_To my ryght reverent and worchepful Master, John Paston, be this
delyverid._
[Sidenote: 1451 / MAY 27]
Plese it your masterchep to wete that I have spoke wyth the
Shereff[241.2] at hese placez, mevyng to hym, as for that that was left
wyth hese Under shereff, it is your wyl he shuld send a man of hese for
it; for thow it were more ye wold gladly he shuld take it; he thanked
yow, and sayde hese Under shereff was at London, and hymselff had non
deserved, and if he had he wold a take it. And whan I departyd from hym,
I desyerid hym a yen to send therffore, and than he seyde it shuld abyde
tyl ye come hom, wherby I conceyve he wold have it, and be gladde to
take it. Moreover, I remembred hym of hese promyses made before to yow
at London, when he took hese oth and charche, and that ye were wyth hym
when he toke hese oth, and oder dyvers tymes; and for tho promyses made
be hym to yow at that tyme, and other tymes at the oyer determyner at
Lynne, ye proposed yow be the trust that ye have in hym for to atempte
and rere accions that shuld be to the avayle of hym and of hese office.
He wold a know what the accions shuld be. I sayde I coude not telle hym,
and than he seyde he wold do for yow that he may, excepte for the
aquitell of the Lord Molyns men, in so meche as the Kyng hath wrete to
hym for to shewe favour to the Lord Moleyns and hese men, and as he
seyth the indytement longyth to the Kyng, and not to yow, and the Lord
Molyns a gret lord. Also, as he seyth, now late the Lord Molyns hath
sent hym a letter, and my Lord of Norffolk anoder, for to shew favour in
these indytements, he darnot abide the joporte of that, that he shuld
offende the Kinges commaundment. He know not how the Kyng may be
informed of hym, and what shal be seyde to hym.
And than I sayde as for any joporte that he shuld abyde in any thing
that he doth for yow, or be your desyre, you have offered hym, and wol
performet, sufficient sewerte for to sawe hym harmeles, and therfore I
supposid ther wold non resonable man thynk but that he myght do for yow
wyth owte any joporte. And then he seyde he myth non sewerte take that
passid C_li._; and the Lord Molyns is a gret lord, he myght soon cause
hym to lese that, and meche mo. Than I sayde, be that meane, in defawte
of a Shereff, every man may be put from hese lyvelod; and thann he seyde
iff it were for the lyvelode, men wold take hem the nerer for to abyde a
joporte; but be hese feyth, as he swore, if the Kyng wryte ayan to hym
he wol no lenger abyde the joporte of the Kyngges wrytyng, but he
trustyth to Godde to inpanell seche men as shuln to hise knowleche be
indeferent, and non comon jurors. As me semyth it wold do goode and
[_if_] ye wolde gett a comaundment of the Kyng to the Shereff for to
shew yow favour, and to inpanell jantelmen, and not for to favour non
seche riotts, &c.; for he seyde that he sent yow the letter that the
Kyng sent hym, and ye seyde a man shuld gete seche on for a noble.
Item, I remembred hym of the promyses that he hath made to Temperley,
and that if he wold make yow very trew promys, ye wold rewarde hym as
meche as he wold desire, or any other resonable man for him, and asmoche
and mor then any adverserry ye have wold gef hym; than he seyde he toke
never no mony of non of hem alle. There was proferid hym at Walsyngham
for the Lord Molyns xx. nobles, he had not a peny; moreover, I proferid
hym, if he wold make yow promys that ye myght veryly trust upon hym, ye
wold geff hym in hande as he wold desire, or to leve a summe if he wold
a named it in a mene mannys hand, and seche as he hath trust to. And
then he seyde, if he myght do for yow, or if he do any thyng for yow,
then he wol take yowre mony wyth a good wyl; and other promys I coude
not have of hym, but that he wol do for yow all that he may, excepte for
the inditements. I conceyve veryly he hath made promys to do hese part
that they shul be a quytte, but I suppose he hath made non other promys
ayens yow for the lyvelode; but he lokyth aftyr a gret brybe, but it is
not for to trust hym veryly wyth owte that he may not chese. I suppose
he had no wrytyng fro my Lord of Norffolk as he seyde.
I was at Framyngham for to a spoke wyth Tymperley, Debnam, or Berry,
and they were all ought. My Lord, as he came from London, he was at
Yepysweche on Moneday, and when he wythowth the town toward Framyngham,
he had all hese men ryde forth afore a gret pase, for he wolde felwe
softely; and when hese men were owte of syght, he rode wyth v. men to a
squieris place of hese therby, and on Tewsday, rodde my Lady to hym; and
so I dede nought at Framyngham. No more at thys tyme, but All myghty
Jesu spede yow, and have yow in hese kepyng. Wrete at Norwiche, the
Thursday next aftyr Sent Austyn, &c.
Be your servunt,