Sir John Paston to Margaret Paston

LETTER XV.

To Mestresse Margret
     Paston at Norwyche or
     to J Paston in hyr absence

RYGHT wyrshypfull and my moste kynde and tendr moodr
I recomaund me to yow thankyng yow off the grete Cost
and off the greet Cher y^t ye dyd to me and myn at my last
beyng wyth yowe whyche cheer also hath made me p^rfyghtly
hooll I thanke god and yow in so moche y^t wher as I feeryd
me y^t for weykenesse and so green recuveryd off my
syknesse y^t I scholde have apeyrr^d by the weye but god
thanke yow I toke so my crommys whyls I was w^t yow y^t I
felyd my sylfe by the weye that god and ye had made me
strong^r than I wenyd y^t I had ben jn so myche y^t I feell my
selffe eu^ry daye holler than other: Jt was soo that I mett w^t
myn onkle Will’m by the weye and ther in the felde I payed
hym the iiij li whyche I had borowyd of hym and he was
passyng jnq’sytyff howe y^t I was p^rveyd for reco˜pensyng of
Townshend. J tolde hym I hopyd weell he tolde me y^t he
undrestood y^t I had the C li of the byshopys executors and
he had herde seye y^t I had also borowyd another of a
marchaunt and so I lakyd but an C m’rke I deme he herde
thys of T. lovell for I tolde hym y^t I was in hope to fynde
suche a freende y^t wolde lende me C li he axed me who was
that I answeryd hym an olde Marchaunt a freende of myn
but myn oncle thowte y^t shold be by weye of chevysanse
and to myn herte wherfor I was pleyne to hym and tolde
hym that ye wer sewerte therfor and p’veyed it of suche as
wolde doo for yowe and as for the Forte C m’rk he seyde
to me y^t as for that he wolde rather than jop^rte sholde be
p^rvey it by weye of chevysaunce at london Jnso moche y^t
er he come fro london he had for my sake leyde v C M’rks
worthe of plate w^t Hewghe Fenne the place at Warwyks
jnne is large and my grawntdame is agyd it had ben jop^rtous
to leve moche plate w^t hyr thoghe halfe wer hyr owne. but
if I maye do other wyse I p’pose nott to chevystie any
mony by hys meane. It’m I have delyv^ryd yowr botell to
Courbye y^e caryer thys same daye and he promysed me to
be w^t yow on Mondaye nyghte or ellys on Tuesday tymely
he hathe also xl^d to paye for the thryd hyryd horse and he
bryngythe the iij horse w^t hym and is contente for hys
labor and for the mete largely they be delyv^ryd hym in as
good and rather bett^r plyght than whan I had them forthe
and not gallyd nor hurte he hat also ij sadelys on of my
brothers and on other hyr’d as ye woot of It’m he hathe a
peyr botys of Edmond Reeds y^e shomaker whyche Saundr
borowyd of hym I beseche yowe that Will’m Mylsent or
Symme maye se y^t eu^ry man have hys owne It’m as for
my broth^r Edmond blyssyd be god is weell amendyd It’m
as for Hankyn owr dogge I am a ferde neu^r to see hym
but if yowr good helpe bee It’m as for the books y^t weer
S^r Jam^s if it lyke yow y^t I may have them I ame not able
to by them but somwhat wolde J gyffe and the remenant
w^t a goode devowte herte by my trowthe I wyll prey for
hys soule Wherfor if it lyke yow by the next messe˜g^r or
karyer to sende hem in a daye J shall have them dressyd

her and if any of them be claymyd her aftyr in Feythe I
wyll restar it Wretyn on Sat^rdaye.

                                                                    JOHN PASTON, K.

     11½ by 11½.

                Paper mark,
             A radiated Star
               of 16 points,
             with yhs in the
                 Centre.
             Pl. viii. No. 5.

  We here behold Sir John Paston in an amiable light, sincerely thanking
God and his mother for his health and strength; we also become acquainted
with his private affairs, and find that he and his uncle William are now on
friendly terms together. The ‘Forte C m˜rk,’ (and it is plainly so in the
original Letter,) seems a large sum, and for which the pledge of 500 marks is
very insufficient; it undoubtedly should have been ‘foure C m˜rk’ (266l. 13s. 4d.),
and, if so, the 500 marks worth of plate was a sufficient pledge. I have let
it stand, however, in the original, as I found it; but the next Letter clearly
shows it ought to have been only 400 marks, and for which the pledge to
Townshend was left with H. Fenn.

