Sir John Paston to John Paston

Add. 43490, f. 13

20 November 1474

Gairdner, Vol V, item 858; Fenn, Vol II, Edward IV item 61

LETTER LXI.

To John Paston Esquyer at Norwyche, or To Roose dwellyng
affor Mestresse Pastonys Gate in Norwych.

RYGHT wyrshypful and weell belovyd brother I re-
comaunde me to yow letyng yow weet y^t I have comonyd
w^t yowr ffreende Dawnson and have receyvyd yowr Rynge off
hym and he hathe by myn advyce spoken w^{t 1} hyr ij tymes he
tellythe me off hyr delyng and answers whyche iff they wer
acordyng to hys seyng a ffeynter Lover than ye wolde and weell
aghte to take therin greet comffort so y^t he myght haply slepe
y^e werse iij nyghtys afftr. And suche delyng in parte as was
bytwyen my Lady W. and yowr ffreende Danson he wrote me
a bylle theroff whyche I sende yow herw^t and that y^t longy he
to me to doo therin it shall nott ffayle to leeve all other bysynesse
a parte. Neu’thelesse w in iiij dayes I hope so to deele herin,
y^t I suppose to sette yow in serteynte hoghe y^t ye shall fynde
hyr ffor evyr her afftr. It is so as I undrestande y^t ye be as
besy on yowr syde ffor yowr ffreende Dawnson wheer as ye be
I praye God sende yow bothe goode spede in thees werkys
whyche iff they be browte abowte iche off yowe is moche
beholden to other, yit were it pyte y^t suche crafty wowers as
ye be bothe scholde speede weell, but iff ye love trewly.

It’m as ffor Stoctōns Doghtr she shall be weddyd in haste
to Skeerne as she tolde hyrselffe to my ² Sylkemayde whyche
makyth perte off suche as she shall weer, to whom she brake
hyr harte and tolde hyr y^t she sholde have hadde Mast^r Paston
and my Mayde wende it had been I y^t she speke off and w^t moor
y^t the same Mest^r Paston kome wher she was w^t xx men and
wolde have ³ taken hyr aweye. I tolde my mayde y^t she lyed
off me and y^t I neu’ spake w^t hyr in my lyff ner y^t I wolde not
wedde hyr to have w^t hyr iij^ml marke.

It’m as for Ebortons dowghtr my brother Edmonde seythe y^t
he herde neu’ moor speche y^roff syns yowr dep’tyng and y^r ye
wolde y^t he sholde nott breke nor doo no thynge therin but iff
it come off theer begynnyng.

It’m I had answer ffrom my ⁴ Lorde y^t he is my speciall
goode Lorde and y^t by wryghtyng and as ffor Bernaye he sette
hym in hys owne wags ffor my sake and y^t whan so eu’ I come
to Caleys I shall ffynde all thyng ther as woll have it and rather
bett’ than it was heretoffor.

It’m, y^e Kyng come to y^is towne on wednysdaye as ffor the
Frenshe ⁵ Embassate y^t is heer they come nott in y^e Kynges
presence by lykehod ffor men seye y^t y^e chyeff off them is
he y^t poysonyd bothe y^e Duke off Berry and the Duke off
Calabr.

It’m ther was neu’ mor lyklyhod y^t y^e Kyng shall goo ovyr
thys next yer than was nowe.

I praye yow remembre y^t I maye have y^e Pewter vessell heddr
by y^e next karyer by the lattr ende off thys weke.

It’m I praye yow remembr so y^t I may have the bokys by
the same tyme whyche my Moodr seyde she wolde sende me
by the next carier.

Wretyn at London y^e sondaye y^e xx daye off Novembr
A^o. E. iiij^ti. xiiij^o.

⁶ John Paston, K.

11 ¾ by 8 ½.

London,
Sunday, 20th of November,
1474, 14 E. IV.

I have given the former part of this Letter as a specimen of the free and easy epistolary
style of an age which we are too apt to consider as almost entirely illiterate; on a similar
subject a modern Gentleman could scarcely have expressed himself in easier terms, or
with more propriety, though in one instance perhaps with more politeness.

