Part 12
Tydynges, ther is a generall pardon mevyd whyche my brodyr J. trystyth to have the preve[lege] of as soone as it is grantyd, whyche shall bee a bowght All Halow tyed at the ferthest. I have spok with my L[ord Rive]rs and with all myn old aqweyntance, and have good cheer of theym, hold as it maye. When we be conclud[yd in] eny poynte of our maters, ye shall have knowlage ther howhe to put yow in [comfort] er we have eny . . . but in veyn when we have comfort ye shall have parte. Newe tydynges, datys s . . . [s]ugyr of Mr. Kwte (?) x_d._ di.lb., and bettyr I tryst. No more, but I beseche God preserve yow and yours.
Wretyn on [Seint] Symondes Day and Jwde.
Your humblest sone and servaunt,
J. PASTON.
[Footnote 115-1: [From Paston MSS., B.M.] There was a general pardon in the latter part of the year 1471, and both John Paston and his brother took advantage of it, as appears by the _Pardon Roll_, 11 Edw. IV., membranes 9 and 25. The date of this letter is also shown by the answer to it, written by Margaret Paston on the 5th November. Many of the words in this letter are lost by the mutilation of the original MS., which is full of holes, from having been exposed at one time to damp. The address is almost completely lost, but a portion of the word ‘[Ma]rgaret’ is visible, and a small fragment of an endorsement below in which the word ‘Paston’ is legible.]
[[Footnote 115-1 _footnote number printed 2 for 1_]]
785
SIR JOHN PASTON’S DEEDS[116-1]
_In the square trussyng coffre._
A boxe with evydence off my place in Fletstrett.
A lytell box with obligacions off the Archbisshop off York and W. Jennyes oblygacion.
A box with evydence of Tytlyshall.
A box with the letter of attorney off Fastolffes londes by Sir John Paston.
j. A box de actis inter episcopum Wynt’ et J. P. militem. Item endentur’ de argento mutuato termino Trinitatis anno x^{o,} et testamentum W. Paston, Justic’.
Item, ij. pixides de novis cartis de terris Fastolffes.
Item, a litell box with the obligacion off T. Fastolff and one off James Gresham.
Item, a box with the dede off gyfft off J. P., and the byll assygnyd for the dyamant.
Item, the bagge de placitis in usu.
Item, the bagge with ger taken owt off my caskett.
Item, a bagge with the bondell where on was wreten ‘London.’
Item, a bagge with evydence off Est Bekham.
Item, a bondell de actis parlimenti et de excambia in Paston.
Item, a bondell de actis Cantuariensis.
Item, a bondell de fyrma Caster Berdolffis.
The endenture off Snaylwell by Wylleys.
A bondell of Gresham Moleyns.
A bondell off processe off th’eschekyr letter and byllys sirca (_sic_) festum Johannis anno ix^{o.}
Item, th’endenture off W. Jeney. Item, a bondell off letteris and byllis anno x^{o.}
A bondell with inquisicions not returnyd in to the Chanceri.
Copia voluntatis Fastolff ultima et probata.
Enventorium (_sic_) apud Caster per Episcopum Norwic’ et dominum de Scales et alia ad rediseisinam (?)
Apunctuamentum Regis et litera amici. Endentura de Fennes per patrem Hugonis Fenne.
The verray endenture off my mariage.
Item, a bondell off letteris from my brother John.
Item, iij. billis, the endenter of W. Jenney for Bacton, a byll of Wylleys and one off J. Owdin (?)
Item, a bondell with the names off them that had stoff from Heylesdon.
Item, a byll off Sweynesthorp. Item, a byll off Brok off Dedham off the purchace theroff, a quitance pro Scaccario.
A bonde towchyng the probatt off Fastolffes will, with mi olde testament.
A copie off a generalle releffe de terris Fastolffes.
[Footnote 116-1: [From Paston MSS., B.M.] The following inventory is in the handwriting of Sir John Paston. The date at which it was drawn up must, from internal evidence, be later than the tenth year of Edward IV.; so perhaps it may be a list of the contents of the coffer mentioned by John Paston in Letter 784.]
