To Edmond Paston of Clyffordis Inn, in London, be this Lettre take.
To myn welbelovid sone, I grete yow wel, and avyse yow to thynkk onis of the daie of youre fadris counseyle to lerne the lawe, for he seyde manie tymis that ho so ever schuld dwelle at Paston, schulde have nede to conne defende hym selfe.
The Vikare of Paston and yowre fadre, in Lenttyn last was, wher thorwe and acordidde, and doolis sette howe broode the weye schulde ben, and nowe he hath pullid vppe the doolis, and seithe he wolle makyn a dyche fro the corner of his walle, ryȝht over the weye to the newe diche of the grete cloose. And there is a man in Truntche, hyzȝht Palmer to, þat hadde of yowre fadre certein londe in Truntche over vij. yere or viij. yere agoone for corn, and trewli hathe paide all the yers; and now he hathe suffrid the corne to ben with sette for viij_s._ of rentte to Gymmyngham, wich yowre fadre paide nevere. Geffreie axid Palmere why the rentte was notte axid in myn husbonddis tyme; and Palmere seyde, for he was a grete man, and a wyse man of the law, and that was the cawse men wolde not axe hym the rentte.
I sende yow the namis of the men that kaste down the pittis, that was Gynnis Close, wretyn in a bille closid in this lettre.
I sendde yow not this lettre to make yow wery of Paston; for I leve in hoope, and ye wolle lern that they schulle be made werye of her werke, for in good feyth I dar welseyne it was yowr fadris laste wille to have do ryȝht wel to that plase, and that can I schewe of good profe, thowe men wolde seye naye. God make yow ryȝht a good man, and sende Goddis blessyng and myn. Wrettyn in haste, at Norwich, the Thorsdaie aftir Candelmasse daie.
Wetith of yowre brothere John now manie gystis wolle serve the parler and the chapelle at Paston, and what lenghthe they moste be, and what brede and thykknesse thei moste be; for yowre fadris wille was, as I weene veryli, that thei schuld be ix. enchis on wey, and vij. another weye. And porveythe therfor that thei mow be squarid there, and sentte hedre, for here can non soche be hadde in this conttre. And seye to yowre brothir John it weer wel don to thinkke on Stansted Chirche; and I praye yow to [3@]sende me tydynggs from be yond see[/@], for here thei arn a ferde to telle soche as be reportid.
By yowr Modre, AUGNEIS PASTON.
To Edmond Paston of Clyffordis Inn, in London, be this Lettre take.
To myn welbelovid sone, I grete yow wel, and avyse yow to thynkk onis of the daie of youre fadris counseyle to lerne the lawe, for he seyde manie tymis that ho so ever schuld dwelle at Paston, schulde have nede to conne defende hym selfe.
The Vikare of Paston and yowre fadre, in Lenttyn last was, wher thorwe and acordidde, and doolis sette howe broode the weye schulde ben, and nowe he hath pullid vppe the doolis, and seithe he wolle makyn a dyche fro the corner of his walle, ryȝht over the weye to the newe diche of the grete cloose. And there is a man in Truntche, hyzȝht Palmer to, þat hadde of yowre fadre certein londe in Truntche over vij. yere or viij. yere agoone for corn, and trewli hathe paide all the yers; and now he hathe suffrid the corne to ben with sette for viij_s._ of rentte to Gymmyngham, wich yowre fadre paide nevere. Geffreie axid Palmere why the rentte was notte axid in myn husbonddis tyme; and Palmere seyde, for he was a grete man, and a wyse man of the law, and that was the cawse men wolde not axe hym the rentte.
I sende yow the namis of the men that kaste down the pittis, that was Gynnis Close, wretyn in a bille closid in this lettre.
I sendde yow not this lettre to make yow wery of Paston; for I leve in hoope, and ye wolle lern that they schulle be made werye of her werke, for in good feyth I dar welseyne it was yowr fadris laste wille to have do ryȝht wel to that plase, and that can I schewe of good profe, thowe men wolde seye naye. God make yow ryȝht a good man, and sende Goddis blessyng and myn. Wrettyn in haste, at Norwich, the Thorsdaie aftir Candelmasse daie.
Wetith of yowre brothere John now manie gystis wolle serve the parler and the chapelle at Paston, and what lenghthe they moste be, and what brede and thykknesse thei moste be; for yowre fadris wille was, as I weene veryli, that thei schuld be ix. enchis on wey, and vij. another weye. And porveythe therfor that thei mow be squarid there, and sentte hedre, for here can non soche be hadde in this conttre. And seye to yowre brothir John it weer wel don to thinkke on Stansted Chirche; and I praye yow to [3@]sende me tydynggs from be yond see[/@], for here thei arn a ferde to telle soche as be reportid.
By yowr Modre, AUGNEIS PASTON.
To Edmond Paston of Clyffordis Inn, in London, be this Lettre take.
To myn welbelovid sone, I grete yow wel, and avyse yow to thynkk onis of the daie of youre fadris counseyle to lerne the lawe, for he seyde manie tymis that ho so ever schuld dwelle at Paston, schulde have nede to conne defende hym selfe.
The Vikare of Paston and yowre fadre, in Lenttyn last was, wher thorwe and acordidde, and doolis sette howe broode the weye schulde ben, and nowe he hath pullid vppe the doolis, and seithe he wolle makyn a dyche fro the corner of his walle, ryȝht over the weye to the newe diche of the grete cloose. And there is a man in Truntche, hyzȝht Palmer to, þat hadde of yowre fadre certein londe in Truntche over vij. yere or viij. yere agoone for corn, and trewli hathe paide all the yers; and now he hathe suffrid the corne to ben with sette for viij_s._ of rentte to Gymmyngham, wich yowre fadre paide nevere. Geffreie axid Palmere why the rentte was notte axid in myn husbonddis tyme; and Palmere seyde, for he was a grete man, and a wyse man of the law, and that was the cawse men wolde not axe hym the rentte.
