_To my ryght worshypfull moodre, Margret Paston._
[Sidenote: 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 C_li._ 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.
No mor to yow at thys tyme, but Allmyghty God have yow in kepyng.
Wretyn at Caleys, the xxviij. daye of Marche, anno E. iiij. xvij^{o}.
By yowr sone,