_To the ryght wurshupfull Sir John Paston, Knyght, be this delyvered._
[Sidenote: Before 1493]
Ryght wurshypfull Sir, I recomawnd me to zow. As zesterday I was with my
cosyn Clere;[148-2] he lythe at Borow, and my mastres hys
wyveffe,[148-3] be cause the plage reygnyth at Ormysby. And so of hys
own mocyon he mevyd to me of the maryage of my nevew zour soon, and as
glad foolkes woold be to bargayn as ever ze wyste, and soo hathe shewyd
me that ze shuld have as myche as Sir E. Bedyngfelld, whyche was v. C.
marke. Moore over he shewyd that he woold depart with it to Sir Roger
T.[148-4] or to Harry Colett, whyche he shewyd ze woold not of, but to
have the mony at zour dysposyssyon; and me semys be hys report that he
knowyth well that yf ze delle with Sir H. H.,[148-5] he wyll be in a
suerte that the mony that he shuld depart with shuld goo to the redemyng
of zour landes, and other zowr dawngeres. More over he shewyd me that
the mony whyche ze skyftyd of H. Colett was th[oug]ht be Sir Harry H.
that Sir R. Townesend shuld have ben contentte with it, whyche is knowyn
the contrary, and causyd hym to geve delay in that be halffe to zow.
I know well this jantylman berythe zow as good mynde as any man alyve,
my mastres hys mother,[148-7] and allso my mastres hys wyve in lyeke
wyesse; and me semys he makys not the dowghttes to delyver zow hys mony
that other men do of the delyverye of thers. Foor trowthe, he shewythe
me hys mynde, whyche is thus: yf ze wyll putt lande in feffement for
zeres, to the full contentacyon of Townesend, Colett, and of my uncle,
whyche he and all men thynke ze muste be charged to, or ever ze goo
thorow, and that zour next frendes have the receyte of it tyll it be
full contente and payed, thus, or suche a suer weye to be had for the
well of all parteys, I darre say he is not alyve wyll indevour hym with
better wyll to deele with zow, and, as my mynde servys me, streytte
hymsylffe, as it may be booryn, be syde my mastes hys modyrs v. C. My
mastres hys wyffe, on my feythe I darr say, the moste harty body to zow
wordes in this be halffe that is alyve, and the fayneeste body woold be
to have it accomplyshyd.
Syr, I thenke ze be to wardes London, and well I woot zowre mynde is to
ease zour sylffe as hastely as ze may; I pray God ze do to zour honur,
and to zour moste well to gederys.
Marchandes or new jantylmen I deme wyll proferr large; noon other
dyspreysed, ze know the contynewance of this man, and how he is alyed.
Well I woott yf ze depart to London, ze shall have proferes large; yf
zour jornay be not but to ease yow in that be halfe, be my poor avyce
slake for iij. or iiij. days, for ever me semys I shuld not have ben
brokyn to so largely, but that they entende it hastely to say to zow.
Sythe I was ther, I undyr stande yf it had not happyd me to have seyne
them as zester day, she wold this day have made her cowntenance to have
seyn her nes, Bothas (?) dowter, wyche is at Pallynges for fere of the
plage, and have comyn seyne [_come and seen_] my wyffve, and specyally
to have de syrid us to meve zow towardes them, and in trowthe so she
hasse.
I pray God ze do as well to zour honur as I woold do my sylfe. Yf ze
wyll tery thys lytell season be foor rehersyd, yf ze lyste, I woott well
ze may have the mater moor largely comyned; and yf ze tary tyll Monday,
I wyll awayte on zow to Hynengham, with Godes grace, Who ever preserve
zow and zours.
Your,