Sir John Paston to John Paston

LETTER XLII.

To hys weell belovyd brother
      John Paston Esquyer.

J RECOMANDE me to you letyng you weete y^t I receyvyd a
lett^r of yowrs by Edward Hensted ij dayes aftr y^t Whetley
was dep^rtyd from me whyche he hadde forgetyn in hys
caskett as he seyde wheroff I sholde have sent yow answer
by Whetley if I had hadde it tofor he wente notw^tstan-
dyng I am ryght lothe to wryghte in that mat^r ofte For
For a conclusion I wrote to my moodr by Persse Moody
alle y^t I myght and wolde do ther in ye haue also nowe wre-
tyn ageyn yow need nott to praye me to doo y^t myght be
to yowr profyght and Worship y^t I myght doo ofter than
ons or to late me weete theroff For to my power I wolde
do for yow and take as moche peyne For yowr weall and
remembr itt when p^r case ye sholde nott thynke on it yowr
selfe I wolde be as gladde y^t one gaffe yow a man^r of XXli
by yeer as if he gave it to my self by my trowthe Wher ye
thynke y^t I may w^t Concience recompence it ageyn on to
owr stokke of other londys y^t I have of y^t valywe in fee
symple it is so y^t Snaylwell by my grauntefadrs will ons
and by my fadris will scecond’ely is entaylyd to y^e issyw of
my fadrs body It’ as for Sporle XXli by yeer I hadde ther
of butt XX m’rke by yer whyche XX m’rke by yeer and the
X m’rke ouyr I haue endang’yd as ye weell knowe of y^t
bargayne whyche if itt be nott redemyd I most reco˜pence
som other man of myn to on of my bretheryn for the seyde
X m’rke ouyr XX m˜rke y^t longyth to me wherfor I kepe
the man^r of Run’m than haue I Fe symple londe y^e man^r of
Wynty^rton w^t bastwyk and billys whyche in alle is nott XX
m’rke by yeer whyche is nott to y^e valywe of y^e man^r of
Sp^rham And as for Castr it weer noo Convenyent londe to
exchange for suche a thyng Nor it were not polesy for me
to sett y^t man^r Jn suche case for alle man^r of Happis I nede
nott to make thys excuse to yowe but y^t yowr mynde is
troblyd I praye yow reioyse nott yowr sylfe to moche in
hope to opteyne thynge y^t alle yowr freendys may nott ease
yow of For if my moodre wer dysposyd to gyve me and any
woman in Jngelande the best Man^r y^t she hathe to have it
to me and my wyfe and to y^e heyrs of our two bodyes be-
gotyn J wolde nott take it of hyr by god stablysshe your
selfe uppon a goode grownde and grace shall folowe Yowr
mat^r is ferre spoken of and blowyn wyde and if it preve
noo bett^r J wolde y^t it had neu^r be spoken of Also y^t mat^r
noysyth me y^t I am so onkynde y^t I lett alle togedr I thynke
notte a mat^r happy nor weell handelyd nor poletykly dalte
w^t when it cam neu^r be fynysshyd w^t owte an Jn Conven-
yence and to any suche bargayne I kepe neu^r to be Conde-
scentyng Ner of Cowncell Jff I weer att the begynnyng of
suche a mat^r J wolde haue hopyd to haue made a bett^r
Conclusyon if they mokke yow notte thys mat^r is drevyn thus
ferforthe w^t owte my Cowncell I praye yow make an ende
w^t owte my Cowncell iffe it be weell J wolde be glad if it
be oderwyse it is pite I praye yow troble me no moor in
thys mat^r

      12 by 8.

  We have in this Letter a strong instance of Sir John Paston’s regard to the
Wills of his Ancestors; willing to do every thing legally in his power to serve
his brother, he will not consent that any entailed Manor shall be settled upon
his brother on his marriage and to the general issue of that marriage, so that
his other brothers might be afterwards barred of the possession by a female
heir. The letter is written with great good sense and a proper degree of
spirit. He reasons with propriety, and his advice sets his judgment and ho-
nesty in a fair point of view.

LETTER XLII.

To his well-beloved Brother, John Paston, Esq.

I RECOMMEND me to you, letting you weet that I received
a letter of yours by Edward Hensted two days after that
Wheatley was departed from me, which he had forgotten
in his casket, as he said, whereof I should have sent you
answer by Wheatley, if I had had it before he went: not-
withstanding I am right loath to write in that matter oft;
for for a conclusion I wrote to my Mother by Perse Moody
all that I might and would do therein; ye have also now
written again: You need not to pray me to do that might be
to your profit and worship, that I might do, oftener than
once, or to let me weet thereof, for to my power I would
do for you, and take as much pain for your weal, and re-
member it when per case [perchance] ye should not think
on it yourself. I would be as glad that one gave you a
manor of 20l. by year, as if he gave it to myself by my
troth.

     Item, where (as) ye think that I may with conscience
recompense it again unto our stock of other lands that I
have of that value in fee simple, it is so that Snailwell by
my grandfather’s will once, and by father’s will secondly, is
entailed to the issue of my father’s body.

