Sir John Paston to Margaret Paston

LETTER LXXXIII.

To my Ryght worshypfull Modre Margret Paston be thys delyu’ed.

PLEASE it yow to weete y^t wher as I entendyd to have
      ben at home thys Mydsom’ and p’posyd w^t yowr goode
helpe to have bygonne uppon my ffadrys tombe so y^t it myght
have ben endyd thys somyr, it is soo y’ ffor suche cawsys as
ar nowe bygunne by twyen my Lorde off Suff’ and me ffor
the Manerys off Heylesdon, Drayton, &c. for whyche mat’is
I most nedys be heer thys nexte terme therffor I deme it woll
be afftr Mydsom’ er than I can see yow.

     Please it yow also to weete y^t I comonyd w^t mast’ Pykenh’m
to weete iff he wolde bye the clothe off golde for soo moche as
he desyryd ons to have bowte it and he offryd me ons xx marke
therffor neu’thelesse it coste me xxiiij^li yit nowe when y^t I spake
to hym ther off he refusyd to bye it and seyde y^t he hadde nowe
so many chargys y^t he maye nott. Butt it is soo y^t the Kynge
dothe mak sertayne copys and vestymentys off like clothe
whyche he entendyth to gyve to the Coledge at ⁴ Foodryngdre
wher my Lorde hys ffadre is nowe buryed and he byethe at a
grete pryce.

     I comonyd w^t the vestment maker ffor to helpe me ffoothe
w^t xij yerds and he hathe grauntyd me to doo as Whetleye can
telle yow, wherffor iff it please yow that it be bystowyd ffor to
make a Towmbe ffor my ffadre at Bromholme, iff ye lyke to
sende it hyddr iffe it be solde I undretake or Mychelmesse y^t ther
shalle be a Tombe and somwhatt ellys ovyr my ffadris grave
on whoys Sowle God have mersye y^t ther shall noone be lyke it
in Norff and as ye shalle be gladde herafftr to see it, and God
sende me leyser y^t I maye come home and iff I doo not yit the
monye shall be putte to noon other use butt kepyd by some y^t
ye trust tylle y^t it may be bystowyd acord[SYM]g as is above wretyn
and ellys I gyve yow cawse nevyr to truste me whylle ye and I
lyve. When I was last w^t yow ye grauntyd y^t the seyde Clothe
of Golde sholde be bywaryd abowte thys werke y^t is above
wretyn whyche iff ye wylle perfforme I undretake y^t ther shalle
be suche a Towmbe as ye shalle be pleasyd at thowgh it cost me
xx marke off myn owne purse besyde iff I ons sette uppon it.

     No mor but I beseche Goode have yow in hys kepyng.

     Wretyn at London y^e wednysdaye in Whyghtsonweke A^o.
E. iiij^ti xviij^o. Please it yow to sende me worde by Whatley off
yowr plesyr her in.

                                                 By your Sone,

                                                                   John Paston, K.

           12 by 6 ½.

  London,
                 Wednesday, 13th of May,
                 1478, 18 E. IV.

It appears by this Letter that Sir John Paston (Pl. IV. N^o. 9.) feared that his Mother
would not send the Cloth of Gold to him, lest he should fell it, and not apply the money
to the purpose of erecting a Tomb to the memory of his Father, who had now been dead
twelve years. He was buried very sumptuously in Bromholm Priory, and probably a
suitable tomb should have been immediately crected, but had been deferred by Sir John
from time to time on account of the expence.

     ¹ Richard Plantagenet, Duke of York, Father of King Edward IV. was slain in the
battle of Wakefield, in December, 1460; his corpse was first interred at Pontefract, but
afterwards removed to the collegiate church of Fotheringhay.

LETTER LXXXIII.

To my right worshipful Mother Margaret Paston, be this delivered.

PLEASE it you to weet, that whereas. I intended to have
      been at home this Midsummer, and purposed with your
good help to have begun upon my Father’s Tomb, so that it
might have been ended this Summer; it is so, that for such
causes as are now begun between my Lord of Suffolk and me,
for the Manors of Heylesdon, Drayton, &c. for which matters
I must needs be here this next term; therefore I deem it would
be after Midsummer, ere than (before) I can see you.

     Please it you also to weet that I communed with Master Py-
kenham to weet if he would buy the Cloth of Gold for so much
as he desired once to have bought it, and he offered me once
20 marks (13l. 6s. 8d.); therefore, nevertheless it cost me 24l.
yet now, when I speak to him thereof, he refused to buy it;
and said, that he had now so many charges that he may not.