¹ I do not know to whom this refers; it relates to some Lady to whom he then paid
his addresses (the Lady W. after mentioned I suppose,) and who by the next Letter ap-
pears to be Lady Walgrave, widow of Sir Richard Walgrave, Knight.

² A person who made Gowns of Silk, &c. for both men and women, as appears from
the manner in which she is here mentioned.

³ This was a method sometimes practised, being consonant to the martial gallantry
of the times.

⁴ I am not certain whether the Duke of Norfolk is here meant, or Lord Hastyngs
the then Governor of Calais.

⁵ For the better understanding of this curious Anecdote, which reflects honour on King
Edward, both as a Sovereign Prince, and a man, it will be necessary to inform the
Reader, that in 1472, Lewis XI. King of France, finding himself drawn into a war with
the Duke of Burgundy, in order to bring about a marriage between his brother Charles,
Duke of Berry and Guienne, and Mary, the Daughter and Heir of that Duke, em-
ployed proper Persons to destroy his Brother, and by that means to extricate him from
these troubles.

The death of the Duke of Berry was effected by a slow poison, of which he died in
May, 1472, aged about 26 years.

Mary, the richest Heiress of her time, was born in 1457, and by her father, the
Duke of Burgundy, was promised in marriage to various Potentates, and amongst the rest
to Nicholas of Anjou, Duke of Calabria and Lorrain. This Prince died in August,
1473, aged about 25, here said by poison, administered by the same hand that took off
the Duke of Berry.

⁶ Autograph. Pl. IV. N^o 9.

LETTER LXI.

To John Paston, Esquire, at Norwich, or To Rose, dwelling
afore Mrs. Paston’s Gate, in Norwich.

RIGHT worshipful and well beloved Brother, I recommend
me to you, letting you weet, that I have communed
with your friend Dawnson, and have received your Ring of him,
and he hath by mine advice spoken with ¹ her two times; he
telleth me of her dealing and answers, which if they were ac-
cording to his saying, a fainter Lover than ye would, and well
ought to, take therein great comfort, so that he might haply
sleep the worse three nights after.

And such dealing in part as was between my Lady W.
and your friend Danson he wrote me a bill thereof, which
I send you herewith; and that that longeth to me to do therein,
it shall not fail to leave all other business apart; nevertheless
within three days, I hope so to deal herein, that I suppose to
set you in certainty how that ye shall find her for ever here-
after.

It is so, as I understand, that ye be as busy on your side
for your friend Dawnson, whereas (if) ye be, I pray God send
you both good speed in these works, which if they be brought
about, each of you is much beholden to other; yet were it
pity that such crafty Woers, as ye be both, should speed well,
but if (unless) ye love truly.

Item, as for Stocton’s Daughter, she shall be wedded in haste
to Skeerne, as she told herself to my ² Silkmaid, which maketh
part of such as she shall wear, to whom she broke (opened)
her heart, and told her, that she should have had Master Paston,
and my Maid wend (thought) it had been I that she spoke of;
and with more, that the same Master Paston came where she was
with 20 men, and would have ³ taken her away; I told my
Maid that she lied of me, and that I never spoke with her in my
life, nor that I would not wed her to have with her 3000
Marks (2000l.)

Item, as for Eberton’s Daughter, my brother Edmond faith,
that he heard never more speech thereof since your departing,
and that ye would that he should not break, nor do nothing
therein but if (unless) it came of their beginning.

Item, I had answer from my ⁴ Lord that he is my spe-
cial good Lord, and that by writing; and as for Bernay he
set him in his own Wages for my sake, and that whenso-
ever I come to Calais, I shall find all thing there as I would
have it, and rather better than it was heretofore.

Item, the King came to this Town on Wednesday, and as
for the French ⁵ Ambassade (Embassy) that is here, they come
not in the King’s Presence, by likelihood, for men say, that
the Chief of them is he that poisoned both the Duke of Berry
and the Duke of Calabria.

Item, there was never more likelihood that the King should
go over sea this next year then was now.

I pray you remember that I may have the Pewter vessel by
the next Carrier by the latter end of this week.

Item, I pray you remember so that I may have the Books
by the same time, which my Mother said she would send me by
the next Carrier.

Written at London, the Sunday the 20th of November, in
the 14th year of Edward IV.

⁶ JOHN PASTON, Knight.

11 ? by 8 ?.