hem selfe bothe from the coorte, and come not within the
lordship, nor make noon attornment, exept Thom’ Davy and
John Water, weche absentyng of the tenauntes is to them a
greet hurt and los, for lak of sedyng ther londes with ther
wynter corn; besechyng you for Godes sake to remembre som
remedy for them.

     My Lady Caltorp hath ben at Geppeswich on pilgry
mache, and came homward be my Lady of Norffolk, and ther
was moche communicacion of yowr mater be twix you and
myn uncle, seyng to my Lady Caltorp, ye nede not a gonne
to London, ye myght have an ende at home; rememberyng
to my seid Lady Caltorp of the mocion that he made towchyng
the maner of Sporle, promyttyng to my lady to abyde that,
and to write and seale as largely as any man wol desire hym.
And at his departyng from my lady he was not mery, what
the cauce was I wot not [but he was not mery of your depart-
yng].² My Lady Calthorp desireth me to write to yow to
have ende, for he intendes largely to have a peace with yow,
as he seth; but truste hym not to moche, for he is not goode.

     My mother in lawe thynketh longe she here no word from
you. She is in goode heele, blissed be God, and al yowr
babees also. I mervel I here no word from you, weche
greveth me ful evele; I sent you a letter be Brasiour sone
of Norwiche, wher of I here no word. No more to you
at this tyme, but Almyghty Jesu have you in Hes blissed
kepyng.

     Wreten at Norwich, on Allowmes Day at nyght.

                       Be yowr servaunt and bedewoman,

                                                                            MARGERY PASTON.

     Sir, I prey yow, if ye tary longe at London, that it wil
plese to sende for me, for I thynke longe sen I lay in yowr
armes.

     ² Ibid. This letter, it will be seen, must have been written before the
death of Margaret Paston in 1484, and from what is stated in No. 953, it is certainly
not earlier than 1479. The date, moreover, must be between 1480 and 1482, for it is
stated that the outrages here complained of occurred on the Monday and Tuesday
before the letter was written; and in the next letter we find that there was a new
outrage of the same description on Friday. If Hallowmas Day, the date of this letter,
was a Wednesday, the year must be 1480, if a Thursday 1481, and if Friday 1482.
We are rather inclined to think it was the latter.

     ¹ ‘In danger to’ signifies either in debt or otherwise responsible to another
person.

     ² These words are crossed out in the MS.

1482(?)
NOV. 1

1482(?)
NOV. 1

1482(?)
NOV. 1