Part 28
Fresh amorouse sihts of cuntreys ferre and straunge Have all fordoone[280-2] your old affeccion; In plesurys new, your hert dooth score and raunge So hye and ferre, that like as the fawcon Which is alofte, tellith scorne to loke a down On hym that wont was her feders to pyke and ympe;[281-1] Ryht so forgotyn ye have your pore Pympe,
That wrytith, sendith, and wisshith alday your wele More than his owne; but ye ne here, ne se, Ne sey, ne send, and evyr I write and sele In prose and ryme, as well as hit will be. Sum evyll tong, I trow, myss sayeth of me And ells your fast and feithfull frendelynes Ye thenk mysspent on such as I, I gesse.
I wyll abate my customable concourse, To yow so costuouse,[281-2] whan so evyr ye com agayn, Which that I fele of reson, by the course Of my proferid servyce, hath made yow so unfayne; For veryly the water of the fowntayne With brede only forthwith yowre presens Me shuld content much more than your expense.
But ay deme I thus that Fortun hath hyryd yow, For she but late of sorowys moo than many Hath rakyd un to myn hert an hepe more than a moowe, And wuld that ye shuld ley thereon on hye Your hevy unkyndenes to make hit fast to lye, And God knowth well hit cannot long lye there But hit wyll bryng me to the chirch bere.
Take hit awaye therefore, y praye yow fayre, For hardyly my hert beryth hevy y nowh, For there is Sorow at rest as in hys chayre, Fixid so fast with hys prikks rowh, That in gode feith I wote not whan I lowh,[281-3] For, Master Paston, the thyng whereon my blisse Was holly sette, is all fordoone, I wysse.
By your JOHN PYMPE, thes beyng the vj. letter that I have send yow.
Alway prayyng yow to remembre the hors that I have in every letter wryten for; as thus, that hit wuld plese yow to undrestond who hath the gentyllest hors in trottyng and steryng that is in Calis, and if he be to sell, to send me word of hys pris, largenesse, and colour. Hytt is told me, that the Master Porter hath a coragiouse ronyd hors, and that he wuld putt hym away by cause he is daungerous in companye; and of that I force [_care_] not, so that he be not chorlissh at a spore, as plungyng; and also I sett not by hym, but if he trotte hye and gentilly. No more, but God kepe yow.
JOHN PYMPE.
[Footnote 280-1: [From Fenn, ii. 234.] We may as well place this letter--the only remaining one of the series that has been preserved--immediately after the other two. John Pympe seems to have been a very industrious correspondent, and the art of writing, in prose or verse, came to him very easily.]
[Footnote 280-2: Destroyed.--F.]
[Footnote 281-1: A term in Falconry, signifying the adding a piece to a feather in a hawk’s wing.--F.]
[Footnote 281-2: Expensive.]
[Footnote 281-3: Laughed? Fenn in his modern version reads ‘when I love.’]
909
SIR JOHN PASTON TO JOHN PASTON[282-1]
_To hys weell belovyd brother, John Paston, Esquyer._
[Sidenote: 1477]
I recomande me to yow, letyng yow weete that I receyvyd a letter of yowres by Edward Hensted ij. dayes aftre that Whetley was departyd from me, whyche he hadde forgetyn in hys caskett, as he seyde, wheroff I sholde have sent yow answer by Whetley, iff I had hadde it toffore he wente, notwithstandyng I am ryght lothe to wryghte in that mater offte; for for a conclusion I wrote to my moodre by Peerse Moody alle that I myght and wolde doo ther in. Ye have also nowe wretyn ageyn. Yow neede nott to praye me to doo that myght be to yowr profyght and worship, that I myght doo ofter than ones, or to late me weete theroff; for to my power I wolde do for yow, and take as moche peyne for yowr weell, and remembre itt when per case ye sholde nott thynke on it yowr selffe. I wolde be as gladde that one gaffe yow a maner of xx_li._ by yeer, as iff he gave it to my selff by my trowthe.
Item, wher ye thynke that I may with concience recompence it ageyn on to owr stokke off other londys that I have off that valywe in fee symple, it is so that Snaylwell, by my grauntefadres will ones, and by my fadris will sceconderely, is entaylyd to the issyw of my fadres body.
