Margery Paston to John Paston

LETTER V.

To my ryght worschipful Husbond John Paston.

RYGHT worschipful husbond I recomaund me onto you
plese it you to wete that I sent you^r eldest Sunne to my
Lady ¹ Morlee to have knolage wat Sports wer husyd in her
hows in Kyrstemesse next folloyng aftyr the decysse of my Lord
her husbond and sche seyd that yer wer non Dysgysyngs ner
harpyng ner lutyng ner syngyn ner nō lowde Dysports but
pleyng at the Tabyllys and Schesse and Cards sweche Dysports
Sche gave her folkys leve to play and nō odyr.

     You^r Sunne dede hefe heyrne ryght wele as ye shaI her
aftyr yis. I sent you^r yonger Sunne to the Lady ² Stabylton and
Sche seyd acordyng to my Lady Morlees seyng in that and as
Sche hadde seyn husyd in placs of worschip yer as sche hathe
beyn.

     I pray you that ye woll asur to you some man at Caster to
kepe yo^r Botry for the mane that ye lefte w^t me woll not
take upon hym to ³ breve dayly as ye cōmandyt, he seyth he
hath not usyd to geve a rekenyng nothyr of bred nor alle
tyll at the wekys end, and he seyth he wot well that he shuld
not ⁴ condenyth and therfor I soposse he shall not abyd, and I
trow ye shall be fayne to p’veye another man for Symond for ye
har never the nerer a wysse man for hym.

     I ham sory that ye shall not at hom be for Crystemes.

     I p[SYM] you that ye woll come as sone as ye may, I shall thynke
myself halfe a wedow because ye shal not be at home, &c.
God have you in hys kepyng. Wretyn on Crestemes evyn.

                                                                    By your ⁵ M. P.

               12 by 5 ½.

Friday, 24th of December,
            1484, 2 R. III.

    We are here acquainted with the Diversions and Amusements allowed in the Houses of
the Nobility and Gentry during the joyous season of Christmas.

     We see likewise the Respect paid to the Memory of the Head of a Family, when, at the
Christmas following his Death, none of the more merry or noisy Disports were permitted.

    ¹ Widow of William Lovel, Lord Morley, who died the 23d of July, 1475.

     ² Sir Miles Stapleton, died in 1466.

         ³ To breve, is to make up an account.

     ⁴ I am at a loss to explain this word, unless it signifies to continue.

     As this Letter has no date of the year, I have had some doubts where to place it,
unless we may suppose that the same respect would be paid to the memory of Margaret,
Mother of J. Paston, who was an Heiress, and died in 1484, and whole will was proved
on the 18th of December in that year.

If I could have placed it earlier, I should have fixed upon the Death of Sir John Paston,
in November 1479, as the time of its being written; but the present J. Paston was not
married till 1477, and his eldest Son being born in 1478, was now only in his seventh
year, which might be the case, as the expression that he “dede hese heyrne ryght wele,”
implies his being very young.

     ⁵ Autograph. Pl. VII. N^o 7.

LETTER V.

To my right worshipful husband John Paston.

RIGHT worshipful husband, I recommend me unto you;
Please it you to weet, that I sent your eldest Son to my
Lady ¹ Morley, to have knowledge what Sports were used in
her house in Christmas next following, after the decease of my
Lord her husband; and she said, that there were none Dis-
guisings, nor Harping, nor Luting, nor Singing, nor none
loud Disports; but playing at the Tables, and Chess, and Cards;
such disports she gave her Folks leave to play and none other.

     Your Son did his errand right well as ye shall hear after this.
I sent your younger Son to the Lady ² Stapleton, and she said
according to my Lady Morley’s saying in that; and as she had
seen used in places of worship thereas (where) she hath been.

     I pray you that ye will assure to you some man at Caister,
to keep your Buttery, for the man that ye left with me, will
not take upon him to ³ breve daily as ye commanded; he faith,
he hath not used to give a reckoning neither of Bread nor Ale,
till at the week’s end, and he faith, he wot (knows) well that
he should not ⁴ condeneth (continue), and therefore I suppose he
shall not abide, and I trow ye shall be fain (glad) to purvey
another man for Symond, for ye are never the nearer a wise
man for him.

     I am sorry that ye shall not at home be for Christmas.

