_To myn ryght worshepfull cosyn, John Paston, Esquyer._
[Sidenote: 1485 / OCT. 3]
Myn ryght worshipfull cosyn, I recomawnde me hertly to you, thankyng you
of your greet kyndnes and lovyng disposicion towardys myn lord and me at
all tymes, which I pray God I may leve to see the acquytell ther of to
your plesure, prayeng you of your good continuans.
Cosyn, I shewyd you myn mynde that I wolde have myn shildern to
Thorpe,[87-3] wher in, God yelde you, it pleasyd you to sey that I
shulde have hors of you to help to conveye them thyder; but now I
undirstonde myn Lord Fitz Walter[87-4] hath dischargyd myn lordys
servauntes thens, affermyng up on them that they shulde have had
unfittyng langage of the Kynges Grace. Cosyn, I trust that ye and all
the jentilmen of the shire, which have had knowleche of myn lordes
servauntes, kan sey that her to for they have not ben of that
disposicion to be lavas of theyr tungys, whan they had moore cause of
booldnes than they have nowe. I wolde not have thowght myn Lord
Fitzwalter wolde have takyn so ferforth displeasure for the keepyng of
x. or xij. men at Thorpe; I woot weell ther exceded not iij. mees[88-1]
meet, good and bad. I truste, all thow I weer a soel woman, to mayntene
so many at the leeste, what so evyr I dyde moore.
I trustyd to have fowndyn myn Lord Fitzwalter better lord to me, seyng
whan I was wyth myn Lord of Oxenforth, up on myn desyre and request at
that tyme made un to hym, he promysed me to be good lord to myn lord and
me, wher of I praye you to put hym in remembrauns, trustyng yit be the
meene of you to fynde hym better lord to me her aftyr.
I have fownde myn Lord of Oxenforth singuler very good and kynde lord to
myn lord and me, and stedefaste in hys promys, wher by he hath wonne myn
lordys service as longe as he leevyth, and me to be hys trewe beedwoman
terme of myn lyve; for hym I drede mooste, and yit as hyther to I fynde
hym beste. I pray you good cosyn, the rather by your meane, that I may
have the continuauns of hys good lordship, and to myn poore power I
truste to deserve it. I pray you, cosyn, that thys byll may recomawnde
[me][88-2] to myn Lady Brews and to myn cosyn, your wyf.
From Mynster, in the Yle of Shepey, the iij^de day of Octobre. I pray
you yeve credens to the berer of thys, and to Thomas Jenney, whan he
comyth to you.
[88-3]Your faythefoull cosyene,