Sir John Paston to John Paston

LETTER LXXIX.

To John Paston Esquyer.

RYG’ worshypfull and hertely belovyd Brother, I recom-
     aunde me to yow letyng yow weete y^t as by Pyrse Moody
when he was heer I hadde no leyser to sende āswer in wrygh-
tyng to yow and to my Cosyne Gurnaye off yowr lett’is. butt
ffor a conclusion ye shalle ffynde me to yow as kynde as I maye
be my conciense and worshyp savyd, whiche when I speke w^t
yow and them ye bothe shall weell undrestande and I praye God
sende yow as goode speede in y^t mat’ as I wolde ye hadde,
and as I hope ye shall have er thys lett’ come to yow and I
praye God sende yow yssywe betwyne yow y^t maye be as
honorable as eu’ was any off your Ancestris and theris wheroff
I wolde be as gladde in man’ as oft myn owne. Wherffor I
praye yow sende me worde how ye doo and iff Godde ffortune
me to doo weell and be off any power, I woll be to S^r. Thomas
Brewse and my Lady hys wyffe a verry Sone in lawe ffor
yowr sake and take them as ye doo and doo ffor them as iff
I weer in case like w^t them as ye bee. No moor but Jh’e
have yow in kepyng.

     Wretyn at Caleys the xiiij daye off Aprill A^o. E. iiij. xvij^o.

     As ffor tydyngs her the ffrenshe Kynge hathe gothen many
off the towns off the Duk of Burgoyne as ¹ Seynt Quyntyns
Abevyle Motrell and now off late he hathe goten ² Betoyne
and Hedynge w^t the Castell ther whyche is on’ off y^e ryallest
Castells off the worlde and on Sonday at evyn the Ameralle
off Fraunce leyde seege at Boloyne and thys daye it is seyde
y^t y^e ffrenshe Kynge shalle com’ thyddr and thys nyght it is
seyde y^t ther was a Vysion seyne abowte y^e walls of ³ Boloyne
as it hadde ben a woman w^t a mervylowse lyght men deme y^t
owr Lady ther will shewe hyrselff a Lover to y^t towne. God
fforfende y^t it weer ffrenshe it weer worthe xl m¹ li. y^t it wer
Englyshe.

                                                                        ⁴ J. Paston, k.

                 11 ½ by 7 ½.

 Calais,
              Monday, 14th of April,
              1477, 17 E. IV.

         Paper Mark,
        French Arms,
           and I. E. S.
        Pl. XII. N^o 22.

     This Letter again assures John Paston of his brother’s intended kindness to him, his
Wife, and her Friends.

     ¹ St. Quintin, Abbeville, and Montreuil are all in the province of Picardy in France.

     ² Bethune and Hesden are in the province of Artois, in the French Netherlands.

     ³ This Town, on the English Channel, in the province of Picardy, in France, which
Sir John esteems of such consequence, was taken by the English, in the reign of Henry
VIII. but restored again to France, on a ransom of 300,000 Crowns.

     The story of the Apparition shews the superstition of the age, which immediately
ascribed it to the Care of our Lady, and as a sign of her protecting the place.

     ⁴ Autograph. Pl. IV. N^o 9.

LETTER LXXIX.

To John Paston, Esquire.

RIGHT worshipful and heartily beloved Brother, I recom-
     mend me to you, letting you weet, that as by Peirse
Moody, when he was here, I had no leisure to send answer in
writing to you, and to my Cousin Gurney, of your Letters, but
for a conclusion ye shall find me to you as kind as I may be,
my conscience and worship saved, which, when I speak with
you and them, ye both shall well understand; and I pray
God send you as good speed in that matter as I would ye had,
and as I hope ye shall have ere this Letter come to you; and
I pray God send you Issue between you, that may be as ho-
nourable as ever was any of your Ancestors and theirs, whereof
I would be as glad in manner as of mine own; wherefore I
pray you send me word how ye do, and if God fortune me to do
well, and be of any power, I will be to Sir Thomas Brewse,
and my Lady his wise, a very Son-in-law for your sake, and
take them as ye do, and do for them as if I were in case like
with them as ye be.

