ELEGANT EXTRACTS.

PART IX.

Letters,

OF THE FIFTEENTH, SIXTEENTH, AND SEVENTEENTH
CENTURIES.

THE DUKE OF SUFFOLK TO HIS SON.

1450.

My dear and only well beloved son, I beseech our Lord in heaven, the maker of all the world, to bless you, and to send you ever grace to love him, and to dread him, to the which, as far as a father may charge his child, I both charge you and pray you to set all your spirits and wits to do, and to know his holy laws and commandments, by the which ye shall, with his great mercy, pass all the great tempests and troubles of this wretched world.

And that, also weetingly, ye do nothing for love nor dread of any earthly creature that should displease him. And there as (whenever) any frailty maketh you to fall, beseech his mercy soon to call you to him again with repentance, satis

faction, and contrition of your heart, never more in will to offend him.

Secondly; next him above all earthly things to be true liegeman in heart, in will, in thought, indeed, unto the king our alder most (greatest) high and dread sovereign lord, to whom both ye and I be so much bound to; charging you as father can and may, rather to die than to be the contrary, or to know any thing that were against the welfare or prosperity of his most royal person, but as far as your body and life may stretch, ye live and die to defend it, and to let his highness have knowledge thereof in all the haste ye can.

Thirdly; in the same wise, I charge you, my dear son, alway as ye be bounden by the commandment of God to do, to love, to worship, your lady and mother; and also that ye obey always her commandments, and to believe her counsels and advices in all your works, the which dread not shall be best and truest to you.

And if any other body would steer you to the contrary, to flee the counsel in any wise, for ye shall find it nought and evil.

Furthermore, as far as father may and can, I charge you in any wise to flee the company and counsel of proud men, of covetous men, and of flattering men, the more especially and mightily to withstand them, and not to draw nor to meddle with them, with all your might and power; and to draw to you and to your company good and virtuous men, and such as be of good conversation, and of truth, and by them shall ye never be deceived nor repent you of.

Moreover, never follow your own wit in no

wise, but in all your works, of such folks as I write of above, ask your advice and counsel, and doing thus, with the mercy of God, ye shall do right well, and live in right much worship, and great heart's rest and ease.

And I will be to you as good lord and father as my heart can think.

And lastly of all, as heartily and as lovingly as ever father blessed his child in earth, I give you the blessing of our Lord and me, which of his infinite mercy increase you in all virtue and good living; and that your blood may, by his grace, from kindred to kindred, multiply in this earth to his service, in such wise as after the departing from this world here, ye and they may glorify him eternally amongst his angels in heaven.

Written of mine hand,

The day of my departing fro this land.

Your true and loving father,

SUFFOLK.

DAME ELIZABETH BREWS TO J. PASTON, ESQ.

To my worshipful cousin, John Paston, be this bill delivered, &c.

COUSIN, I recommend me unto you, thanking you heartily for the great cheer ye made me, and all my folks, the last time that I was at Norwich; and ye promised me, that ye would never break the matter to Margery unto such time as ye and I were at a point. But ye have made her such

(an) advocate for you, that I may never have rest night nor day, for calling and crying upon to bring the said matter to effect, &c.

And, cousin, upon Friday is Saint Valentine's day, and every bird chooseth him a make (mate); and if it like you to come on Thursday at night, and so survey you, that ye may abide there till Monday, I trust to God, that ye shall so speak to mine husband; and I pray, we shall bring the matter to a conclusion, &c.

For, cousin," it is but a simple oak,
That's cut down at the first stroke."

For ye will be reasonable I trust to God, which have you ever in his merciful keeping, &c. By your cousin,

DAME ELIZABETH BREWS, otherwise shall be called by God's grace.

February, 1476-7.

MARGARET BREWS TO JOHN PASTON, ESQ. Unto my right well beloved Valentine, John Paston, Esq. be this bill delivered, &c.

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 for 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 heele (health) of body, nor of heart, nor shall be till I hear from you:

For there wottys (knows) no creature what pain

I endure,

And for to be dead (for my life) I dare it not dyscur (discover).

And my lady my mother hath 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 therefore; for if that 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 me 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 me let so for to do,
Mine heart me bids evermore to love you,
Truly over all earthly thing,

And if they be never so wrath,

I trust it shall be better in time coming.

No more to you at this time, but the Holy Trinity have you in keeping; and I beseech you that this bill be not seen of none earthly creature save only yourself, &c.

And this letter was indited at Topcroft, with full heavy heart, &c. by your own

Feb. 1476-7.

MARGARET BREWS.