_To my Ryght Wurchepfull master John Paston be this deliuered in hast._
[Sidenote: 1448 / DEC. 3]
Right reverent and wurchepfull sir, I recommande me to yow, desyryng to
here of yowr welfare, the which gracyows God contynually preserve and
kepe to yowr gostly hele and bodily welfare; praying yow to wete that as
for the broke sylver that my mastres wend for to a sent yow whan she
dede wryte her letter, ther is none in your forcer; she supposyd that ye
left it at Norwiche in yowr cofere, wher of ye have the key. Also my
mastres yowr moder grete yow wele, and pray yow to send her word how she
shall do with Edward of Whode of Paston; for she dede seys his corn on
the lond the last hervest, and he led it a wey after that it whas seysyd
with awth licens and leve of here or any of here offyceris. Item, my
mastres yowr syster recommand her hertly to yow, and pray yow that and
ye wold wochesaff to speke to my master Edmund, and pray hym if that he
hath bowth here ger that she sent to hym fore, that he wold send it her
home; in cas that[93.1] he have not bowth it, that he wold be it and
sent it here in all the hast that he may goodly. Forthermore if it plese
yow to her of my master Berney, he was at Gresham with my mastres on the
Tuysday next after Halwemasday, the same day that we dystreynyd Jamys
Rokkysson, and I had mette a litill a fore with Pertrych, and he thrett
me, and sayd that we shuld not long kepe the dystresse, and there for my
mastres dede us don on owr jakkys and owr salettis. My master Berney cam
in and the parson of Oxened with hym and sey us in owre jakkis, and he
wexe as pale as any herd and wold right fayn a ben thens. So my mastres
dede hym dyne, and whill thei wher at dynar Herry Collys told my mastres
openly among us all that the same tyme that Pertrych entryd a geyn up on
yow, his master was at Causton to yow ward, and there it was told hym
that Pertrych had putt yow owth and all your men, and that ye and my
mastres wher redyn a geyn to Norwhich, and all your howshold, and that
causyd hym that he cam no forther that tyme; and my Master Berney
confermyd all this and seyd that it was so. Whan thei had etyn he had
mych hast to a be thens, so my mastres desyryd and prayd hym that he
wold come a geyn or aght long; and so with mych praying he be hest her
if he mythe. And Herry Collys stode ther bysyde and seyd to my felachep,
‘What shuld my master do here,’ quod he, ‘lete yowr master send after
his kynnysmen at Mautby, for thei have nowth that thei mawn lese.’ And
so thei redyn her wey. And with in a sevenygt after my master Berney
sent Davy to my mastres, and prayd my mastres that she wold hold his
master excusyd, for he had hurt his owyn hors that he rode up on; and he
dede Davy sadillyn an oder hors; and he stode by and made water whill he
sadyllyd hym, and as Davy shuld a kyrt the hors, he slenkyd behynd and
toke his master on the hepe suyche a stroke that never man may trust hym
after, and brake his hepe. And he had sent Herry Collys to Norwhich for
medycynys, so he must ryde hom the same nygt; for his master had no man
at home. So my mastres was rygth sory, and wend that it had be trowth,
but I know wele that it was not so. It happyd that I rod the next day to
Norwhich, and I rood in to my mastres your moder, and she dede aske me
after my master Berney, and I told here how he was hurt. And she askyd
the parson of Oxened if he wer hurt, and he seyd nay; for Davy lay with
hym the same nygt a fore and told hym that he was heyll and mery, and
prayd hym that he wold be with hym the Sonday next after; and so Davy
lay the same nygt after that he had told my mastres the tale with the
parson of Oxened. I beseche yow of yowre gode masterchep that ye wold
not do wreythe this letter, for and my mastres knew that I sent yow
suyche a letter I were never abyll to loke up on her, nor to abyde in
her heysyte. My mastres yowr moder hath sent yow ij. letteris; she hath
in dosyd hem to my master Edmunde, and she wuld wete if ye had hem or
nawth. The Holy Trynyte have yow in kepyng. Wrytyne at Norwhich on Sent
Clementis evyn. In hast.
Your servaunt,