Walter Paston to John Paston

LETTER LVII.

To hys ryth trusty and hartyly
      belovyd brod^r John Paston
      abydyng at y^e georg at Powlys
      qwharfe in london be y^is lett^r
      delyu^ryd.

RYGTH worchypfull and hartyly belovyd brod^r I r’comaund
me on to yow desyeryng feythfoly to her of yowr p’sp^ryte
qwhych god p’serve thankyng yow of dyv^rse lett^rys that yow
sent me Jn the last lett^r that yow sent to me ye wryt
that yow schold have wryt in the lett^r that yow sent by
Mast^r brown how that I schold send yow word what tym
that J schold p’cede but ther was no such wrytyng in that
lett^r the lett^r is yet to schew and yf yow com to Oxon ye
schal see the lett^r and all the leterys that yow sent me
sythynys I cam to Oxon and also Mast^r brown had that sam
tym mysch mony in a bage so that he durst not bryng yt w^t
hym and that sam lett^r was in that sam bage and he had
for gete to take owt the lett^r and he sent all to ged^r by lon-
don so that y^t was y^e next day aft^r that J was maad bachyler
or than y^e lett^r cam and so y^e fawt was not in me and yf ye
wyl know what day J was maad baschyler J was maad on
Fryday was sevynyth and I mad my fest on the Mu˜day aft^r
J was p’mysyd venyson ageyn my fest of my lady Harcort
and of anod^r man to but J was deseyvyd of both but my
gests hewld them plesyd w^t such mete as they had blyssyd
be god hoo haue yow in hys kepyng Wr’tyn at Oxon on the
Wedenys day next aft^r seynt Pet^r

                                                                              W PASTON.

       11 ½ by 3¼.

             Paper Mark.
       Bull’s-head and Star.
             Pl. x. No. 1.

    We have here the account of Walter Paston’s being made a bachelor of
arts, the custom of making a feast, &c. and the expectations he had of receiving
venison, &c. from the neighbouring gentry.

     The Lady Harcourt here mentioned was most probably Margaret daughter
of Sir John Byron, and widow of Sir Robert Harcourt, knight of the garter,
of Stanton Harcourt in Oxfordshire. See vol. i. p. 13. note 6. The effigies
of this lady on her tomb, in the church of Stanton Harcourt, represents her
with the garter on her left arm, just above the elbow, which proves that in for-
mer times the ladies of these knights were honoured by wearing this badge of
their husband’s knighthood; a distinction which ought to be re-established for
the honour of the order and the ornament of the fair.

     A branch of the Harcourt family having intermarried with the Stapeltons,
accounts for Walter Paston’s expectations from the Lady Harcourt.

     Autograph, Pl. xxix. No. 7.

LETTER LVII.

To his right trusty and heartily beloved Brother, John Paston,
      abiding at the George at Paul’s Wharf in London, be this
      Letter delivered.

RIGHT worshipful and heartily beloved Brother, I recom-
mend me unto you, desiring faithfully to hear of your pros-
perity, which God preserve, thanking you of divers letters
that you sent me.

     In the last letter that you sent to me, ye writ that you
should have writ in the letter that you sent by Master
Brown, how that I should send you word what time that I
should proceed, but there was none such writing in that
letter; the letter is yet to shew, and if you come to Oxon,
ye shall see the letter, and all the letters that you sent me
sythynys [since] I came to Oxon.

     And also Master Brown had that same time much money
in a bag, so that he durst not bring it with him, and that
same letter was in that same bag, and he had forgotten to
take out the letter, and he sent all together by London, so
that it was the next day after that I was made bachelor ere
then the letter came, and so the fault was not in me.

     And if ye will know what day I was made bachelor, I was
made on Friday was sev’night [18th June], and I made my
feast on the Monday after [21st June]. I was promised ve-
nison against my feast of my Lady Harcourt, and of another
person too, but I was deceived of both; but my guests held
them pleased with such meat as they had, blessed be God,
who have you in his keeping. Amen.

     Written at Oxon, on the Wednesday next after Saint
Peter.

                                                                  WALTER PASTON.

              Oxford,
     Wednesday, 30th June,
         1479. 19 E. iv.

We have here the account of Walter Paston’s being made a bachelor of
arts, the custom of making a feast, &c. and the expectations he had of receiving
venison, &c. from the neighbouring gentry.

     The Lady Harcourt here mentioned was most probably Margaret daughter
of Sir John Byron, and widow of Sir Robert Harcourt, knight of the garter,
of Stanton Harcourt in Oxfordshire. See vol. i. p. 13. note 6. The effigies
of this lady on her tomb, in the church of Stanton Harcourt, represents her
with the garter on her left arm, just above the elbow, which proves that in for-
mer times the ladies of these knights were honoured by wearing this badge of
their husband’s knighthood; a distinction which ought to be re-established for
the honour of the order and the ornament of the fair.

     A branch of the Harcourt family having intermarried with the Stapeltons,
accounts for Walter Paston’s expectations from the Lady Harcourt.

     Autograph, Pl. xxix. No. 7.

946

WALTER PASTON TO JOHN PASTON¹

To hys ryth trusty and hartyly belovyd broder, John Paston, abydyng
     at the Georg, at Powlys Qwharfe, in London, be this letter
     delyveryd.

     RYGTH worchypfull and hartyly belovyd broder, I
         recomaund me on to yow, desyeryng feythfoly to here
         of yowr prosperyte, qwhych God preserve, thankyng
yow of dyverse letterys that yow sent me. In the last letter
that yow sent to me, ye wryt that yow schold have wryt in the
letter that yow sent by Master Brown, how that I schold send
yow word what tyme that I schold procede, but ther was non
such wrytyng in that letter. The letter is yet to schew, and
yf yow come to Oxon, ye schal see the letter, and all the leterys
that yow sent me sythynnys I came to Oxon.

     And also Master Brown had that same tyme mysch mony
in a bage, so that he durst nat bryng yt with hym, and that
same letter was in that same bage, and he had for gete to take
owt the letter, and he sent all to geder by London, so that yt
was the next day after that I was maad Bachyler or than the
letter cam, and so the fawt was not in me.

     And yf ye wyl know what day I was maad Baschyler, I
was maad on Fryday was sevynyth, and I mad my fest on the
Munday after. I was promysyd venyson a geyn my fest of
my Lady Harcort, and of a noder man to, but I was deseyvyd
of both; but my gestes hewld them plesyd with such mete as
they had, blyssyd be God, Hoo have yow in Hys kepyng.
Amen.

     Wretyn at Oxon, on the Wedenys day next after Seynt
Peter.

                                                                                W. PASTON.

     ¹ [From Paston MSS., B.M.] See preliminary note to Letter 944, p. 11, note 2.

JUNE 30

1479
JUNE 30