_To John Paston, Esquyer, be thys lettre delyveryd, or to my mestresse,
hys wyffe, at Norwych, to delyver to hym._
[Sidenote: 1478 / AUG. 25]
Brother John, I recomaund me to yow, and I thanke God, my sustr yowr
wyffe, and yow, off my ffayr nevywe Crystofore, whyche I undrestande ye
have, wher off I ame ryght gladde, and I praye God sende yow manye, if
it be Hys plesyr; nevertheless ye be nott kynde, that ye sende me no
wetyng ther off; I hadde knowlege by ffootemen, or ever ye kowde ffynde
any messenger on horsbak to brynge me worde theroff.
Sir, it is soo, that the Duke off Bokyngham shall come on pilgrymage to
Walsyngham, and so to Bokenham Castell to my lady hys sustr;[1-2] and
then it is supposyd that he shalle to my Lady off Norffolk.[1-3] And myn
oncle William comythe with hym; and he tellyth me, that ther is like to
be troble in the maner off Oxenhed; wherffor I praye yow take hedde
lesse that the Duke off Suffolk councell pley therwith now at the
vacacion[1-4] off the beneffyse, as they ded with the beneffice off
Drayton, whyche by the helpe off Mr. John Salett and Donne hys man, ther
was a qweste made by the seyde Donne, that ffownde that the Duke off
Suffolk was verrye patrone, whyche was ffalse, yitt they ded it ffor an
evydence; but nowe iff any suche pratte scholde be laboryd, it is I hope
in bettr case, ffor suche a thynge most needs be ffownde byffor Master
John Smyth, whyche is owr olde ffreende; wherffor I praye yow labor hym,
that, iff neede bee, he maye doo use a ffreends torne therin.
Item, bothe ye and I most neds take thys mater as owr owne, and it weer
ffor noon other cawse butt ffor owr goode grawnt dames sake;
neverthelesse ye woote well, thatt ther is an other entresse longyng to
usse afftr her dyscease; iffe ther be any suche thynge begune ther by
suche a fryer or prest, as it is seyde, I mervayle that ye sente me no
worde ther off; butt ye have nowe wyffe and chyld, and so moche to kar
ffor, thatt ye fforgete me.
As for tydyngs her, I her telle that my cosyn Sir Robert Chamberleyn
hathe entyrd the maner of Scolton uppon yowr bedffelawe[2-1] Conyerse,
wheroff ye sende me no worde.
Item, yonge William Brandon is in warde and arestyd ffor thatt he
scholde have by fforce ravysshyd and swyvyd an olde jentylwoman, and
yitt was nott therwith easyd, butt swyvyd hyr oldest dowtr, and than
wolde have swyvyd the other sustr bothe; wherffor men sey ffowle off
hym, and that he wolde ete the henne and alle hyr chekynnys; and som
seye that the Kynge entendyth to sitte uppon hym, and men seye he is
lyke to be hangyd, ffor he hathe weddyd a wedowe.
Item, as ffor the pagent that men sey that the Erle off Oxenforde[2-2]
hathe pleyid atte Hammys, I suppose ye have herde theroff; itt is so
longe agoo, I was nott in thys contre when the tydyngs come, therfor I
sent yow no worde theroff.
But ffor conclusion, as I her seye, he lyepe the wallys, and wente to
the dyke, and in to the dyke to the chynne; to whatt entent I can nott
telle; some sey, to stele awey, and some thynke he wolde have drownyd
hymselffe, and so it is demyd.
No mor, but I ame nott sertayne whether I shall come home in haste or
nott.
Wretyn at London, the daye nexte Seynt Bartelmewe,[3-1] anno E. iiij^ti
xviij^o.