To my ryth worcepful husbonde, John Paston.
Ryth reverent and worcepfful husbonde, I recomande me to yow, desyryng hertely to here of yowre welle fare, thankyn yow for yowr letter and for þe thyngys þat ye sent me þer-wyth. And towchyn John Estegate, he com nowdyr non sent hedyr nowt ȝyt; wer for I sopose I must borrowyn money in schorte time but ȝyf ye come sone home; for I sopose I xal non have of hym, so Godd helpe me. I have but iiij s. and I howhe nerr as meche mony as com to þe for seyd some.
I have do yowr herrendys to my modyr and my hunckyl and as for þe feffeys of Stokysby, my hunckyll syth þat ther be no mo an he wrot to yow of þat he knowit. And also I hauwe delyvyrit þe todyr thyng þat ye sent me inselyd in þe boxe as ye comaundit me, and þe man seyt, þat I delyverid it to, þat he wylle nowt of þe bargeyne þat ye sent hym, but sweche thynggys be do or he come ther þat ye sent hym worde of, he seyth þat he wold nowt be noysyd with no sweche thyngis of þat is, þat it wer do in hesse tyme for xx. marke. I sopose he xal send yow word in shorte time ho he wylle do.
I pray yow þat ye wylle weche save to beyn for me swech lacys os I send yow exsaumpyll of in this letter and j. pesse of blac lacys; as for cappys þat ye sent me for þe chylderyn they be to lytyl for hem. I pray yow bey hem feyner cappys and larger þan þo wer. Also I pray yow þat ye wylle weche save to recomaunde me to my fadyr and my modyr and tellyth heer þat alle herr chyldyrryn ben in gode hele, blyssyd be Godd.
Heydonis wyffe had chyld on Sent Petyr day. I horde seyne þat herr husband wille nowt of her, nerr of her chyld þat sche had last nowdyr. I herd seyn þat he seyd, ȝyf sche come in hesse precence to make her exkewce þat he xuld kyt of her nose to makyn her be know wat sche is; and yf her chyld come in hesse presence, he seyd he wyld kyllyn he wolle nowt be intretit to have her ayun in no wysse, os I herde seyn.
þe Holy Trinité have yow in hesse kepyn and send yow helth. Wretyn at Geldiston on þe Wedynisday nexte after Sent Thomas.
Be yowris,
M. PASTON.
To my ryth worcepful husbonde, John Paston.
Ryth reverent and worcepfful husbonde, I recomande me to yow, desyryng hertely to here of yowre welle fare, thankyn yow for yowr letter and for þe thyngys þat ye sent me þer-wyth. And towchyn John Estegate, he com nowdyr non sent hedyr nowt ȝyt; wer for I sopose I must borrowyn money in schorte time but ȝyf ye come sone home; for I sopose I xal non have of hym, so Godd helpe me. I have but iiij s. and I howhe nerr as meche mony as com to þe for seyd some.
I have do yowr herrendys to my modyr and my hunckyl and as for þe feffeys of Stokysby, my hunckyll syth þat ther be no mo an he wrot to yow of þat he knowit. And also I hauwe delyvyrit þe todyr thyng þat ye sent me inselyd in þe boxe as ye comaundit me, and þe man seyt, þat I delyverid it to, þat he wylle nowt of þe bargeyne þat ye sent hym, but sweche thynggys be do or he come ther þat ye sent hym worde of, he seyth þat he wold nowt be noysyd with no sweche thyngis of þat is, þat it wer do in hesse tyme for xx. marke. I sopose he xal send yow word in shorte time ho he wylle do.
I pray yow þat ye wylle weche save to beyn for me swech lacys os I send yow exsaumpyll of in this letter and j. pesse of blac lacys; as for cappys þat ye sent me for þe chylderyn they be to lytyl for hem. I pray yow bey hem feyner cappys and larger þan þo wer. Also I pray yow þat ye wylle weche save to recomaunde me to my fadyr and my modyr and tellyth heer þat alle herr chyldyrryn ben in gode hele, blyssyd be Godd.
Heydonis wyffe had chyld on Sent Petyr day. I horde seyne þat herr husband wille nowt of her, nerr of her chyld þat sche had last nowdyr. I herd seyn þat he seyd, ȝyf sche come in hesse precence to make her exkewce þat he xuld kyt of her nose to makyn her be know wat sche is; and yf her chyld come in hesse presence, he seyd he wyld kyllyn he wolle nowt be intretit to have her ayun in no wysse, os I herde seyn.
þe Holy Trinité have yow in hesse kepyn and send yow helth. Wretyn at Geldiston on þe Wedynisday nexte after Sent Thomas.
Be yowris,
M. PASTON.
To my ryth worcepful husbonde, John Paston.
Ryth reverent and worcepfful husbonde, I recomande me to yow, desyryng hertely to here of yowre welle fare, thankyn yow for yowr letter and for þe thyngys þat ye sent me þer-wyth. And towchyn John Estegate, he com nowdyr non sent hedyr nowt ȝyt; wer for I sopose I must borrowyn money in schorte time but ȝyf ye come sone home; for I sopose I xal non have of hym, so Godd helpe me. I have but iiij s. and I howhe nerr as meche mony as com to þe for seyd some.
