[From the reference to ‘the 14th year of this King,’ it is evident that this letter was written after 1474, the 14th year of Edward IV. It may, perhaps, be of the reign of Henry VII.; in which case it was addressed to the younger John Paston, who was then a knight, his brother being dead, about the year 1500.]
[244.1] [From Paston MSS., B.M.]
[244.2] Street-Hall or Straw Hall, in Great Cressingham, was one of the manors which belonged to Judge Paston. In 1451, Blomefield tells us that Walter Paston, clerk, gave it to his brother John. In the reign of Henry VIII. Sir William Paston sold it to Dame Elizabeth Fitzwilliams.—Blomefield, vi. 99.
[881]
SIR JOHN PASTON TO JOHN PASTON[245.1]
1476
JAN. 17
Lyke it yow to weete, that not in the most happy season ffor me, it is so ffortunyd, that wher as my Lorde off Norffolke, yisterdaye beying in goode heele, thys nyght dyed abowte mydnyght, wherffor it is ffor alle that lovyd hym to doo and helpe nowe that, that maye be to hys honoure, and weell to hys sowele. And it is soo, that thys contre is nott weell purveyd off clothe off golde ffor the coveryng ffor hys bodye and herse; wherffor every man helpyng to hys power, I putte the cowncell off my lorde in cowmffort, that I hoped to gete one ffor that daye, if it weer so that it be nott broken, or putt to other use.
Wherffor please it yow to sende me worde iff it be so, that ye have, or kan kom by the clothe off tyssywe that I bowte ffor our ffaders tombe, and I undretake it shall be saffyd ageyn ffor yowe on hurt at my perell; I deeme herby to gete greet thanke, and greet assystence in tyme to come; and that owther Syme or Mother Brown maye deliver it me to morow by vij. off the clokke.
Item, as ffor other means, I have sente my servaunt Richard Toring to London, whyche I hope shall brynge me goode tydyngs ageyn, and with in iiij. dayes I hope to see yowe.
Wretyn on Wednysdaye, xvij. daye off Janyver, anno E. iiijti xvo. John Paston, K.
[245.1] [From Fenn, ii. 186.] This letter is not addressed, but must have been intended for the writer’s brother John, or else, as Fenn suggests, for his mother, Margaret. Sir John, however, ends by saying, ‘Within four days I hope to see you’; and it appears by next letter that he was actually with his brother at Norwich within three days, whereas he paid no visit to his mother, who seems to have been living, as she had done for some time, at Mautby. This letter must have been written from Framlingham, whither Sir John had doubtless gone to petition the Duke of Norfolk about Caister.