Item, as for Sporle xx_li._ by yeer, I hadde ther off butt xx. marke by yere, whyche xx. marke by yeer and the x. marke ovyr, I have endangeryd, as ye weell knowe off that bargayne, whyche, iff itt be nott redemyd, I most recompence some other maner off myne to one off my bretheryn for the seyde x. marke, ovyr xx. marke that longyth to me; wherffor I kepe the maner off Runham. Than have I fe symple londe the maner of Wynterton with Bastwyk and Billys, whyche in alle is nott xx. marke by yeer, whyche is nott to the valywe off the maner off Sparham. And as for Castre, it weer noo convenyent londe to exchange for suche a thyng, nor it weer not polesy for me to sett that maner in suche case for alle maner of happis. I nede nott to make thys excuse to yowe, but that yowr mynde is troblyd. I praye yow rejoyse nott yowr sylffe to moche in hope to opteyne thynge that alle yowr freendys may nott ease yow off; for if my moodre were dysposyd to gyve me and any woman in Ingelande the best maner that she hathe, to have it to me and my wyffe, and to the heyres off our too bodyes begotyn, I wolde nott take it off hyr, by God.
Stablysshe your selffe uppon a goode grownde, and grace shall folowe. Yowr mater is ferre spoken off, and blowyn wyde, and iff it preve noo better, I wolde that it had never be spoken off. Also that mater noysyth me that I am so onkynde that I lett alle togedre. I thynke notte a mater happy, nor weell handelyd, nor poletykly dalte with, when it can never be fynysshyd with owte an inconvenyence; and to any suche bargayne I kepe never to be condescentyng, ner of cowncell. Iffe I weer att the begynnyng of suche a mater, I wolde have hopyd to have made a better conclusyon, if they mokke yow notte. Thys mater is drevyn thus ferforthe with owte my cowncell, I praye yow make an ende with owte my cowncell. Iffe it be weell, I wolde be glad; iff it be oderwyse, it is pite. I praye yow troble me no moore in thys mater. . . .[283-1]
[Footnote 282-1: [From Paston MSS., B.M.] This letter is clearly written in answer to an application by John Paston to his brother to aid him in making arrangements with Sir Thomas Brews in the spring of 1477. Although the signature is lost, the handwriting is that of Sir John Paston.]
[Footnote 283-1: The lower part of this letter seems to have been cut off, and how much is lost does not appear.]
[[for for a conclusion I wrote to my moodre _text unchanged: probably not an error_]]
910
JOHN PASTON AND MARGERY BREWS[284-1]
[Sidenote: 1477]
Memorandum.--To kepe secret fro my moder that the bargayn is full concludyd.
Item, to let hyr have fyrst knowlage that in the chapell, wher as ye wold had ben no book nye by x. myle, that whyn Mastyr Brews seyd that he wold shortly have eyther more lond in joyntour then Sweynsthorp and x. mark ought of Sparham, or ellys that some frend of myne shold paye the vj^xx._li._, so that it shold not be payed of the maryage money, that then I sware on a book to hym that I wold never of my mocyon endanger moder nor broder ferther then I had done; for I thought that my modyr had done myche for me to geve me the maner of Sparham in syche forme as she had done. But Mastyr Breus wyll not agre, with ought that my mastress hys doughter and I be mad swer of it now in hand, and that we may take the hole profytes, what so ever fortune.
Item, to enforme my moder that if so be that we may be pute in possessyon of all the hole maner duryng oure two lyves, and the lengest of leveing, that then Mastyr Brews wyll geve me in maryage with my mastresse hys doughter CCCC. markes, payable in hand l_li._, and so yerly l_li._ tyll the some of CCCC. mark bew full payed.
Item, that wher as he had leyd up C_li._ for the maryage of a yonger doughter of hys, he wylle lend me the same C_li._ and xx_li._ more, to pledge ought my lond, and he to be payed ayen hys C_li._ and xx_li._ by x_li._ by yer.
Item, to avyse my modyr that she brek not for the yerly valew of Sparham above the x. mark dwryng hyr lyve.
[Footnote 284-1: [From Paston MSS., B.M.] This paper, which is in John Paston’s hand, was evidently written about the same time as the letter immediately following, in which it is mentioned that Margaret Paston had given up the manor of Sparham to her son. The paper is endorsed in a more modern hand: ‘Notes touching the mariage betwene Jo. Paston, Ar’, and Margery Brews.’]
