To my right wurshipfull Mayster, John Paston, be þis delyveryd in hast.
Right wurshippfull hosbond, I recommand me to yow, praying yow to wete þat þe man of Knapton þat owyth yow mony sent me þis weke xxxix s. viij d.; and as for þe remenant of þe mony, he hath promysid to bring itt at Wytsontyd. And as for þe prest, Howardys sone, he yede to Canbryge þe last weke and he shall nomore come horn tyll itt be mydsomer, and þerfore I myght not do yowr erunde.
As for tydyngys, þe Quene come in-to þis town on Tewysday last past after none and abode here tyll itt was Thursday iij after none, and she sent after my cosyn Elysabeth Clere be Sharynborn to come to here. And she durst not dysabey here commandment, and come to here. And when she come in þe Quenys presens þe Quene made ryght meche of here, and desyrid here to have an hosbond, þe which ye shall know of here-after; but as for þat, he is non nerrere than he was before. þe Quene was right well pleasid wyth here answere, and reportyht of here in þe best wyse, and seyth be here trowth she sey no jantylwomman syn she come into Norffolk þat she lykyth better pan she doth here.
Blake, þe bayle[/@] of Swaffham, was here wyth þe Kyngys broþer, and he come to me wenyng þat ye had be at horn, and seyd þat þe Kyngys bro þer desyrid hym þat he shuld pray yow in his name to come to hym, for he wold right fayn þat ye had come to hym if ye had be at horn. And he told me þat he wost wele þat he shuld send for yow when he come to London, boþe for Cossey and othere thyngys. I pray yow þat ye woll do yowr cost on me ayens Witsontyd, þat I may haue somme thyng for my nekke. When þe Quene was here I borowd my cosyn Elysabet Cleris devys, for I durst not for shame go wyth my bedys among so many fresch jantylwomman as here were at þat tym.
Þe blissid Trinyté have yow in his kepyng. Wretyn at Norwych on þe Fryday next before Seynt George.
Be yowrys, M. PASTON
To my right wurshipfull Mayster, John Paston, be þis delyveryd in hast.
Right wurshippfull hosbond, I recommand me to yow, praying yow to wete þat þe man of Knapton þat owyth yow mony sent me þis weke xxxix s. viij d.; and as for þe remenant of þe mony, he hath promysid to bring itt at Wytsontyd. And as for þe prest, Howardys sone, he yede to Canbryge þe last weke and he shall nomore come horn tyll itt be mydsomer, and þerfore I myght not do yowr erunde.
As for tydyngys, þe Quene come in-to þis town on Tewysday last past after none and abode here tyll itt was Thursday iij after none, and she sent after my cosyn Elysabeth Clere be Sharynborn to come to here. And she durst not dysabey here commandment, and come to here. And when she come in þe Quenys presens þe Quene made ryght meche of here, and desyrid here to have an hosbond, þe which ye shall know of here-after; but as for þat, he is non nerrere than he was before. þe Quene was right well pleasid wyth here answere, and reportyht of here in þe best wyse, and seyth be here trowth she sey no jantylwomman syn she come into Norffolk þat she lykyth better pan she doth here.
Blake, þe bayle[/@] of Swaffham, was here wyth þe Kyngys broþer, and he come to me wenyng þat ye had be at horn, and seyd þat þe Kyngys bro þer desyrid hym þat he shuld pray yow in his name to come to hym, for he wold right fayn þat ye had come to hym if ye had be at horn. And he told me þat he wost wele þat he shuld send for yow when he come to London, boþe for Cossey and othere thyngys. I pray yow þat ye woll do yowr cost on me ayens Witsontyd, þat I may haue somme thyng for my nekke. When þe Quene was here I borowd my cosyn Elysabet Cleris devys, for I durst not for shame go wyth my bedys among so many fresch jantylwomman as here were at þat tym.
Þe blissid Trinyté have yow in his kepyng. Wretyn at Norwych on þe Fryday next before Seynt George.
Be yowrys, M. PASTON
To my right wurshipfull Mayster, John Paston, be þis delyveryd in hast.
Right wurshippfull hosbond, I recommand me to yow, praying yow to wete þat þe man of Knapton þat owyth yow mony sent me þis weke xxxix s. viij d.; and as for þe remenant of þe mony, he hath promysid to bring itt at Wytsontyd. And as for þe prest, Howardys sone, he yede to Canbryge þe last weke and he shall nomore come horn tyll itt be mydsomer, and þerfore I myght not do yowr erunde.
