These notes are various interesting tidbits I've collected. I may or
may not expand on any of them, so if you're interested in knowing more
-- or if you have research that you'd like me to post -- please let me
know!
Margery Brews, the real-life inspiration behind Caitlin's
romance, wrote John Paston some love letters, at least two of which survived.
They read:
Unto my ryght welebelovyd Voluntyn, John Paston, Squyer, be this
bill delyvered, &c.
Ryght reverent and wurschypfull, and my ryght welebeloved Volutyne,
I recomande me unto yowe, ffull hertely desyring to here of yowr welefare,
whech I beseche Almyghty God long for to preserve un to Hys plesur,
and yowr herts desyre. And yf it please yowe to here of my welefar,
I am not in good heele of body, nor of herte, nor schall be tyll I her
ffrom yowe;
For there wottys no creature what peyn that I endure,
And for to be deede, I dare it not dyscure [discover].
And my lady my moder hath labored the mater to my ffadur full delygently,
but sche can no mor gete than ye knowe of, for the whech God knowyth
I am full sory. But yf that ye loffe me, as I tryste verely that ye
do, ye will not leffe me therefor; for if that ye hade not halfe the
lyvelode that ye hafe, for to do the grettest labur that any woman on
lyve myght, I wold not forsake yowe.
And yf ye commande me to kepe me true wherever I go,
I wyse I will do all my myght yowe to love and never no mo.
And yf my freends say, that I do amys,
Thei schal not me let so for to do,
Myne herte me bydds ever more to love yowe Truly over all erthely thing,
And yf thei be never so wroth,
I tryst it schall be better in tyme commying.
No more to yowe at this tyme, but the Holy Trinite hafe yowe in
kepyng. And I besech yowe that this bill be not seyn of none erthely
creatur safe only your selffe, &c.
And thys letter was indyte at Topcroft, with full hevy herte, &c.
By your own,
Margery Brews.
To my ryght welebelovyd cosyn, John Paston, Swyer, be this letter
delyveryd &c.
Ryght wurschypfull and welebelovyd Volentyne, in my most umble wyse,
I recommande me un to yowe, &c. And hertely I thanke yowe for the
letter whech that ye sende mebe John Bekarton, wherby I undyrstonde
and knowe, that ye be purposyd to come to Topcroft in schorte tyme,
and withowte any erand or mater, but only to hafe a conclusyon of themater
betwyx my fader and yowe; I wolde be most glad of any creatur on lyve,
so that the mater myght growe to effect. And ther as ye say, and ye
come and fynde the mater no more towards yowe then ye dyd aforetime,
ye wold no more put my fader and my lady my moder to no cost ner besenysse,
for that cause,, a good wyle aftur, wech causeth myne herte to be full
hevy; and yf that ye come, and the mater take to some effecte, then
schuld I be meche mor sory and full of hevynesse.
And as for my selfe, I hafe done and undyrstond in the mater that
I can or may, as Good knowyth; and I let yowe pleynly undyrstond, that
my fader will no more money parte with all in that behalfe, but an C
li. And l. marke, whech is ryght far fro the acomplyshment of yowr desyre.
Wherfore, yf that ye cowde be content with that good, and my por
persone, I wold be the meryest mayden on grounde; and yf ye thynke not
yowr selffe so satysfyed, or that ye hafe mech mor good, as I hafe undyrstonde
be yowe afor; good, trewe, and lovyng volentyne, that ye take no such
labur uppon yowe, as to come more fo that mater, but let it passe, and
never more to be spokyn of, as I may be yowr trewe lover and bedewoman
duryng my lyfe.
No more unto yowe at thys tyme, but, Almyghty Jesus preserve yowe,
both body and sowle, &c.
Be your Voluntyne,
MARGERY BREWS