[[Item, th’endenture ... Apunctuamentum Regis ... Item, a byll ... _each section printed as shown, with two items in a paragraph_]]
786
ABSTRACT[117-1]
WILLIAM PEKOC TO SIR JOHN PASTON
[Sidenote: 1471(?) / NOV. 4]
Has received Wheteley’s letter, but though he has spoken to Sir John’s tenants at Paston, Bakton, etc., has obtained no money to send him. They are better pleased to pay Sir John than Master ‘Will. P.,’ so they be saved harmless. Has put them in good comfort, and Sir John must take care that they be not sued this term. The fishing was never worse. No herring to be got under 13_s._ 4_d._ a barrel, and 8_s._ 4_d._ a cade. The swans were sent the week after your departure. John Osborn and Munde are merry. None dead at Caster and Mawteby since Michaelmas, but much mortality still at Fylby, Ormysby, and Scrowby.
Mawteby, 4 Nov.
[This letter most probably belongs to the year 1471, which it will be seen by the letter immediately following was a year of great mortality.]
[Footnote 117-1: [From Paston MSS., B.M.]]
787
MARGARET PASTON TO JOHN PASTON[118-1]
[Sidenote: 1471 / NOV. 5]
I grete you wele, and send you Goddes blyssyng and myn, letyng you wete that myn Cosyn Clere hathe sent to me for the C. marc that I borwed of her for your brother. It fortuned so that a frend of her of late hath loste better than CCC. marc, and he sent to her for money, and she had non that she myght comyn by, and ther for she sent to me for the seyd C. marc; and I know not how to do therfor, for by my trowth I have it not, nor I can not make shyft therfor, and I shuld go to preson; therfor comune with your brother her of, and send me word how that he wull make shyft ther for in hast. I must elles nedes sell all my woods, and that shall dysse avayll him better than a CC. marc, and I dey; and if I shuld selle them now, ther wull noman gewe so myche for them be ner an C. marc as they be worth, be cause ther be so many wood sales in Norfolke at thys tyme. Therfor lete hym make purvyaunce therfor in hast, as he wull have my good wyll, and wull that I save hym the seyd woods to the better a wayll, and send me word here of in hast if ye wull my welfare, for I shall never be in quiete tille I k[n]owe an ende in thys, for she hath therfor an obligacion of an C_li._ And it is not kepte cloos, ther be many persones now k[n]owyn it, which me semyth a greet rebuke to me that I departyd so largely with yowr brother that I reservyd not to pay that I was endaungered for hym, and so have dyverse seyd to me which of late have k[n]owyn it; and whan I remembre it, it is to myn hart a very spere, consideryng that he never gave comforte therein, ner of all the money that hath be reseyvyd wull never make shyft therfor. And he had yet be for thys tyme have sent me l. marc thereof, yet I wuld have thought that he had had summe consideracion of myn daungers that I have put me in for hym. Remembre hym how that I have excusyd hym of xx_li._ that the Prior of Bromholm had, which shuld elles have be in that daunger that it shuld have be to us a grete rebwke, with hought that he myght a ben holpyn wyth shuch money as he shuld have had of your fadyrs bequest; and I payd to the shereffe for hym also money. All thes shuld have holpe me wele therto, be syde other thynges that I have bor thys yeres that I speke not of; there fore lete hym helpe me now, or elles it shall dysawayll hym better than the trebyll the money, wheder that I leve or dey, with ought he hath better consideracion to the daungers that I stond in. Also I wulde ye shuld meve hym to take John Pampyng to hym, or elles to gete hym a servyce in the Chauncery, or in sume other place where as he myth be preferryd, for it ys pety that he lesyth hys tyme so her, and it is non a wayll to non of ws, and for diverse othyr thyngs whesch ye shall knowe her after, I wolde that I war hens in haste, for all maner of happys, constrw ye, &c. I can yw thanke for ywyr lettyr that ye sente me, and that ye have inquiryd of shwch thynges as ye thynk that shwld plese me. I send yow the boxe and the dedes that ye sente to me for, but as for the key of the cofyr in the wtter chambyr I can not fynd yt; yf the boxe had be ther in, ye cwdnat not have hadd yth but yf [_unless_] I had broke wp the cofyr; ther for remembre yw wer ye have do the key; I kep styll the key that ye sente me tyll that ye cwm home.