     But it is so that the King doth make certain Copes and Vest-
ments of like Cloth, which he intendeth to give to the College
of ¹ Fotheringhay, where my Lord his Father is now buried, and
he buyeth at a great price; I communed with the vestment
maker for to help me forth with 12 yards, and he hath granted
to do, as Wheatley can tell you; wherefore, if it please you
that it be bestowed for to make a Tomb for my father at Brom-
holm, if ye like to send it hither, if it be sold I undertake ere
Michaelmas, that there shall be a Tomb, and somewhat else
over my Father’s grave, on whose Soul God have mercy, that
there shall none be like it in Norfolk; and as ye shall be glad
hereafter to see it; and God send me leisure that I may come
home, and if I do not, yet the money shall be put to none
other use, but kept by some other that ye trust, till that it may
be bestowed according as is above written, and else I give you
cause never to trust me while ye and I live.

     When I was last with you, ye granted, that the said Cloth of
Gold should be bewared (expended in exchange) about this work,
that is above written, which if ye will perform, I undertake
that there shall be such a Tomb, as ye shall be pleased with,
though it cost me 20 marks (13l. 6s. 8d.) of mine own purse
beside, if I once set upon it.

     No more, but I beseech God have you in his keeping.

     Written at London the Wednesday in Whitsun-week, in the
18th year of Edward IV.

     Please you to send me word by Wheatley of your pleasure
herein.

                                      By your Son,

                                                          JOHN PASTON, Knight.

12 by 6 ?.

  London,
                 Wednesday, 13th of May,
                 1478, 18 E. IV.

It appears by this Letter that Sir John Paston (Pl. IV. N^o. 9.) feared that his Mother
would not send the Cloth of Gold to him, lest he should fell it, and not apply the money
to the purpose of erecting a Tomb to the memory of his Father, who had now been dead
twelve years. He was buried very sumptuously in Bromholm Priory, and probably a
suitable tomb should have been immediately crected, but had been deferred by Sir John
from time to time on account of the expence.

     ¹ Richard Plantagenet, Duke of York, Father of King Edward IV. was slain in the
battle of Wakefield, in December, 1460; his corpse was first interred at Pontefract, but
afterwards removed to the collegiate church of Fotheringhay.

930

SIR JOHN PASTON TO MARGARET PASTON¹

To my ryght worshypfull modre, Margret Paston, be
thys delyvered.

    PLEASE it yow to weete, that wher as I entendyd to have
       ben at home thys Mydsomer, and purposyd with yowr
       goode helpe to have bygonne uppon my ffadrys tombe,
so that it myght have ben endyd thys somyr; it is soo, that
ffor suche cawsys as ar nowe bygunne by twyen my Lorde off
Suffolk and me, ffor the manerys off Heylesdon, Drayton, &c.,
for whyche materis I most nedys be heer thys nexte terme;
therffor I deme it woll be afftr Mydsomer, er than I can
see yow.

     Please it yow also to weete that I comonyd with Master
Pykenham to weete iff he wolde bye the clothe off golde, for
soo moche as he desyryd ons to have bowte it, and he offryd
me ons xx. marke therffor, neverthelesse it coste me xxiiijli.;
yit nowe, when that I spake to hym ther off, he refusyd to
bye it, and seyde that he hadde nowe so many chargys that he
maye nott. Butt it is soo that the Kynge dothe mak sertayne
copys and vestymentys off like clothe, whyche he entendyth to
gyve to the Coledge at Foodryngdre, wher my lorde hys ffadre
is nowe buryed, and he byethe at a grete pryce.

     I comonyd with the vestment maker ffor to helpe me fforthe
with xij. yerds, and he hathe grauntyd me to doo, as Whetleye
can telle yow; wherffor, iff it please yow that it be bystowyd
ffor to make a towmbe ffor my ffadre at Bromholme, iff ye
lyke to sende it hyddr, iffe it be solde I undretake or Mychel-
messe, that ther shalle be a tombe, and somwhatt ellys ovyr
my ffadris grave, on whoys sowle God have mersye, that ther
shall noone be lyke it in Norffolk; and as ye shalle be gladde
herafftr to see it; and God sende me leyser that I maye come
home, and iff I doo not, yit the monye shall be putte to noon
other use, butt kepyd by some that ye trust, tylle that it may
be bystowyd acordyng as is above wretyn, and ellys I gyve
yow cawse nevyr to truste me whylle ye and I lyve. When
I was last with yow, ye grauntyd that the seyde clothe of
golde sholde be bywaryd [spent] abowte thys werke, that is
above wretyn, whyche iff ye wylle perfforme, I undretake that
ther shalle be suche a towmbe as ye shalle be pleasyd at,
thowgh it cost me xx. marke off myn owne purse besyde, iff
I ons sette uppon it.

     No mor, but I beseche Goode have yow in Hys kepyng.

     Wretyn at London, the Wednysdaye in Whyghtsonweke,
anno E. iiij^ti xviij^o.

     Please it yow to sende me worde by Whatley off yowr
plesyr her in.

                                         By your Sone,

                                                                             JOHN PASTON, K.

¹ [From Fenn, ii. 260.]

1478
MAY 13

1478
MAY 13