   Sir John?s orders about the hired horses, &c. shows not only his care and
attention, but the kindness of his disposition in allowing largely for their
meat.

     Books in this age were great curiosities, and bought up at high prices: he
owns his inability to pay for those here mentioned entirely in money, but he
proposes (partly in jest and partly in earnest, I believe) an easier method of
settling the account, by undertaking to pray most devoutly for the soul of Sir
James, the late owner of them.

     Autograph, Pl. iv. No. 9.

LETTER XV.

To Mistress Margaret Paston at Norwich, or to J. Paston,
in her absence.

RIGHT worshipful and my most kind and tender mother,
I recommend me to you, thanking you of the great cost,
and of the great cheer, that ye did to me at my last being
with you; which cheer also hath made me perfectly whole,
I thank God and you; insomuch that, whereas I feared me
that for weakness, and so green [lately] recovered of my
sickness, that I should have apeyred [grown worse] by the
way; but, God thank you, I took so my crumbs, while I
was with you, that I feeled myself by the way that God
and ye had made me stronger than I wened that I had been,
insomuch that I feel myself every day wholer than other.

     It was so that I met with mine uncle William by the
way, and there in the field paid him the 4l. which I had
borrowed of him; and he was passing inquisitive how that
I was purveyed for recompensing of Townshend: I told him
I hoped well; and he told me that he understood that I had
the 100l. of the Bishop’s executors, and he had heard say
that I had also borrowed another 100l. of a merchant, and
so I lacked but an 100 marks (66l. 13s. 4d.): I deem he
heard this of T. Lovel, for I told him that I was in hope to
find such a friend that would lend me an 100l. He asked
me who was that? I answered him, an old merchant, a
friend of mine; but mine uncle thought that should be by
way of chevisance [usury], and to mine hurt; wherefore I
was plain to him, and told him that ye were surety there-
fore, and purveyed it of such as would do for you; and as
for the forte [Q? forty] hundred marks (2666l. 13s. 4d.), he
said to me that as for that he would, rather than jeopardy
should be, purvey it by way of chevisance at London; inso-
much that, ere he come from London, he had for my sake
laid 500 marks (333l. 6s. 8d.) worth of plate with Hugh
Fenn: the place at Warwick’s inn is large, and my grandam
is aged; it had been jeopardous to leave much plate with
her, though half were her own: but, if I may do otherwise,
I purpose not to chevise any money by his mean.

     Item, I have delivered your bottle to Courby the carrier
this same day, and he promised me to be with you on
Monday night, or else on Tuesday timely; he hath also 40d.
to pay for the third hired horse, and he bringeth the three
horses with him, and is content for the labour, and for the meat
largely: they be delivered him in as good, or rather better
plight than when I had them forth, and not galled nor hurt;
he hath also two saddles, one of my brother’s, and another
hired, as ye wot of.

     Item, he hath a pair of boots of Edmund Reed’s, the
shoemaker, which Saunders borrowed of him: I beseech
you that William Millisent or Sym may see that every man
have his own.

     Item, as for my brother Edmund, blessed be God, he is
well amended.

     Item, as for Hankin our dog, I am afraid never to see
him, but if [unless] your good help be.

     Item, as for the books that were Sir James’s, if it like you
that I may have them, I am not able to buy them; but
somewhat would I give, and the remanent with a good
devout heart, by my troth, I will pray for his soul;
wherefore if it like you, by the next messenger or carrier,
to send them in a day, I shall have them dressed [set in
order] here; and if any of them be claimed hereafter, in
faith I will restore it.

     Written on Saturday.

                                                              JOHN PASTON, Kt.

        Saturday, before November,
                  1474. 14 E. iv.

    We here behold Sir John Paston in an amiable light, sincerely thanking
God and his mother for his health and strength; we also become acquainted
with his private affairs, and find that he and his uncle William are now on
friendly terms together. The ‘Forte C m˜rk,’ (and it is plainly so in the
original Letter,) seems a large sum, and for which the pledge of 500 marks is
very insufficient; it undoubtedly should have been ‘foure C m˜rk’ (266l. 13s. 4d.),
and, if so, the 500 marks worth of plate was a sufficient pledge. I have let
it stand, however, in the original, as I found it; but the next Letter clearly
shows it ought to have been only 400 marks, and for which the pledge to
Townshend was left with H. Fenn.

