Elizabeth girdle that I have but of one. John of Damme was here, and my mother discovered me to him, and he said by his truth that he was not gladder of nothing that he heard this twelvemonth than he was thereof. I may no longer live by my craft (cunning), I am discovered of all men that see me. Of all other things that ye desired that I should send you word of, I have sent you word of in a letter that I did write on our Lady's day1 last was; the Holy Trinity have you in his keeping. LETTER CCCCIII.-(XLVIII. vol. v. p. 209.) [JOHN PASTON in this letter advises his brother Sir John to conclude his matters now, if possible, with the Duke of Suffolk, probably matters relating to the contested property at Heylesdon and elsewhere, because "an hundred marks (667. 138. 4d.) will do more in their need than ye shall peradventure do with two hundred marks in time coming," some of the Duke of Suffolk's folks having "let me in secret wise have knowledge that he (the Duke) must make a shift for money, and that in all haste;" and the Duchess is said to be the person to treat with, "as for my lord, he needeth not to be moved till it shall be as good as ready for the sealing." John Paston next informs his brother that the priest of the newly-founded chapel at Caister had written by an attorney for an account and payment of his profits, and suggests that as "ye said unto me that ye would assay to make a bargain with him so that ye might have a priest to sing in Caister; Sir, methink ye cannot Conception of our Lady, 8th of December. 2 [Dec. 21.] 3 This ring, bearing the image of her favourite saint, being worn by her husband as a remembrance, might be looked upon as a guardian to her in her have so good a season to move him with it as now this parliament time, for now I think he shall be awaiting on the queen ;* and also if ye might compound with him ere he wist what the value were, it were the better." He says, “We would fain hear of all your royalty at London, as of the marriage of my Lord of York." This was the marriage of the younger son of Edward IV. to Ann Mowbray, the daughter and heiress of John Duke of Norfolk, who died very young, and which took place on Jan. 15, 1477-8, and fixes the correctness of the date of this letter. He then concludes, "And, Sir, as for my housewife, I am fain to carry her to see her father and her friends now this winter, for I trow she will be out of fashion (shape) in summer." The letter is written from the house of Playters, where he stayed in his progress from my father Brews unto Mauteby," and is dated Jan. 21, 17 Edward IV., 1477-8.] 66 then situation, and be a means of preserving her from any disagreeable accident. [The priest of Caister chapel was Dr. Yotton, chaplain also to the queen.] LETTER CCCCIV.-(XLIX. vol. v. p. 213.) [JOHN PASTON writes to his mother from Swainsthorp, informing her of his having made an appointment for her with James Hubbart and Dr. Pykenham at Norwich during the week after Midlent Sunday, for the purpose of advising her on certain matters relating to her property; and in a postscript tells her she ought to be in Norwich five or six days before the lawyers, to look up her evidences and all other things; probably her title-deeds connected with the property disputed between her and the Duke of Suffolk. Being now married himself, John Paston seems to have been employing his talents for match-making in favour of his brother Edmund; and he writes to his mother-"I heard while I was in London where was a goodly young woman to marry, which was daughter to one Seff, a mercer, and she shall have 2001. in money to her marriage, and twenty marks (137. 6s. 8d.) by year of land, after the decease of a step-mother of hers, which is upon fifty years of age; and ere I departed out of London I spake with some of the maid's friends, and have gotten their good wills to have her married to my brother Edmund: notwithstanding those friends of the maid's that I communed with advised me to get the good will of one Sturmyn, which is in Master Pykenham's danger (debt) so much that he is glad to please him. And so I moved this matter to Master Pykenham, and incontinently he sent for Sturmyn, and delivered his good will for my brother Edmund; and he granted him his good will, so that he could get the good will of the remanent that were executors to Seff as well as the said Sturmyn was; and thus far forth is the matter." He then requests a letter from his mother in favour of Edmund to Dr. Pykenham, and he says-" and, for I am acquainted with your conditions of old, that ye reck not who inditeth more letters than ye, therefore I have drawn a note to your secretary's hand, Friar Perse, which letter we must pray you to send us by the bearer hereof, and I trust it shall not be long from Master Pykenham." John Paston seems to have been possessed with a most active spirit of intrigue. Edmund Paston was at this time staying at Swainsthorp, which, however, his brother says "for none interest that his hostess your daughter nor I could intreat him, might not keep him but that he would have been at home with you at Mauteby on Sunday last past at night; and as he was departing from hence had we word from French's wife that, God yeld (thank) you, mother, ye had given him leave to disport him here with us for a seven or eight days, and so the drevyll (simpleton) lost his thank of us and yet abode nevertheless. Your daughter sendeth you part of such poor stuff as I sent her from London, beseeching you to take it in gree (favour), though