I have do yowr herrendys to my modyr and my hunckyl and as for þe feffeys of Stokysby, my hunckyll syth þat ther be no mo an he wrot to yow of þat he knowit. And also I hauwe delyvyrit þe todyr thyng þat ye sent me inselyd in þe boxe as ye comaundit me, and þe man seyt, þat I delyverid it to, þat he wylle nowt of þe bargeyne þat ye sent hym, but sweche thynggys be do or he come ther þat ye sent hym worde of, he seyth þat he wold nowt be noysyd with no sweche thyngis of þat is, þat it wer do in hesse tyme for xx. marke. I sopose he xal send yow word in shorte time ho he wylle do.
I pray yow þat ye wylle weche save to beyn for me swech lacys os I send yow exsaumpyll of in this letter and j. pesse of blac lacys; as for cappys þat ye sent me for þe chylderyn they be to lytyl for hem. I pray yow bey hem feyner cappys and larger þan þo wer. Also I pray yow þat ye wylle weche save to recomaunde me to my fadyr and my modyr and tellyth heer þat alle herr chyldyrryn ben in gode hele, blyssyd be Godd.
Heydonis wyffe had chyld on Sent Petyr day. I horde seyne þat herr husband wille nowt of her, nerr of her chyld þat sche had last nowdyr. I herd seyn þat he seyd, ȝyf sche come in hesse precence to make her exkewce þat he xuld kyt of her nose to makyn her be know wat sche is; and yf her chyld come in hesse presence, he seyd he wyld kyllyn he wolle nowt be intretit to have her ayun in no wysse, os I herde seyn.
þe Holy Trinité have yow in hesse kepyn and send yow helth. Wretyn at Geldiston on þe Wedynisday nexte after Sent Thomas.
Be yowris,
M. PASTON.
To my right worcepful husbonde, John Paston.
Right reverent and worcepfful husbonde, I recomande me to you, desiring hertely to [here/her] of your well fare, thankyn you for your letter and for þe thyngys þat you sent me þer-with. And towchyn John Estegate, he come nowdyr no sent hedyr nowt ȝyt; wer for I sopose I must borrowyn money in schorte time but unless you come soon home; for I sopose I xal no have of him, so Godd helpe me. I have but iiij s. and I howhe nerr as meche money as come to þe for said some.
I have do your herrendys to my modyr and my hunckyl and as for þe feffeys of Stokesby, my hunckyll syth þat there be no mo an he wrot to you of þat he knowit. And also I hauwe delyvyrit þe todyr thing þat you sent me inselyd in þe box as you comaundit me, and þe man seyt, þat I delyverid it to, þat he wylle nowt of þe bargeyne þat you sent him, but sweche thynggys be do or he come there þat you sent him word of, he said þat he would nowt be noysyd with no sweche thyngis of þat is, þat it wer do in hesse time for xx. marke. I sopose he xal send you word in shorte time ho he wylle do.
I pray you þat you wylle weche save to beyn for me swech lacys os I send you exsaumpyll of in this letter and j. pesse of blac lacys; as for cappys þat you sent me for þe chylderyn they be to little for hem. I pray you bey hem feyner cappys and larger þan þo wer. Also I pray you þat you wylle weche save to recommend me to my fadyr and my modyr and tellyth hear þat all herr chyldyrryn [be/been] in good hele, blessed be Godd.
Heydonis wyffe had chyld on Sent Petyr day. I horde seyne þat herr husband will nowt of her, nerr of her chyld þat sche had last nowdyr. I herd say þat he said, ȝyf sche come in hesse precence to make her exkewce þat he xuld kyt of her nose to makyn her be know wat sche is; and yf her chyld come in hesse presence, he said he wyld kyllyn he will nowt be intretit to have her ayun in no wysse, os I herde say.
þe Holy Trinité have you in hesse kepyn and send you helth. Written at Geldeston on þe Wedynisday nexte after Sent Thomas.
Be yours,
M. PASTON.
To my honoured and respected husband, John Paston.
Dearest husband, my best wishes to you. I want to hear how you are. Thank you for your letter and for the things you sent me. With regard to John Eastgate, he has not been here and has sent nothing yet, so I suppose I must borrow money soon unless you come home quickly, as I don't think I'll get any from him. God help me, I have only four shillings and and nowhere near the appropriate amount.
I have been to see my mother and my uncle for you, and as for the trustees of Stokesby, my uncle says that that there is nothing more than he wrote to you about, as far as he knows. Also I have delivered the other thing that you sent me sealed in the box as you told me to, and the man I delivered it to said that he won't honour the bargain unless certain things are done that he sent you word of. He said he would not be bothered with such things as that without a payment of twenty marks. I expect he'll send you word soon as to what he will do.
Please promise to buy me the kind of lace that I am sending you a sample of in this letter, and one piece of black lace. As for the caps you sent for the children, they are too small for them. Can you get them some good caps but larger than they were. Also please remember me to my father and mother and tell her that all her children are in good health, thank God.
Heydon's wife gave birth on St Peter's Day. I heard that her husband won't have anything to do with her, nor with her child. I heard that he said if she comes into his presence to make her excuses that he would cut off her nose to show what she was, and if her child came into his presence he said he would kill it. He would not consider having her again in any way, as I heard it.
The Holy Trinity take care of you and send you health. Written at Geldeston on the Wednesday after Saint Thomas.
From your
M Paston