Sir John Paston and Margaret Paston

LETTER LXXVIII.

To my Ryght Worshypfull Moodr’ Margret Paston.

PLEASE it yow to weete y^t I have receyvyd yowr Lett’
       wherein is remembryd the gret hurte y^t by liklihod myght
ffalle to my brother iff fo be y^t thys matt’ betwyn hym and S^r.
Thom’s Brewses Doghtr’ take nott effecte, wheroff I wolde be
as sory as hym selffe reasonably and also y^e welthy and con-
venyent marriage y^t scholde be iff it take effecte wheroff I
wolde be as gladde as any man and ame bett’ content nowe
y^t he sholde have hyr than any other y^t evyr he was herto-
ffoor abowte to have hadde consyderyd hyr persone hyr yowthe
and the stok y^t she is comyn offe, y^e love on bothe sydes, y^e
tendre ffavor y^t she is in w^t hyr ffad^r and mood^r, the kyn-
denesse off hyr ffadr and moodr to hyr in dep’tyng w^t hyr,
the ffavor also and goode conceyte y^t they have in my bro-
ther, The Worshypfull and vertuous dysposicōn off hyr ffadr
and moodr whyche p’nostikyth y^t of lyklihod the Mayde sholde
be vertuous and goode, all which concyderyd and the necessary
relyffe y^t my brother most have, I mervayle the lesse y^t ye have
dep’tyd and gevyn hym the man’ off Sperham in such fforrne as
I have knowleche off by W. Gornay Lomner and Skypwyth and
I ame ryght gladde to se in yow suche kyndenesse on to my
brother as ye have doon to hym, and wolde by my trowthe
lever than C li. y^t it weer ffee symple londe as it is entay-
lyd, whyche by liklyhood scholde prosper w^t hym and hys
blode the bett’ in tyme to come and sholde also neu’ cause
debate in owr bloode in tyme to come whyche Godde dyffende
ffor that weer onnaturell.

     It’m another inconvenyence is, wher as I undrestande y^t the
man’ is gevyn to my brother and to hys wyff and to y^e issywe
bytwen them bygoten; Iff the case weer soo y^t he and she
hadde yssywe togedr a Dowtr or moo, and hys wysse dyed and
he maried afftr another and hadde issywe a Sone, y^t Sone
sholde have noon londe and he beyng hys ffadres heyr, and
ffor thenconvenyence y^t I have knowe let in ur in case lyke
and yit enduryth in Kente by tweyn a Jentylman and his Sust’, I
wolde ye toke the advyce off yowr concell in thys poynt, and
that y^t is past yow by wrightyng or by promise I deme verrely
in yow y^t ye dyd it off kyndenesse and in eschywyng off a moor
yll y^t myght befall.

    It’m wher as it pleasyth yow that I sholde ratesye grawnt
or cōferme the seyd gyfte on to my brother it is so y^t w^t myn
honeste I may nott and ffor other cawses, the Pope will suffre
a thyng to be usyd but he will nott lycence nor grant it to
be usyd nor don and soo I, my Brother John knowyth myn
entent weel i now heer to ffoor in this mat’. I will be ffownde
to hym as kynde a brother as I may be.

     It’m, iff it be soo y^t S^r. T. Brews and hys wyff thynke y^t
I wolde troble my brother and hys wyff in the seid man’ I
can ffynde no meene to putte them in sywerte y^r off but iff
it neede to be bownde in an obligacōn w^t a condicōn y^t I
shalle nott trowble ner infet’ them therin.

     It’ I thynke y^t she is made sywer i now in astate in the
londe and that off Ryght I deme they shall make noone obsta-
cles at my wryghtyng ffor I hadde neu’ non’ astate in the londe,
ner I wolde nott y^t I had hadde.

     No mor to yow at thys tyme, but Allmyghty God have
yow in kepyng. Wretyn at Caleys the xxviij daye of Marche
A^o. E. iiij. xvij^o.

                                                                    By yowr Sone,

                                                                               J. Paston, K.

           11 ¾ by 9 ½.

