Sir John Paston to John Paston

Add. 43490, f. 14

11 December 1474

Gairdner, Vol V, item 860; Fenn, Vol II, Edward IV item 62

LETTER LXII.

To John Paston Esq’er.

BROTHER I recomaunde me to yow letyng yow weete
y^t I have lyke as I p’mysyd yowe I have doon my devoyr
to know my Lady Walg’ves stomacke whyche as God helpe me
and to be pleyn to yowe I ffynde in hyr no mat’ nor cawse y^t I
myght tak comfort off sche will in nowyse receyve ner kepe
yowr rynge w^t hyr and yit I tolde hyr y^t she scholde not be any
thynge bownde therby but y^t I knew by yowr herte off olde y^t
I wyst weel ye wolde be glad to fforber the lesvest thynge y^t ye
had in the worlde whyche myght be dayly in her presence y^t
sholde cawse hyr onys on a daye to remembr yow but itt wolde
not be. She wolde nott therby as she seyde putte yow ner kepe
yow in any comffort therby. And mor ovyr she preyed me y^t
I sholde neu’ take labor moor heer in ffor she wolde holde hyr
to suche answer as she hadd geven yow to ffoor, wherw^t she
thowght bothe ye and I wolde have holde us contente had nott
been the words off hyr Sust Geneffyeff.

When I undrestood all thys and that ou’ nyght she bad hyr
y^t weent bytwyen hyr and me byd me brynge w^t me hyr
¹ Muskeball whyche &c. than I aftr all thys axid iff she weer
dyspleasyd w^t me ffor it and she seyde naye.

Than I tolde hyr that I had nott sent it yowe ffor synne off
my sowle and so I tolde hyr all how I had wretyn to yow why
that I wold nott sende it yow by cawse I wyst weell ye sholde
have slepyd the werse, but nowe I tolde hyr as God helpe me
y^t I wolde sende it yow and gysse yow myn advyse nott to hope
ovyr moche on hyr whyche is ovyr harde an hertyd Lady ffor a
yonge man to tryst on to whyche I thowght y^t ffor all my words
ye cowde nott ner wolde nott do ffor all myn advyce.

Yitt ageynwards she is nott dyspleasyd nor fforbad me nott
but that ye sholde have the kepyng off hyr Muskball wherffor
do ye w^t itt as ye lyke I wolde it hadd doon weel by Good I
spake ffor yow soo that in ffeythe I trowe I kowde nott seye so
weel ageyn.

Wherffor I sende yow herw^t yowr Rynge and the onhappy
Muskeball. Also make ye mat’ off it herafftr as ye kan, I am
nott happy to wow nowther ffor my selff ner noon other I tolde
hyr all y^e p’cesse off the Lorde ²Howarde and off yowr grewnds
as I kowde all helpys nott.

(Here follows some displeasure at his Uncle William’s proceedings
in matters between them, &c. of no consequence.)

I her no worde off my vessell ner off my Boks I mervayll.
No mor. Wretyn at London the xj daye of Decembr A^o
E. iiij^ti. xiiij^o.

J. P. k.

         9 by 6.
Part of the Paper Mark,
     Wheels, &c.
     Pl. x. N^o 9.

London,
Sunday, 11th of Dec.
1474, 14 E. IV.

We are in this Letter brought acquainted with the manners of the time. The Bady
shews herself a woman of honour, and above giving hope when she meant not to encou-
rage the addresses of J. Paston. She was the widow of Sir Richard Walgrave, knight, a
Yorkist, who was with the Earl of Kent at the taking of the town of Conquet, and the
isle of Rhée; he died young, and was succeeded by his brother Sir Thomas Walgrave.

¹ This Muskball, or ball of perfume, seems to have been taken from Lady Walgrave
by Sir John Paston (Pl. IV. N^o. 10.) in a jesting manner, to send to his brother, as a pre-
sent from her.

² He was afterwards Duke of Norfolk.

LETTER LXII.

To John Paston, Esquire.

BROTHER, I recommend me to you, letting you weet,
that I have, like as I promised you I have, done my en-
deavour to know my Lady Walgrave’s stomach (mind), which,
as God help me, and to be plain to you, I find in her no matter
nor cause, that I might take comfort of.

She will in no wise receive, nor keep your Ring with her,
and yet I told her that she should not be any thing bound thereby;
but that I knew by your heart of old, that I wist well ye would
be glad to forbear the lesvest (dearest) thing that ye had in the
world, which might be daily in her presence, that should cause
her once on a day to remember you; but it would not be, she
would not thereby, as she said, put you, nor keep you in any
comfort thereby.

And moreover she prayed me, that I should never take labour
more herein, for she would hold her to such answer as she had
given you tofore; wherewith she thought both ye and I would
have held us content, had (it) not been (for) the words of her
Sister Genevieve.

When I understood all this, and that over night she bad her
that went between her and me, bid me bring with me her
¹ Muskball which, &c. then I after all this asked if she were
displeased with me for it, and she said, nay.

