Stablysshe your selffe uppon a goode grownde, and grace shall folowe. Yowr mater is ferre spoken off, and blowyn wyde, and iff it preve noo better, I wolde that it had never be spoken off. Also that mater noysyth me that I am so onkynde that I lett alle togedre. I thynke notte a mater happy, nor weell handelyd, nor poletykly dalte with, when it can never be fynysshyd with owte an inconvenyence; and to any suche bargayne I kepe never to be condescentyng, ner of cowncell. Iffe I weer att the begynnyng of suche a mater, I wolde have hopyd to have made a better conclusyon, if they mokke yow notte. Thys mater is drevyn thus ferforthe with owte my cowncell, I praye yow make an ende with owte my cowncell. Iffe it be weell, I wolde be glad; iff it be oderwyse, it is pite. I praye yow troble me no moore in thys mater. . . . .[283.1]
[282.1] [From Paston MSS., B.M.] This letter is clearly written in answer to an application by John Paston to his brother to aid him in making arrangements with Sir Thomas Brews in the spring of 1477. Although the signature is lost, the handwriting is that of Sir John Paston.
[283.1] The lower part of this letter seems to have been cut off, and how much is lost does not appear.
for for a conclusion I wrote to my moodre
text unchanged: probably not an error
[910]
JOHN PASTON AND MARGERY BREWS[284.1]
1477
Memorandum.—To kepe secret fro my moder that the bargayn is full concludyd.
Item, to let hyr have fyrst knowlage that in the chapell, wher as ye wold had ben no book nye by x. myle, that whyn Mastyr Brews seyd that he wold shortly have eyther more lond in joyntour then Sweynsthorp and x. mark ought of Sparham, or ellys that some frend of myne shold paye the vjxx.li., so that it shold not be payed of the maryage money, that then I sware on a book to hym that I wold never of my mocyon endanger moder nor broder ferther then I had done; for I thought that my modyr had done myche for me to geve me the maner of Sparham in syche forme as she had done. But Mastyr Breus wyll not agre, with ought that my mastress hys doughter and I be mad swer of it now in hand, and that we may take the hole profytes, what so ever fortune.
Item, to enforme my moder that if so be that we may be pute in possessyon of all the hole maner duryng oure two lyves, and the lengest of leveing, that then Mastyr Brews wyll geve me in maryage with my mastresse hys doughter CCCC. markes, payable in hand lli., and so yerly lli. tyll the some of CCCC. mark bew full payed.
Item, that wher as he had leyd up Cli. for the maryage of a yonger doughter of hys, he wylle lend me the same Cli. and xxli. more, to pledge ought my lond, and he to be payed ayen hys Cli. and xxli. by xli. by yer.