Paston letters and papers of the fifteenth century, Part I [a machine- readable transcription]

Paston family. Paston letters and papers of the fifteenth century, Part I [a machine- readable transcription]
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TO MARGARET PASTON 1465, 09, 20

To my cosyn Margret Paston.

Myn owne dere souereyn lady, I recomaund me to yow and thank yow of the gret chere þat ye mad me here, to my gret cost and charge and labour. Nomore at this tyme but that I pray yow ye woll send me hedir ij elne of worsted for doblettes to happe me this cold wynter, and that ye inquere where William Paston bought his tepet of fyne worsted whech is almost like silk; and if that be moch fyner thanne þat ye shuld bye me after vij or viij s., thanne bye [[m]]e a quarter and the nayle therof for colers, thow it be derrer thanne the tother, for I wold make my doblet all worsted for worship of Norffolk rather thanne like Gonnores doblet.
Item, as for the mater of the ix xx li. askyd by my lady of Bedford for the maner of Westthurrok, where as Ser Thomas Howes seith that he hath no writyng therof but þat Ser John Fastolff purchased the seid maner and paijd certeyn mony in ernest, and aftirward grauntyd his bargeyn to the Duc of Bedford, and so the mony þat he toke was for the mony that he had paijd; paraventure Ser Thomas hath writyng therof and knowyth it not, for if ther be any such mony paijd vpon any bargeyn he shall fynd it in Kyrtelyngges bookes þat was Ser John Fastolffes reseyvour. And it was abought such tyme as the Duc of Bedford was last in Inglond, whech as it is told me was the viij yere of Kyng Herry the Fift or the viij yere of Kyng Herry the Sext, and the somme that he paijd for the seid bargeyn was ccc mark. Also he shall fynd, the xxij yere of Kyng Herry or therabought, in the acomptes of on of Fastolffes reseyvours at London, that ther was take of Ser Thomas Tyrell and of the Duchesse of Excestre, that was wif to Ser Lowes John, fermours of the seid maner, certeyn mony for repayment of part of the seid ccc mark. Also he shall fynd in yeres after þat, or in that yere or ther-aboutes, that Ser John Fastolff reseyved mony of my Lord Revers þat now is, by the name of Richard Wydevile,

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for his owne dette dew to Ser John Fastolff. Wherfore if Ser Thomas be trewe to his master lete hym do his devoir to make þat Worseter, whech is vphold be hym with the dedes goodes, to be trewe to his master; or ellis it is tyme for Ser Thomas to forsake hym and help to punyssh hym, or men must sey that Ser Thomas is not trewe. And more-ouer lete Ser Thomas examine what he can fynd in this mater that I sent hym word of, whech mater he shall fynd in the seid reseyvours bookes, if he list to seke it.
Item, wete of hym whedir any writte of sub pena cam to hym therfore.
Item, I send hym a bille whech on Edmond Carvyle for Robert Otteley askyth of Ser John Fastolff, of whech, aswell as of a bille askyd by on Fraunses for makyng of houses in Southwerk, lete send hedir an answere; for and I coud answere hem I wold not send to hym. And that Richard Calle, or who so evir goo to hym of my seruauntes, lete hym vndirstand that such brethelles as be abought Ser Thomas wene that I sent to hym for maters of myn owne, and that I myght not forbere his frenship, whech is no-thyng so; and if it lay in his power to avayle me an c li., as he can not avayle me xx s., I wold [not] send to hym whill he is cuppilled with such felaship as he is. Wherfore he that shuld speke with hym were best to mete with hym at a sodeyn, where he were with some substanciall man that coud informe hym what were his trought to do in the mater; for it grevyth me full evill to send often to hym till he be of sadder demenyng.
Item, if any answere I shall haue in this mater I must haue it at the ferthest by that tyme as James Gresham shall come hedir, for that tyme must I geve an answere; and if ye can get it ere, send it.
Item, if the seid Ser Thomas be of good disposicion lete hym be spoke to that he be ware of the evidens of Dedham. He told John Pampyng that he had byd John Russe deliuere hem me, and nough he is turnyd and kepyth hem stille; and I dought lest by such as be abought hym it shall rather be appeyrid thanne amendyd, for this xx wynter hath Worseter vsed to bye and selle evidens. And ye can get hem of hym, take hem.
Item, get yow copys of the jnquisicions take bifore Master John Selot for Drayton chirch and bifore Edmond Clere, exchetour, if any such were takyn; and also inquere what day Emond Clere satte, for he is bound to put in the inquisicion with-in a monyth after it is taken in the peyne of xl li.