As for the tydynges here, ywr cosyn Barney of Wychshynggham ys passyd to Gode, hwm Gode asoyle. Veylys wife, and Lodonys wife, and Pycard the bacar of Twmlond, ben gone also; all thys hwlsold and thys parych ys as ye leftyd, blyssyd be Gode; we lewyn in fer, but we wut not qweder to fle, for to be better than we ben here. I send yw demi a riale for to by wyth swger[119-1] and dates for me. I pray yw do as wel as ye can, and sende it me as hastely as ye may, and sende me word qwat price a _li._ of peppyr, clowys, masis, gingyr, and sinamun, almannys, ryse, ganyngal, safrwn, reysonys of Corons, grenys,[120-1] of ych of these sende me the pryce of ych of these,[120-2] and yf that it be bettir shepe at London than it is here, I shal sende yw mony to bye wyth soch stwfe as I wull have. Remember that I spake to yw to spek to ywyr brother for the seyd C. marc wan ye departed hens. I trow ye had forgettyt, that ye sent me non answer ther of in ony wys. Lete me have an answer ther of in hast, and sende me woord how ywyr brother and ye spede in ywyr maters; and Goddes blissyng and myn mut ye have both, and send yw good sped in all ywyr maters.
Wretyn in hast on Sent Levnards Eve.[120-3]
By ywyr Moder.
[Footnote 118-1: [From Paston MSS., B.M.] This letter is not addressed, and the MS. is in fact only a corrected draft, of which a fair copy has since been found. The fair copy is not addressed either. The letter was evidently written to John Paston in answer to No. 784. The date is ascertained by the fact that John Berney of Witchingham died in the year 1471.]
[Footnote 119-1: In Fenn’s edition this is printed ‘swgar, feg, and dats.’ The word ‘feg’ is not in the MS. It seems to be a misreading of ‘swg’’ (sugar), which the transcriber forgot to cancel.]
[Footnote 120-1: F. adds ‘and comfyts,’ but the words are not in the MS.]
[Footnote 120-2: F. reads ‘the price of a _li._,’ but this is not in the MS.]
[Footnote 120-3: The following sentence is added in the fair copy: ‘I warn yw kepe this letter clos and lese yt not; rather brenyt.’]
788
BILL OF COSTS[120-4]
_Termino Sancti Michaelis Anno xj^o E. iiij^ti pro Ricardo Calle deff’ versus Willelmum Huggan q. in placito trans’._
[Sidenote: 1471 / NOV.]
In primis, for a copy of the bill, iiij_d._
Item, for makyng of the awnswer to Mr. Pygot, Mr. Fayrefax, and to Mr. Hosy, x_s._
Item, wyne and perys at tavern ij. tymes, xiiij_d._
Item, for a copy of record in the Kynges Bench, iij_s._ iiij_d._
Item, for pledyng of the record in the Kynges Bench a yenst Wyll. Huggan, x_s._
Item, gyven to Hosey, the xxvij. day of the same moneth, for to enparle[120-5] to the bill, iij_s._ iiij_d._
Item, the xxx. day of October, for the copy of the tytelyng of Huggans plee, iiij_d._
Item, for wyne at [the] Cardenall Hatte[120-6] the same day, vj_d._
Item, the iiij. day of November, gyven to Mr. Fayrfax and Mr. Hosey for puttyng yn of the replicacyon, vj_s._ viij_d._
Item, the x. day of November, gyven to Mr. Fayrfax, Mr. Pygotte, and Mr. Hosey, for the seyng of the paper, and comenyng of the issewe a yenst Wyll. Huggan, x_s._
Item, for the wyne at the Cardenall Hatte, [121-1]viij_d._
Item, for the entre of the aunswere a yenst Huggan by Ric. Calle, payd to Sandys, v_s._
Item, to Nedersole for makyng of the paper, ij_s._ vj_d._
Item, for the copy of the same, ij_s._ vj_d._
Summa totalis, lvj_s._ iiij_d._
[Footnote 120-4: [From Paston MSS., B.M.]]
[Footnote 120-5: To _imparl_, a technical expression, meaning to obtain time to plead.]
[Footnote 120-6: A tavern in Southwark. The name is still preserved in Cardinal Hat Alley.]
[Footnote 121-1: _N.B._--Under viij_d._ is written ‘46_s._ 4_d._’ in a different hand.]
