[Footnote 99.2: [From Paston MSS., B.M.] The date of this letter
is evidently both after Paston’s expulsion from Gresham by Lord
Molyns in February 1448, and after the death of Edmund Paston in
1449. It cannot, however, be so late as 1450, else Hauteyn would
not have expected to obtain possession of Oxnead through the
Duke of Suffolk’s influence.]
[Footnote 99.3: Elizabeth, widow of Robert Clere of Ormesby.]
[Footnote 100.1: John Hawteyn. --_See_ Nos. 46 and 50.]
[Footnote 100.2: William De la Pole, Duke of Suffolk.]
[Footnote 100.3: A _nominale_.]
[Footnote 100.4: Edmund Paston, who must have died very shortly
after declaring his will on the 21st of March 1449.]
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[MARGARET PASTON] TO [JOHN PASTON][101.1]
[Sidenote: 1449(?)]
Ryt wurchipful hwsbond, I recomawnd me to zu, and prey zw to gete som
crosse bowis, and wyndacs[101.2] to bynd them with, and quarrels;[101.3]
for zour hwsis her ben so low that ther may non man schet owt with no
long bowe, thow we hadde never so moche nede.
I sopose ze xuld have seche thyngs of Ser Jon Fastolf, if ze wold send
to hym; and also I wold ze xuld gete ij. or iij. schort pelleaxis to
kepe with doris, and als many jakkys, and ye may.
Partryche[101.4] and his felaschep arn sor aferyd that ze wold entren
azen up on them, and they have made grete ordynaw[n]ce with inne the
hwse, as it is told me. They have made barris to barre the dorys crosse
weyse, and they have made wykets on every quarter of the hwse to schote
owte atte, bothe with bowys and with hand gunnys; and the holys that ben
made forr hand gunnys, they ben scarse kne hey fro the plawncher
[_floor_], and of soche holis ben made fyve. There can non man schete
owt at them with no hand bowys.
Purry felle in felaschepe with Willyum Hasard at Querles, and told hym
that he wold com and drynk with Partryche and with hym, and he seyd he
xuld ben welcome, and after none he went thedder for to aspye qhat they
dedyn, and qhat felachep they hadde with them; and qhan he com thedder,
the dors were fast sperid [_fastened_], and there wer non folks with hem
but Maryoth, and Capron and hys wyf, and Querles wyf, a[n]d another man
in ablac (?) zede sum qhate haltyng, I sopose be his words that it was
Norfolk of Gemyngham; and the seyd Purry aspyde alle this forseyd
thyngs. And Marioth and his felaschep had meche grette langage that xall
ben told zw qhen ze kom hom.
I pray zw that ze wyl vowche save to don bye for me j. li. [1 _lb._] of
almands and j. li. of sugyr, and that ze wille do byen sume frese to
maken of zour child is gwnys; ze xall have best chepe and best choyse of
Hayis wyf, as it is told me. And that ze wyld bye a zerd of brode clothe
of blac for an hode fore me of xliiij^_d._ or iiij^_s._ a zerd, for ther
is nether gode cloth ner god fryse in this twn. As for the child is
gwnys, and I have them, I wel do hem maken.
The Trynyte have zw in his keping, and send zw gode spede i[n] alle zour
materis.
[Footnote 101.1: [From Fenn, iii. 314.] ‘The direction of this
curious letter,’ says Fenn, ‘is obliterated, but it is plainly
from Margaret Paston to her husband; and the paper is likewise
so completely filled with writing, that she has not even either
subscribed or dated it, but by the mentioning of Sir John
Fastolf it must have been written before 1459.’ It appears to us
most probably to belong to the year 1449, when Paston was making
preparations to re-enter Gresham, which he actually did in
October of that year.]
[Footnote 101.2: Windacs are what we now call grappling irons,
with which the bow-string is drawn home.--F.]
[Footnote 101.3: Properly _quarreaux_. They were square pyramids
of iron shot out of crossbows.--Grose’s _Milit. Antiq._ i. 149.]
[Footnote 101.4: John Partrich, one of Lord Molyns’s retainers.]
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