I have begonne your inventare that shuld have be made or this tym, if I had ben well at ease. I hope to make an ende therof, and of other thyngs both this next weke, and ben in that other place, if God send me helth. I must do purvey for meche stuff or I come ther, for ther is nother bords ne other stuff that must neds be had or we come there. And Richard hath gadderid butt lytill mony syth he come from yow. I have sent John Norwod this day to Gresham, Besigham, and Matelask to gete als meche mony as he may. The blissid Trinyte have yow in his keping. Wretyn at Norwych, on the Utas day of Peter and Powll.[287.3] Yowrs, M. P.
[286.5] [From Fenn, iii. 186.] This letter chronicles the same two deaths as the preceding, and is therefore of the same date.
[287.1] A noble was a coin of the value of 6s. 8d. A mark was 13s. 4d. Five marks therefore were equal to £3, 6s. 8d.; but Margaret said she would pay the odd noble, or 6s. 8d., out of her own purse, and not let Paston know but that he had the place for £3. A little artifice for accepting terms which she had doubtless told Newman her husband could never agree to.
[287.2] Philip Berney.—See [p. 251, Note 1].
[287.3] The day of St. Peter and Paul is the 29th of June. The utas or octave of a feast is the eighth day of the feast—that is to say, the seventh day after, which in this case is the 6th of July.
[229]
MARGARET PASTON TO JOHN PASTON[288.1]
1453
SEPT. (?)
Ryth worchepfull howsbonde, I recomende me on to yow. Plesyt yow to wete that I sent Tomas Bon to Edwarde Coteler to have one ansuer of the mater that ye spak to hym of, and he sent me worde that he hade spok to hys man therof, and he tolde hym that he hade no wrytynge nor evidens of no swyche thyng as ye spak to hym of, ner not wyst were he scholde have cnowlage of no swyche thyng, save that he tolde hym that he receyvyd onys j.c.s. [100s.] of the same rent; but and he may have cnowlage of ony man that havyth ony wrytyng or ony thyng that may out prevayle, he schal late yow have cnoulage therof.
As for Wylliam Yellverton, he come here never syn ye yede. As for my Lady Stapullton, att the wrytyng of thys letter sche was not come home. Wyndhamys[288.2] erand to my Lady of Southefolk[288.3] was to desiyr hyr gode Ladychep and to beseche hyr that sche wold spek to my cosyn Evenyngham[288.4] that he myt have hys gode wyll, for he levith in hope to have hys modyr, and he hath made menys to have her by John Gros and hys wyf, and by Bokynham and by odyr dyvers, and profuryth hyr to find suerte to acquitt hyr housbondys dettes, the qwyche is CCC. marc, and to payit doune on j. day. And by thys mene, as he seyth, he hathe bargeynid with j. marchande of London, and hath solde to hym the manage of hys son, for the qwyche he scal have vij. C. [700] marc, and of that the iij. C. [300] marc schoulde be payd for the forseyd dettes; and also he proforyth to yeve hyr the maner of Felbryg to hyr joyntour, and odyr la[r]ge profors as ye schal here eraffter. As for the good wyll of my cosyn Hevenyngham, he seyth Wyndh[am][289.1] he schall never have hytt, nott for to have hyr gode konyth he [abydyth][289.2] hys soull hevy therof, for he is aferde that and if the large profors may be perfor[m]yd, that sche wyll have hym. My seyd cosyn preyith yow, att the reverens of Gode, that ye wyll do yowyr [devoir][289.3] therin to brec it and ye can. He schall be here ayen on Mychaell mas evyn. He was full sory that ye wer outt att this tyme, for he hopyd that ye schoulde have do myche goode att this tyme. He hathe seyde as myche ther ageyns as he dar do to have hyr gode modyrchep. My Lady of Southfolce sent j. letter to hyr yesterday by Stanle, the qwyche is callyd j. well cherysyd man with my seyd Lady, and desyiryng hyr in the letter that sche wolde owe hyr godde wyll and favor to Wyndham in that that he desyiryd of hyr, and of more matterys that ye schall here er after, for I suppose sche wyll schew yow the same letter and mak yow of hyr counsel in many thyngys, and I schall do my part as feythfully as I can to lett Wyndhamys porpose tyl ye come home. I pray yow sende me a copy of hys petygre, that I may schew to hyr how worchepphull it is, for in goode feythe sche is informyd bi hyr gentyll son Gros and Bokenham that he is mor worcheppfull in berthe and in lyvelode therto than they or ony odyr can preve, as I suppose. I pray yow lett nott thys mater be discuyryd tyl ye her more therof or after, for my cosyn Hevenyngham tolde myche here of in secret wyse, and of odyr thyngis qwyche ye schall have cnoulage of qwan ye come home, &c.
In hast, all in hast.