[114.1] [From Fenn, iv. 440.] In the postscript to the preceding letter, Sir John Paston intimates his belief that the two widows who had appealed his brother of the murder of their husbands had married again, and that thereby the appeals were abated. It appears by the present letter that this intelligence was correct as regards one of them.
[114.2] The widow of a tenant in chivalry was called the Lord’s widow.
[784]
JOHN PASTON TO MARGARET PASTON[115.1]
1471
OCT. 28
Ryght worchepfull m[other, as lowly as] I can I recomand me to yow, besechyng yow of your dayly blyssyng, praying yow to take thys key, and Sir Jam[ys] . . . . [m]y broder E., or J. Pampyng, and to ondo the kofyr that standith at my bedys feet, and ther in a ly[tyl sqw]are box ye shall fy[nd two de]dys, wher of the seallys be wownd in whyght paper; my brodyr E. sye [saw] when I wond them up. The tone [begy]nyth ‘Sciant, &c., quod ego Matilda Bigota’; and the todyr begynyth ‘Sciant, &c., quod ego Rogerus . . . . .’ [I pray y]ow lett [them be] sealyd and sent me by Radley with the deedes there in. Sir Jamys knowyth the . . . . . . . But [if so] be that ye fynd not thys box with thes two deedes in that cofyr, then I prey yow take the k[ey] . . . . . . . . teye of the same cofyr, and opyn the cofyr that standyth in the utter chambyr, and ther ye shall fynd . . . . . . . . . [d]edes. My brodyr, Sir John, recomandyth hym to yow, and besechyth yow of your blyssyng; and as for hys mater [there is yet no conclu]syon of no poynt, but I tryst ther shall be with in thes ij. dayeys. Jenney, W. trowbly[th] . . . . . . . [my] brodyrs servauntes with old accyons and all syche thynges as he can renew to stoppe the oblygacio[ns w]hyche he is bownd in on to my broder; but all shall be easeyd, I tryst. As for Mrs. A. Hawlt, the mater is mevyd [by div]ers of the Qwenys consayll, and of ferre by R. Hault, but he wold it shold be fyrst of our mocyon, and we wold [it] shold com of theym fyrst; our mater shold be the bettyr.
Tydynges, ther is a generall pardon mevyd whyche my brodyr J. trystyth to have the preve[lege] of as soone as it is grantyd, whyche shall bee a bowght All Halow tyed at the ferthest. I have spok with my L[ord Rive]rs and with all myn old aqweyntance, and have good cheer of theym, hold as it maye. When we be conclud[yd in] eny poynte of our maters, ye shall have knowlage ther howhe to put yow in [comfort] er we have eny . . . but in veyn when we have comfort ye shall have parte. Newe tydynges, datys s . . . ugyr of Mr. Kwte (?) xd. di.lb., and bettyr I tryst. No more, but I beseche God preserve yow and yours.
Wretyn on [Seint] Symondes Day and Jwde. Your humblest sone and servaunt, J. Paston.
[115.1] [From Paston MSS., B.M.] There was a general pardon in the latter part of the year 1471, and both John Paston and his brother took advantage of it, as appears by the Pardon Roll, 11 Edw. IV., membranes 9 and 25. The date of this letter is also shown by the answer to it, written by Margaret Paston on the 5th November. Many of the words in this letter are lost by the mutilation of the original MS., which is full of holes, from having been exposed at one time to damp. The address is almost completely lost, but a portion of the word ‘[Ma]rgaret’ is visible, and a small fragment of an endorsement below in which the word ‘Paston’ is legible.
Footnote 115.1
footnote number printed 2 for 1