[This letter has a great appearance of having been written shortly after John Paston’s death. We place it therefore in the year in which he died.]
[257.1] [From Paston MSS., B.M.]
[652]
SIR JOHN PASTON TO MARGARET PASTON[257.2]
To Mestresse Margrete Paston, be thys delyveryd.
Date uncertain
Please it yow to weete that I sende yow by Barker, the berer heroff, iij. tracle pottes of Geane [Genoa] as my potecarie swerytht on to me, and mooreovyr that they weer never ondoo syns that they come from Geane. Wheroff ye shalle take as many as pleasyth yow; neverthe lesse my brother John sente to me for ij., therfor I most beseche yow that he maye have at the lest on. Ther is on potte that is morkyn ondre the bottome ij. tymes with thyes letteris M. P., whyche potte I have best truste on too, and nexte hym to the wryghe potte; and I mystruste moost the potte that hathe a krotte abovyn in the toppe, lesse that he hathe ben ondoone. And also the other ij. pottys be prentyd with that marchauntys marke too tymes on the coveryng, and that other pott is butt onys morkyn but with on prente, notwithstondyng I hadde lyke othe and promyse for on as well as for alle.[258.1]
[257.2] [From Fenn, iv. 264.] This and the two letters following are without any certain date, but they are all addressed to Margaret Paston, most probably after her husband’s death.
[258.1] The signature of this letter, Fenn says, is torn off the original MS.
[653]
ABSTRACT[258.2]
Edward Mawdby to his Niece Margaret Paston