[Sidenote: 1452 / APRIL 23]
Reverent and ryth wurshepfull sir, and my god maister, I recommaund me
to yow. Plese yow to wete that Charles Nowell with odir hath in this
cuntre mad many riot and sautes; and, among othir, he and v. of his
felachip set upon me and mo (?) of my servants at the Chathedrall chirch
of Norwich, he smyting at me, whilis on of his felawis held myn armes at
my bak, as the berer herof shall mor playnly inform yow. Whech was to me
strawnge cas, thinking in my conseyth that I was my Lords man and his
homagier, or Charlis knew hys Lordschipe, that my Lord was my god Lord,
and that I had be with my Lord at London within viij. [days?][261.3] bey
for Lent, at which tyme he grantyd my his god lordship, so lagerly
[_largely_] that it must cause me ever to be his trew servant to myn
pow[er]. I thowt also that I had never geff cawse to non of my Lords
hous to ow me evill will, ne that ther was non of the hows but I wold
have do fore as I cow (_sic_) desir anioone (?) to do for me, and yet
will except my adversare; and thus I and my frendes haff miusid of this
and thowt he was hard to do thus. And this notwithstanding, assone as
knolech was had of my Lords coming to Framlingham, I never attemptid to
precede ageyns hym as justis and law wuld, but to trust to my seyd Lord
that his Hyghnes wold se this punischichid (_sic_), and desirid my
master (?) H. . . . . . mi cosin (?) Tymperle, the dene and odir to
(?)[262.1] and dayly hath be redy with such jentilmen as dwelle here
abought that can record the trought to have come (_sic_) compleyn to my
Lord; but we have had contynually tydynges of my Lordes comyng heder
that causid us for to abide ther up un, besechyng your gode maystershep
that ye wull lete my Lord have knowlech of my compleynt. And that ye
wull tender the gode spede of the entente of the letteris wretyn to you
fro jentilmen of this shire. Prayng yow that ye woll yeve credens to the
berer herof, and be his gode mayster in cas any man make any qwarell to
hym. And what that I may do be your comaundment shall be redi with the
grace of God, how have in his blissid kepyng. Wretyn at Norwhich, un
Seynt Georges day.
[Footnote 261.2: [From Paston MSS., B.M.] This is printed from
a rough draft in John Paston’s handwriting, on the back of which
is a draft of the preceding letter. The date of both letters is
the same. The reading of particular words in this draft is very
uncertain, owing to the cramped handwriting used in corrections
and interlineations, and the manner in which several of the
words are abbreviated.]
[Footnote 261.3: Word omitted.]
[Footnote 262.1: The preceding words from ‘and desirid’ are a
peculiarly illegible interlineation, and do not appear to form a
consecutive sense along with the passage following. Perhaps the
words ‘and daily hath’ should have been erased, which would make
the connection intelligible.]
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