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Item, I sent yow word ye shuld inquere what bribes or rewardes Edmond Clere toke of outlawed men in Norffolk, or any other fals prattes that he hath doon. Dought ye nat he woll not answere of half the good that he hath taken of outlawed men, if it were well inquered. James Gresham shall cone telle where ye shall best inquere, and such as ye can knowe send me iustly word.
Item, that the exspence mad by Daubeney for myn howsold be mad vp, and that Daubeney be charged with all such somes as ye or I or Richard Calle haue paijd for hym, and ye for that he hath paijd for yow. As for that I paijd of that was Daubeneys charge, I toke Calle therof a bille, wherof lete Calle send me ayen a copy, and also send me the copy of the bille of your reseytes whech ye haue hom with yow from hens; and that Daubeney and ye and Call send me a remembrauns of the exspensis of myn housold and yowres, your children, and the college, and all other foreyn paymentes, and that in the makyng of Pecokkes acompt such thynges as he hath paijd for the college or the housold be mad as mony deliuerid to Calle or Daubeney, and that in ther acompt thei to aske alowaunce of the paymentes by the handes of Pecok, for I woll no-thyng haue charged nor discharged withinne the acomptes of any maners but only such as longyth to the exspensis of the seid maners.
Item, that ye see all acomptes be mad vp, and in especiall for my barly. Notwithstandyng, inasmoch that ye haue had in moch barly and greynes for dettes of your tenauntes of Mautby, therfore Pecokes acompt must be mad first, that such greynes as he hath deliuerid may be charged vpon the maltster or vpon any other that haue reseyved it.
Item, lete Pecokkes acompt be mad aftir the forme of Norwodes acompt, as I suppose is wretyn in your bille of erandes.
Item, take good heed at the charge and discharge of the acompt of Fastolffes barly in all plases, for ye shall haue other increse there thanne ye shall haue at Mautby; for the mesure of the barly in diuers plases is gretter thanne the busshell at Caster, and also ye take an hepe at the comb of fermes, whech in a gret somme castith out a gret. Also the maltster must answere of the increse of maltyng acordyng to old acomptes of Fastolffes, and if Calle can not vndirstand þat wele thanne ye may send for Barker; and ye shall, whan ye haue mad all thyng redy to the acompt, for xl d. haue hym a day or ij, and he can as good skyll theron

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as Bernard can on his sheld. Notwithstandyng, the precedentes of Fastolffes acomptes can telle it aswell as he if ther were any man coud vndirstand it.
Item, on the day after your departyng I reseyved lettirs by William Roo from your sones to me and to yow and to Richard Calle, wherby on of hem writyth þat my lord of Norwich, by the meane of Master John Selot, had geue a jugement in the mater of the presentacion for the chirche of Drayton or Eue[[r]]et cam thedir. Neuirthelesse I wote well the Bisshop may geve no jugement, for ther longyth no jugement to the mater. Paraventure he may amitte the Dukes presentacion and leve myn, in which case I and Ser Thomas Howes must take an accion ayens the Duc and the Bisshop and the prest, or ellis I shuld lese the patronage. Neuirthelesse, as for the Bisshop, so ye lete hym haue wetyng aforn secretly and in jentil wise, he woll take no displeasir; for it must be do for eschuyng of a gretter hurt. Notwithstandyng he shall bere no losse but if he woll. Wherfore send me word betymes the very certeynté what is doon in this mater and what is the prestes name that the Duc presentid, and what is the prestes name that I presentid; and that Ser Thomas Howes be felt of his disposicion, whedir he be of hert to take and abide by an accion, as it is told me he woll. And if ye may fynd the meane that he may write a lettir to yow or me therfore, or to speke to James Gresham therfore, and he be thorougly felt in these maters aswell as in the maters wretyn in your bille of erandes. Me thynkyth and he were comond with-all bifore the prior of the White Freres, or some other frend of yours, it shuld cause hym to be the more substanciall in his answere. Item, beware and remembir hough Master John Selot hath deseyvid yow in this mater. Lerne wisdom therby and forgete it neuir.
Item, your seid sones write hedir þat thei wold put some man in Cotton betymes, and þat your yonger sone seith he wold haue do it or this tyme but that he hath no mony in his purs to pay for his costes thedir, wherfore he desirith to haue some mony therfore till he myght gadir it vp. Wherfore, if thei be go or whan thei goo, remembir hem that thei haue diuers tymes had mony thedirward and do right nought, and myn aduersaries sent thedir men without mony and had ther intent. Item, hough be it that Mighelmesse payment may not be askyd till the day, yet ther is arerages jnough to gader more thanne xx li., as it is told me.
Item, lete your sone John the yonger wete þat I reseyved his lettirs and billes for the thyng þat he serched fore, vndir his seall. Neuirthelesse

