[596]
MARGARET PASTON TO JOHN PASTON[166.1]
1465
[JULY?]
Right worchepful hosbond, I recommand me to yow, and pray yow hertely at the reverence of God that ye be of good comfort, and trost veryly be the grase of God that ye shall overcome your enemys and your trobelows maters ryght welle, yf ye wolle be of good comfort, and not take your maters to hevely that ye apeyr not your self, and thynk veryly that ye be strong inowe for alle your enemys be the grace of God. My moder is your good moder, and takyth your maters ryght hertely. And zif ye thynnk that I may do good in your maters yf I come up to you, after I have knowlage of your entent it shall not be longe or I be with you be the grace of God. And as for any othyr thyngs of sharge that be in this contre, I hope I shall so ordeyn therfore that it shall be safe. I have delyveryd your older sonne xx. mark that I have received of Ric. Calle, and I kowd no more of hym syn ye departyd. [And I send yow another bage of mony that was in your square cofyr.[167.1]] And I pray God hertely send us good tydyngs of yow, and send the victory of your enemys. Wretyn in hast on Saterday. Your M. P.
Item, I take your sonne of your faders oode mony, that was in the lytyll trussyng cofyr x. mark, for my broder Clement seythe that xx. mark was to lytyll for hym.
[166.1] [From Paston MSS., B.M.] Margaret Paston, as will be seen by subsequent letters, was in London with her husband in September 1465. This letter seems to have been written not long before, when she first entertained the thought of going thither.
[167.1] This sentence is struck out.
[597]
[MARGARET PASTON?] TO ——[167.2]
1465(?)
Cosyn, I recommaunde me to yow, letyng yow wete that I am informid that the parson of Brandeston is take be yowr sowdiors and led forth with hem, and they have ryfelid his godis, and summe of myne husbondes also, and of his ballyes, weche were left with the seyd parson to kepe. Wherfore I avyse yow, and praye that he maye be lete go agayn, and to have ower godes as were take fro hym; for and yowr sowdioris be of sweche disposicion that they wyll take that they may gete, it shall no wurchip be to you, nor profite in tyme to come; and therof wolde I be sory. And if the seyd parson be othirwyse disposid thanne he owth to be, I wyll helpe that he shall be chaysteysid as conciens and lawe requerith. I wolde ye shulde remembre that ye have bore blame for sweche thynges before this tyme that hath be do othirwise thanne lawe hath requerid. And God have yow in His kepyng. Wrete at Norwiche.
[167.2] [From Paston MSS., B.M.] The MS. of this letter seems to be a draft in a hand like that of James Gresham. It is anonymous and without address. Even the writer is very uncertain. But it may not unlikely be a draft letter from Margaret Paston to some neighbour who, while the Duke of Suffolk was laying claim to Hellesden and Drayton, was not too mindful of John Paston’s rights. Brandeston is about eleven miles from Norwich, eight miles beyond Drayton. Thomas Hoop was parson of Brandeston from 1448 to 1475. He was presented to the living by Sir John Fastolf.