[269.2] Fenn says this letter ‘has neither subscription nor date’; nevertheless these initials stand at the foot of the text as he has printed it.
[662]
SIR JOHN PASTON TO JOHN PASTON[270.1]
To my brother, John Paston.
1467
MARCH
Ryght worschypful and verrely welbelovyd brother, I hertely comande me to yow, thankyng yow of yowr labor and dyligence that ye have in kepyng of my place at Castr so sewerly, both with yowr hert and mynde, to yowr gret bisynesse and troble; and I ageyn warde have hadde so lytell leyser that I have not spedde bot fewe of yowr erendys, ner kannot befor thys tyme.
As for my Lady Boleynes[270.2] dysposicion to yow werds, I kannot in no wyse fynde hyr a greable that ye scholde have her dowter, for all the prevy meanes that I kowde make, inso moche I hadde so lytell comfor by all the meanes that I kowde make, that I dysdeyned in myn own p[e]rson to comon with hyr ther in. Neverthelesse, I undrestande that sche seythe, ‘What if he and sche kan agre I wyll not lette it, but I will never advyse hyr therto in no wyse.’ And uppon Tewesday last past, sche rood hom in to Norfolke. Wherfor as ye thynke ye may fynde the meane to speke with hyr yowr selfe, for with owt that, in myn conceyt, it wyl not be.
And as for Crosseby, I undrestand not that ther is no maryage concluded betwen them, neverthelesse ther is gret langage that it is lyke to be. Ye be personable, and peraventure yowr beyng ones in the syght of the mayde, and a lytele descuveryng of your good wyl to her, byndyng hyr to kepe it secret, and that ye kan fynde in yowr hert, with som comfort of hyr, to fynde the meane to brynge suche a mater abowt as schall be hyr pleasur and yowrs, but that thys ye kannot do with owt som comfort of hyr in no wyse; and ber yor selfe as lowly to the moder as ye lyst, but to the mayde not to lowly, ner that ye be to gladde to spede, ner to sory to fayle. And I alweys schall be your herault bothe her, if sche com hydder, and at home when I kome hom, whych I hope hastly with in xl. dayes at the ferthest. My modre hathe a letter, whych can tell you mor, and ye may lat Dawebeney se it. John Paston, K.
I suppose and ye kall welle upon R. Calle, he schall purvey yow mony. I have wretyn to hym inow.
[270.1] [From Fenn, iv. 326.] This letter is evidently of the same year as [No. 666] following, and a little earlier in point of date.
[270.2] Anne, widow of Sir Geoffrey Boleyn. She was daughter of Thomas, Lord Hoo and Hastings. Sir Geoffrey had by her three daughters, of whom the youngest, Alice, is here referred to. This Alice was afterwards married to Sir John Fortescue.