Sir John Paston to Margaret Paston

LETTER XVI.

To Mestresse Margrete
     Paston or to Roose
     dwellyng by for hyr gate
     at Norwyche.

AFTR dew recomendacon my most tendre and kynde
moodr I beseche yow of yowr dayly blessy˜g please it yow
to weete y^t I reseyvyd a lettr thhat come from yow
Wretyn y^e xxvj daye of octobr non erst but on Wednysday
last past wherby I conceyvyd y^t at y^e wryghtyng of y^t lett^r
ye weer nott serteyn of the delyng betwyn towneshende
and me Jt was so y^t god thanke yow I receyvyd y^e xx li
broght by Syme and also the mony browght by my brother
w^t whiche mony and w^t moor y^t I had my self I redemyd
the man^r of Sporle and payed towneshend bothe y^e CCCC
m’rke ther for and also x li y^t I owte hym besyde and have
of hym an aqwytaunce of all bargaynes and of all other
detts. neu^rthelesse I assayed hym if he wolde if nede hadde
ben gyvyn me a xij monyth leng^r respyght whyche he
grauntyd to do but in conclusyon I can nott entrete hym
but y^t he woll have the uttremest of hys bargayn and thys
xx li payable at Candelmesse and Est^rne I kan entrete hym
noon other wyse as yit wherfor I thynke if I had passyd my
daye it had ben harde to have trustyd to hys cortesye Jnso
moche I fynde hym also ryght loose in the tonge for
Bekham he spekyth no thyng co˜fortably ther in what he
wyll doo can I nott seye It’m as for Castr it nedyth nott to
spor nor prykke me to doo owghte ther in I doo y^t I can
w^t goode wyll and somwhat I hope to doo hastely y^r in y^t
shall doo goode. It’m as for the bokes y^t weer Syr Iam^s
god have hys sowle whyche it lykethe yow y^t I shall have
them I beseche yow y^t I maye have them hyder by the next
masseng^r and if I be goon yit that they be delyv^ryd to myn
ostesse at y^e George at Powlys Wharff whyche wolle kepe
them saffe and y^t it lyke yow to wryght to me whatt my
peyne or payment shall be for them It’m it lyked yow to
weet of myn heelle I thanke god now y^t I am nott greetly
syke ner soor but in myn heele wherin alle men know nott
whatt peyne I feele and wher ye advysed me to hast me
owt of thys towne I wolde full fayne be hense I spende
dayly mor than I sholde doo if I wer hense and I am nott
well purveyed It’m blessyd be good my grauntdam is
amendyd by suche tyme as myn oncle W. come hyddr but
my yongest Cosyn Margret hys doghtr is ded and beryed er
he come hom. I am as moche afferde of thys londe y^t is in
hys hande as I was of that y^t was jn towneshend’s hande J
hope to wryght yow moor serteynte w^tin iiij or v dayes No
mor &c. Wretyn y^e xx daye of Novembr A^o Eiiij xiiij^o

                                                          Yowr Son J PASTON K.

           12 by 8½.

    This Letter fully explains the preceding, and shows us that at this time
lands, &c. in pledge for money lent, were forfeited to the mortgagee, if the
money was not paid at the time stipulated in the mortgage. Neither Towns-
hend’s, nor his uncle William’s, character appears here to advantage; they seem
desirous of taking every legal advantage to encrease their landed property,
upon any deviation from the terms of the contract. Sir John Paston’s anxiety
for Sir James’s books still continues, and raises his character as a scholar, in an
age when ignorance almost generally prevailed amongst the gentry; who not
only neglected, but despised learning.

     Autograph, Pl. iv. No. 9.

     Seal, a Fleur-de-lis, surrounded by nine others. Pl. xiv. No. 23.

LETTER XVI.

To Mistress Margaret Paston, or to Roos dwelling before her
gate at Norwich.

AFTER due recommendation, my most tender and kind
mother, I beseech you of your daily blessing: please it you
to weet that I received a letter that came from you, written
the 26th of October, non erst [none earlier], but on Wed-
nesday last past; whereby I conceived that, at the writing
of that letter, ye were not certain of the dealing between
Townshend and me. It was so that, God thank you, I
received the 20l. brought by Sym, and also the money brought
by my brother; with which money, and with more that I had
myself, I redeemed the manor of Sporle, and paid Towns-
hend both the 400 marks (266l. 13s. 4d.) therefore, and also
10l. that I owed him beside, and have of him an acquittance
of all bargains of all other debts: nevertheless I assayed
him, if he would, (if need had been,) have given me a twelve-
month’s longer respite, which he granted to do; but in
conclusion I cannot entreat him, but that he will have the
uttermost of his bargain, and this 20l. payable at Candlemas
and Easter: I can entreat him none otherwise as yet;
wherefore I think, if I had passed my day, it had been hard
to have trusted to his courtesy; insomuch I find him also
right loose in the tongue: for Beckham he speaketh
nothing comfortably therein; what he will do, cannot I
say.

     Item, as for Caister, it needeth not to spur nor prick me
to do ought therein; I do that I can with good will, and
somewhat I hope to do hastily therein that shall do good.

