'r it E 1'A ST ON LETTElt

Letters still remain the i:1(1c.i.t and curious spy inccus of pri- vate episted;,..y eorrespolohalee during the ages. 11•rittert

without any other limn to serve a: substittlt,. for per- commonleati.di, ugly with :kind affair.; which it

behoved their corny t tested, mils to be acquitilitc,i letter.; furnish tut arth,:s picture of the mode:, or latiguit4,.... east of th.)tighl, domestic lethits, and all that other itio;:s that go to make up the picture of dad% life, w'hic'h were pre \ oh :it it:

from the time of 111:Nitl• the Sixth to [ACV the SCVCO111.

P MOS* eNdlict, mitts Nor11,11:, and of great wealth an I respf tahiiity--or, ns lint: tie-Ilion el' the tit4c we write or would exiir! • The fillityr the.JoGN towboat a urajo:ity the letters in this volume were addressed, was

born in through the reign:: of 1:1,11.sno the Saeouit and the l'i•;irth and ['dill m:is 11,3tle 3 Judge of Ow Connoon Pl. as in I 1:Itt, under Ilcxtcy the Sixth; and died in I 1.1 I. Vr(mi the propriety of his conduct in office, he was called " the good .114.:;,c but he apiwars so raw-1(.11;1.1 ill the t'orrevi.! that cheer are Ind material,. to Iiirti1 oliiLitill of his clEtr WWI% From a letter of aslt ice its his widow to one of her sons, ‘• learn the law" seems to bane been his Ina int; and his know leibie, or the repute of it, to have lo:pt men in salutary fear; for immediately on his death, the N'icar of l'aston pulled down the " And there is a man in Truneh bight (called) Palmer too, that had of your father certain lands in Trunch over seven years or eight years agone, fur corn, and truly bath paid all the years; and now he bath suffered the emu to 1); withset (taken) for eight shillings of rent to (1immingliam, which your father pail' never. Geotiry asked Painter why the rent was not asked in mime hus- band's time; and Palmer said, ti,r (because) Ile was a great man, and a wise malt of the law, and that was the cause linen would not io.k hill} the rent."

AGNES lttiS'i'ON, the widow of the Judge, stands out a stirring

and business-like woman; anxious the weal of her fatuity, and worldly-wise ; not without touches of matronly feeling in her, al- though pretty well smothered by the necessities of the times, and hot' OWII positi011 as the ,manager of estates during a period of civil war, and whim the feudal lass's were in full vigour. She had also a strong tia ling in titvour of one litshi011 of the t i I tte--corporal punish- ments, :nut seems to have been promptns is ninnn herself. This is a female relittive's description of her treatment of her daughter, in a letter to 3oliN PASTON, the young lady's brother. It will be seen that a marriage (one of molly discussed) was on the tivis, and that it is considered in a very prudent way. The suitor was an elderly widower, with a child or children.

Cal-i1:, 1 beet you meet that Seroope bath been in title Country to see my cumin pia!' Sister, and he kith snuhtil with lay colv,in your mother, and she

(in -ireth of him that he she'll,' bliow you the indentures wade between the knight that kith hi; dmi:_diter whether List St...neve, if he were niarraa mid fwatie.l. to li,,ve if those children should inherit his land, or Ili- daughter, the which is married.

'• (1euslu, tin: this cause take good heed to his intlenfores, for he is glad to show yon thew, or whom ye will assign with you ; and he salth to me he is tine last ill lit le (-feign) of hie livelihood, the which is three hundred an l fifty

nerd., (21; 1/. ns. and better, a.; NVatkiii Shiva:tan snits:, fur he loon taken

in e•nninint On, nne.scont.) of his livelihood divers thots; and S.:rome 5n tin to me It he h • inarri,•,i and have a son tool kiln:, his 11 km:Inter tit at is in irri,1 shall have of hi, fitly marks (11/. '7:4.) and 110 more ; and therefore, cousin, me-e, 11 lie were gcod for tin' cousin' your with that (without

