Sir John Paston to John Paston

LETTER LXXXIV.

     To my brother
     Iobn Paston.

RYGHT worschypful and verrely welbelouyd brother I
     hertely comande me to yow thankyng yow of yowr labor
and dyligence that ye haue in kepyng of my place at Castr so
sewerly both w^t yowr hert and mynde to yowr gret bisynesse and
troble and I ageyn warde haue hadde so lytell leyser that I haue
not spedde bot sewe of yowr erendys ner kannot befor thys
tyme asfor my lady boleynes dysposicion to yow werds I kannot
in no wyse synde hyr a greable y^t ye scholde haue her dowter
for all the preuy meanes y^t I knowde make inso moche I hadde
so lytell Comfor by all the meanes y^t I knowde make y^t I dys-
deyned in myn own prson so Comon w^t hyr ther in Neu^rthelesse
I vndrestande y^t sche seythe what if he and sche kan agre I wyll
not lette it but I will neur advyse hyr therto in no wyse and
uppon twesday last past sche rood hom in to Norfolke Wher-
for as ye thynke ye may fynde the meane to speke w^t hyr yowr
selfe for w^t owt that in myn Conceyt it wyl not be And as for
Crosseby I undrestand not y^t y' is no maryage Concluded betwen
them neurthelesse ther is gret langage y^t it is lyke to be ye be
Prsonable and p^rauēt' yowr beyng ones in the syght of y^e mayde
and a lytele descuv'  yngof yo^r good wyl to hyr byndyng hyr to
kepe it secret and y^t ye kam fynde in yowr hert wt som cōfort of
hyr to fynde the meane to brynge suche a mat^r abow^t as schall be
hyr pleas^r and yowrs but that thys ye kannot do w^t owt som
cōfort of hyr in no wyse and ber yor selfe as lowly to y^e moder
as ye lyst but to y^e mayde not to lowly ner that ye be to gladde to
 spede ner to sory to sayle and J alweys schall be your herault
bothe her if shce com hyddr and at home when J kome hom
whych I hope hastly w^t in xl dayes at y^e feith' my modre hathe
a lett^r whych can tell yow mor and ye may lat Dawbeney se it.

                                                                                    John Pasion, It.

J suppose and ye kall
welle upon R calle he
schall p'uey yow mony
I haue wretyn to hym Jnow.

     This Letter must have been written in 1469, as the thanks to his Brother here given
by Sir John Paston, related to his proper and spirited conduct at Caister Place.

     His attention to whose success in his marrriage with the dauthter of Lady Boleyn,
shews his good nature, and his brotherly regard for him ; and the advice which he gives
him, respecting his behaviour both to the Lady and her daughter, shews Sir John to be
prejudices of individuals.

     He seemed to think too that a handsome young man could not fail of pleading his own
cause successfully with a young Lady.

     Sir Godfrey, or Sir Jeffery Boleyn, was Lord Mayor of London, about 1457 or 1458.
He died in 1463, leaving Anne, the daughter of Thomas Lord Hoo and Hastings, his
widow, by whom he had three daughters, Isabel, Anne, and Alice, the last of these was
the Lady to whom J. Paston wished to pay his addresses, and who afterwards married Sir
John Fortescue, knight. The elder married William Cheyney, Esq. and the other
became the wise of Sir Henry Heydon, of Baconsthorp, knight, and all were great
Aunts to Queen Anna Boleyn, the Mother of our Sovereign Elizabeth.

     Autograph. PI. IV. No 9.

LETTER LXXXIV.

To my Brother John Paston.

RIGHT worshipful and verily well-beloved Brother, I
     heartily commend me to you, thanking you of your labour
and diligence that ye have in keeping of my place at Caister, so
surely both with your heart and mind, to your great business and
trouble ; and I againward have had so little leisure that I have not
sped but few of your errands, nor cannot before this time.

     As for my Lady Boleyn's disposition to you ward, I cannot in
no wise find her agreeable that ye should have her daughter, for
all the privy means that I could make, infomuch I had so little
comfort by all the means that I could make, that I disdained in
mine own person to commune with her therein ; nevertheless I
understand that she sayeth, " what if he and she can agree I will
" not let it, but I will never advise her thereto in no wise."
And upon Tuesday last she rode home into Norfolk ; where-
fore as ye think ye may find the mean to speak with her your-
self, for without that in mine conceit it will not be ; and as for
Crosby, I understand not that there is no marriage concluded
between them, nevertheless there is great language that it is like
to be ; ye be personable, and peradventure your being once in
the sight of the maid, and a little discovering of your good will
to her, binding her to keep it secret, and that ye can find in your
heart with some comfort to her, to find the mean to bring such
a matter about, as shall be her pleasure and yours, but that this
ye cannot do without some comfort of her in no wise ; and bear
yourself as lowly to the Mother as ye list, but to the maid not
too lowly, nor that ye be too glad to speed, nor too sorry to fail ;
and I always shall be your herald both here, if she come hither,
and at home, when I come home, which I hope hastily, within
forty days at the farthest ; my Mother hath a Letter which can
tell you more, and ye may let Daubeney see it.