I sende yow the namis of the men that kaste down the pittis, that was Gynnis Close, wretyn in a bille closid in this lettre.
I sendde yow not this lettre to make yow wery of Paston; for I leve in hoope, and ye wolle lern that they schulle be made werye of her werke, for in good feyth I dar welseyne it was yowr fadris laste wille to have do ryȝht wel to that plase, and that can I schewe of good profe, thowe men wolde seye naye. God make yow ryȝht a good man, and sende Goddis blessyng and myn. Wrettyn in haste, at Norwich, the Thorsdaie aftir Candelmasse daie.
Wetith of yowre brothere John now manie gystis wolle serve the parler and the chapelle at Paston, and what lenghthe they moste be, and what brede and thykknesse thei moste be; for yowre fadris wille was, as I weene veryli, that thei schuld be ix. enchis on wey, and vij. another weye. And porveythe therfor that thei mow be squarid there, and sentte hedre, for here can non soche be hadde in this conttre. And seye to yowre brothir John it weer wel don to thinkke on Stansted Chirche; and I praye yow to [3@]sende me tydynggs from be yond see[/@], for here thei arn a ferde to telle soche as be reportid.
By yowr Modre, AUGNEIS PASTON.
To Edmond Paston of Clyffordis Inn, in London, be this Letter take.
To [mine/my] welbelovid soon, I greet you well, and avyse you to thynkk onis of the daie of your fadris counseyle to lerne the law, for he said manie tymis that ho so ever schuld dwelle at Paston, schulde have need to conne defende him self.
The Vikare of Paston and your fadre, in Lenttyn last was, where thorwe and acordidde, and doolis sette howe broode the way schulde [be/been], and now he has pullid vppe the doolis, and seithe he will makyn a dyche from the corner of his wall, ryȝht over the way to the newe diche of the greet cloose. And there is a man in Trunch, hyzȝht Palmer to, þat had of your fadre certein londe in Trunch over vij. yere or viij. yere agoone for corn, and trewli hathe paide all the yers; and now he hathe suffrid the corne to [be/been] with sette for viij_s._ of rentte to Gimingham, wich your fadre paide nevere. Geffreie axid Palmere why the rentte was notte axid in [mine/my] husbonddis time; and Palmere said, for he was a greet man, and a wise man of the law, and that was the cawse men would not axe him the rentte.
I send you the namis of the men that kaste down the pittis, that was Gynnis Close, written in a bill closid in this letter.
I sendde you not this letter to make you wery of Paston; for I leve in hoope, and you will lern that they schulle be made werye of her werke, for in good faith I dar welseyne it was your fadris laste will to have do ryȝht well to that plase, and that can I schewe of good profe, thowe men would seye naye. God make you ryȝht a good man, and send Goddis blessyng and [mine/my]. Wrettyn in haste, at Norwich, the Thorsdaie aftir Candelmasse daie.
Wetith of your brothere John now manie joists will serve the parler and the chapelle at Paston, and what lenghthe they moste be, and what breadth and thykknesse they moste be; for your fadris will was, as I weene veryli, that they schuld be ix. enchis on wey, and vij. another way. And porveythe therefore that they mow be squarid there, and sent hedre, for [here/her] can no soche be had in this conttre. And seye to your brothir John it weer well done to thinkke on Stansted Chirche; and I praye you to [3@]send me tidings from be yond see[/@], for [here/her] they arn a ferde to telle soche as be reportid.
By your Modre, AUGNEIS PASTON.
For the attention of Edmund Paston of Clifford's Inn, London
Dear son, I send you my best wishes and advise you to consider every day your father's advice to learn the law; he's told you many times that whoever lives at Paston should know how to defend himself.
The Vicar of Paston and your father agreed last Lent, after thorough discussion, and marks were set up to show how wide the road should be, and now he has pulled up the marks and says he will make a ditch from the corner of his wall, right over the path to the new ditch of the big enclosure. There is a man in Trunch by the name of Palmer who had some land in Trunch from your father seven or eight years ago for corn and paid regularly since then; but now he has allowed the corn to be used as a payment of 8 shillings to Gimingham which your father never paid. Geoffrey asked Palmer why the rent was not asked for in my husband's time, and Palmer said it was because he was a great man, and a clever man with the law, and so men would not ask him for rent.
I am sending you the names of the men that filled in the pit that was in Glynnis Close; it's in a document enclosed with this letter.
I'm not sending you this letter to make you tired of Paston, for I live in hope that you will find that they will become weary of what they are doing, for in good faith I know it was your father's last wish to do his best for the village, and I can show that to be true, even though some men contest it. God make you a good man, and I send God's blessing and my own.
Written in haste at Norwich, the Thursday after Candlemas day.
Ask your brother John how many joists are needed for the parlour and chapel at Paston, and what length they need to be, and what breadth and thickness they need to be, for your father wanted, I am sure, that they should be nine inches one way and seven the other way. And make arrangements for them to be accurately cut there, and sent here, for there's nothing suitable to be found in this part of the world. Also tell your brother John that he would be well advised to think about Stansted church. Please send me news from across the sea, because here people are frightened about what they're hearing.
From your mother, Agnes Paston
