_To Syr John Paston, Knyght._
[Sidenote: 1479 / NOV. 6]
Syr, aftyr all dwtes of recomendacyon, pleasyt to undyrstand, that,
acordyng to your lettre sent me by Wyllson, Lomnore and I mett at
Norwyche and drew ought a formable bylle ought of your, and send it ayen
to th’Exchetore Palmer by my brodyr Edmund, whyche had an other erand in
to that contre to spek with H. Spylman, to get hys good wyll towardes
the bargayn lyek to be fynyshed hastyly betwyx Mastres Clyppysby and
hym. And, syr, at the delyvere of the bylle of inquisicyon to
th’Exchetour, my brodyr Edmund told hym that accordyng to your wryghtyng
to me, I spak with myn oncle William, and told hym that I undyrstood by
yow that my Lord of Elye had aswell desyred hym in wryghtyng as you by
mouthe, that non of you shold swe to have the inquisycion fond aftyr
your intentys tyll other weyes of pese wer takyn betwyx you; wherfor my
brodyr Edmund desyred hym that with ought myn oncle labord to have it
fond for hym, ellys that he shold not procede for yow; but th’Exchetour
answerd hym that he wold fynd it for you, aftyr your byll, of hys owne
autorite; and so it was fond. But, syr, ye must remembre that my Lord of
Ely desyred myn oncle as well as you to surcease, as I put myn oncle in
knowlage, and myn oncle at the fyrst agreid that he wold make no more
sute a bought it, in trust that ye wold do the same, acordyng to my Lord
of Elys desyer; wherfor ye had ned to be ware that th’Exchetor skyppe
not from you, when he comyth to London, and sertyfye it, or ye spek with
hym. Th’Exchetor shalbe at London by Twysdaye or Wednysday next comyng,
at John Leeis house, for he shall ryd forwardys as on Monday next comyng
be tymys, &c.
Syr, your tenauntes at Crowmer sey that they know not who shalbe ther
lord; they marvayll that ye nor no man for yow hathe not yet ben there.
Also, when I was with myn oncle, I had a longe pystyll of hym, that ye
had sent Pekok to Paston, and comandyd the tenauntes ther that they
shold pay non areragys to hym, but if [_unless_] they wer bond to hym by
obligacyon for the same; myn oncle seythe it was other wyse apoyntyd be
for the arbytrorys; they thought, he seythe, as well my Mastyr
Fytzwalter as other, that he shold receyve that as it myght be gadryd;
but now he seythe, that he wottyth well some shall renne away, and some
shall wast it, so that it is nevyr lyek to be gadryd, but lost, and so I
trow it is lyek to be of some of the dettors, what for casuelte of dethe
and thes other causes befor rehersyd; wherfor me thynkyth if it were
apoyntyd befor the arbytrors that he shold receyve theym, as he seythe,
it wer not for you to brek it, or ellys if he be pleyn executor to my
grauntdam, then also he ought to have it. I spek lyek a blynd man, do ye
as ye thynk, for I was at no syche apoyntment befor th’arbytrors, nor I
know not whethyr he is executor to my grauntdam or not, but by hys
seying.
Also, syr, ye must of ryght, consyderyng my brodyr Edmundys diligence in
your maters, sythe your departyng, helpe hym forwardys to myn oncle Syr
George Brown, as my brodyr Edmund preyid yow in hys lettyr that he sent
on to yow by Mondys sone of Norwyche, dwellyng with Thomas Jenney, that
myn oncle Syr George may gett to my brodyr Edmund of the Kyng the
wardshepp of John Clyppysby, son and heyer to John Clyppysby,[24-1] late
of Owby, in the conte of Norffolk, Sqwyr, dwryng the nonnage of my Lord
and Lady of York,[24-2] thow it cost iiij. or v. mark the swte. Let myn
oncle Syr George be clerk of the haniper, and kepe the patent, if it be
grantyd, tyll he have hys mone, and that shall not be longe to.
Myn oncle Syr George may enforme the Kyng for trowthe, that the chyld
shall have no lond duryng hys yong modyrs lyff, and ther is no man her
that wyll mary with hym withought they have some lond with hym, and so
the gyft shall not be gret that the Kyng shold geve hym; and yet I trow
he shold get the modyr by that meane, and in my conseyt the Kyng dothe
but ryght if he graunt my brodyr Edmund Clyppysbys son in recompense for
takyng my brodyr Edmundes son, otherwyse callyd Dyxsons, the chyldys
fadyr being alyve. Dyxson is ded, God have hys sowle, Whom I beseche to
send you your most desyred joye.
Wretyn at Norwyche, on Seynt Leonardes Day.