Sir John Paston to Mrs Anne - Medieval Family Life

You may need to log in to continue. Access the full document and its details.

Title

Sir John Paston to Mrs Anne

Reference

Add. 43490, f. 43

Date

22 July 1468

Library / Archive

Transcript location(s) in printed volume(s)

Gairdner, Vol IV, item 687; Fenn, Vol II, Appendix Edward IV item 4

Transcript from John Fenn, 'Original Letters, written during the reigns of Henry VI., Edward IV., and Richard III…. Volume II' (1st transcript)

LETTER IV.

To Mastresse Annes.

SYTHE it is so that I may not as oft as I wold be ther as
I might do my message myselff, myn owne fayir Mastresse
Annes I prey yow to accept thys byll for my messanger to
recomand me to yow in my most feythfull wyse as he that
faynest of all other desyreth to knowe of yowr welfare whyche I
prey God encresse to your most plesure.

And Mastresse thow so be that I as yet have govyn yow bot
easy cause to remembyr me for leke of aqwe[SYM]tacōn yet I beseche
yow let me not be forgotyn when ye rekyn up all yowr Servñts
to be sett in the nombyr w^t other.

And I prey yow Mastresse Annes for that servyse that I owe
yow that in as short tyme as ye goodly may that I myght be
assarteynyd of yowr entent and of your best frends in syche
maters as I have brokyn to yow of whyche bothe your and
myn’ ryght trusty frends John Lee, or ellys my Mastresse
hys wyff promysyd befor yow and me at our fyrst and last
beīg togedyr that as sone as they or eyther of theym knewe
your entent and your frendys that they shold send me woord
And if they so do I tryst sone aftyr to se yow.

And now farewell myn owne fayir Lady and God geve yow
good rest for in feythe I trow ye be in bed.

Wretyn in my wey homward on Mary Maudeleyn day at
mydnyght.

Your owne,

John Paston.

Mastresse Annes I am prowd that ye can reed Inglyshe wher-
for I prey yow aqweynt yow w^t thys my lewd hand for my
purpose is that ye shalbe more aqweyntyd w^t it or ellys it shalbe
ayenst my wyll but yet and when ye have red thys byll I
prey yow brenne it or kepe it secret to yoursylff as my feythefull
trust is in yow.

11 ½ by 5 ¼.

22d of July,
St. Mary Magdalen.

This Letter from John Paston (Pl. IV. N^o 9.) to Mrs. Annes or Anne, is either to a
Mrs Anne Haute, or to some Lady abroad at Calais, from which place he was at this time
returning.

His saying. ?I am prowd that ye can reed Inglyshe,” seems to imply that some
other language was her native one; and therefore she was most probably some foreign
Lady.

Transcript from John Fenn, 'Original Letters, written during the reigns of Henry VI., Edward IV., and Richard III…. Volume II' (2nd transcript)

LETTER IV.

To Mistress Anne.

SINCE it is so, that I may not as oft as I would be there;
as (that) I might do my message myself, mine own fair
Mistress Anne, I pray you to accept this bill for my messenger to
recommend me to you in my most faithful wise, as he that
fainest (most anxiously) of all other desireth to know of your wel-
fare, which I pray God increase to your most pleasure.

And Mistress, though so be, that I as yet, have given you
but easy (little) cause to remember me for lack of acquaintance,
yet I beseech you let me not be forgotten, when ye reckon up
all your Servants, to be set in the number with others.

And I pray you, Mistress Anne, for that service that I owe
you, that in as short time, as ye goodly may, that I might be
ascertained of your intent, and of your best Friends, in such
matters as I have broken to you of; which both your and
mine right trusty Friends John Lee, or else my Mistress his
Wife, promised before you and me at our first and last being
together, that as soon as they, or either of them knew your
intent, and your Friends, that they should send me word, and
if they so do, I trust soon after to see you.

And now farewell, mine own fair Lady, and God give you
good rest, for in faith I trow ye be in bed.

