Sir John Paston to Margaret Paston

LETTER XLV.

To y^e ryght worshypfull
     Mestresse Margret Paston.

PLEASE it yow to weate y^t I have receyvyd yowr lett^r
wretyn y^e tywesdaye nexte afft^r seynt Iam^s daye, wherin ye
desyr me to reme˜br Kokett and also to be helpyng to my
brother John’s mariage. As for Kokett as god helpe me I
knowe not yitt the means possible y^t I myght paye hym by
thatt daye ffor thoos mat^r is y^t be off grettest wyght and
charge and y^t stonde nerrest my weell y^t is to seye the sywerte
off y^e man’ of Castr and the mat^r betwen Anne Hault and
me shall w^t godds grace thys terme be at a p^rffyght ende,
whyche will charge me fferther than I have mony as yitt or
lyke to have byffor that tyme off myne owne and as god
helpe me I wote nott wher to borow. I most paye w^t in
thys iij yeer iiij^c mrke to Towneshende or elles fforffett the
man^r off Sporle and thus my chargs be grett^r than I may a
weye w^t concidryd suche helpe as I have and iff it ffortunyd
y^t I fforffetyd the man^r off Sporle ye weer nev^r lyke to se
me myry afftr so god helpe me. ye gave me ons XX li, to
it wards and ye promyttyd as moche whyche I receyvyd
and synnys off my mony offseide man^r growyng y^t come
to yowr handys was rec. by yow ageyn the seyd XL li,
whyche when kokett scholde be payed was not yowr ease
to dep^rte wyth. nev^rthelesse ye maye yett when yow
lyketh perfforme yowr sayde gyffte and promise, and thys
somme owyng to Kokett is nott so moche nev^rthelesse I
suppose y^t ye be nott so weell p^rveyd wherffor iff it pleese
yow at yowr ease her afft^r to performe yowr seyde gyffte
and promise so y^t I may have it w^tin a yer or ij or yitt iij I
sholde p^r case get yowr obligac˜on to yow ageyn ffrom
Kokett and he pleasyd. wherffor I beseche yow y^t I maye
have an assygnement of suche detts as been owyng yow
payeable at leyser off suche mony as is owyng ffor the
woode at Basyngh˜m or ellys wher, ffor so God helpe me I
sholde ellys wylfully ondoo myselfe, wherin I beseche yow
to sende me an answer in hast.

     It’m as towchyng the mariage of my brother John I
have sente hym myn advyce and tolde hym wherto he shall
truste and I have grauntyd hym as moche as I maye I
wolde y^t I weer at on Com˜unycacion atwyen them for hys
sake whyche I sholde if I myght as for my Comyng home
I ame nott yitt sertayn therof J shalle hast me as faste as
I canne w^t y^e grace of god who have yow in hys kepyng I
beseche yow to reme˜br the p’myssis and to helpe me and
w^t godds grace thes ij mat’is above wretyn bothe of Castr
and Mestresse Anne Hault^r shall be endyd to my profyt
and rest and moor ovyr er awghte longe to w^t godds grace
the man^r of Sporle to be owte of danger. Promyttyng yow
y^t I shall doo jn koketts mat^r as moche as is possible for me
to doo to yow plesyr it shall neu^r neede to prykk nor threte
a free horse I shall do whatt I can wretyn the Thorysdaye
next byfor seynt lawrence A^o E iiij^ti xvij^o.

                                                  by yow^r Sone JOHN PASTON, Kt.

       8? by 12.

    This Letter would not have appeared, if it had not opened the affairs of
Sir John Paston, and occasioned the following severe letter in answer from his
Mother.

     His anxiety about his brother’s marriage, and his endeavours to accommo-
date matters between him and the Brews family, raises his character as a kind
and affectionate relation, when we find that he had many pecuniary difficulties
of his own to adjust and provide for, at the time he was endeavouring to serve
and assist his brother, whose marriage took place soon after the writing of
this letter. We are still in the dark respecting the point in issue between
Sir John Paston and Ann Hault.

     Autograph, Pl. iv. No. 9.

LETTER XLV.

To the Right Worshipful Mistress Margaret Paston.

PLEASE it you to weet, that I have received your letter
written the Tuesday next after Saint James (29th July),
wherein ye desired me to remember Kocket, and also to be
helping to my brother John’s marriage; as for Kocket, as
God helpe me, I know not yet the means possible that I
might pay him by that day, for those matters that be of
greatest weight and charge, and that stand nearest my weal,
that is to say, the surety of the manor of Caister, and the
matter between Anne Hault and me, shall, with God’s
grace, this term, be at a perfect end, which will charge me
farther than I have money, as yet, or like to have, before
that time, of mine own; and as God help me, I wot not
where to borrow.

     Item, I must pay within this three years 400 marks
(266l. 13s. 4d.) to Townshend, or else forfeit the manor of
Sporle, and thus my charges be greater than I may away
with, considering such help as I have; and if it fortuned that
I forfeited the manor of Sporle, ye were never like to see me
merry after, so God help me. Ye gave me once 20l. towards
it, and ye promised as much, which I received, and since of
my money of (the) said manor growing that came to your
hands, was received by you again the said 40l. which, when
Kocket should be paid, was not your ease to depart with;
nevertheless ye may yet, when you liketh, perform your
said gift and promise, and this sum owing to Kocket is not
so much; nevertheless I suppose that ye be not so well
purveyed, wherefore if it please you at your ease hereafter
to perform your said gift and promise, so that I may have it
within a year, or two, or yet three, I should per case, (per-
haps) get your obligation to you again from Kocket, and
[if] he pleased, wherefore I beseech you that I may have
an assignment of such debts as be owing you payable at
leisure of such money as is owing for the wood at Basing-
ham or elsewhere; for so God helpe me, I should else
wilfully undo myself, wherein I beseech you to send me an
answer in haste.

