_To my Sovereyn, John Paston._
[Sidenote: 1449(?) / MARCH 5]
I recomend me hertily, thankyng yow for the tydings, and the good awysse
that ze sent me be the Parson of Thorpe;[96.2] latyng zow wittin that
the Byschope of the todir syde of the see sent laate to me a man, the
qwych wuld abydin uppon my leyser, for to an had me ovyr wyt hym to the
seyd Byschope, and so forth to the Courte.[96.3] So the seyd man and I
arryn a poynted that he schal comyn ageyn a purpose fro the Byschope, to
be my gyde ovyr the see, and so I purpose me fully forthe a noon aftir
this Estryn. I mak me evyre day fulli redy as privyli as I can, be
sekyng zow, as I trost on zow, and as I am zour trow bede man, as labor
for me her that I mythe haf a wyrte of passagche directid un[to] swyche
men as zow thyng that schyd best yife me my schargche.
The best takyng of schepynge is at Yernemuthe er Kyrley, or som othir
place in Norfolk syde. I schal haf favour he now [_enough_] wyt ther
seergiours [_searchers_]; bod all my goode spede and all my wel lythe in
you heer, for ther on I trost fully.
Som cownsel me to haf a letter of exschawnge, thow it wer bode of xl_s._
er lees, bod I comitte all my best in this matir to zour wysdam, and
qwat at evyr ze pay in this matir, I schal truly at owr metyng repay
ageyn to zow. Bod for Godds love purvey for my sped her, for ell
[_else_] I lees all my purvyans, and ther too I schyd jaape[97.1] the
Byschope man, and caus hym to com in to Yngland, and lees all his
labour. For Goddis love, send me down this wyrte, er ell bryng it wyt
zow, that I mythe haf fro zow a letter of tydings and comforthe; for I
had nevyr verray need of zour labor til now, bod my hert hangithe in
gret langor.
All my brethir wenyth that I schyd no forthir goo than to the Byschope,
and undir that colour schal I weel go forthe to the Courte. I haf gret
stody til I haf tydings fro zow. Avyr mor All mythi Good haf zow in
kepyng, bodi and soule.