As for tydyngys, þe Quene come in-to þis town on Tewysday last past after none and abode here tyll itt was Thursday iij after none, and she sent after my cosyn Elysabeth Clere be Sharynborn to come to here. And she durst not dysabey here commandment, and come to here. And when she come in þe Quenys presens þe Quene made ryght meche of here, and desyrid here to have an hosbond, þe which ye shall know of here-after; but as for þat, he is non nerrere than he was before. þe Quene was right well pleasid wyth here answere, and reportyht of here in þe best wyse, and seyth be here trowth she sey no jantylwomman syn she come into Norffolk þat she lykyth better pan she doth here.
Blake, þe bayle[/@] of Swaffham, was here wyth þe Kyngys broþer, and he come to me wenyng þat ye had be at horn, and seyd þat þe Kyngys bro þer desyrid hym þat he shuld pray yow in his name to come to hym, for he wold right fayn þat ye had come to hym if ye had be at horn. And he told me þat he wost wele þat he shuld send for yow when he come to London, boþe for Cossey and othere thyngys. I pray yow þat ye woll do yowr cost on me ayens Witsontyd, þat I may haue somme thyng for my nekke. When þe Quene was here I borowd my cosyn Elysabet Cleris devys, for I durst not for shame go wyth my bedys among so many fresch jantylwomman as here were at þat tym.
Þe blissid Trinyté have yow in his kepyng. Wretyn at Norwych on þe Fryday next before Seynt George.
Be yowrys, M. PASTON
To my right wurshipfull Mayster, John Paston, be þis delivered in haste.
Right wurshippfull husband, I recommand me to you, praying you to wait þat þe man of Knapton þat owyth you money sent me þis weke xxxix s. viij d.; and as for þe remenant of þe money, he has promysid to bring it at Wytsontyd. And as for þe prest, Howardys soon, he Went to Canbryge þe last weke and he shall nomore come horn until it be mydsomer, and þerfore I might not do your erunde.
As for tydyngys, þe Queen come in-to þis town on Tewysday last past after none and abode [here/her] until it was Thursday three after none, and she sent after my cousin Elysabeth Clear be Sharynborn to come to [here/her]. And she durst not dysabey [here/her] commandment, and come to [here/her]. And when she come in þe Quenys presence þe Queen made right meche of [here/her], and desyrid [here/her] to have an husband, þe which you shall know of [here/her]-after; but as for þat, he is no nerrere than he was before. þe Queen was right well pleasid with [here/her] answer, and reportyht of [here/her] in þe best wise, and said be [here/her] truth she sey no jantylwomman syn she come into Norfolk þat she lykyth better pan she doth [here/her].
Blake, þe bayle[/@] of Swaffham, was [here/her] with þe Kyngys broþer, and he come to me wenyng þat you had be at horn, and said þat þe Kyngys bro þer desyrid him þat he should pray you in his name to come to him, for he would right fayn þat you had come to him if you had be at horn. And he told me þat he wost wele þat he should send for you when he come to London, boþe for Costessey and othere thyngys. I pray you þat you will do your cost on me against Witsontyd, þat I may have somme thing for my neck. When þe Queen was [here/her] I borowd my cousin Elysabet Cleris devys, for I durst not for shame go with my bedys among so many fresch jantylwomman as [here/her] were at þat time.
Þe blessed Trinyté have you in his keeping. Written at Norwich on þe Fryday next before Saint George.
Be yowrys, M. PASTON
To be delivered in haste to my respected Master, John Paston.
My respected husband, I commit myself to you, and let you know that the man of Knapton who owes you money this week sent me 39s 8d and promised to bring me the rest of the money at Whitsuntide.And as for the priest's son, he rode to Cambridge last week and he won't return home until midsummer, and so before that I cannot do what you want me to.
As for news, Queen Margaret of Anjou came into this town last Tuesday afternoon and stayed till Thursday afternoon, and she sent for my cousin Elizabeth Clere to come here from Sheringham. And she dared not disobey her commandment, and came. And when she came into the Queen's presence, the Queen made a lot of her, and wanted her to have a husband – which you will eventually hear about. But she said that as far as that went, he was no nearer than he was before. The Queen was really pleased with her answer, and made very favourable comments about her, and said that in truth she had seen no gentlewoman since she had come to Norfolk that she liked better than her.
Simon Blake, the bailiff of Swaffham, was here with the King's brother, and he came to me saying that he wished you were at home, and said that the King's brother had asked him to persuade you in his name to come to him, for if you had been at home he would have determined that you did come. And he told me that he was sure he would send for you when he came to London, both for Cossey and other things. I beg you that you will let me have some money before Whitsuntide, so that I have something to wear round my neck. When the Queen was here I borrowed something from my cousin Elizabeth Clere, for I dare not go shamelessly with my beads among the many French gentlewomen that were here at that time.
The blessed Trinity have you in His keeping. Written at Norwich on the Friday before St George's Day.
By your M Paston
