_To my ryth wyrchypful hwsbond, Jon Paston, be this lettyr delyveryd in
hast._
[Sidenote: 1448 / APRIL]
Ryth wyrchypful hwsbond, I recomawnd me to zw, desyryng hertyly to heryn
of zour wel fare, praying zw to wete that I was with my Lady
Morley[84.2] on the Satyrday next after that ze departyd from hens, and
told here qhat answer that ze had of Jon Butt, and sche toke it ryth
straw[n]gely, and seyd that sche had told zw, and schewyd zw i now
[_enough_], qher by ze myth have knowleche that the releve owt [_ought_]
to ben payd to her. And sche seyd sche wyst wel that ze delay it forthe,
that sche xuld nowth have that longyth to her ryth. And sche told me hw
it was payd in Thomas Chawmbers tym, qhan her dowther Hastyngs[84.3] was
weddyd; and sche seyd sythyn that ze wyl make none end with her, sche
wyl sew therfore as law wyl.
I conseyvyd be here that sche had cwnsel to labore azens zw therin
withyn ryth schort tym. And than I prayd her that sche wuld vwche save
nowth to labowr azens zw in this mater tyl ze kom hom; and sche seyd
nay, be her feyth, sche wuld no more days zeve [_give_] zw therin. Sche
seyd sche had sett zw so many days to a kord with her, and ze had broke
them, that sche was ryth wery therof; and sche seyd sche was but a
woman, sche must don be her cownseyl, and her cwnseyle had avysyd her,
so sche seyd sche wyld do. Than I prayd her azyn that sche wuld teryn
[_tarry_] tyl ze kom hom, and I seyd I trostyd veryly that ze wuld don
qhan ze kom hom, as itt longeth to zw to don; and if ze myth have very
knowleche that sche awyth of ryth for to have itt, I seyd I wyst wel
that ze wuld pay it with ryth gode wyl, and told her that ze had sergyd
to a fownd wrytyng therof, and ze kwd non fynd in non wyse. And sche
sayd sche wyst wele there was wrytyng therof inow, and sche hath wrytyng
therof hw Syr Robert of Mawthby, and Sir Jon, and my grawnsyre, and
dyverse other of myn awncesterys payd it, and seyd nevyre nay therto.
And in no wyse I kwd not geyn no grawnth of her to sesyn tyl ze kom hom;
and sche bad me that I xuld don an erand to my moder, and qhan I kam
hom, I dede myn erand to her. And sche axyd me if I had spokyn to my
lady of this forseyd mater, and I told her hw I had do, and qhat answer
I had; and sche seyd sche xuld gon to my Lady Morles on the nexst day,
and sche xuld speken to her therof, and a say to getyn grawnt of her to
sesyn of the forsayd mater tyl that ze kom hom. And truly my moder dede
her dever ryth feythfully therin, as my cosyn Clare[85.1] xal tellyn zw
qhan that he speketh with zow; and sche gete grawnt of my seyd lady that
there xuld nowth ben don azens zw therin, and ze wold acordyn with her,
and don as ze owyn to do be twyx this tym and Trinyte Sunday.
Laueraw[n]ce Rede of Mawthhy recommawndeth hym to zu, and prayt zw that
ze wyl vwchesave to leten hym byn [_buy_] of zw the ferm barly that ze
xuld have of hym, and if ze wyl laten hym have it to a resonabyl pris,
he wyl have it with ryth a gode wyl; and he prayit zw if ze wyl that he
have it, that ze wyl owche save [_vouchsafe_] to send hym word at qhat
pris he xuld have the kowmb as hastyly as ze may, and ellys he must be
purvayd in other plase.
As twchyng other tydyngs, I sopose Jon of Dam xal send zw word in a
letter. As it is told me veryly, Heydon xal not kom at London this term.
It is seyd in this contre that Danyell[86.1] is owth of the Kyngs gode
grase, and he xal dwn and all hys mene, and all that ben hys wele
wyllers; there xal no man ben so hardy to don nether seyn azens my Lord
of Sowthfolk,[86.2] nere non that longeth to hym; and all that have don
and seyd azens hym, they xul sore repent hem. Kateryn Walsam xal be
weddyd on the Munday nexst after Trinyte Sonday, as it is told me, to
the galaunte with the grete chene; and there is purvayd for her meche
gode aray of gwnys, gyrdelys, and atyrys, and meche other gode aray, and
he hathe purcheysyd a gret purcheys of v. mark be zer to zevyn her to
her joynture.
I am aferd that Jon of Sparham is so schyttyl wyttyd, that he wyl sett
hys gode to morgage to Heydon, or to sum other of ywre gode frendys, but
if [_i.e._ unless] I can hold hym inne the better, ere ze kom hom. He
hath ben arestyd sythyn that ye went, and hath had moche sorw at the
sewte of mayster Joh Stoks of London for x. mark that Sparham owt to
hym; and in gode feyth he hath had so moche sorow and hevynesse that he
wyst nowth qhat he myth don. I fell hym so disposyd that he wold asold
and asett to morgage all that he hath, he had nowth rowth to qhom, so
that he myth an had mony to an holpyn hym self wyth; and I entretyd hym
so, thatt I sopose he wyll nother sellyn ner sett to morgage, nother
catel ner other gode of hese, tyl he speke with zw. He soposeth that al
that is don to hym is att the request of the Parson of Sparham and
Knatylsale. I sopose it is almas to comfort hym, for in gode feyth he is
ryth hevy, and hys wyf al so. He is nowth nw under arest, he hath payd
hys feys, and goth at large; he was arestyd att Sparham, of on of
Knatysales men.
Hodge Feke told me thatt Sym Schepherd is styl with Wylly,[86.3] and if
ze wyl I xal purvey that he xal be browth hom er ze kom hom. It is told
me that he that kept zour schep was owth lawyd on Munday at the swth of
Sir Thomas Todynham, and if it be so, ze arn nowth lyk to kepe hym
longe. And as twchyng that that ze badeyn me spekyn for to Bakton, he
seyth he is wel avysyd that sche seyd sche wuld never have to don with
all, ner he kan not pek that sche seyd sche hath non ryth to have it,
and he wyl say lyche as he hath herd her seyd; and if sche speke to hym
therof, he wyll rather hold with zw than with her. I pray ye that ze wyl
vwche save to send me word hw ze spede in zour matter twchyng Gressam,
and hw Danyel is in grace. Harry Goneld hath browth to me xl_s._ of
Gressam syn ze zede, and he seyth I xal have more or Qhythson tyd, if he
may pyk it up.
I sopose Jamys Gressam hath told zw of other thyngs that I have sped syn
ze zedyn hens. If I her any strawnge tydyngs in this contre, I xall send
zw word. I pray zw that I may ben recommawndyd to my Lord Danyel.
The Holy Trynyte have zw in hys kepyng, and send zw helth and gode spede
in al zour maters twchyng zour ryth.
Wretyn at Norwyche, on the Wedenys day nexst after thatt ze partyd hens.
Yors,