[[... for makyng of the paper, ij_s._ vj_d._ _text has s, for s._]]
789
EDMUND PASTON TO JOHN PASTON[121-2]
_Tho my rytgh wurshepfull brother John Paston, in hast._
[Sidenote: 1471 / NOV. 18]
Rygh wurshipful brother, I recumawnd me to zow, prayeng zow hartely that ze wyl remembyr soche maters as I wryth to zow. I send zow now be the brynggar her of mony, wycche mony I pray zow that [ye[121-3]] be stowe yt as I wryth to zow. I wend a don yt my sylf but consyderyng costis and other dyvers thyngis I may not bryng yt abowthe. Wher for I pray zow hartely to take the labour up on zow, and I trust to deservyt. I pray zow be stow thys mony thus: to Christofyr Hanyngton v_s._: to the prynspall of Stapylin[121-4] v_s._ in parte of payment. Also I pray zow to bye me iij. zerddis of porpyl schamlet, price the zerd iiij_s._, a bonet of depe murry, pryce ij_s._ iiij_d._, an hose clothe of zelow carsey of an ellyn, I trow yt wyl cost ij_s._; a gyrdyl of plunkket ryban, price vj_d._; iiij. lacis of sylke ij. of one color and ij. of ane other, price viij_d._; iij. doseyn poynttis wythe red and zelow, price vj_d._; iij. peyer of pateyns. I pray zow late Wylliam Mylsant purvey for them. I was wonte to pay but ij_d._ ob. for a payer, but I pray zow late them not be lefte behyng thow I pay mor; they must be lowe pateyns; late them be long inow and brode up on the hele. Among all other I pray zow recumawnd me to Mastres Elyzabet Hygons. I may sey poverte partes feleschepe. Yf that I had ben so well purveyde as I wend I trowst to have ben with zow her thys; also I pray zow recumawnd me to my brother Sir John. I fer lasse he wyl take a dysplesur with me that I send hym no mony. I pray zow excuse me as ze can. I trust to send hym sum a bowth Candylmesse. I had a promyse of Masteres Elyzabeth of a typet of welvet; but and I myth have a hatlase I woold thynk me well. I pray zow sey thus myche on zour owyn hed, and yf ze can not sped of the hatlase I pray zow bye me one of xij_d._ or xvj_d._ Also Sir I send Parkar hys mony be the brynggar har of and I have desyered hym to lend me a gown of puke, and I have send hym a typet of welvet to boredyr yt [round [122-1]] a bowthe; and I pray zow be at schesyng there of; and yf that he wyl not be cryst calkestowe over hys hed that is schoryle in Englysche, yt is a terme newe browthe up with my marschandis of Norwych. Sir John Pampyng recummawnd hym to zow and pray zow that ze wyl remembyr hys harnes, and yf that ze can get the mony he pray zow to delyver Parkar x_s._ that he howyth hym. Also, sir, my modyr gretis zow wel and send zow Goddis blyssyng and heres, and prays zow that ze wyl bye her a runlet of Malmesey owthe of the galey; and yf ze have no mony sche byd that ze schuld borow of my brother Sir John, or of sum other frend of zowers, and send [he]r[122-1] woord as hastily as ze have it, and sche schale send zow mony; and yf that ze send it home sche byd that yt schuld be woond in a canivasse for brochyng of the caryars, for sche sethe that sche hath knowyn men served soo befor. Also I pray zow, if ze speke with Master Roger, tell hym that yf he cum in to thys cuntre thys crystemas, he schal have hys x_s._, and yf that he cum not I schal send yt hym be xij. day [_Twelfth Day_] at the fardest. I pray zow, hartely remembyr my gere, and that ze wyl desyere Wylliam Mylsant on my be halve to purvey for the caryage in as hasty wyse as yt can. Also I pray zow that the welvet that levyt of my typet may be send hom a geyn, for I woold strype a dobelet ther with. As for Masteres Blakenye, I trowe sche in zour quarters. I woold I had the same entyrpryce up on hyr that John Bramppton of Atylborowe had up on master Byrston. Alle the Coorte recommawndes hem tow zow. I pray zow, and ze can get me any profytable servyce, a saye. My brother Sir John was meved of my hawnt Ponyngges to have ben with here. I woold have rytgh an hesy servyse tyl I were owthe of detis. God have zow in Hys kepyng. Wretyn at Norwyche, the Monday nex be fore Sen Edmond the Kyng.
EDMOND PASTON.
On the back of the letter are the following memoranda:--
In primis, to the pryncypall of Stapyll In v_s._
Item, for iiij. lasys viij_d._
Item, for iij. doseyn poyntes vj_d._
Item, for a plonket ryban vj_d._
[Footnote 121-2: [Add. MS. 34,889, f. 130, and Add. MS. 27,445, f. 52.] The MS. of this letter is in two fragments, from which it is now printed entire. The year in which it was written is shown by Margaret Paston’s letter to the writer’s brother John Paston, on the 29th November 1471 (No. 791), in which she apologises for not sending him money for a runlet of wine she had desired him to purchase for her, on account of the number of thieves stirring. It will be seen that she made the request by means of her son Edmund in this letter.]