   Sir John?s orders about the hired horses, &c. shows not only his care and
attention, but the kindness of his disposition in allowing largely for their
meat.

     Books in this age were great curiosities, and bought up at high prices: he
owns his inability to pay for those here mentioned entirely in money, but he
proposes (partly in jest and partly in earnest, I believe) an easier method of
settling the account, by undertaking to pray most devoutly for the soul of Sir
James, the late owner of them.

     Autograph, Pl. iv. No. 9.

856

SIR JOHN PASTON TO MARGARET PASTON¹

To Mestresse Margrett Paston at Norwyche, or to
J. Paston in hyr absence.

       RYGHT wyrshypfull and my moste kynde and tendre
            moodre, I recomaund me to yow, thankyng yow off
            the grete cost and off the greet chere that ye dyd to
me and myn at my last beyng wyth yowe; whyche cheer also
hath made me perfyghtly hooll, I thanke God and yow, in so
moche that where as I feeryd me that for weykenesse, and so
green recuveryd off my syknesse, that I scholde have apeyryd
by the weye; but, God thanke yow, I toke so my crommys
whyls I was wyth yow, that I felyd my sylfe by the weye that
God and ye had made me stronger than I wenyd that I had
ben, in so myche that I feell my selffe every daye holler than
other.

     It was soo that I mett wyth myn onkle William by the
weye, and there in the felde I payed hym the iiijli. whyche I
had borowyd off hym; and he was passyng inquisytyff howe
that I was purveyd for recompensyng off Towneshend. I
tolde hym I hopyd weell; he tolde me that he undrestood
that I had the Cli. of the Bysshopys executores, and he had
herde seye that I had also borowyd another Cli. of a mar-
chaunt, and so I lakyd but an C. marke. I deme he herde
thys of T. Lovell, for I tolde hym that I was in hope to
fynde suche a freende that wolde lende me Cli. He axed
me, who was that? I answeryd hym, an olde marchaunt, a
freende of myn, but myn oncle thowte that shold be by weye
of chevyshanse [usury], and to myn horte; wherffor I was
pleyne to hym, and tolde hym that ye wer sewerte therffor,
and purveyed it off suche as wolde doo for yowe. And as for
the forte [fourth] C. mark, he seyde to me that as for that he
wolde, rather than joperte sholde be, purvey it by weye off
chevyshaunce at London, in so moche that, er he come fro
London, he had for my sake leyde v. C. markes worthe of
plate with Hewghe Fenne. The place at Warwykes Inne is
large, and my grawntdame is agyd; it had ben jopertous to
leve moche plate wyth hyr, thoghe halffe were hyr owne.
But if I maye do other wyse, I purpose nott to chevyshe any
mony by hys meane.

     Item, I have delyveryd yowre botell to Courbye the
caryer thys same daye, and he promysed me to be with yow
on Mondaye nyghte, or ellys on Touesday tymely. He
hathe also xld. to paye for the thryd hyryd horse, and he
bryngythe the iij. horse wyth hym, and is contente for hys
labor and for the mete largely. They be delyveryd hym in as
good, and rather better plyght, than whan I had them forthe,
and not gallyd nor hurte. He hate also ij. sadelys, one of
my brotheres, and one other hyred, as ye woot off.

     Item, he hathe a peyre botys off Edmond Reedes, the
shomaker, whyche Saundre borowyd off hym. I beseche
yowe that William Mylsent or Symme maye se that every
man have hys owne.

     Item, as for my brother Edmond, blyssyd be God, he is
weell amendyd.

     Item, as for Hankyn owr dogge, I am a fferde never to
see hym, but if [unless] yowr good helpe bee.

     Item, as for the bookes that weer Sir James, iff it lyke
yow that I maye have them, I ame not able to by them;
but somwhat wolde I gyffe, and the remenaunt with a goode
devowte herte, by my trowthe, I wyll prey for hys sowle.
Wherffor iff it lyke yow by the next messenger or karyer to
sende hem in a daye, I shall have them dressyd heer; and iff
any off them be claymyd here aftre, in feythe I wyll restoor
it.

     Wretyn on Saterdaye.                          JOHN PASTON, K.

     ¹ [From Paston MSS., B.M.] It is evident from the contents that this letter must
have been written shortly before that which follows.

1474

1474