Calais,
            Friday, 28th of March,
            1477, 17 E. IV.

     In this Letter Sir John Paston (Pl. IV. N^o 9.) shows himself a kind and generous
Brother, in permitting his Mother to give the Manor of Sparham, which appears to be
entailed on him and his issue, to his younger Brother; and though he cannot consci-
entiously permit the entail to be defeated, as the Will of the Dead by this means would
not be performed, he very readily consents to enter into an engagement to debar him-
self from ever molesting his Brother or his Widow in their quiet possessions thereof.

LETTER LXXVIII.

To my right Worshipfull Mother, Margaret Paston.

PLEASE it you to weet, that I have received your Letter,
      wherein is remembered the great hurt, that by likelihood
might fall to my brother, if so be that this matter between
him, and Sir Thomas Brews’s Daughter take not effect; whereof
I would be as sorry as himself reasonably; and also the wealthy
and convenient marriage, that should be if it take effect;
whereof I would be as glad as any man; and am better
content now, that he should have her, than any other, that
ever he was heretofore about to have had, considered. Her
Person, her Youth, and the stock that she is come of, the Love
on both sides, the tender favour that she is in with her father
and mother; the kindness of her father and mother to her
in departing with her, the favour also, and good conceit that
they have in my Brother, the worshipful and virtuous dis-
position of her father and mother, which prognosticateth that,
of likelihood, the maid should be virtuous and good, all which
considered, and the necessary relief that my Brother must have,
I marvel the less, that ye have departed, and given him the
manor of Sparham, in such form as I have knowledge of by
W. Gornay, Lomner, and Skipwith; and I am right glad to see
in you such kindness unto my Brother as ye have done to him;
and would by my truth lever (rather) than an 100l. that it
were see simple land, as it is intailed, which by likelihood should
prosper with him and his blood the better in time to come, and
should also never cause debate in our blood in time to come,
which God defend (forbid), for that were unnatural.

    Item, another inconvenience is, whereas I understand that
the manor is given to my Brother, and to his Wife, and to the
Issue between them begotten; if the case were so, that he and
she had issue together a Daughter or more, and his wife died,
and he married after another, and had issue a Son, that Son
should have none land, and he being (although he be) his father’s
Heir, and for the inconvenience that I have known late enure
in case like, and yet endureth in Kent, between a Gentleman
and his Sister, I would ye took the advice of your counsel
in this point, and that (which) is past you by writing or by
promise, I deem verily in you, that ye did it of kindness,
and in eschewing of a more ill that might befall.

     Item, whereas it pleaseth you that I should ratify, grant, and
confirm the said gift unto my Brother, it is so, that with
mine honesty I may not, and for other causes.

     The Pope will suffer a thing to be used, but he will not license
nor grant it to be used nor done, and so I.

     My Brother John knoweth mine intent well enough hereto-
fore in this matter; I will be found to him as kind a Brother
as I may be.

     Item, if it be so that Sir Thomas Brews and his Wife think
that I would trouble my Brother and his Wife in the said
Manor, I can find no means to put them in surety thereof,
but if it need, to be bound in an obligation with a condition
that I shall not trouble nor infet (infest) them therein.

     Item, I think that she is made sure enough in estate in the
land, and that of right I deem they shall make none obstacles
at my writing, for I had never none estate in the land, nor
I would not that I had.

     No more to you at this time, but Almighty God have you in
keeping.

     Written at Calais, the 28th day of March, in the 17th year
of Edward IV.

                                               By your Son,

                                                         JOHN PASTON, Knight.

11 ? by 9 ?.

Calais,
            Friday, 28th of March,
            1477, 17 E. IV.

     In this Letter Sir John Paston (Pl. IV. N^o 9.) shows himself a kind and generous
Brother, in permitting his Mother to give the Manor of Sparham, which appears to be
entailed on him and his issue, to his younger Brother; and though he cannot consci-
entiously permit the entail to be defeated, as the Will of the Dead by this means would
not be performed, he very readily consents to enter into an engagement to debar him-
self from ever molesting his Brother or his Widow in their quiet possessions thereof.