Written in my way homeward, on Mary Magdalen’s day at
Midnight.

Your own,

JOHN PASTON.

Mistress Anne, I am proud that ye can read English, where-
fore I pray you acquaint yourself with this my lewd (uncouth)
hand, for my purpose is, that ye shall be more acquainted
with it, or else it shall be against my will; but yet and when
ye have read this bill, I pray you burn it, or keep it secret to
yourself, as my faithful trust is in you.

11 ? by 5 ?.

22d of July,
St. Mary Magdalen.

This Letter from John Paston (Pl. IV. N^o 9.) to Mrs. Annes or Anne, is either to a
Mrs Anne Haute, or to some Lady abroad at Calais, from which place he was at this time
returning.

His saying. ?I am prowd that ye can reed Inglyshe,” seems to imply that some
other language was her native one; and therefore she was most probably some foreign
Lady.

Transcript from James Gairdner, 'The Paston Letters, A.D., 1422-1509, New Complete Library Edition, Volume IV'

687

SIR JOHN PASTON TO MRS. ANNE²

To Mastresse Annes.

RYTHE it is so that I may not, as oft as I wold, be ther
as [i.e. where] I might do my message myselff, myn
owne fayir Mastresse Annes, I prey yow to accept
thys byll for my messanger to recomand me to yow in my
most feythfull wyse, as he that faynest of all other desyreth
to knowe of yowr welfare, whyche I prey God encresse to
your most plesure.

And, mastresse, thow so be that I as yet have govyn yow
bot easy [i.e. little] cause to remembyr me for leke of aqweyn-
tacion, yet I beseche yow, let me not be forgotyn when ye
rekyn up all yowr servaunts, to be sett in the nombyr with
other.

And I prey yow, Mastresse Annes, for that servyse that
I owe yow, that in as short tyme as ye goodly may that I
myght be assarteynyd of yowr entent and of your best frends
in syche maters as I have brokyn to yow of, whyche bothe
your and myn ryght trusty frends John Lee, or ellys my
mastresse hys wyff, promysyd befor yow and me at our fyrst
and last being togedyr, that as sone as they or eyther of theym
knewe your entent and your frendys that they shold send me
woord. And if they so do, I tryst sone aftyr to se yow.

And now farewell, myn owne fayir lady, and God geve
yow good rest, for in feythe I trow ye be in bed.

Wretyn in my wey homward on Mary Maudeleyn Day at
mydnyght. Your owne,

JOHN PASTON.

Mastresse Annes, I am prowd that ye can reed Inglyshe;
wherfor I prey yow aqweynt yow with thys my lewd [uncouth]
hand, for my purpose is that ye shalbe more aqweyntyd with
it, or ellys it shalbe ayenst my wyll; but yet, and when ye
have red thys byll, I prey yow brenne it or kepe it secret to
yoursylff, as my feythefull trust is in yow.

² [From Fenn, ii. 294.] The Mrs. Anne to whom this letter was addressed
seems to have been a Mrs. Anne Haute, to whom Sir John was for a long time
engaged. That it was written before the year 1469 will appear probable on refer-
ring to Margaret Paston’s letter written on Easter Monday (3rd April) in that year,
in which she wishes to know for certain if he be engaged; and we have therefore
little difficulty in referring it to the year 1468, when Sir John was over in Flanders at
the marriage of the Princess Margaret to Charles of Burgundy. Mrs. Anne appears
to have been a lady of English extraction, who was either born abroad or had passed
most of her life on the Continent. She was, moreover, related to Lord Scales, and
is therefore not unlikely to have been the daughter of one William Haute of Kent,
who married at Calais, in 1429, the daughter of a certain Richard Wydeville. (See
Excerpta Historica, p. 249.) But she could speak and even read English; and Sir
John, who was now returning homewards to England, designed in this letter to open
a correspondence with her. He appears, however, not to have despatched it, as the
original remained among the papers of the Paston family; or else perhaps it was re-
turned to him on the breaking off of the engagement.

1468(?)
JULY 18