it be little plenty that she sendeth you; but as for dates, I will say truth, ye have not so many by two pounds as were meant unto you, for she thinks at this season dates right good meat, whatsoever it meaneth, I pray God send good tidings.' Fenn says that dates were formerly considered wholesome for ladies in Margery Paston's situation, and at any rate the notice is curious. The letter is dated Ash Wednesday, Feb. 4, 1477-8.] [This letter combines very curiously an account of the writer's schoolboy studies and progress with that of his courtship and a description of his mistress. Besides an interesting picture of the domestic manners of the time, it proves, as is remarked by Hallam in his State of Europe during the Middle Ages,' vol. iii. p. 597, "that Latin versification was taught at Eton as early as the beginning of Edward the IVth's reign. It is true that the specimen he (Master Wm. Paston) rather proudly exhibits, does not much differ from what we denominate nonsense verses. But a more material observation is, that the sons of country gentlemen living at a considerable distance were already sent to public schools for grammatical education." We may add, W. Paston was apparently not on the foundation, but sent as a boarder. Fenn says he was " at this time I suppose about eighteen or twenty, a time of life when he might have been better employed than in learning to make verses." True: and he might have been worse employed,-at any rate his letter proves that his attention was not by any means solely directed to this one object. His eyes are open to the charms of youth and beauty, and he seems to have adopted the aristocratic feeling in favour of slender hands; while he is by no means dull to the dictates of worldly prudence.] To his worshipful brother, John RIGHT reverend and worshipful brother, after all duties of recommendation I recommend me to you, desiring to hear of your prosperity and welfare, which I pray God long to continue to his pleasure and to your heart's desire; letting you weet that I received a letter from you, in the which letter was 8d. with the which I should buy a pair of slip pers. Farthermore certifying you as for the 13s. 4d. which ye sent by a gentleman's man for my board, called Thomas Newton, was delivered to mine hostess, and so to my creancer (creditor), Mr. Thomas Stevenson; and he heartily recommended him to you; also ye sent me word in the letter of 121b. of figgs and 8lb. of raisins; I have them not delivered, but I doubt not I shall have, for Alweder told me of them, and he said that they came after in another barge. And as for the young gentlewoman, I will certify you how I first fell in acquaintance with her; her father is dead, there be two sisters of them, the elder is just wedded; at which wedding I was with mine hostess, and also desired (invited) by the gentleman himself, called William Swan, whose dwelling is in Eton. So it fortuned that mine hostess reported on me otherwise than I was worthy,2 so that her mother commanded her to make me good cheer, and so in good faith she did; she is not abiding where she is now, 1 These were for his subsistence in Lent. 2 [Beyond what I was worthy of.] her 3 In 1479 the first Sunday in Lent fell on the 28th of February, which agrees with the date, St. Mathias being on the 24th of February. Sheen is now called Richmond, so named by Henry VII. 4 Of these verses I can make nothing; but an ingenious friend has attempted the following solution: Quære, Quomodo non valet hora, valet mora? Paston, be this delivered in haste. dwelling is in London; but her mother and she came to a place of hers five miles from Eton where the wedding was, for because it was nigh to the gentleman which wedded her daughter; and on Monday next coming, that is to say, the first Monday of Clean Lent,3 her mother and she will go to the pardon at Sheene, and so forth to London, and there to abide in a place of hers in Bow Churchyard; and if it please you to inquire of her, her mother's name is Mistress Alborow, the name of the daughter is Margaret Alborow, the age of her is, by all likelyhood, eighteen or nineteen years at the farthest; and as for the money and plate, it is ready whensoever she were wedded; but as for the livelihood, I trow (I believe) not till after her mother's decease, but I cannot tell you for very certain, but you may know by inquiring. And as for her beauty, judge you that when you see her, if so be that ye take the labour; and specially behold her hands, for and if it be as it is told me, she is disposed to be thick. And as for my coming from Eton, I lack nothing but versifying, which I trust to have with a little continuance. Quare, Quomodo. Non valet hora, valet And these two verses aforesaid be of mine own making. No more to you at this time, but God have you in his keeping. Eton, Wednesday, 23d of February, 1478-9. 18 E. IV. Written at Eton the even of Saint Mathias the Apostle, in haste, with the hand of your brother. WILLIAM PASTON, junior. Mythen go apoy. LETTER CCCCVI.