[Margaret Paston to Dame Elyzabeth Brews.]
‘Ryght worchepfull and my verry good lady and cosyn, as hertly as I can, I recomand me to yow. And, madam, I am ryght sory, if it myght be otherwyse, of the dysease, as I undyrstand by the berer herof, that my cosyn your husbond and ye also have had a season, whyche I prey God soone to redresse to your bothe easeis. And, madam, I thank yow hertly that ye have remembred the mater to my cosyn your husbond, that I spak with you of at syche tyme as I was last with you at Norwyche, to my gret comfort. And I wyse, madam, I am ryght sory that John Paston is no more fortunate then he is in that mater; for, as I undyrstand by your lettyr, my cosyn your husbond wyll geve but an Cli., whyche is no money lyek for syche a joyntore as is desyred of my son, thow hys possybylyte wer ryght easy. But, madam, when I mad that large grant in the maner of Sperham that I have mad to hym and my cosyn your doughter, he told me of an other some that he shold have with hyr then of an Cli. He hathe befor thys be wont to tell me none untrowthe; and what I shall deme in thys mater, I can not sey, for me thynkyth if more then an Cli. wer promysyd on to hym by my cosyn your husbond and yow, that ye wold not lett to geve it hym, with ought so wer that I or he abryggyd eny thyng of our promess, whyche I wot well neyther I or he intend to do, if I may undyrstand that hys seying to me was trowthe, and that it may be performyd; but wyst I that he told me otherwyse then my cosyn yowr husbond and ye promysed hym, to deseyve me of Sparham, by my trowthe, thow he have it, he shall lese as myche for it, iff I leve, and that shall he well undyrstand the next tyme I se hym.
‘And, madam, I pray God send us good of thys mater, for as for hys broder Sir John also, I sent ones to hym for it to have mad good the same graunt that I grauntyd yow with hys assent, to them and to ther issu of ther ij. bodyes lawfully comyng, and he dyd not ther in as I desyred hym. And ther for I prey yow pardon me for sendyng on to hym eny more; for, madam, he is my sone, and I can not fynd in my hert to becom a dayly petycyoner of hys, sythe he hathe denyed me onys myn axing. Peraventure he had ben better to have performyd my desyer; and what hys answer was on to me, John Paston can tell yow as well as I. But, madam, ye ar a moder as well as I, wher I prey tak it non other wyse bot well, that I may not do by John Paston, as ye wyll have me to do; for, madam, thow I wold he dyd well, I have to purvey for more of my chylder then hym, of whyche some be of that age, that they can tell me well inow that I dele not evenly with theym to geve John Paston so large, and theym so lytyll; and, madam, for syche grwgys and other causys, I am ryght sory that the graunte is knowyn that I have mad, with ought it myght take effect. And therfor, madam, fro hensforthe I remyght all thyng to yowr dyscressyon, besechyng yow, the rather for my sake, to be my son Johnis good lady; and I prey God preserve yow to Hys plesure, send yow hastyly yowr hele ayen, and my cosyn yowr husbond also, to whom I prey yow that I may hertly be recomandyd, and to my cosyns Margery and Margaret Byllyngforthe.
‘Wretyn at Mawtby, on Seynt Petrys Day. ‘Yowr, ‘Margaret Paston.’
‘An other lettyr to me that I may shewe.
‘I gret yow well, and send you Godes blessyng and myn, letyng yow wet that I undyrstand well by my cosyn, Dame Elyzabeth Brewsys lettyr, whyche I sende yow her with, wherby ye may undyrstand the same, that they intend not to performe thos proferys that ye told me they promysyd yow, trustyng that ye told me none other wyse then was promysed yow. Wherfor I charge yow on my blyssyng that ye be well ware how ye bestow your mynd with ought ye have a substance wher upon to leve; for I wold be sory to wet yow myscary; for if ye do, in your defawt looke never aftyr helpe of me. And also I wold be as sory for hyr as for eny gentywoman leveing, in good feythe; wherfor I warne yow, be ware in eny wyse; and look ye be at Mawtby with me as hastyly as ye can, and then I shall tell yow more. And God kepe yow.
‘Wretyn at Mawtby, on Seynt Petrys Day. ‘Your modyr, ‘M. P.’
[290.2] [From Paston MSS., B.M.] This letter, with the two subjoined, are drafts written on the same paper in John Paston’s hand. They must belong to the year 1477, being on the same subject, already so often referred to, of the negotiations for John Paston’s marriage. Fenn had added addresses to all these letters, and a signature to the first, which are not in the original MS.
[290.3] John Heydon of Baconsthorpe, who died on the 27th September 1479.—Inquisition p.m., 19 Edw. IV., No. 72.