I troste my fortune schale be better than ever to leve thus her; but yf I wer hens wards, I ensuer zow I wold not schange for none that I knowe. He is profytabylle on dyvers thynggs as ze knowe welle.
Ther has ben a gret breke be twyx Calle and me, as I schal enforme zow at my coming, wyche schalle be on Wedynsday next be the grace of God, who preserve zow.
Wretyn at Mawteby, on Wyteson eve. Edmond Paston.
[231.1] [From Fenn, iii. 426.] This letter was wrongly attributed by Fenn to Edmund Paston, son of the Judge. It is in the hand of the Judge’s grandson, also named Edmund, and was written at a time when his mother Margaret was living at Mautby, where he, the writer, was also at the time, though he expected to join his brother John, to whom he writes, in the following week. These circumstances strongly suggest that it was written in 1475, when Margaret Paston certainly was residing at Mautby, as we find Edmund Paston with his brother John in London a month later preparing to go over to Calais. See [No. 873]. Whitsun Eve in 1475 would be the 13th May.
[231.2] Fenn supposes the person alluded to to be the priest, James Gloys.
[871]
MARGARET PASTON TO SIR JOHN PASTON[232.1]
Un to Syr John Paston, be this delyvered in hast.
1475
MAY 23
Ryght welbelovyd son, I grete you well, and send you Cristes blissyng and myne, desyringe to know how ye faire. I mervaile that I have herd no tydynges from you sythe ye sent me the lettyr of an answere of the xxli. the which I have layde pleages for to my cosyn Cleere, the which letter was wryten the xxijty day of Februar; and as for that money, I can not gete no lenger day therof than Mydsomer, or fourte nyght after; and towardys that money, and the xxtyli. that I send yow by syde to London by Sym, I have receyved no mor money of yowres, but as moch as I send yow wryten in this letter. And as for any discharge that I promysed at the boroeng off the xxtili. when I leyde the pleages ther fore, I thought not but that your uncle shuld a boroed them owte, and I to have had my pleages, as well as he his; never the less I shall be the warer how I shall dele here aftyr. By my trowth, I wote not how to do ther fore; the Kyng goth so nere us in this cuntre, both to pooer and ryche, that I wote not how we shall lyff, but yff [unless] the world amend. God amend it, whan His wyll is. We[233.1] can nother sell corne ner catell to no good preve. Malt is here but at xd. a comb; wheete, a comb xxviijd.; ootes, a comb xd.; and ther of is but lytell to geet here at thys tyme. William Pecok shall send you a byll what he hath payde for yow for ij. taskes at this tyme; and how he hath purveyde for the remnaunte of your corne; and also off other thynges that be necessary that shuld be purveyd for in your absence. Send me word also whome ye wyll desyre to do for yow in this contre, or ellys where in your absence; and wryte to them to do for yow, and they wyll be the better wylled to do for yow; and I wyll do my devyr for yow also, as well as I can.
The somma off money that I have receyvyd off Wylliam Pecok:—First, xls. off Runnham. Item, off Bastwyk, xxs. Item, off Runnham, xxs. Item, off him for barly at Runnham, xxs. Item, off the fyschynge at Bastwyke, xiijs. iiijd. Item, for barely sold at Runnham, viijs. Summa totalis, vjli. xvjd.