Sir John Paston to John Paston

Add. 27445, f. 106

9 March 1477

Gairdner, Vol V, item 903; Fenn, Vol V, Edward IV item 37

LETTER XXXVII.

To John Paston
Esquyer in hast

I HAVE rec^d your lett^r and yow man I. bykerton by whom I
knowe all y^e mat^r of Mestresse brews whyche if it be as he
seythe I praye godde brynge it to a good ende It’m as for
thys mat^r of Mestresse burly I holde it but a bar thynge I
feele weell y^t itt passyth nott . . . . . . . m’rke I syghe hyr for
yowr sake she is a lytell onys she maye be a woman heer
aftr if she be nott olde nowe hir person semyth xiij yer of
age hyr yerys men sey ben full xviij^t she kowyth nott of
the mat^r I suppose Neu^r the less she desyryd to see me as
gladde as I wasse to se hyr I praye yow sende me som
wryghtyng to Calys of yowr spede w^t Mestresse brewys
bykerton tellyth me y^t she lovyth yow weell if I dyed I
hadde lever ye hadde hyr than the lady Wargrave Neu^r the
lesse she syngeth weell w^t an harpe Clopton is aferde of S^r
T. Greye for he is a wydower now late and men sey y^t he is
aquayntyd w^t hyr of olde No mor wretyn on Sondaye the ix
daye of Marche A^o Eiiij^ti xvij^o to Caleys warde Jf ye have
Mestresse brews & E. Paston Mestresse bylyngford ye be
lyke to be bretheryn.

J. PASTON K.

8½ by 5.

Sir John Paston here, as well as in other letters, shews himself a kind and
affectionate brother.

His description of Mistress Burley will raise a smile on the reader’s face;
what her fortune was cannot be discovered, as the original letter is torn where
the sum has been mentioned.

J. Paston’s desire to be married is very apparent from the inquiries he had
made after, and the offers he had addressed to, various ladies; the alliance
now in agitation seems most approved of by Sir John.

It is worthy of observation, that “the singing well with an harp” was one of
the accomplishments attributed to Lady Walgrave; the modern fine lady will
perhaps tune her harp with greater pleasure, now she finds that she is follow-
ing the fashion set by women of rank in the fifteenth century.

By the spelling in this letter it appears that Walgrave was then pronounced
Wargrave.

The family of Grey was so numerous, that it would be difficult to ascertain
who this Sir T. Grey was; he most probably was a relation of Sir John Grey,
the queen’s first husband.

Autograph, Pl. iv. No. 9.

LETTER XXXVII.

To John Paston, Esq. in haste.

I HAVE received your letter, and your man Bykerton, by
whom I know all the matter of Mistress Brews, which if it
be as he saith, I pray God bring it to a good end.

Item, as for this matter of Mistress Burley, I hold it but
a bare thing; I feel well that it passeth not . . . . . . marks; I
saw her for your sake; she is a little one, she may be a
woman hereafter, if she be not old now, her person seemeth
13 years of age, her years, men say, be full 18; she knoweth
not of the matter I suppose, nevertheless she desired to see
me, as glad as I was to see her.

I pray you send me some writing to Calais of your speed
with Mistress Brews; Bykerton telleth me that she loveth
you well; if I died, I had lever [rather] ye had her than
the Lady Wargrave [Walgrave], nevertheless she singeth
well with an harp.

Clopton is afraid of Sir T. Grey, for he is a widower now
late, and, men say, that he is acquainted with her of old.

No more. Written on Sunday the 9th day of March, in
the 17th year of Edward IV. to Calais ward.

If ye have Mistress Brews, and E. Paston Mistress By-
lingford, ye be like to be brethren.

JOHN PASTON, Kt.

Sunday, 9 March,
1476-7. 17 E. iv.

Sir John Paston here, as well as in other letters, shews himself a kind and
affectionate brother.

His description of Mistress Burley will raise a smile on the reader’s face;
what her fortune was cannot be discovered, as the original letter is torn where
the sum has been mentioned.

J. Paston’s desire to be married is very apparent from the inquiries he had
made after, and the offers he had addressed to, various ladies; the alliance
now in agitation seems most approved of by Sir John.

It is worthy of observation, that “the singing well with an harp” was one of
the accomplishments attributed to Lady Walgrave; the modern fine lady will
perhaps tune her harp with greater pleasure, now she finds that she is follow-
ing the fashion set by women of rank in the fifteenth century.

By the spelling in this letter it appears that Walgrave was then pronounced
Wargrave.

The family of Grey was so numerous, that it would be difficult to ascertain
who this Sir T. Grey was; he most probably was a relation of Sir John Grey,
the queen’s first husband.

Autograph, Pl. iv. No. 9.

903

SIR JOHN PASTON TO JOHN PASTON¹

To John Paston, Esquyer, in haste.

I HAVE received yowr letter, and yow[r] man, J. Bykerton,
by whom I knowe all the mater off Mestresse Brews,
whyche iff it be as he seythe, I praye Godde brynge it
to a goode ende.

Item, as for thys mater of Mestresse Barly,¹ I holde it
but a bare thynge. I feele weell that itt passyth nott . .
. marke. I syghe hyr for yowr sake. She is a lytell onys;
she maye be a woman heer aftre, iff she be nott olde nowe;
hir person semyth xiij. yere off age; hyr yerys, men sey, ben
full xviij. She kowyth nott of the mater, I suppose; never-
thelesse she desyryd to see me as gladde as I was to se hyr.

I praye yow sende me some wryghtyng to Caleys off
yowr spede with Mestresse Brewys. Bykerton tellyth me that
she lovyth yow weell. Iff I dyed, I hadde lever ye hadde hyr
than the Lady Wargrave; neverthelesse she syngeth weell with
an harpe.

Clopton is aferde off Sir T. Greye, for he is a wydower
now late, and men sey that he is aqueyntyd with hyr of olde.

No more. Wretyn on Sondaye, the ix. daye off Marche,
anno E. iiij^ti xvij^o to Caleys warde.

Iff ye have Mestresse Brews, and E. Paston Mestresse
Bylyngford, ye be lyke to be bretheryn.

J. PASTON, K.

¹ [From Paston MSS., B.M.]

¹ Fenn reads this name Burly, but I think erroneously.

MARCH 9

1477
MARCH 9