[Footnote 121-3: Omitted in MS.]
[Footnote 121-4: Staple Inn.]
[Footnote 122-1: Mutilated.]
[[to boredyr yt [round [122-1]] _unclear punctuation or flyspeck between editorial “round” and footnote marker_]]
790
ABSTRACT[123-1]
[MARGARET PASTON] TO HER SON [SIR JOHN PASTON]
[Sidenote: 1471(?) / NOV. 20]
Wonders she has no answer to her letter by Ric. Raddeley. Wants him and his brother to get a discharge from my Lord of Canterbury, ‘for occupying of your father’s goods.’ If my Lord died before we got it, his successor might be ‘more hasty upon us than he hath been.’ My Lord knows the great charges we have had since he deceased, which have caused the goods to be spent. If any of us were to die, no one would take charge for us unless we have a discharge. Remember the spices and malmsey I have sent to you for.
St. Edmund’s Day the King.
_Sealed._
[At the date of this letter, Sir John Paston and his brother John were together in London, and apparently the Archbishop of Canterbury was seriously ill. Of the latter fact we have no certain knowledge, but it appears by a subsequent letter that there was a report of his death in June 1472, and the two brothers were certainly in London together in November of the year preceding. It is probable therefore that the Archbishop was ill of the epidemic which prevailed in the latter part of 1471 and the spring of 1472. The two brothers were not together in November 1472.]
[Footnote 123-1: [From Paston MSS., B.M.]]
791
MARGARET PASTON TO JOHN PASTON[124-1]
_To John Paston, Esquier, be this delyverd in hast._
[Sidenote: 1471 / NOV. 29]
I grete zow welle, and send zow Goddes blyssyng and myn, letyng zow wete that I have a letter from zour brother, wherby I undyrstand that he cannot, ner may, make no porveyans for the C. mark; the wyche causythe me to be rythgh hevy, and for other thynges that he wrytht to me of that he is in dawnger. For remembering wat we have had befor thys and ho symppylly yt hath be spente and to lytyl profythe to any of us, and now arn in soche casse that non of us may welle helpe other with owte that we schuld do that wer to gret a dysworschip for us to do, owther to selle wood or lond or soche stuffe that were nessessary for us to have in owr howsys; so mot I answer a for God, I wot not how to do for the seyde money, and for other thyngges that I have to do of scharge, and my worshup saved. Yt is a deth to me to thynk up on yt. Me thynkyth be zour brothers wrythtyng, that he thynkyth that I am informed be sume that be a bowthe me to do and to sey as I have be for thys, but be my trowthe he demyth a mysse; yt nedyth me not to be informed of no soche thengges. I construe in my owyn mend, and conseyve i now and to myche, and whan I have brokyn my conseyte to sume that in happe he deniythe yt too, they have put me in cownforth more than I kowde have be any imajynasyon in my owyn conseythe. He wrythetyth to me also, that he hath spend thys terme xl_li._ Yt is a gret thyng; me thynkyth be good dyscresyon ther mythe myche ther of aben sparyd. Zour fadyr, God blysse hys sowle, hathe had as gret maters to do as I trowe he hathe had thys terme, and hath not spend halfe the mony up on them in so lytyl tyme, and hath do ryth well. At the reverens of God, avyse hym zet to be war of hys expences and gydyng that yt be no schame to us alle. Yt is a schame and a thyng that is myche spokyn of in thys contre that zour faders graveston is not mad. For Goddes love, late yt be remembyrd and porveyde for in hast. Ther hathe be mych mor spend in waste than schuld have mad that, me thynkyth be zour brother that he is wery to wrythe to me and there fore I wyl not a kumbyr hym with wrythtyng to hym. Ze may telle hym as I wryth to zow. Item, I woold ze schuld remembyr zour brother of Pekerngges mater, if he cum not hom hastely, that ze and Townesend and Lumnor may examyn and sette yt thorow. The pore man is almost on don ther by, and hys brother suethe hym and trobylyth hym sor zet; and also for the plesur of my koseyn Clere and the Lady Bolen, I woold yt were sette thorow.