The Stonor letters and papers, 1290-1483; ed. for the Royal historical society, from the origial documents in the Public record office, by Charles Lethbridge Kingsford.

217. THOMAS BETSON TO DAME ELIZABETH STONOR 24 JUNE 1478

The original is damaged and in places illegible; some of the missing words have been restored (in brackets) conjecturally. "My lady your mother" is Margaret, widow of John Croke; her title is one of courtesy only. From A.C., xlvi., 237.

Jhesus. A^o xviij.

Moste honorable and worshipfull and my right spescyall good lady, I recommaund me unto your good ladyshipe in the moste loffyngest wyse that I best can or may, ever more desiryng almyghty God to send your ladyschipe all good helth and well to fare, as ever had good gentillwoman in this world, to Godes plesour and your hartes comffort: and moreover lyketh it your good ladishipe to understonde that this same day by my Master your br[other John] Croke I resseyved a letter ffrom you, and a token, ffor the which with all ... nes off myn hart I thannke your ladyschipe, and off your contenewall ... kyndely loffe, the which all wayes ffull largely your good [ladyshipe] shewith unto me, and off myn part as yet nothynge desservid unto you nor to youres. But I trust in þe mercy off our Lord to remembre hit here after, and so am I bowndyn to do, to your pleasour, so God helpe me. Also, madam, and it lyke you, I undyrstond by your writynge that it will be the latter end off Auguste or your ladishipe can come here to London; and yff it so shuld be I wold be sory, ffor I have mych to do and I can lytill skyll to do eny thynge that longeth to the matter ye wote off. Nevertheles yff my mayster your husband and you be so agreed I hold me plesid: it shalbe to me peynffull but I muste and shall [content], aswel as I may, my selff: I shall do lyke blynde byar, that is to

s[ay . . .] what, and þerfore I moste beseche your ladyshipe to send me [your avyse [?]] how I shall be demeyned in such thynges as schall belonge unto my Cossen Kateryn, and how I shall provyde ffor them: she must have gyrdilles, iij at the leyst, and how they shalbe made I know nat: and many oþer thynges she muste have, ye know well what they be, in ffeyȝth I know nat: be my trouth I wold it were done, lever thanne more þan it shall cost. I am lothe to displese or to troble eny person, yff I shuld be holpen forwardes in my besynes now, I wold it were done with a corage and with good will, [it] shall make me the gladder a grete dele. Also, madam, þeras your ladishipe desy[reth me] to come to Stonor to make me mery &c.: in good feiȝth, madam, [my besynes is] such now I can nat well come to myn ease: I have grete besynes [with] the ffelishype off the Stapell, and I have mych to do with myn owne mat[ers] . . . so that in good ffeyth I can nat make an end lyghtly. And yet God wote I wold ffull ffayn speke with your ladishipe ffor the matters afforsaid, and as sone as I have made an end off my maters I shall nat longe be ffrom you, with Godes grace. And as ffor the sendynge hedyr off my Cossen Kateryn, your ladyshipe may do þerin as it shall plese you. I wold she knew as mych as you know, ffor soth and than she shuld doo som good and helpe me in many thynges w[han] she come. My lady, your modyr, is in good helthe and ffareth well, and she s[endeth] you Godes blissyng and hirs, and lyke wyse my Cossen Kateryn, and to all. . . . .

[In dorso.] Also my lady, your modyr, recomaundith hir [hartely] to my mayster your husband, and she is very glad of his recovere, and she prayeth God to send hym good helth. Also, madam, as ye wryte me the curtesse delynge off my mayster with my Cossen Kateryn &c., truly I am very glade þeroff, and I pray God hartely thannke hym þerffore: ffor he hath ever ben loffyngly disposed [unto] hir, and so I beseche God ever contenew hym and also my Cossen Kateryn to [de]serve it unto hym by hir goodly demeynour and womanly disposision, as she can do right well yff hir lyst, and so sayth every body þat prayseth hir. Also, madam, maystres Bevesse recomaunds hir unto your ladishipe, and prayeth har[tely ffor] your good helthe. And I [hartely] beseche almyghty Jhesu and his blissid modyr to be your comffort, and to helpe you in all your good workes, Amen. [Wryten at London] the xxiiij day of June

Be your owne Servant Thomas Betson.

To my right worshipful good lady, dame Elisabeth Stonor, this be delivered in hast.