_To his right wurchipfull master, William Paston, and Mr. Deryk dwellyng
with my Lord of Oxinford, this lettir be delyvered in hast._
[Sidenote: About 1492]
Right wurchipfull Maister William Paston, with myn good Lord of
Oxinford, and myn welbelovyd Mr. Deryk, I recomaund me on to you. And it
is soo that I kepe a prisoner of my lordis to answer to William Greve,
maryner of Gret Yermouth, the wiche he brought hym to me by my lordis
auctorite of a warand from Bell Key; and the seid William Greve chargid
me with his prisoner, named Phillyp Barbour, and chargid me with hym for
x_li._, and so I kepe hym, and have kept hym this ij. yer and an half.
And I have aftyr and many tymes askyd and requyred of the seid William
Greve of mony for his bord, for he promysid and appoynted with me for
every weke ij_s._, and I to take charge for to answer hym of hys
prysoner aforseid; and so I have be chargith with hym ij. yeris and an
half to my gret cost and charge, and nowh the seid William Greve
intendith to pay me noon mony, butt he is a bowght to remeve the
prysoner by a pryvy seall to abarre me from myn mony. Wher I am enformyd
that noon prysoner of my lordis shuld nat be remevyd out of my lordis
pryson, nor crafftid so out of pryson till he had answerd ther to seche
causes as he lyth fore, and specially for alle suche costis and chargis
as his kepar is charged for hym for his costis of exspensis; and that
doon, I woll be redy to delyver hym to the seid William Greve [to] pay
me for his costis as it shalbe demyd with reason. Besechynd and prayeng
you bothen too to be so good ma[istris unto] me that ye woll shewe this
mater on to my lord, and to knowe my lordis meend whedyr it shall please
hym that I shall delyver hym by a pryvy seall in this causis or nay, for
the bryngar herof is the prysoner. And if it be my lordis mend that the
prysoner shall appere to that pryvy seall, that it woll plese my lord to
be so good and gracyous lord on to the prysoner to send hym to his
councell to London, to tendyr this mater for the pore prysoner, and to
consydre the gret losse that the seid William Greve intendith to putto
his servaunt William Barnard, marchall and kepar of [my] lordis gayle in
Yermouth, and servaunt [to?] Robert Crowmer, depute for my lord in the
partyes of Norffolk and Suffolk. I shuld a browte up my silf, but we be
now in gret besynes in kepyng of my lordis honorabyll courtis in
Norffolk and Suffolk.
Wretyn the last day of Aprill.
By your,