Una ) ye !night g...t her a helter; awl get a better 1 wituld advise you to labour it in as sLnrt time as ye tinny tine she was never in so great sorrow is StIC 110 111111, 55110S0eVer

;Mt!) may SVC nor speaf, in.' twin, nor with servant; of

r onosdnar but that she heareth Ler aa ineailetb. She kno sirre EsaSter the most part heen b. intent mice in the week or twice, and to ice on a day, imnt 11,r load koken in two or three \Vinrvfore, cousin, Lath :;,nt to one lny Fry ar Newton in great counsel, am! prayetin 111J that 1 '.:oat 1 semi to you a I tt:,:r of her 1Ln:evilness, at ti pray you to he her good brother, 11.A: teit.„ is in yo ; and sin! tint.' if

ye may see he Iiiievi•kile,; that ircO ann I hers To is Intl •rit, and she to

h tve r.:.tionahle jointure, site hatit ime tad inae!I of Ilk l,irtlt an 1 his condi- tions, that an (if) ye wail she will inave Ilino, whelLir that her :mailer will or

rjil out, iteRlith:LitAing it is hilt . is (pig:a), for she

saith men :hall have the Dior,: duty of hi if she rut, her to lion as she aught to tin.

" is told Me there is a goo nJan in votir it tin which the ' v..- Think I...a pat off till

,. • I 1 n' ,n, 'roope, it

have ant

, 01111! dte ro;

el: "ICS wet I la ■ our Inca • 1! nn . it I had Inver I : 1.1 you at , 011 Joint

ins: ..

(h ERE.

1', 1. VI.

but cis' I.... Is 1's)1.1-: :1•• • :ti's by the ,:• I, was 1 ilea thrifty her !OA' to ',;) I• The old

1.:• su!I•• tool t, t!le roil and I tit' : the CI she sug-

, 1 years old.

Inn I' i.1 I ; I en•

. it it , 1 • I'm 1. hian into

n in n e. 1 will were it :re. let, I : when I teas It-I al I

" Iht 11,1: !•1 • ti, -cars. ‘• A ill a " I a of troy w..e .1, ork readily.

..ther . Ilea, til i.

nvt nt 1111 1: at (*am'.

'I.,: 1 I , Ai... •In m

.1.rwl.:1.1 1457, the

YhT ('lenient

IV .1•11 ti It lie will ,s: v-ter. and the

"Ledam would have done his wise (endearma) to have made it complaint to Prvothe in the shire-house of you, and Billing counsellol him to leave, anti told Lrdam, ye and he 'were uo fellows, and said to Ledmi • it is the guise of your eountrymen to spend all the goods they have on Olen and livery gowns, and horse anti harness. ,.1a1 so bear it out for a while, and at the last they are but beggars; and so t, 111 ye do : I would ye should. do well, because ye are a fellow of Gray's lnu, v,hcrr 1 %%a, a fellow.

"As for Pa,zor. usydre of worship, and of great lively and I

scot be will not spend all his ots at ol.ce, but Ile spareth vearly ;in hundred

marks (Gil/ 1:is. -to'.) or an howls he ma, sh,a,wa turn and never fare the Worse iu his hausehold, nut (hove) the less men about Lim.

" Ye may not do so, but it it he for one season, I counsel you not to con- tinue long as ye do. I would counsel you to seek rest v.

The following account. by Anne PASTON, of her Cr tut ntions in the management of the Paston property, throws a licit tii■on the homely manners or the dun.' and the free intercourse of spt,..ch be- tween the different rails of society. It is also interesting, _'tire. RAMsAY, the editor, truly remarks, " as slum log the practical freedom the people, where the yeomen could .0) openly and sturdily contend taie-t their superiors in rank and wealth ; and

also the gent-:':,I lu 1.2 and thirness of the Ltw court::: foe if there had beau of indirect influence, they would nat have so readily a:•10'::l.d to them."