Then I told her, that I had not sent it you, for sin of my
soul; and so I told her all, how I had written to you, why that
I would not send it you, because I wist well ye should have
sleeped the worse; but now, I told her, as God help me, that
I would send it you, and give you mine advice not to hope
over much on her, which is over hard an hearted Lady for a
young man to trust unto; which I thought that for all my
words, ye could not nor would not do for all mine advice.

Yet againwards she is not displeased, nor forbid me not but
that ye should have the keeping of her Muskball; wherefore do
ye with it as ye like; I would it had done well by Good, I speak
for you so, that in faith I trow I could not say so well again;
whe efore I send you herewith your Ring, and the unhappy
Muskball; also make ye matter of it hereaster as ye can, I am
not happy to woo neither for myself nor none other.

I told her all the process of the Lord ²Howard and of your
grounds as I could, all helps not.

(Here follows some displeasure at his Uncle William’s proceedings
in matters between them, &c. of no consequence.)

I hear no word of my vessel, nor of my Books, I marvel.
No more. Written at London the 11th day of December, in
the 14th year of Edward IV.

JOHN PASTON, Knight.

    9 by 6.
Part of the Paper Mark,
     Wheels, &c.
     Pl. x. N^o 9.

London,
Sunday, 11th of Dec.
1474, 14 E. IV.

We are in this Letter brought acquainted with the manners of the time. The Bady
shews herself a woman of honour, and above giving hope when she meant not to encou-
rage the addresses of J. Paston. She was the widow of Sir Richard Walgrave, knight, a
Yorkist, who was with the Earl of Kent at the taking of the town of Conquet, and the
isle of Rhée; he died young, and was succeeded by his brother Sir Thomas Walgrave.

¹ This Muskball, or ball of perfume, seems to have been taken from Lady Walgrave
by Sir John Paston (Pl. IV. N^o. 10.) in a jesting manner, to send to his brother, as a pre-
sent from her.

² He was afterwards Duke of Norfolk.

860

SIR JOHN PASTON TO JOHN PASTON⁴

To John Paston, Esquier.

BROTHER, I recomaunde me to yow, letyng yow weete
that I have, lyke as I promysyd yowe, I have doon
my devoyr to know my Lady Walgraves stomacke,
whyche, as God helpe me, and to be pleyn to yowe, I ffynde
n hyr no mater nor cawse, that I myght tak comfort off.
Sche will in nowyse receyve, ner kepe yowr rynge with hyr,
and yit I tolde hyr that sche scholde not be any thynge bownde
therby; but that I knew by yowr herte off olde that I wyst
weel ye wolde be glad to fforber the lesvest [dearest] thynge
that ye had in the worlde, whyche myght be dayly in her
presence, that sholde cawse hyr onys on a daye to remembr
yow, but itt wolde not be. She wolde nott therby, as she
seyde, putte yow ner kepe yow in any comffort therby. And
mor ovyr, she preyed me, that I sholde never take labor moor
heer in, ffor she wolde holde hyr to suche answer as she hadd
geven yow to ffoor, wherwith she thowght bothe ye and I
wolde have holde us contente, had nott been the words off hyr
suster Geneffyeff.

When I undrestood all thys, and that over nyght she bad
hyr that weent bytwyen hyr and, me byd me brynge with me
hyr muskeball¹ which, &c., than I aftr all thys axid iff she
weer dyspleasyd with me ffor it, and she seyde, naye.

Than I tolde hyr, that I had nott sent it yowe, ffor synne
off my sowle; and so I tolde hyr all, how I had wretyn to
yow why that I wold nott sende it yow, by cawse I wyst weell
ye sholde have slepyd the werse; but nowe, I tolde hyr, as
God helpe me, that I wolde sende it yow, and gyffe yow myn
advyse nott to hope ovyr moche on hyr, whyche is ovyr harde
an hertyd lady ffor a yonge man to tryst on to; whyche I
thowght that ffor all my words, ye cowde nott ner wolde nott
do ffor all myn advyce.

Yitt ageynwards she is nott dyspleasyd, nor fforbad me
nott but that ye sholde have the kepyng off hyr muskball;
wherffor de ye with itt as ye lyke. I wolde it hadd doon weel;
by Good, I spake ffor yow soo, that in ffeythe I trowe I kowde
nott seye so weel ageyn.

Wherffor I sende yow herwith yowr rynge, and the on-
happy muskeball. Also make ye mater off it herafftr as ye
kan, I am nott happy to wow nowther ffor my selff ner noon
other. I tolde hyr all the processe off the Lorde Howarde
and off yowr grewnds [greyhounds] as I kowde; all helpys
nott.¹

I her no worde off my vessell, ner off my boks; I mervayll.
No mor.

Wretyn at London, the xj. daye of Decembr, anno E.
iiij.^ti xiiij^o. J. P., K.

⁴ [From Fenn, ii. 170.]

¹ This muskball, or ball of perfume, seems to have been taken from Lady Walgrave
by Sir John Paston in a jesting manner, to send to his brother as a present from
her.—F.

¹ ‘Here follows,’ says Fenn, ‘some displeasure at his uncle William’s proceedings
in matters between them, etc., of no consequence.’

DEC. 11

1474
DEC. 11