     Item, as touching the marriage of my brother John, I have
sent him mine advice, and told him whereto he shall trust,
and I have granted him as much as I may; I would that I
were at one communication atween them for his sake, which
I should if I might; as for my coming home I am not yet
certain thereof, I shall haste me as fast as I can with the
grace of God, who have you in his keeping. I beseech you
to remember the premises and to help me, and with God’s
grace these two matters above written both of Caister and
mistress Anne Hault shall be ended to my profit and rest,
and moreover, ere aught long, with God’s grace, the manor of
Sporle to be out of danger; promising you that I shall do
in Kocket’s matter as much as is possible for me to do to
your pleasure: it shall never need to prick nor threat a
free horse: I shall do what I can. Written the Thursday
next before Saint Laurence, in the 17th year of Edward IV.

                                                             By your Son,

                                                                       JOHN PASTON, Kt.

    Thursday, 7th Aug.
        1477. 17 E. iv.

  This Letter would not have appeared, if it had not opened the affairs of
Sir John Paston, and occasioned the following severe letter in answer from his
Mother.

     His anxiety about his brother’s marriage, and his endeavours to accommo-
date matters between him and the Brews family, raises his character as a kind
and affectionate relation, when we find that he had many pecuniary difficulties
of his own to adjust and provide for, at the time he was endeavouring to serve
and assist his brother, whose marriage took place soon after the writing of
this letter. We are still in the dark respecting the point in issue between
Sir John Paston and Ann Hault.

     Autograph, Pl. iv. No. 9.

916

SIR JOHN PASTON TO MARGARET PASTON¹

To the ryght worshypfull Mestresse Margret Paston.

PLEASE it yow to weete that I have receyvyd yowr letter,
     wretyn the Tywesdaye nexte afftre Seynt James Daye,
     wherin ye desyre me to remembre Kokett, and also to
be helpyng to my brother Johnes mariage. As for Kokett, as
God helpe me, I knowe nott yitt the meanes possible that I
myght paye hym by thatt daye, ffor thoos materis that be off
grettest wyght and charge, and that stonde nerrest my weell,
that is to seye, the sywerte off the maner off Castre, and the
mater betwen Anne Hault and me shall, with Goddes grace,
thys terme be at a perffyght ende, whyche will charge me
fferther than I have mony as yitt, or lyke to have byffor that
tyme, off myne owne, and, as God helpe me, I wote nott where
to borow.

     Item, I most paye with in thys iij. yeer iiij^c. [400] marke
to Towneshende, or ellis fforffett the maner off Sporle, and
thus my charges be gretter than I maye a weye with, concidryd
suche helpe as I have; and iff it ffortunyd that I fforffetyd the
maner off Sporle, ye weer never lyke to se me myry afftre, so
God helpe me. Ye gave me ones xxli. to it wardes, and ye
promyttyd as moche, whyche I receyvyd, and synnys off my
mony off seide maner growyng that come to yowr handys was
receyvyd by yow ageyn the seyd xlli., whyche, when Kokett
scholde be payed, was nott yowr ease to departe wyth. Never-
thelesse ye may yitt, when yow lyketh, perfforme yowr sayde
gyffte and promyse, and thys somme owyng to Kokett is nott
so moche; neverthelesse I suppose that ye be nott so weell
purveyed. Wherffor, iff it please yow at yowr ease her afftre
to performe yowr seyde gyffte and promyse, so that I may
have it with in a yer or ij. or yitt iij., I sholde per case gete
yowr obligacion to yow ageyn ffrom Kokett, and he pleasyd.

     Wherffor I beseche yow that I maye have an assyngnement of
suche dettes as been owyng yow, payeable at leyser off suche
mony as is owyng ffor the woode at Basyngham or ellys wher;
ffor, so God helpe me, I sholde ellys wylfully ondoo myselffe,
wherin I beseche yow to sende me an answer in hast.

     Item, as towchyng the mariage off my brother John, I have
sente hym myn advyce, and tolde hym wherto he shall truste,
and I have grauntyd hym as moche as I maye. I wolde that I
weer at on communycacion atwyen them for hys sake, whyche
I sholde if I myght. As for my comyng home, I ame nott
yitt sertayn therof; I shalle hast me as faste as I canne, with
the grace of God, Who have yow in Hys kepyng.

     I beseche yow to remembre the premyssis, and to helpe
me, and with Goddes grace, thes ij. materis above wretyn,
bothe of Castre and Mestresse Anne Hault, shall be endyd to
my profyth and rest, and moor ovyr, er awghte longe to, with
Goddes grace, the maner of Sporle to be owte of danger;
promyttyng yow that I shall doo in Kokettes mater as moche
as is possible for me to doo to yower plesyr. It shall never
neede to prykk nor threte a free horse. I shall do whatt
I can.

     Wretyn the Thorysdaye next byffore Seynt Lawrence, anno
E. iiij^ti xvij.

                                        By yowre sone,

                                                                              JOHN PASTON, K.

¹ [From Paston MSS., B.M.]

1477
AUG. 7