Paston letters and papers of the fifteenth century, Part I

TO JOHN PASTON II 1470, 10, 28

I grete you wele and send you Goddes blyssyng and myn, and I send you be the berere here-of all the syluer vessell that your graundam maketh so mych of, which she seid I had of myn husbond and myn husbond shuld haue had it of his fadere. And where as she seid þat I shuld had a garneys, I had ner see neuer more than I send you; þat is to say, ij plateres, vj dysshes, and vj sawceres. The ij plateres weyn xliij vnce di., and þe vj dysshes weyn lxxiiij vnce di., and the sawceres weyn xvij vnce j quarter; and I marvayll that ye sent me not word what an vnce of syluer is worth at London, for it had be lesse joparté to haue sold it here and haue sent you the money than the plate. I myght haue sold it here for iij s. an vnce, &c., summa xx li. iiij s. iij d. Be ware how that ye spend it but in acquityng you ageyn such as ye be in daungere to, or abought the good speed of your materes; for but if ye take odere heed to your exspences ye shall do yourself and your frendes gret diswurchep and enpoueryssh so them þat non of vs shall help othere, to owre elmys grete comfort. It is vnderstond right now in þis countré be such as cleyme to be frendly to you in what grete daungere and nede ye stande in, bothe to diuerse of your frendes and to your elmyse. And also it is noysed þat I haue departed so largely wyth you þat I may nowthere help you my-self ner non of my frendes, which is no wurchep and causeth men to set the lesse be vs. And at þis tyme it compellith me to breke vp howshold and to sogeorn, which I am right loth to haue do if I myght othere-wyse haue chosyn, for it caused gret clamour in þis town þat I shall do so, and it shuld not haue neded if I had restreyned whan I myght. þer-fore, for Goddes sake, take hede hereto and be ware from hens forth, for I haue deliuered and sent you bothyn my parte, the dedes and yowres, and not restreyned nowthere for my-self nere the dede. Where-fore I thynk we spede and fare all the wers, for it is a fowle slaundere that he was so wurchepfull beried and his qwethword not parfourmed, and so litill do for hym sithen; and now though I wuld do for hym I haue right not beside my lyffelode þat I may make any chevyssans wyth

wyth-ought grete slaundere, and my lyffelode encreassith evill for I am fayn to takyn Mautby in myn owyn hand and to set vp husbondry þer, and how it shall profite me God knowyth. The fermour owyth me lxxx li. and more; whan I shall haue it I wote neuer. þerfore be neuer the boldere in yowre exspences for any help þat removeye trost to haue of me, for I wull fro hens-forth bryng my-self ought of such daungere as I stond in for your sakes, and do fore the dede and for them þat I haue my goodes of. For till I do so I know for certeyn þat I shall fayll grace and displeas God, how haue you in his kepyng. Wretyn on Sent Symondes Day and Judes in hast. Be your moder
Item, I send ȝow ij scherte clothys, iche of iij ȝardys of þe fynest þat is in thys towne. I xuld a do hem mad here but yt xuld a be to long here ȝe xuld an had hem. ȝowr awnte ore sum othere good woman wule do here almes vpon ȝow fore þe makyng of them. I thank ȝow fore the gowne þat ȝe gaue me. Halowmesse Day I hope xale be wurshuped there-wyth. At reuerens of God, be ware and take hed to soche thynggys as is wretyn wyth-ynne thys letter. Telle ȝowr brothere þat the mony is not ȝet cownyd þat I xuld send hym fore the sarsenet and damaske þat I spake to hym foore. As fore the damaske, yt may be forebore tylle þe nexte terme, but as fore þe sarsenet, I woold haue yt and yt mythe be, fore I goo in my rentys. Late ȝowr brothere see thys letter. As fore ȝowr syster, I can send ȝow no good tydynggys of here. God make here a good wooman.