for in faith I trow ye be in bed. Written on my way homeward, on St. Mary Magdalene's day at midnight. Your own JOHN PASTON. P. S. Mistress Anne, I am proud that ye can read English. Wherefore I pray you acquaint you with this my rude hand, for my purpose is ye should be more acquainted with it, or else it shall be against my will; but yet, and when ye have read this billet, I pray you burn it, or keep it secret to yourself, as my faithful trust is in you. Margery Brews to John Paston. After the death of the first Sir John Paston, in 1487, his brother, the second John, succeeded him in the title and became the chief personage in the family. He seems to have been also difficult to suit in a wife, and was several years in search of one. Before the elder Sir John's death, this younger brother was constantly seeking the intercession and counsel of the head of the family regarding his marriage, often having two or three matches under consideration at about the same time. At last in 1477 he met his fate in the person of Mistress MARGERY BREWS, who seems to have had the requisite decision of character to bring him to the point. John, the younger, had consulted the parents of Margery about the portion they proposed to give with their daughter (a very important consideration with him, by the way), and the cautious father of the girl had reserved his decision about the money settlement. Dame Elizabeth Brews, the mother, invited young John to their house at Topcroft, to meet Margery, but cautioned him on no account to reveal to her that he stood in the position of a suitor till the money matter was settled. But it seems that John had neglected this caution, and only a little after his visit, just before Valentine's day, 1477, the mother writes to John in this wise: "You promised me not to break the matter to Margery until such time as ye and I were at point. But ye have made her such an advocate for you that I may never have rest, day nor night, for her calling and crying me to bring the said matter to effect. “Now, cousin, upon Friday is St. Valentine's day, when every bird chooseth him a mate; and if it like you to come Thursday at night and stay here till Monday, I trust to God ye shall speak to my husband, and I shall pray ye may bring the matter to a conclusion." In spite of this there must still have been some holding off about money matters, on the part of father Brews, and he was evidently unwilling to give as much dowry with his daughter as John desired, for the young lady herself felt obliged to follow up her mother's letter with these two ardent, yet business-like epistles. It is a comfortable thing to learn that these letters ended the affair, and the wavering John, who had one or two other ladies in his mind, settled it in favour of Margery, and she became his wife that year. The attempts at poetry in Mistress Margery's valentine may serve as a model for modern efforts in that line. Margery Brews to John Paston. Unto my right well-beloved Valentine, JOHN PASTON, Esq., be this billet delivered. TOPCROFT, Feb., 1477. RIGHT reverend and worshipful and my right well-beloved Valentine, I recommend me unto you, full heartily desiring to hear of your welfare, which I beseech Almighty God long to preserve unto his pleasure and your heart's desire. And if it please you to hear of my welfare, I am not in good health of body or of heart, nor shall be till I hear from you. For there wots no creature what pain I endure, And for to be deed, I dare not it discure [discover]. And my lady, my mother, has laboured the matter to my father full diligently, but she can no more get than ye know of, for the which God knoweth I am full sorry. But if that ye love me, as I trust verily that ye do, ye will not leave me therefor; for if ye had not half the livelihood that ye have, for to do the greatest labour that any woman alive might, I would not forsake you. And if ye command me to keep true wherever I go, I wis I will do all my might you to love and never no mo'; And if my friends say that I do amiss, They shall not prevent me so for to do. My heart me bids evermore to love you And if they be never so wroth I trust it shall be better in time coming. No more to you at this time, but the Holy Trinity have you in his keeping. And I beseech you that this billet be not seen of no earthly creature save only yourself, &c. And this letter was indite at Topcroft with full heavy heart By your own MARGERY BREWS. The Same to the Same. To my right well-beloved cousin, JOHN PASTON, Esq., be this letter delivered. FEBRUARY, 1477. RIGHT Worshipful and well-beloved Valentine, in my most humble wise I recommend me to you, &c. And heartily I thank you for the letter which ye sent me by John Bekarton, whereby I understand and know that ye be purposing to come to Topcroft in short time, and without any errand or matter, but only to have a conclusion of the matter between my father and you. I would be most glad of any creature alive, so that this matter might grow to effect. there as ye say, and ye come and find the matter And no more towards you than ye did aforetime, ye would no more put my father and my lady, my mother, to no cost nor business for that cause, a good while after, which causeth mine heart to be right heavy; and if that ye come, and the matter come to no result, then should I be much more sorry and full of heaviness. And as for myself I have done and understand in the matter all that I can or may, as God knoweth, and I let you plainly understand that my father will no more money part withal in that behalf but 5007. and 50m., which is right far from the accomplishment of your desire. Wherefore, if that ye could be content with that good and my poor person, I would be the merriest maiden on ground, and if ye think not yourself satisfied, or that ye might have much more good, as I have understood by you before, good, true, and loving Valentine, that ye take no such labour upon ye as to come more for that matter; but let it pass, and never more be spoken of as I may be your true lover and bedwoman during my life. No more to you at this time, but Almighty Jesus preserve you, both body and soul! By your Valentine, MARGERY BREWS. |