-(L. vol. v. p. 221.) [THIS is a very strange letter. The writer, after recommending herself in the usual style, proceeds thus: "Touching the cause of my writing to your mastership is, forasmuch as I appointed with you to have been with you by the day that ye assigned me of, the which, without your good supportation, I cannot well have mine intent, without it please you to send one of your men to me, and I shall provide a letter in mine uncle's name, the which he shall deliver to my cousin as (if) he were my uncle's messenger; and by this mean I will come at your request, for my cousin would I should not depart with him (leave him), without it were to mine uncle's service; his and all others I refuse for yours, if my simple service may be to your pleasure; and of an answer hereof I beseech you by the bringer of my bill, and I will conform me to your intent by the grace of God, the which mot (may) preserve you at all hours." Signed By your woman and servant, CONSTANCE RENNYFORTH," Cobham, Saturday, March 21, 1477-8. By this lady Sir John had a natural daughter, to whom her mother left ten marks, by will, dated Feb. 4, 1481, on her coming of age; she afterwards appears to have resided with her uncle John Paston, then Sir John, between 1495 and 1500, and to have been sought in marriage by John Clip pesby, of Oby, Esq., as appears from another letter given in the Fifth Vol. of the quarto edition, of the reign of Henry VII. Sir John Fenn says "The style of this letter is artless and simple, but the lady's contrivance by a forged letter, as from her uncle to her cousin, to leave him and to go to Sir John, shows she understood what she had undertaken, and that her attachment to him got the better of every other consideration." Artless and simple! He adds "no one can read this letter without feeling an interest in the welfare of her writer." To us the style of language, so obscure and involved, and the spelling, which is not very good in the original, seems rather that of a bold and perhaps vulgar woman; and Sir John is here strangely at issue with his own remarks, upon which we made a few observations in Letter ccxlvii. vol. i. p. 199.] LETTER CCCCVII.-(LXXXIII. vol. ii. p. 261.) It appears by this letter that Sir John Paston feared that his mother would not send the cloth of gold to him lest he should sell it, and not apply the money to the purpose of erecting a tomb to the memory of his father, who had now been dead twelve years. He was buried very sumptuously in Bromholm Priory; and probably a suitable tomb should have been immediately erected, but had been deferred by Sir John from time to time on account of the expense. To my right worshipful mother, Margaret Paston, be this delivered. PLEASE it you to weet, that whereas I intended to have been at home this Midsummer, and purposed with your good help to have begun upon my father's tomb so that it might have been ended this summer; it is so, that for such causes as are now begun between my Lord of Suffolk and me for the manors of Heylesdon, Drayton, &c., for which matters I must needs be here this next term; therefore I deem it would be after Midsummer ere than (before) I can see you. Please it you also to weet that I communed with Master Pykenham to weet if he would buy the cloth of gold for so much as he desired once to have bought it, and he offered me once 20 marks (137. 6s. 8d.) therefor, nevertheless it cost me 241.; yet now, when that I spake to him thereof, he refused to buy it; and said that he had now so many charges that he may not. But it is so that the king doth make certain copes and vestments of like cloth, which he intendeth to give to the college of Fotheringay where my Lord his father is now buried, and he buyeth at a great price; I communed with the vestment maker for to help me forth with twelve yards, and he hath granted to do as Wheatley can tell you; wherefore if it please you that it be bestowed for to make a tomb for my father at Bromholm, if ye like to send it hither, if it be sold I undertake ere Michaelmas that there shall be a tomb and somewhat else over my father's grave, on whose soul God have mercy, that there shall none be like it in Norfolk; and as ye shall be glad hereafter to see it; and God send me leisure that I may come home, and if I do not, yet the money shall be put to none other use, but kept by some that ye trust till that it may be bestowed according as is above written, and else I give you cause never to trust me while ye and I live. When I was last with you, ye granted that the said cloth of gold should be bewared (expended in exchange) about this work that is above written, which, if ye will perform, I undertake that there shall be such a tomb as ye shall be pleased at, though it cost me 20 marks (137. 6s. 8d.) of mine own purse beside, if I once set upon it. No more, but I beseech God have you in his keeping. Written at London the Wednesday in Whitsun-week, in the 18th year of Edward IV. Please it you to send me word by Wheatley of your pleasure herein. London, By your son, JOHN PASTON, knight. Wednesday, 13th of May, LETTER CCCCVIII.—(LI. vol. v. p. 225.) [WALTER PASTON writes to his mother Margaret from Oxford relative to his expenses there. He says, "I marvel sore that you sent me no word of the letter which I sent to you by Master William Brown at Easter. I sent you word that time that I should send you mine expenses particularly; but as at this time the bearer hereof had a letter suddenly that he should come home, and therefore I could have no leisure to send them you on that wise, and therefore I shall write to you in this letter the whole sum of my expenses since I was with you till Easter last past, and also the receipts, reckoning the twenty shillings that I had of you to Oxon wards with the bishop's finding :— The whole sum of receipts £. s. d. is And the whole sum of ex- 5 17 6 6 5 5 And that [what] cometh over my receipts and my expenses I have borrowed of Master Edmund, and it draweth to 080 and yet I reckon none expenses since Easter, |