[THE VICAR OF PASTON] TO MRS. [MARGARET PASTON]
[Sidenote: 1474]
John Qwale, farmer of Paston, is distressed by things that Herry Warns
has done and said against him. Warns carried home ‘an esse’ [_ash_]
blown down by the wind, and says it is your will, because Master John
Paston has given him power over all that he has in Paston. ‘More awre he
stondes in grete dowte to ery or to sawe’ [_to harrow or to sow_], for
John of Bactun says he shall have no land, unless he find surety, ‘and
it were no resun that he suld somerlay and compace hys londes to a noder
mans hand.’ Warns says if Qwale put out any cattle at the gates, he will
take it for the grain that Master William delivered to him. He says Mrs.
Margaret Paston[209-2] has no rule there, and shall have none; also that
John Qwale shall not have Gyns close nor the Chyrche close, as he has
taken them to farm. ‘Qwere fore, bott ze gyfe hym oderwas power, he wyll
gefe up all.’
[Footnote 209-1: [From Paston MSS., B.M.]]
[Footnote 209-2: Mrs. Margaret Paston is here spoken of by name
and in the third person, but the letter can hardly be addressed to
any one else.]
854
[WILLIAM PASTON] TO SIR JOHN PASTON[209-3]
_[To] my right worshipfull neview [Sir J]ohn Paston, Knyghte, be [this]
lettre delivered in hast._
[Sidenote: About 1474(?)]
[Right] worshipful neview, I recommaund me to you. And, sir, I pray you
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . that ther was none obstacle ner lettinge
that ye found in me to . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . save me harmeles;
at whiche tyme it was thought aswel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . Johns by obligacioun was not inow to save me harm[eles] . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . [i]n the meane seasoune; for as your reasoun
will give . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ght fell of yow but goode. And if
the caas so fill that . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ys will take it on
them, than I to bere the losse. Wherupp[on] . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . [b]ound to me to save me harmeles. And for as muche . . . . . .
. . . . . . . m by obligacioun of statute merchaunt for you the . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . in myne oune kepinge for my discharge, and after a
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . [r]estorid me ageyn at this Michelmas. And m
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . shuld hange still till
Candilmas, and me thinke it is by con . . . . . . . . obligacions
paiable at . . . . . [Candle]mas I did at the begynny[ng] . . . . . will
kepe still the . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . or
sufficient and that . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . as wold pay at
th. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . with me than thus
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . indenture wherby . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . for be cause that ye w . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . experyens.
Also I wold avyse you . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . my
Lord of Norfolk.
Also, nevew, there is onne Fr . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
but hym silf and his wif and . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
wherfore I have writin to . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . in
this matier; and I trust l . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . And I
pray yow that may ha . . . . . . . . . . . .
[Footnote 209-3: [From Paston MSS., B.M.] Of this letter only two
fragments remain, giving, as will be seen, a very mutilated text.
Little more can be said about the contents than that they refer to
money matters between William Paston and his nephew Sir John,
which are probably those referred to in succeeding letters. The
handwriting is that of William Paston. A mutilated endorsement,
apparently in the handwriting of John Paston the younger, shows
merely the words ‘ . . . . . to Sir J. P. for . . . . .’]
855