911
SIR JOHN PASTON TO MARGARET PASTON[285-1]
_To my ryght worshypfull moodre, Margret Paston._
[Sidenote: 1477 / MARCH 28]
Please it yow to weete, that I have receyvyd yowr letter, wherein is remembryd the gret hurte, that by liklihod myght ffalle to my brother, iff so be that thys matter betwyn hym and Sir Thomas Brewses doghtre take nott effecte; wheroff I wolde be as sory as hym selffe reasonably; and also the welthy and convenyent marriage that scholde be iff it take effecte; wheroff I wolde be as gladde as any man; and ame better content nowe, that he sholde have hyr, than any other, that evyr he was hertoffoor abowte to have hadde, consyderyd hyr persone, her yowthe, and the stok that she is comyn offe, the love on bothe sydes, the tendre ffavor that she is in with hyr ffader and mooder, the kyndenesse off hyr ffadr and moodr to hyr in departyng with hyr, the ffavor also, and goode conceyte that they have in my brother, the worshypfull and vertuous dysposicion off hyr ffadr and moodr, whyche pronostikyth that, of lyklihod, the mayde sholde be vertuous and goode; all which concyderyd, and the necessary relyffe that my brother most have, I mervayle the lesse, that ye have departyd, and gevyn hym the maner off Sperham, in such fforme as I have knowleche off by W. Gornay, Lomner, and Skypwyth; and I ame ryght gladde to se in yow suche kyndenesse on to my brother as ye have doon to hym; and wolde by my trowthe lever than C_li._ that it weer ffee symple londe, as it is entaylyd, whyche by liklyhood scholde prosper with hym and hys blode the better in tyme to come, and sholde also never cause debate in owr bloode in tyme to come, whyche Godde dyffende, ffor that weer onnaturell.
Item, another inconvenyence is, wher as I undrestande that the maner is gevyn to my brother, and to hys wyff, and to the issywe bytwen them bygoten; iff the case weer soo, that he and she hadde yssywe togedr a dowtr or moo, and hys wyffe dyed, and he maried afftr another, and hadde issywe a sone, that sone sholde have noon londe, and he beyng hys ffadres heyr, and ffor th’enconvenyence that I have knowe let in ur[286-1] in case lyke, and yit enduryth in Kente, by tweyn a jentylman and his suster, I wolde ye toke the advyce off yowr concell in thys poynt, and that that is past yow by wrightyng or by promise, I deme verrely in yow, that ye dyd it off kyndenesse, and in eschywyng off a moor yll that myght befall.
Item, wher as it pleasyth yow that I sholde ratefye, grawnt, or conferme the seyd gyfte on to my brother, it is so, that with myn honeste I may nott, and ffor other cawses. The Pope will suffre a thyng to be usyd, but he will nott lycence nor grant it to be usyd nor don, and soo I. My brother John knowyth myn entent weel i now heer to ffoor in this mater; I will be ffownde to hym as kynde a brother as I may be.
Item, iff it be soo that Sir T. Brews and hys wyff thynke that I wolde troble my brother and hys wyff in the seid maner, I can ffynde no meene to putte them in sywerte ther off, but iff it neede, to be bownde in an obligacion with a condicion that I shalle nott trowble ner infete them therin.
Item, I thynke that she is made sywer i now in astate in the londe, and that off ryght I deme they shall make noone obstacles at my wryghtyng, ffor I hadde never none astate in the londe, ner I wolde nott that I had hadde.
No mor to yow at thys tyme, but Allmyghty God have yow in kepyng.
Wretyn at Caleys, the xxviij. daye of Marche, anno E. iiij. xvij^{o}.
By yowr sone,
J. PASTON, K.
[Footnote 285-1: [From Fenn, ii. 238.]]
[Footnote 286-1: In ure, _i.e._ in practice.]
[[J. PASTON, K. _comma invisible_]]
912
SIR JOHN PASTON TO JOHN PASTON[287-1]
_To John Paston, Esquyer._
[Sidenote: 1477 / APRIL 14]
Ryght worshypfull and hertely belovyd brother, I recomaunde me to yow, letyng yow weete, that as by Pyrse Moody, when he was heer, I hadde no leyser to sende answer in wryghtyng to yow, and to my cosyne Gurnaye, off yowr letteris; butt ffor a conclusion ye shalle ffynde me to yow as kynde as I maye be, my conciense and worshyp savyd, whiche, when I speke with yow and them, ye bothe shall weell undrestande. And I praye God sende yow as goode speede in that mater as I wolde ye hadde, and as I hope ye shall have er thys letter come to yow; and I praye God sende yow yssywe betwyne yow, that maye be as honorable as ever was any off your ancestris and theris, wheroff I wolde be as gladde in maner as off myn owne. Wherffor I praye yow sende me worde how ye doo, and iff Godde ffortune me to doo weell, and be off any power, I woll be to Sir Thomas Brewse, and my lady hys wyffe, a verry sone in lawe ffor yowr sake, and take them as ye doo, and doo ffor them as iff I weer in case like with them as ye bee. No moor, but Jesus have yow in kepyng.