     No more, but Jesu have you in keeping.

     Written at Calais, the 14th day of April, in the 17th year
of Edward IV.

     As for tidings the French King hath gotten many of the
Towns of the Duke of Burgundy, as ¹ Saint Quintin’s, Ab-
beville, Montreuil; and now of late he hath gotten ² Bethune
and Hedynge with the Castle there, which is one of the royalist
Castles of the world; and on Sunday at even the Admiral of
France laid siege at Bologne; and this day it is said, that the
French King shall come thither; and this night it is said, that
there was a Vision seen about the Walls of ³ Bologne, as it had
been a Woman with a marvellous light; men deem that our
Lady there, will shew herself a Lover to that Town: God
forefend (forbid) that it were French, it were worth 40,000l.
that it were English.

                                               ⁴ JOHN PASTON, Knight.

  11 ? by 7 ?.

 Calais,
              Monday, 14th of April,
              1477, 17 E. IV.

         Paper Mark,
        French Arms,
           and I. E. S.
        Pl. XII. N^o 22.

     This Letter again assures John Paston of his brother’s intended kindness to him, his
Wife, and her Friends.

     ¹ St. Quintin, Abbeville, and Montreuil are all in the province of Picardy in France.

     ² Bethune and Hesden are in the province of Artois, in the French Netherlands.

     ³ This Town, on the English Channel, in the province of Picardy, in France, which
Sir John esteems of such consequence, was taken by the English, in the reign of Henry
VIII. but restored again to France, on a ransom of 300,000 Crowns.

     The story of the Apparition shews the superstition of the age, which immediately
ascribed it to the Care of our Lady, and as a sign of her protecting the place.

     ⁴ Autograph. Pl. IV. N^o 9.

912

SIR JOHN PASTON TO JOHN PASTON¹

To John Paston, Esquyer.

RYGHT worshypfull and hertely belovyd brother, I
     recomaunde me to yow, letyng yow weete, that as
     by Pyrse Moody, when he was heer, I hadde no
leyser to sende answer in wryghtyng to yow, and to my
cosyne Gurnaye, off yowr letteris; butt ffor a conclusion ye
shalle ffynde me to yow as kynde as I maye be, my conciense
and worshyp savyd, whiche, when I speke with yow and them,
ye bothe shall weell undrestande. And I praye God sende
yow as goode speede in that mater as I wolde ye hadde, and
as I hope ye shall have er thys letter come to yow; and I
praye God sende yow yssywe betwyne yow, that maye be
as honorable as ever was any off your ancestris and theris,
wheroff I wolde be as gladde in maner as off myn owne.
Wherffor I praye yow sende me worde how ye doo, and iff
Godde ffortune me to doo weell, and be off any power, I woll
be to Sir Thomas Brewse, and my lady hys wyffe, a verry
sone in lawe ffor yowr sake, and take them as ye doo, and
doo ffor them as iff I weer in case like with them as ye bee.
No moor, but Jesus have yow in kepyng.

     Wretyn at Caleys, the xiiij. daye off Aprill, anno E. iiij.
xvij^o.

     As ffor tydyngs her, the Frenshe Kynge hathe gothen
many off the towns off the Duk of Burgoyne, as Seynt
Quyntyns, Abevyle, Motrell; and now off late he hathe
goten Betoyne and Hedynge with the castell ther, whyche
is one off the ryallest castells off the worlde; and on Sonday
at evyn the Ameralle off Fraunce leyde seege at Boloyne; and
thys daye it is seyde, that the Frenshe Kynge shalle come
thyddr; and thys nyght it is seyde, that ther was a vysion
seyne abowte the walls of Boloyne, as it hadde ben a woman
with a mervylowse lyght; men deme that Owr Lady ther will
shewe hyrselff a lover to that towne. God fforfende that it
weer Frenshe, it weer worthe xl.m^l.li. [£40,000] that it wer
Englyshe.                                                                 J. PASTON, K.

¹ [From Fenn, ii. 244.]

1477
APRIL 14

1477

APRIL 14