Sir John Paston to Margaret Paston

893

SIR JOHN PASTON TO MARGARET PASTON¹

To Mestresse Margret Paston.

PLEASE it yow to wete that I was uppon Tywesdaye, the
     daye that I departyd froo yowe, with my brother John
     at Atelborow by viij. of the clokke at evyn, and founde
hym in suche case as iff ye had seyn hym than ye wolde have
be as gladde of hym osse off a nywe sone. I wenyd nott that
he sholde nott have levyd tyll the mornyng; in so moche that
by my trowthe I dare seye that iff it had nott fortunyd us to
have comyn to hym, he had not been on lyve on Wednysdaye.
For syns Saterday slepyd he nott iiij. howris, and yitt iij. of
them was syns I come thydyr, on to thys nyght; and thys
nyght, blessyd be God, he hathe slepyd well, and with Goddys
grace I dowte not but thatt he shall do weell. For his agywe
is goone, and alle that laye in hys stomak and undre hys syde
it weryth aweye, and within a daye or ij. I hope he shall be so
stronge that I maye come frome hym; and he hopyth to see
yowe with in fewe days affter, as he seyth. On Wednysdaye
I wysshed to hym that he and I hadde been at Norwyche;
wheruppon he harpyd all that nyght, and for cawe (sic) he
hadde not so goode rest as he wolde, it fylle in hys brayne to
come to Norwyche; and he in an angyr wolde nedys to horse.
He wolde non horsse litter, he was so stronge. Neverthelesse
we wenyd nott that he sholde have been able to have redyn a
myle, and wenyd that it had nott been possible to have passid
Wyndham; bott whan he was uppe for that, we seyde he
roode so welle he ledde uss a dawnce faster than alle we cowde
weell folowe. He was at Wyndham, by my trowthe, in lesse
than an howr by a large quarter, and ther restyd hym an
howre, and to horse ageyne and was heer in lesse than an
howr and one halffe. And now he dowteth nott to slepe
weell, for he seyth that he never ffaylyd to slepe weel in that
bedde that he hathe chosyn now at Frenshys, and thusse I
hope he be sauffe. And I am in dowte whethyr I shall within
ij. dayes owther come home to yow or ellis to goo forthe as
ye woote off. No moore, &c. Wretyn on Frydaye next the
Decollacion of Seynt John Baptyst.

     Item, I have the wrythynges off Richard Calle.

                                  Your sone,                      J. PASTON, K.

     ¹ [Add. MS. 34,889, f. 188.] Strangely enough there is no mention elsewhere of
the serious illness of young John Paston mentioned in this letter, by which we might
fix the year when it was written. But perhaps we may surmise that it was 1476,
after he had been at Calais, where he was expected in the spring. The fact that he
was ill at Attleborough agrees with this supposition, for that was the seat of the
Fitzwalter family, and ‘Master Fitzwalter’ is mentioned in No. 888 as at Calais
showing much interest in the Paston family. It may be observed also that in 1476,
Friday ‘next’ the Decollation of St. John Baptist (29th August) would be the very
next day.

[AUG. 30]

1476
[AUG. 30]

XCI

A.D. 1476 [30 August]

SIR JOHN PASTON TO MARGARET PASTON.

[Add. MS. 34,889, f. 188]

     An abstract of this letter has been given in the Appendix as No. 1006.
Strangely enough there is no mention elsewhere of this serious illness of
young John Paston by which we might fix the year. But perhaps we may
surmise that it was 1476, after he had been at Calais, where he was ex-
pected in the spring. The fact that he was ill at Attleborough agrees with
this supposition, for that was the seat of the Fitzwalter family, and ‘Master
Fitzwalter’ is mentioned in No. 775 as at Calais showing much interest in
the Paston family. It may be observed also that in 1476, Friday ‘next’ the
Decollation of St. John Baptist (29 August) would be the very next day.

To Mestresse Margret Paston.

PLEASE it yow to wete that I was uppon Tywes-
     daye, the daye that I departyd froo yowe,
     with my brother John at Atelborow by viij.
     of the clokke at evyn, and founde hym in
suche case as iff ye had seyn hym than ye wolde
have be as gladde of hym osse off a nywe sone. I
wenyd nott that he sholde nott have levyd tyll the
mornyng; in so moche that by my trowthe I dare
seye that iff it had nott fortunyd us to have comyn
to hym, he had not been on lyve on Wednysdaye.
For syns Saterday slepyd he nott iiij. howris, and
yitt iij. of them was syns I come thydyr, on to thys
nyght; and thys nyght, blessyd be God, he hathe
slepyd well, and with Goddys grace I dowte not but
thatt he shall do weell. For his agywe is goone, and
alle that laye in hys stomak and undre hys syde
it weryth aweye, and within a daye or ij. I hope he
shall be so stronge that I maye come frome hym; and
he hopyth to see yowe with in fewe days affter, as he
seyth. On Wednysdaye I wysshed to hym that he
and I hadde been at Norwyche; wheruppon he harpyd
all that nyght, and for cawe (sic) he hadde not so goode
rest as he wolde, it fylle in hys brayne to come to
Norwyche; and he in an angyr wolde nedys to horse.
He wolde non horsse litter, he was so stronge. Never-
thelesse we wenyd nott that he sholde have been able
to have redyn a myle, and wenyd that it had nott been
possible to have passid Wyndham; bott whan he was
uppe for that, we seyde he roode so welle he ledde
uss a dawnce faster than alle we cowde weell folowe.
He was at Wyndham, by my trowthe, in lesse than an
howr by a large quarter, and ther restyd hym an howre,
and to horse ageyne and was heer in lesse than an
howr and one halffe. And now he dowteth nott to
slepe weell, for he seyth that he never ffaylyd to
slepe weel in that bedde that he hathe chosyn now
at Frenshys, and thusse I hope he be sauffe. And I
am in dowte whethyr I shall within ij. dayes owther
come home to yow or ellis to goo forthe as ye woote
off. No moore, &c. Wretyn on Frydaye next the
Decollacion of Seynt John Baptyst.

     Item, I have the wrythynges off Richard Calle.

                                     Your sone,                       J. PASTON, K.