Paston Letters and Papers of the Fifteenth Century

主題 Topic	Gender, Sexuality and Difference
書刊名 Title	British Library MS Additional 43490, fol. 34, and Additional 34888, fols. 8, 24. in Paston Letters and Papers of the Fifteenth Century, 2 vols.
作者 Author	N. Davis (ed.)
出版社 Publisher	Oxford: Clarendon Press
出版年 Year	1971
語言 Language	Southeast Midland
裝訂 Binding	□ 平裝 Paperback　　　　□精裝 Hardcover
頁數 Pages
ISBN (10 / 13)
Bibliography Reference	(STC, Duff, GW . . .)
來源網址 Web Link
劇本簡介撰稿者	王明月、蔡幸紋
撰寫日期 Date	2015.02.08

A.   簡介 Introduction (within 100 words, Chinese or English)

《帕森家族書信集》是十五世紀英國歷史上最完整的家族書信記載，保留了這個家族三代生意往來、土地管理、與家庭親情地許多軼事。帕森家族習慣在夫妻之間以信件往返商議家族事務及傾訴相思。帕森家族是英國東北諾福克地區的大地主，而書信記錄即從第一代克萊蒙帕森開始。因雄厚家世，克萊蒙帕森之子威廉在Inner Temple受到良好教育，不但繼承家族土地甚至購買多筆地房地產。第三代的威廉之子，約翰帕森1440年間娶了仕紳之女瑪格莉特。由於約翰因為經商經常離家，其妻瑪格莉特因此藉由家書與丈夫聯繫情感並告知家中財務情況。絕大部分的帕森家族書信紀錄了1425-1500年間約翰與瑪格莉特的書信往來；這些完整保留的家族書信因而使得後人能一探英國中世紀晚期一位已婚婦人如何處理夫妻感情、家庭生活、家族土地與生意上之內外事務。值得關注的是，在瑪格莉特寫給約翰的書信裡，她詳細地講述她如何害怕仇家會找上門企圖綁架她。當說到仇家向她威脅奪取土地等戲劇性高的火爆情境時，她生動地穿插當時英國東北諾福克地區的俚語及仇家口音，提供對英國語言史有興趣的研究者寶貴的一手文獻。此外，書信中她向丈夫傾訴相思之情，吐露產後憂鬱與養育子女的挫折也讓讀者認識到中世紀女性如何以文字、語言、面部表情及肢體動作表達女性情感與才幹。

B.   文本摘錄 Extracts (4-6 Pages)

To my ryth reverent and worscheful husbond John Paston:
 
       Ryth reverent and worscheful husbond, I recomau[n]de me to yow, desyryng hertyly to here of yowre wylfare, thankyng yow for the tokyn that ye sent me be Edmunde Perys, preyng yow to wete that my modyr sent to my fadyr to London for a goune cloth of mustyrddevyllers to make of a goune for me, and he tolde my modyr and me wanne he was comme hom that he cargeyt yow to bey it aftyr that he were come oute of London. I pre yow, yf it be not bowt, that ye wyl wechesaf to by it and send yt hom as sone as ye may, for I have no goune to werre this wyntyr but my blake and my grene a Lyere, and that ys so comerus that I ham wery to wer yt.
As for the gyrdyl that my fadyr be-hestyt me, I spake to hym ther-of a lytyl be-fore he yede to London last, and he seyde to me that the faute was in yow that ye wolde not thynke ther-uppe-on to do mak yt, but I sopose that ys not so. He seyd yt but for a skeusacion. I pre yow, yf ye dor tak yt uppe-on yow, that ye wyl weche-safe to do mak yt a-yens ye come hom, for I hadde never more nede ther-of than I have now, for I ham waxse so fetys that I may not be gyrte in no barre of no gyrdyl that I have but of on. Elysabet Peverel hath leye seke fifteen or sixteen wekys of the seyetyka, but sche sent my modyr word be Kate that sche xuld come hedyr wane God sent tyme, thoou sche xuld be crod11 in a barwe. Jon of Dam was here, and my modyr dyskevwyrd me to hym, and he seyde be hys trouth that he was not gladder of no thyng that he harde thys towlmonyth than he was ther-of. I may no le[n]ger leve be my crafte; I am dysscevwyrd of alle men that se me. Of alle odyr thyngys that ye deseyreyd that I xuld sende yow word of, I have sent yow word of in a letter that I dede wryte on Ouwyr Ladyis Day laste was.
The Holy Trenyte have yow in hese kepyng. Wretyn at Oxnede in ryth gret hast on the Thrusday next be-fore Seynt Tomas Day. I pre yow that ye wyl were the reyng wyth the emage of Seynt Margrete that I sent yow for a rememrau[n]se tyl ye come hom. Ye have lefte me sweche a rememrau[n]se that makyth me to thynke uppe-on yow bothe day and nyth wanne I wold sclepe.
 
Yowre ys, M. P.