Wretyn at Caleys, the xiiij. daye off Aprill, anno E. iiij. xvij^{o}.
As ffor tydyngs her, the Frenshe Kynge hathe gothen many off the towns off the Duk of Burgoyne, as Seynt Quyntyns, Abevyle, Motrell; and now off late he hathe goten Betoyne and Hedynge with the castell ther, whyche is one off the ryallest castells off the worlde; and on Sonday at evyn the Ameralle off Fraunce leyde seege at Boloyne; and thys daye it is seyde, that the Frenshe Kynge shalle come thyddr; and thys nyght it is seyde, that ther was a vysion seyne abowte the walls of Boloyne, as it hadde ben a woman with a mervylowse lyght; men deme that Owr Lady ther will shewe hyrselff a lover to that towne. God fforfende that it weer Frenshe, it weer worthe xl.m^l._li._ [£40,000] that it wer Englyshe.
J. PASTON, K.
[Footnote 287-1: [From Fenn, ii. 244.]]
913
MARGARET PASTON TO DAME ELIZABETH BREWS[288-1]
_To the ryght wurchypfull and my verry good [lady and cosyn, Dame Elyzabet][288-2] Brews._
[Sidenote: 1477 / JUNE 11]
Ryght wurchepful and my cheff lady and cosyn, as hertly as I can, I recomaunde me to yow. Madam, lyeketh yow to undyrstand that the cheff cause of my wrytyng to yow at thys season ys thys: I wot well yt ys not unremembred with yow the large comunycacyon that dyvers tymes hathe ben had towchyng the maryage of my cosyn Margery, yowyr dowghter, and my son John; of whyche I have ben as glad, and now late wardes as sory, as evyr I was for eny maryage in myn lyve. And wher or in whom the defawte of the breche ys, I can have no perfyte knowlage; but, madam, yf yt be in me or eny of myn, I prey yow assygne a day when my cosyn yowyr husbond and ye thynk to be at Norwych to wardes Salle, and I wyll com theder to yow; and I thynk or ye and I departe, that the defawte schall be knowe where yt ys, and also that, with yowyr advyse and helpe and myn to gedyrs, we schall take some wey that yt schal not breke; for yf yt dyd, yt wer non honoure to neyther partyes, and in cheff to them in whom the defawte ys, consyderyng that it ys so ferre spokun.
And, madam, I prey yow that I may have perfyte knowlage be my son Yelverton,[288-3] berar here of, when thys metyng schall be, yf ye thynk it expedyent, and the soner the better, in eschewyng of worsse; for, madam, I know well, yf yt be not concludyd in ryght schort tyme, that as for my son he entendyth to doo ryght well by my cosyn Margery, and not so well by hym sylf, and that schuld be to me, nor I trust to yow no gret plesur, yf yt so fortunyd, as God deffend, Whom I beseche to send yow your levest desyers.
Madam, I besech yow that I may be recomawndyd by this bylle to my cosyn yowr husbond, and to my cosyn Margery, to whom I supposyd to have gevyn an othyr name or thys tyme.
Wretyn at Mawteby, on Seynt Barnaby is Day.
By your,
MARGARET PASTON.
[Footnote 288-1: [From Paston MSS., B.M.] This is another letter relative to the negotiations for the marriage of John Paston and Margery Brews, which took place in 1477.]
[Footnote 288-2: The words bracketed are indistinct, but we follow Fenn’s reading.]
[Footnote 288-3: William Yelverton, grandson of Judge Yelverton, now married to Anne Paston, one of Margaret’s daughters.]