                                                            JOHN PASTON, Knight.

     I suppose and ( if ) ye call well upon R. Calle he shall purvey
you money, I have written to him enough.

     London, April,

          1469. 9 E. IV.

     This Letter must have been written in 1469, as the thanks to his Brother here given
by Sir John Paston, related to his proper and spirited conduct at Caister Place.

     His attention to whose success in his marrriage with the dauthter of Lady Boleyn,
shews his good nature, and his brotherly regard for him ; and the advice which he gives
him, respecting his behaviour both to the Lady and her daughter, shews Sir John to be
prejudices of individuals.

     He seemed to think too that a handsome young man could not fail of pleading his own
cause successfully with a young Lady.

     Sir Godfrey, or Sir Jeffery Boleyn, was Lord Mayor of London, about 1457 or 1458.
He died in 1463, leaving Anne, the daughter of Thomas Lord Hoo and Hastings, his
widow, by whom he had three daughters, Isabel, Anne, and Alice, the last of these was
the Lady to whom J. Paston wished to pay his addresses, and who afterwards married Sir
John Fortescue, knight. The elder married William Cheyney, Esq. and the other
became the wise of Sir Henry Heydon, of Baconsthorp, knight, and all were great
Aunts to Queen Anna Boleyn, the Mother of our Sovereign Elizabeth.

     Autograph. PI. IV. No 9.

662

SIR JOHN PASTON TO JOHN PASTON¹

To my brother, John Paston.

RYGHT worschypful and verrely welbelovyd brother, I
     hertely comande me to yow, thankyng yow of yowr
     labor and dyligence that ye have in kepyng of my
place at Castr so sewerly, both with yowr hert and mynde, to
yowr gret bisynesse and troble; and I ageyn warde have hadde
so lytell leyser that I have not spedde bot fewe of yowr erendys,
ner kannot befor thys tyme.

     As for my Lady Boleynes² dysposicion to yow werds, I
kannot in no wyse fynde hyr a greable that ye scholde have
her dowter, for all the prevy meanes that I kowde make, inso
moche I hadde so lytell comfor by all the meanes that I kowde
make, that I dysdeyned in myn own p[e]rson to comon with
hyr ther in. Neverthelesse, I undrestande that sche seythe,
’What if he and sche kan agre I wyll not lette it, but I will
never advyse hyr therto in no wyse.’ And uppon Tewesday
last past, sche rood hom in to Norfolke. Wherfor as ye
thynke ye may fynde the meane to speke with hyr yowr selfe,
for with owt that, in myn conceyt, it wyl not be.

     And as for Crosseby, I undrestand not that ther is no
maryage concluded betwen them, neverthelesse ther is gret
langage that it is lyke to be. Ye be personable, and per-
aventure yowr beyng ones in the syght of the mayde, and a
lytele descuveryng of your good wyl to her, byndyng hyr to
kepe it secret, and that ye kan fynde in yowr hert, with som
comfort of hyr, to fynde the meane to brynge suche a mater
abowt as schall be hyr pleasur and yowrs, but that thys ye
kannot do with owt som comfort of hyr in no wyse; and ber
yor selfe as lowly to the moder as ye lyst, but to the mayde
not to lowly, ner that ye be to gladde to spede, ner to sory to
fayle. And I alweys schall be your herault bothe her, if sche
com hydder, and at home when I kome hom, whych I hope
hastly with in xl. dayes at the ferthest. My modre hathe a
letter, whych can tell you mor, and ye may lat Dawebeney
se it.                                                          JOHN PASTON, K.

     I suppose and ye kall welle upon R. Calle, he schall purvey
yow mony. I have wretyn to hym inow.

     ¹ [From Fenn, iv. 326.] This letter is evidently of the same year as No. 666
following, and a little earlier in point of date.

     ² Anne, widow of Sir Geoffrey Boleyn. She was daughter of Thomas, Lord Hoo
and Hastings. Sir Geoffrey had by her three daughters, of whom the youngest, Alice,
is here referred to. This Alice was afterwards married to Sir John Fortescue.

1467
MARCH

1467
MARCH