A I. %DV M %NCO?'Ni) nun YEOMEN, TEMP. loA, To Jain Pasta, d ny it the Temple at Loneira, Le al. lieu; i1 I greet you wilt ; ,■;11 ht you c ..t, t 1, on the Stuhl-o

to it •. • my al, l

• 111111 : ; and I

tilled to 11:1V0 21' the park el ... 1:-.

o rovly 1.

• 1.,

4/1.) and y..1 .1..mrld pay . 1 set cien to S.

• in::

! -

CA;J.

at 1!"."

to I..: ::

1.n...nt :Li the but wits publi: •

,tire of the tint, Earl of 11-a, •

51.t:. is a

di,ereti, , • merely fix the pri the little seen',: t :,'unison with ti:

et it: i••., !, '

sai I dis;

said Carl,' matt, r

.

of : r.f

tr., 4..

und

me I !.

but swore L. done as h.. that time 11, said ; and undo court, and way ," • And

1.-• Irbil,

I. had it wa, mine otvt acres and me it'e he he.t7 me out

•

FENN. beaded

of KH2. 11 :..

Cou

of the ar, of 11•1:-...]:. the and

"4. I: la • ant..7:

direct

'5y Joirs- It is a paper eheree to the rs. Some sialplieity I ittel:e of

ivv!mnit 1' • Ito the

I.' not

for several dest:,-..lati, and were finally in the possession of the Earl of Yarns,,, [their lineal dcseendants, with wham the male line of the tinnily, terminat.

they then became the property of that great collector and antiquary .

Neve, Norroy ; front him they devolved to Mr. Alartita, by his laro1 with 'Airs. it NI2ve, and were a part of his coll.:igloos purchased by Mr. 11.0,iti, lion' whom, in I 1-T4, they came to the editor. "The hand-writing in some id' the loiters i.s, thong:, hlack and thick, very true and tine it has 1)..2a attended avith muck troulde and dillirall y.

{or rather translating] each letter acrordin-

"The thaught ...1 ininacribing to tile rules of hiode:al orthogr iphy and punctuation, arose front :1 hill e, kiari the editor En ....dyed from an antopctry, for Ids knowlidge lications. ii1,,,,e opinion Ilia' many would be induced to read the., 1, 1hr the sake of the various matter tiny contain, lin their style, and 1;,i curiubity, who not having- paid tittenai....1 lu ancicbt a.iodes of writio- breviatioas, woola he deterred flan intampting such a task, by tlair app;arance in their original gar:). •• lu fire transcribed letters, except in the spelling and poitatio./.., as lit ttration is made as was possible ; the turn of expressimi anti or1gioal, even where the gratann.tr defective, 1.,:ing preserved. 4. a,

;voids :ire coin:awed, but the sense is eXiIrLISC.11,.y 11111'1,21'11 words or Italics between parentheses."

In their original shape, the Beam/. Letters were contained in

stye tptnto vole:tee:, published at interval•:, tit a coat of eight

In that edition t•,...5) rernis of the letters were

tr:111.-11.1'11•11., in the old, variable, and very dillieult 5,1.1!,5). othur with the orthoraphy ; 1 rift/VI:NI I:1 the reprint before le". 'flow ;": qtv•ntly treatine i' the saute subject, the letter:5 )vere sin's-:i': 1,:t in a separate citrunoltc.ijcal series: ill liti-

iato 0 regttlar order of succession, ■vitlioili

ti, tile \\Tito.. Some of the less important are abridged, or their ees.vui lent; merely noted; and 5010v new notes are added to the very useful emonnaltary o,' 1:eNe, t'_;pceinicnis of the penmanship and

et' the ;ere also iw:erte4.1; awl the \vivito pliblitiJlon forms a ihvourable sdaiplo of" English 2ilisi.ellanies."