Maister Paston, it is so that my Lord desireth to have his lyverey as
for this yere to be of the colour that he hadde him self a demye gowne
of, and his childern hadde of the same ayenst Cristmasse laste was;
I wot never whether ye remembre it or nay. Yt was a medelled tawney, som
what rede, and it was bought at Watkyn Stalworthes. I pray you assaye
among the clothe makers in your countre howe a man may bye a cloth of
them. Ye muste remembre the gentilmen muste have better than the yomen,
and the yomen better than the gromes. And ye knowe well that ye and I
the laste yere pourvoied my lord of the gentilmenes lyverey and the
yomens for iij_s._ a yerde, one with a nother, and the gromes for ij_s._
viij_d._, and boughte all at the drapers in London. Wherfore my Lord
woll thinke to be served of better clothe and lesse price at the clothe
makers. I wolde have sente you an example but I can not gette it.
[Footnote 184-1: [Add. MS. 34,889, f. 148.] This letter contains a
great many uncertainties. The writer is anonymous, the person
addressed is by no means clear, and the lord referred to cannot be
determined. Neither is there any means of arriving at an
approximate date.]
1083