[Sidenote: 1448]
[Illustration]
Worchepeful mayster I recomend me to yow: and I pray yow to wete I was
at Katefeld in Cobbes place for to se the armes as ye comaunded me, and
the feld is gold wyth iii. bukkeles of sylver mad on the wyse as it is
her, wyth floweris of sylver on the bukkelis mad of iiij. lyke a
trewlove. Also, syr, I have spoke to a fryer that is conversaunt at
Wykelwode wyth Randolffis dowter and he hath behestid me for to gete me
Randolffis armes of hese dowter Wyltones wyf; but I have not yet spoke
wyth the frier a yen. Also I pray yow to wete that I was at Mauteby and
ye have there CC. combz of malt if ye wyl gef for xiiii_d._ a combz in
the comes and xxi. for xx. ye shal have redy mony, as I suppose, for
Pykeryng sellyth for xi_d._ and xii_d._ the lest that hath, as the
parson of Mauteby tellyth me. And the parson and I have do throche your
qwete for it was ete wyth myse to petowsly for to se; and if it plese
yow I pray yow that ye wyl send me word qwhedyr ye wyl selle your malt
and your qhete aftyr the pryse of the countre or (?) it shal be purveyid
for to kepe it til ye may sett. And I have spoke to Lawrauns Reede for
the ferme; but he wyl not take it, as I conseyve, til he speke wyth yow.
I suppos for to a made a covienaunt wyth hym, but he hath no sewerte
yet, and the londis shal not be in your handis til myhelmes as he
seyeth; ther for he is the mor terying, &c. I beseche all myti Jhesu
spede yow and kepe yow.
[_Not signed._]
On the back are some names of families in a contemporary hand, and
five shields of arms tricked in a modern hand, the latter being
apparently the armorial bearings of ancestors of the Earl of
Yarmouth, to whom there is a letter addressed by ‘Wm. Smyth’ upon
this subject at f. 146 of the MS.
[Footnote 91.1: [Add. MS. 34,889, f. 143.] This letter is
neither signed nor addressed, but there is no doubt the person
for whom it was intended was John Paston the eldest, who
possessed property at Mautby in right of his wife. The reference
to Laurence Reede seems further to show that it is of the year
1448. See p. 85.]
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