911

SIR JOHN PASTON TO MARGARET PASTON¹

To my ryght worshypfull moodre, Margret Paston.

PLEASE it yow to weete, that I have receyvyd yowr letter,
     wherein is remembryd the gret hurte, that by liklihod
     myght ffalle to my brother, iff so be that thys matter
betwyn hym and Sir Thomas Brewses doghtre take nott effecte;
wheroff I wolde be as sory as hym selffe reasonably; and also
the welthy and convenyent marriage that scholde be iff it take
effecte; wheroff I wolde be as gladde as any man; and ame
better content nowe, that he sholde have hyr, than any other,
that evyr he was hertoffoor abowte to have hadde, consyderyd
hyr persone, her yowthe, and the stok that she is comyn offe,
the love on bothe sydes, the tendre ffavor that she is in with
hyr ffader and mooder, the kyndenesse off hyr ffadr and moodr
to hyr in departyng with hyr, the ffavor also, and goode con-
ceyte that they have in my brother, the worshypfull and
vertuous dysposicion off hyr ffadr and moodr, whyche pro-
nostikyth that, of lyklihod, the mayde sholde be vertuous and
goode; all which concyderyd, and the necessary relyffe that
my brother most have, I mervayle the lesse, that ye have
departyd, and gevyn hym the maner off Sperham, in such
fforme as I have knowleche off by W. Gornay, Lomner, and
Skypwyth; and I ame ryght gladde to se in yow suche kynde-
nesse on to my brother as ye have doon to hym; and wolde
by my trowthe lever than Cli. that it weer ffee symple londe, as
it is entaylyd, whyche by liklyhood scholde prosper with hym
and hys blode the better in tyme to come, and sholde also
never cause debate in owr bloode in tyme to come, whyche
Godde dyffende, ffor that weer onnaturell.

     Item, another inconvenyence is, wher as I undrestande that
the maner is gevyn to my brother, and to hys wyff, and to the
issywe bytwen them bygoten; iff the case weer soo, that he
and she hadde yssywe togedr a dowtr or moo, and hys wyffe
dyed, and he maried afftr another, and hadde issywe a sone,
that sone sholde have noon londe, and he beyng hys ffadres
heyr, and ffor th’enconvenyence that I have knowe let in ur¹
in case lyke, and yit enduryth in Kente, by tweyn a jentylman
and his suster, I wolde ye toke the advyce off yowr concell in
thys poynt, and that that is past yow by wrightyng or by
promise, I deme verrely in yow, that ye dyd it off kyndenesse,
and in eschywyng off a moor yll that myght befall.

     Item, wher as it pleasyth yow that I sholde ratefye, grawnt,
or conferme the seyd gyfte on to my brother, it is so, that
with myn honeste I may nott, and ffor other cawses. The
Pope will suffre a thyng to be usyd, but he will nott lycence
nor grant it to be usyd nor don, and soo I. My brother
John knowyth myn entent weel i now heer to ffoor in this
mater; I will be ffownde to hym as kynde a brother as I
may be.

     Item, iff it be soo that Sir T. Brews and hys wyff thynke
that I wolde troble my brother and hys wyff in the seid maner,
I can ffynde no meene to putte them in sywerte ther off, but
iff it neede, to be bownde in an obligacion with a condicion
that I shalle nott trowble ner infete them therin.

     Item, I thynke that she is made sywer i now in astate in
the londe, and that off ryght I deme they shall make noone
obstacles at my wryghtyng, ffor I hadde never none astate in
the londe, ner I wolde nott that I had hadde.

     No mor to yow at thys tyme, but Allmyghty God have
yow in kepyng.

     Wretyn at Caleys, the xxviij. daye of Marche, anno E.
iiij. xvij^o.

                                     By yowr sone,              J. PASTON K.

¹ [From Fenn, ii. 238.]

¹ In ure, i.e. in practice.

1477
MARCH 28

1477
MARCH 28