_To my ryght reverend and worchepfull modyr, Margaret Paston, dwellyng
at Caster, be thys delyveryed in hast._
[Sidenote: 1468 / JULY 8]
Ryth reverend and worchepfull modyr, I recomaund me on to you as
humbylly as I can thynk, desyryng most hertly to her of your welfare and
herts ese, whyche I pray God send yow as hastyly as my hert can thynk.
Ples yt yow to wete, that at the makyng of thys byll, my brodyr and I,
and all our felawshep, wer in good helle, blyssyd be God. As for the
gydyng her in thys contre, it is as worchepfull as all the world can
devyse it, and ther wer never Englyshe men had so good cher owt of
Inglong that ever I herd of.
As for tydyngs her, but if it be of the fest, I can non send yow; savyng
my Lady Margaret[297.3] was maryd on Sonday[297.4] last past, at a towne
that is callyd the Dame, iij. myle owt of Brugys, at v. of the clok in
the mornyng; and sche was browt the same day to Bruggys to hyr dener;
and ther sche was receyvyd as worchepfully as all the world cowd devyse,
as with presession with ladys and lordys, best beseyn of eny pepyll,
that ever I sye or herd of. Many pagentys wer pleyed in hyr wey in
Bryggys to hyr welcomyng, the best that ever I sye. And the same Sonday
my Lord the Bastard,[298.1] took upon hym to answere xxiiij. knyts and
gentylmen, with in viij. dayes at jostys of pese; and when that they wer
answeryd, they xxiiij. and hym selve schold torney with othyr xxv. the
next day aftyr, whyche is on Monday next comyng; and they that have
jostyd with hym into thys day, have ben as rychely beseyn, and hymselve
also, as clothe of gold, and sylk and sylvyr, and goldsmyths werk, myght
mak hem; for of syche ger, and gold, and perle, and stanys, they of the
Dwkys coort, neythyr gentylmen nor gentylwomen, they want non; for with
owt that they have it by wyshys, by my trowthe, I herd nevyr of so gret
plente as ther is.
Thys day my Lord Scalys[298.2] justyd with a Lord of thys contre, but
not with the Bastard; for they mad promyse at London that non of them
bothe shold never dele with othyr in armys; but the Bastard was one of
the Lords that browt the Lord Scalys in to the feld, and of mysfortwne
an horse strake my Lord Bastard on the lege, and hathe hurt hym so sore,
that I can thynk he shalbe of no power to acomplyshe up hys armys; and
that is gret pete, for by my trowthe I trow God mad never a mor
worchepfull knyt.
And as for the Dwkys coort, as of lords, ladys and gentylwomen, knyts,
sqwyers, and gentylmen, I hert never of non lyek to it, save Kyng
Artourys cort. And by my trowthe, I have no wyt nor remembrans to wryte
to yow, half the worchep that is her; but that lakyth, as it comyth to
mynd I shall tell yow when I come home, whyche I tryst to God shal not
be long to; for we depart owt of Brygys homward on Twysday next comyng,
and all folk that cam with my Lady of Burgoyn owt of Inglond, except
syche as shall abyd her styll with hyr, whyche I wot well shall be but
fewe.
We depart the soner, for the Dwk[299.1] hathe word that the Frenshe
Kyng[299.2] is purposyd to mak wer upon hym hastyly, and that he is with
in iiij. or v. dayis jorney of Brugys, and the Dwk rydyth on Twysday
next comyng, forward to met with hym; God geve hym good sped, and all
hys; for by my trowthe they are the goodlyest felawshep the ever I cam
among, and best can behave them, and most lyek gentylmen.
Othyr tydyngs have we non her, but that the Dwke of Somerset,[299.3] and
all hys bands depertyd welbeseyn owt of Brugys a day befor that my Lady
the Dwches cam thedyr, and they sey her, that he is to Qwen Margaret
that was, and shal no more come her ayen, nor be holpyn by the Dwk. No
more; but I beseche yow of your blyssyng as lowly as I can, whyche I
beseche yow forget not to geve me ever day onys. And, modyr, I beseche
yow that ye wolbe good mastras to my lytyll man, and to se that he go to
scole.
I sent my cosyn Dawbeney v_s._ by Callys man, for to bye for hym syche
ger as he nedyth; and, modyr, I pray yow thys byll may recomend me to my
sustyrs bothe, and to the mastyr, my cosyn Dawbeney, Syr Jamys,[299.4]
Syr John Stylle, and to pray hym to be good mastyr to lytyll Jak, and to
lerne hym well; and I pray yow that thys byll may recomand me to all
your folkys, and my wellwyllers. And I pray God send yow your herts
desyr.
Wretyn at Bruggys the Fryday next aftyr Seynt Thomas.
Your sone and humbyll servaunt,
J. PASTON, the yonger.
[Footnote 297.2: [From Fenn, ii. 2.] As this letter gives an
account of the marriage of the Princess Margaret to Charles, Duke
of Burgundy, there is no doubt of the year in which it was
written.]
[Footnote 297.3: Margaret, sister of King Edward IV.]
[Footnote 297.4: 3rd July.]
[Footnote 298.1: Anthony, Count de la Roche, commonly called the
Bastard of Burgundy, a natural son of Duke Philip the Good.]
[Footnote 298.2: Anthony Woodville, Lord Scales, afterwards Earl
Rivers.]
[Footnote 299.1: Charles the Bold, Duke of Burgundy.]
[Footnote 299.2: Lewis XI.]
[Footnote 299.3: Edmund Beaufort, Duke of Somerset.]
[Footnote 299.4: Sir James Gloys, a priest.]
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