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I remembir I fayle certeyn writyngges and skrowes on paper and parchemyn touchyng the same mater, and in especiall of the obites and beryi[n]gis of diuers of the Poles and of on Pole was a wolle marchaunt paijd gret customes to the Kyng; but I am in dought whedir your seid sone lokyd not iustly ther in the box and bagge þat I bad hym, or ellis þat it were medelid with some other skrowes in the same, or ellis þat it be in a bagge of like maters in my reed chyste at Caster. Wherfore, if he may easely come ther-to without tarying of his gretter maters, lete hym assay.
Item, he shall fynde a dede how my fadir wass infeffid in þe maner of Heylisdon and Drayton, whech I suppose be among þe euidens of Heylisdon wher I wole haue þe copy.
Item, he sendyth me word that ther is a prest callid told Ser William Barbour that he hath speciall evidens longyng to the manoir of Drayton, and that he seid he wold I had hem, but he wold speke with me. Wherfore I pray yow lete Ser William Barbour, with some other frend of yours, goo speke with the seid prest and to fynd the meane that he wold deliuer yow the seid evidens; and in case he woll not deliuer hem till [he] hath spoke with me, thanne desire ye with some frend of yours to see hem, and if ye seme thei be licly desire hym to come to London with on of my men, and to pay for his costes to come hedir to me, and quite his labour. But and ye may, take hem of hym, though ye apoynt to take hem hym ayen or ellis to agree with hym therfore. Neuirthelesse, in the begynnyng lete hym be told þat ye merveyll þat he shuld haue any evidens of that maner, for ye herd me sey þat I had all the evidens of the maner. And lete this be do by-tymes and wittely, and be ware þat this be not do of a sotilté to fele whedir þat I wold inquere aftir any evidens for faylyng.
Item, I pray yow remembir and rede often my bille of erandes, and this lettir, till it be don; and all such maters or articles as ye spede herof, crosse hem þat ye may knowe hem from tho þat be not sped; and send me answere of your good speed.
Item, send me hedir the avise what your counsell thynkyth best for the remedy of the chirch of Drayton.

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Though I write right certeynly, if ye loke hem lightly and see hem seld thei shall sone be forgete.
Item, I shall telle yow a tale: Pampyng and I haue piked your male, and taken out pesis v, for vpon trust of Calles promise we may sone onthryve. And if Calle bryng vs hedir xx li., ye shall haue your peses ayen good and round; or ellis if he woll not pay yow the valew of the peses there, to the post do nayle his ere, or ellis do hym some other sorough, for I woll nomore in his defaut borough; and but if the reseyvyng of my livelod be bettir plyed, he shall Cristes curs and myn clene tryed. And loke ye be mery and take no thought, for this ryme is cunnyngly wrought. My Lord Persy and all this house recomaund them to yow, dogge, catte and mowse, and wysshe ye had be here stille, for the sey ye are a good gille. Nomore to yow at this tyme, but God hym saue þat mad this ryme. Wret þe vigill of Sent Math[ew] be yowr trew and trusti husbond, J, P.