Item, to avyse my modyr that she brek not for the yerly valew of Sparham above the x. mark dwryng hyr lyve.
[284.1] [From Paston MSS., B.M.] This paper, which is in John Paston’s hand, was evidently written about the same time as the letter immediately following, in which it is mentioned that Margaret Paston had given up the manor of Sparham to her son. The paper is endorsed in a more modern hand: ‘Notes touching the mariage betwene Jo. Paston, Ar’, and Margery Brews.’
[911]
SIR JOHN PASTON TO MARGARET PASTON[285.1]
To my ryght worshypfull moodre, Margret Paston.
1477
MARCH 28
Please it yow to weete, that I have receyvyd yowr letter, wherein is remembryd the gret hurte, that by liklihod myght ffalle to my brother, iff so be that thys matter betwyn hym and Sir Thomas Brewses doghtre take nott effecte; wheroff I wolde be as sory as hym selffe reasonably; and also the welthy and convenyent marriage that scholde be iff it take effecte; wheroff I wolde be as gladde as any man; and ame better content nowe, that he sholde have hyr, than any other, that evyr he was hertoffoor abowte to have hadde, consyderyd hyr persone, her yowthe, and the stok that she is comyn offe, the love on bothe sydes, the tendre ffavor that she is in with hyr ffader and mooder, the kyndenesse off hyr ffadr and moodr to hyr in departyng with hyr, the ffavor also, and goode conceyte that they have in my brother, the worshypfull and vertuous dysposicion off hyr ffadr and moodr, whyche pronostikyth that, of lyklihod, the mayde sholde be vertuous and goode; all which concyderyd, and the necessary relyffe that my brother most have, I mervayle the lesse, that ye have departyd, and gevyn hym the maner off Sperham, in such fforme as I have knowleche off by W. Gornay, Lomner, and Skypwyth; and I ame ryght gladde to se in yow suche kyndenesse on to my brother as ye have doon to hym; and wolde by my trowthe lever than Cli. that it weer ffee symple londe, as it is entaylyd, whyche by liklyhood scholde prosper with hym and hys blode the better in tyme to come, and sholde also never cause debate in owr bloode in tyme to come, whyche Godde dyffende, ffor that weer onnaturell.
Item, another inconvenyence is, wher as I undrestande that the maner is gevyn to my brother, and to hys wyff, and to the issywe bytwen them bygoten; iff the case weer soo, that he and she hadde yssywe togedr a dowtr or moo, and hys wyffe dyed, and he maried afftr another, and hadde issywe a sone, that sone sholde have noon londe, and he beyng hys ffadres heyr, and ffor th’enconvenyence that I have knowe let in ur[286.1] in case lyke, and yit enduryth in Kente, by tweyn a jentylman and his suster, I wolde ye toke the advyce off yowr concell in thys poynt, and that that is past yow by wrightyng or by promise, I deme verrely in yow, that ye dyd it off kyndenesse, and in eschywyng off a moor yll that myght befall.
Item, wher as it pleasyth yow that I sholde ratefye, grawnt, or conferme the seyd gyfte on to my brother, it is so, that with myn honeste I may nott, and ffor other cawses. The Pope will suffre a thyng to be usyd, but he will nott lycence nor grant it to be usyd nor don, and soo I. My brother John knowyth myn entent weel i now heer to ffoor in this mater; I will be ffownde to hym as kynde a brother as I may be.
Item, iff it be soo that Sir T. Brews and hys wyff thynke that I wolde troble my brother and hys wyff in the seid maner, I can ffynde no meene to putte them in sywerte ther off, but iff it neede, to be bownde in an obligacion with a condicion that I shalle nott trowble ner infete them therin.
Item, I thynke that she is made sywer i now in astate in the londe, and that off ryght I deme they shall make noone obstacles at my wryghtyng, ffor I hadde never none astate in the londe, ner I wolde nott that I had hadde.