     Item, as for the books that were Sir James?s, God have
his soul! which it liketh you that I shall have them; I
beseech you that I may have them hither by the next
messenger; and, if I be gone, yet that they be delivered to
mine hostess, at the George at Paul?s Wharf, which will
keep them safe; and that it like you to write to me what
my pain or payment shall be for them.

     Item, it liked you to weet of mine heelle [health]; I
thank God that I am not greatly sick nor sore, but in my
heel, wherein all men know not what pain I feel; and
where [as] ye advised me to hasten me out of this town, I
would full fain be hence: I spend daily more than I should
do if I were hence, and I am not well purveyed.

     Item, blessed be God, my grandam is amended by such
time as mine uncle William come hither; but my youngest
cousin Margaret, his daughter, is dead and buried ere he
come home.

     I am as much afraid of this land that is in his hand, as I
was of that that was in Townshend?s hand.

     I hope to write you more certainties within four or five
days. No more, &c. Written the 20th day of November,
in the 14th of Edward IV.

                                                Your Son, JOHN PASTON, Kt.

              London,
       Sunday, 20th Nov.
          1474. 14 E. iv.

 This Letter fully explains the preceding, and shows us that at this time
lands, &c. in pledge for money lent, were forfeited to the mortgagee, if the
money was not paid at the time stipulated in the mortgage. Neither Towns-
hend’s, nor his uncle William’s, character appears here to advantage; they seem
desirous of taking every legal advantage to encrease their landed property,
upon any deviation from the terms of the contract. Sir John Paston’s anxiety
for Sir James’s books still continues, and raises his character as a scholar, in an
age when ignorance almost generally prevailed amongst the gentry; who not
only neglected, but despised learning.

     Autograph, Pl. iv. No. 9.

     Seal, a Fleur-de-lis, surrounded by nine others. Pl. xiv. No. 23.

857

SIR JOHN PASTON TO MARGARET PASTON¹

To Mestresse Margrete Paston, or to Roose, dwellyng byffore
hyr gate at Norwyche.

     AFTRE dew recomendacion, my most tendre and kynde
        moodre, I beseche yow off yowr dayly blessyng.
        Please it yow to weete that I reseyvyd a lettre thhat
come from yowe, wretyn the xxvj. daye of Octobre, none erst
but² on Wednysday last past, wherby I conceyvyd that, at the
wryghtyng off that letter, ye weer nott serteyn of the delyng
betwyn Towneshende and me. It was so that, God thanke
yow, I receyvyd the xxli. broght by Syme, and also the
mony browght by my brother, with whyche mony, and with
moor that I had my selff, I redemyd the maner of Sporle, and
payed Towneshend bothe the CCCC. marke ther ffor, and also
xli. that I owte hym besyde, and have off hym aqwytaunce off
all bargaynes and off all other dettes. Neverthelesse, I assayed
hym iff he wolde, iff nede hadde ben, gyvyn me a xij. monyth
lenger respyght, whyche he grauntyd to do; but in conclusyon
I can nott entrete hym, but that he woll have the uttremest
of hys bargayn, and thys xxli. payeable at Candelmesse and
Esterne. I kan entrete hym noon other wyse as yit; wher-
ffor I thynke, iff I had passyd my daye, it had ben harde to
have trustyd to hys cortesye, in so moche I ffynde hym also
ryght loose in the tonge. For Bekham, he spekyth no thyng
comfortably ther in; what he wyll doo, can I nott seye.

     Item, as for Castre, it nedyth nott to spore nor prykke me
to doo owghte ther in. I doo that I can with goode wyll, and
somwhat I hope to doo hastely ther in that shall doo goode.

     Item, as for the bokes that weer Syr James, God have hys
sowle, whyche it lykethe yow that I shall have them, I beseche
yow that I maye have them hyder by the next massenger, and
iff I be goon, yit that they be delyveryd to myn ostesse at the
George, at Powlys Wharffe, whyche wolle kepe them saffe,
and that it lyke yow to wryght to me whatt my peyne or pay-
ment shall be for them.

     Item, it lyked yow to weet of myn heelle. I thanke God
nowe that I am nott greetly syke ner soore, but in myn heele,
wherin alle men know nott whatt peyne I feele. And wher ye
advysed me to hast me owt of thys towne, I wolde full fayne
be hense. I spende dayly mor than I sholde doo, if I wer
hense, and I am nott well purveyed.

     Item, blessyd be Good, my grauntdam is amendyd by
suche tyme as myn oncle W. come hyddre. But my yongest
cosyn Margret, hys doghtre, is ded and beryed er he come
home.

     I am as moche afferde off thys londe that is in hys hande
as I was off that that was in Towneshendes hande. I hope
to wryght yow moor serteynte within iiij. or v. dayes. No
more, &c.

     Wretyn the xx. daye of Novembre, anno E. iiij. xiiij^o.

                                 Yowr Sone,                         J. PASTON, K.

     ¹ [From Paston MSS., B.M.]                               ² No earlier than.

1474
NOV. 20

1474
NOV. 20