     Item, as for Sporle 20l. by year, I had thereof but 20
marks (13l. 6s. 8d.) by year, which 20 marks by year and
the 10 marks over, (6l. 13s. 4d.) I have endangered, as ye
well know of the bargain; which, if it be not redeemed, I
must recompense some other manor of mine to one of my
brethren for the said 10 marks and 20 marks that longeth
to me, wherefore I keep the manor of Runham; then have
I fee simple land the manor of Winterton with Bastwick
and Billys, which in all is not 20 marks by year, which is
not to the value of the manor of Sparham. And as for
Caister, it were no convenient land to exchange for such a
thing; nor it were not policy for me to set that manor in
such case for all manner of haps. I need not to make this
excuse to you, but that your mind is troubled; I pray you
not to rejoice yourself too much in hope to obtain a thing
that all your friends may not ease you of, for if my mother
were disposed to give me and any woman in England the
best manor that she hath to have it to me and my wife, and
to the heirs of our two bodies begotten, I would not take
it of her by God. Stablish yourself upon a good ground,
and grace shall follow; your matter is far spoken of and
blown wide, and if it prove no better, I would that it had
never been spoken of. Also that matter noiseth me, that I
am so unkind that I let [hinder] altogether. I think not a
matter happy nor well handled nor politically dealt with,
when it can never be finished without an inconvenience,
and to any such bargain, I keep never to be condescending
nor of counsel; if I were at the beginning of such a matter,
I would have hoped to have made a better conclusion, if
they mock you not. This matter is driven thus far forth
without my counsel; I pray you make an end without my
counsel: if it be well, I would be glad; if it be otherwise,
it is pity; I pray you trouble me no more in this matter.

                                                                 JOHN PASTON, Kt.

   We have in this Letter a strong instance of Sir John Paston’s regard to the
Wills of his Ancestors; willing to do every thing legally in his power to serve
his brother, he will not consent that any entailed Manor shall be settled upon
his brother on his marriage and to the general issue of that marriage, so that
his other brothers might be afterwards barred of the possession by a female
heir. The letter is written with great good sense and a proper degree of
spirit. He reasons with propriety, and his advice sets his judgment and ho-
nesty in a fair point of view.

909

SIR JOHN PASTON TO JOHN PASTON¹

To hys weell belovyd brother, John Paston, Esquyer.

I RECOMANDE me to yow, letyng yow weete that I
     receyvyd a letter of yowres by Edward Hensted ij. dayes
     aftre that Whetley was departyd from me, whyche he
hadde forgetyn in hys caskett, as he seyde, wheroff I sholde have
sent yow answer by Whetley, iff I had hadde it toffore he
wente, notwithstandyng I am ryght lothe to wryghte in that
mater offte; for for a conclusion I wrote to my moodre by
Peerse Moody alle that I myght and wolde doo ther in. Ye
have also nowe wretyn ageyn. Yow neede nott to praye me
to doo that myght be to yowr profyght and worship, that I
myght doo ofter than ones, or to late me weete theroff; for to
my power I wolde do for yow, and take as moche peyne for
yowr weell, and remembre itt when per case ye sholde nott
thynke on it yowr selffe. I wolde be as gladde that one gaffe
yow a maner of xxli. by yeer, as iff he gave it to my selff by
my trowthe.

     Item, wher ye thynke that I may with concience recom-
pence it ageyn on to owr stokke off other londys that I have
off that valywe in fee symple, it is so that Snaylwell, by my
grauntefadres will ones, and by my fadris will sceconderely, is
entaylyd to the issyw of my fadres body.

     Item, as for Sporle xxli. by yeer, I hadde ther off butt xx.
marke by yere, whyche xx. marke by yeer and the x. marke
ovyr, I have endangeryd, as ye weell knowe off that bargayne,
whyche, iff itt be nott redemyd, I most recompence some other
maner off myne to one off my bretheryn for the seyde x.
marke, ovyr xx. marke that longyth to me; wherffor I kepe
the maner off Runham. Than have I fe symple londe the
maner of Wynterton with Bastwyk and Billys, whyche in alle is
nott xx. marke by yeer, whyche is nott to the valywe off the
maner off Sparham. And as for Castre, it weer noo conven-
yent londe to exchange for suche a thyng, nor it weer not
polesy for me to sett that maner in suche case for alle maner
of happis. I nede nott to make thys excuse to yowe, but that
yowr mynde is troblyd. I praye yow rejoyse nott yowr sylffe
to moche in hope to opteyne thynge that alle yowr freendys
may nott ease yow off; for if my moodre were dysposyd to
gyve me and any woman in Ingelande the best maner that she
hathe, to have it to me and my wyffe, and to the heyres off our
too bodyes begotyn, I wolde nott take it off hyr, by God.

     Stablysshe your selffe uppon a goode grownde, and grace
shall folowe. Yowr mater is ferre spoken off, and blowyn
wyde, and iff it preve noo better, I wolde that it had never be
spoken off. Also that mater noysyth me that I am so on-
kynde that I lett alle togedre. I thynke notte a mater happy,
nor weell handelyd, nor poletykly dalte with, when it can never
be fynysshyd with owte an inconvenyence; and to any suche
bargayne I kepe never to be condescentyng, ner of cowncell.
Iffe I weer att the begynnyng of suche a mater, I wolde have
hopyd to have made a better conclusyon, if they mokke yow
notte. Thys mater is drevyn thus ferforthe with owte my
cowncell, I praye yow make an ende with owte my cowncell.
Iffe it be weell, I wolde be glad; iff it be oderwyse, it is pite.
I praye yow troble me no moore in thys mater. . . . . . . . . . .¹

     ¹ [From Paston MSS., B.M.] This letter is clearly written in answer to an
application by John Paston to his brother to aid him in making arrangements with
Sir Thomas Brews in the spring of 1477. Although the signature is lost, the hand-
writing is that of Sir John Paston.

     ¹ The lower part of this letter seems to have been cut off, and how much is lost
does not appear.

1477

1477