Saint Margaret, that I fent you for a remembrance, till ye come home; ye have left me fuch a remembrance, that maketh me to think upon you both day and night when I would sleep. Oxnead, Thursday, 18th of December, Yours, MARGERY PASTON. LETTER LXXXIII. To my right worshipful Mother Margaret Pafton, be this delivered. LEASE it you to weet, that whereas I intended to have PLEA been at home this Midfummer, and purpofed with your good help to have begun upon my Father's Tomb, fo that it might have been ended this Summer; it is fo, that for such causes as are now begun between my Lord of Suffolk and me, for the Manors of Heylefdon, Drayton, &c. for which matters I must needs be here this next term; therefore I deem it would be after Midsummer, ere than [before] I can fee you. Please it you also to weet that I communed with Master Pykenham to weet if he would buy the Cloth of Gold for fo much as he defyryd ons to have bowte it and he offryd me ons xx marke therffor neu'theleffe it cofte me xxiiijli yit nowe when y' I fpake to hym ther off he refufyd to bye it and feyde y' he hadde nowe fo many chargys yt he maye nott. Butt it is foo y' the Kynge dothe mak fertayne copys and veftymentys off like clothe whyche he entendyth to gyve to the Coledge at Foodryngdre wher my Lorde hys ffadre is nowe buryed and he byethe at a grete pryce. I I comonyd w, the vestment maker ffor to helpe me ffoothe wt xij yerds and he hathe grauntyd me to doo as Whetleye can telle yow, wherffor iff it please yow that it be byftowyd ffor to make a Towmbe ffor my ffadre at Bromholme, iff ye lyke to fende it hyddr iffe it be folde I undretake or Mychelmeffe y' ther fhalle be a Tombe and fomwhatt ellys ovyr my ffadris grave on whoys Sowle God have merfye yt ther fhall noone be lyke it in Norff and as ye fhalle be gladde herafftr to fee it, and God fende me leyser yt I maye come home and iff I doo not yit the monye shall be putte to noon other ufe butt kepyd by some yt ye truft tylle yt it may be byftowyd acordỹg as is above wretyn and ellys I gyve yow cawfe nevyr to trufte me whylle ye and I lyve. When I was last wt yow ye grauntyd yt the feyde Clothe of Golde fholde be bywaryd abowte thys werke yt is above wretyn whyche iff ye wylle perfforme I undretake yt ther fhalle be It appears by this Letter that Sir John Pafton (Pl. iv. N° 9.) feared that his Mother would not fend the Cloth of Gold to him, left he should fell it, and not apply the money to the purpose of erecting a Tomb to the memory of his Father, who had now been dead twelve years. He was buried very fumptuously in Bromholm Priory, and probably a fuitable as he defired once to have bought it, and he offered me once 20 marks (137 6s. 8d.) therefore, nevertheless it cost me 24/. yet now, when I spake to him thereof, he refused to buy it; and faid, that he had now fo many charges that he may not. But it is fo that the King doth make certain Copes and Vestments of like Cloth, which he intendeth to give to the College of Fotheringhay, where my Lord his Father is now buried, and he buyeth at a great price; I communed with the vestment maker for to help me forth with 12 yards, and he hath granted to do, as Wheatley can tell you; wherefore, if it please you that it be bestowed for to make a Tomb for my Father at Bromholm, if ye like to send it hither, if it be fold I undertake ere Michaelmas, that there fhall be a Tomb, and fomewhat else over my Father's grave, on whofe Soul God have mercy, that there shall none be like it in Norfolk; and as ye fhall be glad hereafter to fee it; and God fend me leisure that I may come home, and if I do not, yet the money fhall be put to none other use, but kept by fome other that ye truft, till that it may be beftowed according as is above written, and elfe I give you cause never to truft me while ye and I live. When I was last with you, ye granted, that the faid Cloth of Gold should be bewared [expended in exchange] about this work, that is above written, which if ye will perform, I undertake fuitable tomb fhould have been immediately erected, but had been deferred by Sir John from time to time on account of the expence. • Richard Plantagenet, Duke of York, Father of King Edward IV. was flain in the battle of Wakefield, in December, 1460; his corpfe was first interred at Pontefract, but afterwards removed to the collegiate church of Fotheringhay. that be fuche a Towmbe as ye fhalle be pleafyd at thowgh it cost me xx marke off myn owne purfe befyde iff I ons fette uppon it. No mor but I befeche Goode have yow in hys kepyng. Wretyn at London y Wednyfdaye in Whyghtsonweke A°. E. iiij xviijo. Please it yow to fende me worde by Whatley off yowr plefyr her in. By your Sone, 12 by 61. John Patton, K. I To the Ryght Worfhypfull S John Pafton, Knyght. GREET yow well and fend yow Goddys blyffyng and my. latyng yow wete yt I have fent yow be Whetele y Clothe of Golde chargyng yow yat it be not folde to no other use yã to ye p'rformyng of yowyr fadyrs toombe as ye fend me worde in wrytyng, yf ye fell yt to any othyr ufe by my trowthe I fhall neu' troft yow wyll I leve. Remebyr yt y cofte me xx'i marke ye pleggyng owte of yt and yf I wher not glad to fe y' made I wolde not dep'te from it. Remebyr yow what charge I have had we yow of late whyche that there fhall be fuch a Tomb, as ye fhall be pleased with, though it coft me 20 marks (13 6s. 8d.) of mine own purse befide, if I once fet upon it. No more, but I befeech God have you in his keeping. Written at London the Wednesday in Whitfun-week, in the 18th year of Edward IV. Please you to send me word by Wheatley of your pleasure herein. London, Wednesday, 13th of May, 1478, 18 É. IV. By your Son, JOHN PASTON, Knight. I LETTER LXXXIV. To the Right Worshipful Sir John Pafton, Knight. Greet you well and fend you God's bleffing and mine, letting you weet that I have fent you by Wheatley the Cloth of Gold, charging you that it be not fold to none other use than to the performing of your Father's Tomb, as ye fend me word in writing; if ye fell it to any other ufe, by my truth, I shall never trust you while I live. Remember that it cost me 20 marks (137. 6s. 8d.) the pledging out of it, and if I were not glad to fee that made, I would not depart from it. Remember you what charge I have VOL. II. M m had |