_To my mayster, John Paston, in ryght gret hast._
[Sidenote: 1450 / OCT. 6]
Syr, and it plese, I was in my Lord of Yorks[174.2] howse, and I herde
meche thynge more thanne my mayster[174.3] wrytyth un to yow of; I herde
meche thynge in Fletestrede. But, Sir, my Lord was with the Kynge, and
he vesaged so the mater that alle the Kynges howshold was and is aferd
ryght sore; and my seyd Lord hayth putte a bille to the Kynge, and
desyryd meche thynge, qwych is meche after the Comouns desyre, and all
is up on justice, and to putte all thos that ben indyted under arest
with owte suerte or maynpryce, and to be tryed be lawe as lawe wyll;
in so meche that on Monday Sir William Oldhall was with the Kynge atte
Westminster more thanne to houres, and hadde of the Kynge good cher. And
the Kynge desyryd of Sir William Oldhall that he shuld speke to hese
cosyn York, that he wold be good Lord to John Penycock, and that my Lord
of York shuld wryte un to hese tenance that they wold suffyr Peny Cocks
officers go and gader up hys rents fermes with inne the seyd Dukes
lordsheps. And Sir William Oldhall answherd ayen to the Kynge, and
preyed hym to hold my Lord escusyd, for thow my Lord wrotte under hese
seale of hys armes hys tenantez wyll not obeyet; in someche that whanne
Sir Thomas Hoo mette with my Lord of Zork be yon Sent Albons, the
Western men felle upon hym, and wold a slayne hym, hadde [not?] Sir
William Oldhall abe [_have been_], and therfor wold the Westerne men
affalle up on the seyd Sir William, and akyllyd hym. And so he tolde the
Kynge.
Sir Borle Jonge and Josse labour sore for Heydon and Tudenham to Sir
Wilem Oldhall, and profyr more thanne to thowsand pownde for to have
hese good Lordshep; and therfor it is noon other remedye but late
Swhafham men be warned to mete with my seyd Lord on Fryday nest comyng
atte Pykenham on horssebak in the most goodly wyse, and putte sum bylle
un to my Lord of Sir Thomas Tudenham, Heydon, and Prentys, and crye owte
on hem, and that all the women of the same town be there also, and crye
owte on hem also, and calle hem extorcionners, and pray my Lord that he
wyll do sharp execucyons up on hem. And my mayster counceyll yow that ze
shuld meve the Meyer and all the Aldermen with all her Comoners to ryde
ayens my Lord, and that ther ben madde byllez, and putte them up to my
Lord, and late all the towne cry owte on Heydon, Todenham, Wyndham, and
Prentys, and of all here fals mayntenours, and telle my Lord how meche
hurte thei have don to the cetye, and late that be don in the most
lamentabyl wyse; for, Sir, but yf [_unless_] my Lord here sum fowle
tales of hem, and sum hyddows noys and crye, by my feyth thei arne ellys
lyke to come to grace. And therfor, Sir, remember yow of all these
maters.
Sir, also I spake with William Norwych, and asked hym after the Lord
Moleyns how he stod to my Lord ward; and he told me he was sor owte of
grace, and that my Lord of York lovyth hym nought. William Norwych tolde
me that he durste undertake for to brynge yow un to my Lord, and make
hym your ryght good Lord; and, Sir, my mayster counceyllyd yow that ze
shuld not spare, but gete yow hese good Lordshep.
Sir, be war of Heydon, for he wold destroyed yow be my feyth. The Lord
Scales and Sir William Oldhall arne made frendys.
Sir, labour ze for [to] be knyth of the shire, and speke to my Mayster
Stapulton[176.1] also that he be yt; Sir, all Swafham, and they be
warned, wyll zeve yow here voyses. Sir, speke with Thomas Denys, and
take hese good avys therin. Sir, speke to Denys that he avoyde hys
garyson atte Rydon, for there is non other remedy but deth for Danyell,
and for all thos that arne indyted. Sir, labour ze to the Meyer that
John Dam[176.2] or Will Jenney be burgeys for the cetye of Norwych,
telle them that he may be yt as well as Yonge is of Brystow, or the
Recordor is of London, and as the Recordour of Coventre is for the cite
of Coventre, and it so in many places in Ingland. Also, Sir, thynk on
Yernemouth that ze ordeyne that John Jenney, or Limnour, or sum good man
be burgeys for Yernemouth. Ordeyne ze that Jenneys mown ben in the
Parlement, for they kun seye well.
Sir, it wore wysdam that my Lord of Oxenford wayte on my Lord of Yorke.
In good feyth, good Sir, thynke on all these maters; meche more I hadde
to wryte on to yow, yf I kowde a remembryd me, but I hadde no leyser be
my fyth. Hold me escused of my lewde rude wrytyng. Late John Dam be ware
for the Lorde Moleyns; and, Sir, late the cetye be ware, for he wyll do
hem a velony, but yf he may have hese men; and, Sir, yf he come to
Norwych, look there be redy to wayte up on the Mayer a good fellawshep,
for it is seyd her that they arne but bestys.
Sir, my mayster bad me wryte un to yow that ze shuld store the Mayer and
alle the Alderman to crye on my Lord that they mown have justyce of
these men that be indyted, and that my Lorde wyll speke un to the Kynge
therof. And, Sir, in divers partes in the town there [_where_] my Lord
comyth, there wolde be ordeyned many porcions of Comeners to crye on my
Lord for justice of these men that arne indyted, and telle her nammes,
in speciall Todenham, Heydon, Wyndham, Prentys. Sir, I cende yow a copy
of the bylle[177.1] that my Lord of Yorke putte un to the Kynge; and,
Sir, late copyes go abowte the cetye i now, for the love of God, wy[c]he
have yow in hese kepyng.
Wretyn on Seynt Feyth daye, in hast.
Be your Servaunt,