     I pray you that ye will come as soon as ye may; I shall think
myself half a Widow, because ye shall not be at home, &c.
God have you in his keeping. Written on Christmas Even.

                                                    By your ⁵ MARGERY PASTON.

        Friday, 24th of December,
            1484, 2 R. III.

    We are here acquainted with the Diversions and Amusements allowed in the Houses of
the Nobility and Gentry during the joyous season of Christmas.

     We see likewise the Respect paid to the Memory of the Head of a Family, when, at the
Christmas following his Death, none of the more merry or noisy Disports were permitted.

    ¹ Widow of William Lovel, Lord Morley, who died the 23d of July, 1475.

     ² Sir Miles Stapleton, died in 1466.

         ³ To breve, is to make up an account.

     ⁴ I am at a loss to explain this word, unless it signifies to continue.

     As this Letter has no date of the year, I have had some doubts where to place it,
unless we may suppose that the same respect would be paid to the memory of Margaret,
Mother of J. Paston, who was an Heiress, and died in 1484, and whole will was proved
on the 18th of December in that year.

If I could have placed it earlier, I should have fixed upon the Death of Sir John Paston,
in November 1479, as the time of its being written; but the present J. Paston was not
married till 1477, and his eldest Son being born in 1478, was now only in his seventh
year, which might be the case, as the expression that he “dede hese heyrne ryght wele,”
implies his being very young.

     ⁵ Autograph. Pl. VII. N^o 7.

999

MARGERY PASTON TO JOHN PASTON¹

To my ryght worschipful husbond, John Paston.

      RYGHT worschipful husbond, I recomaund me onto you.
           Plese it you to wete that I sent your eldest sunne to
           my Lady Morlee² to have knolage wat sports wer
husyd in her hows in Kyrstemesse next folloyng aftyr the
decysse of my lord, her husbond; and sche seyd that ther wer
non dysgysyngs, ner harpyng, ner lutyng, ner syngyn, ner non
lowde dysports, but pleyng at the tabyllys, and schesse, and
cards. Sweche dysports sche gave her folkys leve to play and
non odyr.

     Your sunne dede hese heyrne [errand] ryght wele as ye
shal her aftyr this. I sent your yonger sunne to the Lady
Stabylton,¹ and sche seyd acordyng to my Lady Morlees
seyng in that, and as sche hadde seyn husyd in places of
worschip² ther as sche hathe beyn.

     I pray you that ye woll asur to your some man at Caster
to kepe your botry, for the mane that ye lefte with me woll
not take upon hym to breve³ dayly as ye commandyt. He
seyth he hath not usyd to geve a rekenyng nothyr of bred nor
alle [ale] tyll at the wekys end; and he seyth he wot well that
he shuld not condenyth [give satisfaction] and therfor I soposse
he shall not abyd, and I trow ye shall be fayne to purveye
another man for Symond, for ye har never the nerer a wysse
man for hym.

     I ham sory that ye shall not [be] at horn be for Crystemes.
I pray you that ye woll come as sone as ye may. I shall
thynke myself halfe a wedow, because ye shal not be at home,
&c. God have you in Hys kepyng.

     Wretyn on Crestemes Evyn.                           By yor, M. P.

     ¹ [From Fenn, ii. 330.] Fenn supposes with great probability that this letter was
written in 1484, the year of Margaret Paston’s death. No earlier date is possible,
seeing that even in 1484 John Paston’s eldest son was only in his seventh year, and
he had at the date of this letter two sons capable of being sent on messages; so that,
if anything, we should be inclined to put it later. But we know of no later death in
the family that could have occasioned the writing of such a letter, and the time of
Margaret Paston’s death and of the proving of her will agree very well with Fenn’s
hypothesis. From the calendar prefixed to an old MS. missal in the possession of the
late Mr. C. W. Reynell, I found that she died on the 4th November 1484. Her will
was proved at Norwich on the 18th December following.

     ² Widow of William Lovel, Lord Morley, who died the 26th of July 1476.—F.

     ¹ Sir Miles Stapleton died in 1466. His widow Catherine seems to have married
in the following year Sir Richard Harcourt of Ellenhale (Blomefield, ix. 321), but,
according to a practice not uncommon at that time, she may have retained the name
of Lady Stapleton.

     ² ‘Places of worship’; i.e., in families of distinction.

     ³ To make up accounts.

1484(?)
DEC. 24

1484(?)
DEC. 24