_To my mastyr, Sir John Paston, knyght, in Flet stret._
[Sidenote: 1468-9(?)]
Syr, &c. It is so that, with owght ye have hasty reparacyon doon at
Caster, ye be lyek to have doubyll cost in hast, for the reyn hathe so
moystyd the wallys in many plasys that they may not tylle the howsys
tyll the wallys be reparyd; or ellys ye shall have doubyll cost for to
untylle your howsys ayen at syche tyme as ye shall amend the wallys. And
if it be not do thys yer, many of the wallys wyll lye in the moot or
longe to; ye knowe the febyllnesse of the utter coort of old. John
Pampyng hathe had hame to Caster as good as x^ml. tylle fyr the plase at
Yermeuthe, and it wer pete that the tyll wer lost; and the lenger that
it lythe unleyd the wers it wyll be. I have thys day bespok as myche
lyme as wyll serve for the tyll. Wherfor I prey yow remembyr the cost of
the werkmanschep and purvey the money by oo mean or othyr, what shefte
so evyr ye make. And, for your owne profyte, remembyr to goo thorow with
Hwghe of Fen; for by my trowthe ye wyll ellys repent yow er owght longe.
For bothe ye shall loose hys good wyll and lett peraventure that
avantage that he myght do yow in your lond recoveryng; wher as he may do
yow harme and [_if_] he wyll and then, to late wyse. Item, that ye
remembyr your relesys and gounys of my Lord of Norffolk er ye com hom.
Item, I send yow by the berer herof a lettyr dyrect to yow that a man of
my Lord of Oxenfortheys delyverd me; whych lettyr comyth fro the Kyng.
Item, that ye remembyr in eny wyse to serche for the fyne in syche
plasys as my modyr sent you woord of in a lettyr; for myn oncyll and my
grauntdam report that they have serchyd in all plasys thar as it shold
be, but they can not fynd no thyng of it. Also that ye look whedyr the
fyne was reryd to eny feeffeys mor then to my grauntfadyr and my
grauntdam and ther issu; for and ther wer eny feoffeys namyd in the fyn,
it is the bettyr for yow. My Lady and my grauntdam be com to London for
the same mater; wherfor it wer well do that the jwgys wer enformyd of
your mater befor they spok with theym. I prey yow hye yow hom hastyly
and se your owne profyte your sylf. Pampyng and I shall clowt up your
howsys as we may with the money that we have tyll more come, but ye
shold do bettyr your sylf. I prey red thys byll onys on a day tyll ye
have sped thes maters wretyn her in; thowe it be to your peyne to labore
theym, remembyr your profyt. Nomor, &c., but God kep yow thys Lent fro
lollardy of fleshe. Wretyn at Norwyche the Twysday next aftyr that I
departyd fro yow.