914
SIR JOHN PASTON TO JOHN PASTON[289-1]
_To John Paston, Esquyer._
[Sidenote: 1477 / JUNE 23]
I recomand me to yow, letyng yow weete that I have spoken to Herry Colett,[289-2] and entretyd hym in my best wyse ffor yow, soo that at the last he is agreyd to a resonable respyght ffor the xv_li._ that ye sholde have payd hym at Mydsomer, as he seyth, and is gladde to do yow ease or plesyr in all that he maye; and I tolde hym that ye wolde, as I supposyd, be heer at London, herr nott long to, and than he lokyth afftr that ye sholde come see hym, ffor he is sheryff, and hathe a goodely hows.
Item, my Lady off Oxenfforth[289-3] lokyth afftr yow and Arblaster bothe.
My Lord off Oxenfford[289-4] is nott comen in to Inglonde that I can perceyve, and so the goode lady hathe nede off helpe and cowncell howe that she shall doo.
No moor at thys tyme, butt God have yow in kepyng.
Wretyn att London on Seynt Awdryes Daye, anno E. iiij^ti xvij^{o}.
Tydyngs butt that yisterdaye my Lady Marqueys off Dorset,[290-1] whych is my Lady Hastyngs dowtr, hadyd chylde a sone.
Item, my Lord Chamberleyn is comyn hyddr ffro Caleys, and redyn with the Kynge to Wyndeshor, and the Kyng will be here ageyn on Mondaye.
J. P., K.
[Footnote 289-1: [From Fenn, ii. 248.]]
[Footnote 289-2: Sir Henry Colet was Lord Mayor of London in 1486.--F.]
[Footnote 289-3: Margaret, daughter of Richard Neville, Earl of Salisbury; she was, during the imprisonment of her lord, in great distress.--F.]
[Footnote 289-4: John de Vere, Earl of Oxford, was at this time a prisoner in the Castle of Hammes, in Picardy; what expectation there was of his coming into England at this time I know not.--F.]
[Footnote 290-1: Cecily, wife of Thomas Grey, Marquis of Dorset, was great grand-daughter and heir of William Bonvile, Lord Bonvile, who was beheaded by order of Margaret of Anjou, after the second battle of St. Albans in 1461.]
915
JOHN PASTON TO MARGARET PASTON[290-2]
[Sidenote: 1477 / JUNE 29]
Ryght worchepfull and my most good and kynd moder. Moder, in as humbyll wyse as I can or may, I recomand me to yow, and beseche yow of your dayly blyssyng. Moder, please it yow to undyrstond that tyll thys day Dame Elyzabeth Brews hathe ben so syke that she myght nevyr, sythe she cam to Salle, have leyser to comon of my mater with Master Brews tyll thys day; and thys day with gret peyn, I thynk the rather because Heydon[290-3] was ther, the mater was comond, but other answer than she hathe sent yow in hyr lettre closed her in can she not have of hyr husbond. Wherfor, modyr, if it please yow, myn advyse is to send hyr answer ayen in thys forme folowing, of some other manys hand.
[_Margaret Paston to Dame Elyzabeth Brews._]
‘Ryght worchepfull and my verry good lady and cosyn, as hertly as I can, I recomand me to yow. And, madam, I am ryght sory, if it myght be otherwyse, of the dysease, as I undyrstand by the berer herof, that my cosyn your husbond and ye also have had a season, whyche I prey God soone to redresse to your bothe easeis. And, madam, I thank yow hertly that ye have remembred the mater to my cosyn your husbond, that I spak with you of at syche tyme as I was last with you at Norwyche, to my gret comfort. And I wyse, madam, I am ryght sory that John Paston is no more fortunate then he is in that mater; for, as I undyrstand by your lettyr, my cosyn your husbond wyll geve but an C_li._, whyche is no money lyek for syche a joyntore as is desyred of my son, thow hys possybylyte wer ryght easy. But, madam, when I mad that large grant in the maner of Sperham that I have mad to hym and my cosyn your doughter, he told me of an other some that he shold have with hyr then of an C_li._ He hathe befor thys be wont to tell me none untrowthe; and what I shall deme in thys mater, I can not sey, for me thynkyth if more then an C_li._ wer promysyd on to hym by my cosyn your husbond and yow, that ye wold not lett to geve it hym, with ought so wer that I or he abryggyd eny thyng of our promess, whyche I wot well neyther I or he intend to do, if I may undyrstand that hys seying to me was trowthe, and that it may be performyd; but wyst I that he told me otherwyse then my cosyn yowr husbond and ye promysed hym, to deseyve me of Sparham, by my trowthe, thow he have it, he shall lese as myche for it, iff I leve, and that shall he well undyrstand the next tyme I se hym.