_To Sir John Paston, knyght, be this delivered in hast._
[Sidenote: 1469 / MARCH 12]
I grete you wele and send you Goddes blyssyng and myn, desiryng you to
recomaund me to my brother William, and to comune with hym and your
councell in such materis as I wryght to you, that ther may be purveyd be
some writyng fro the Kyng that my Lord of Norffolk and his councell seas
[_cease_] of the wast that thei done in your lordsheps, and in especiall
at Heynford; for thei have felled all the wood, and this weke thei wull
carie it a wey, and lete renne the wateris and take all the fyssh. And
Sir William Yelverton and his sone William, John Grey and Burgeys,
William Yelvertons men, have ben at Guton and takyn distresses, and with
ought that [_unless_] thei wull pay them thei shall not set ought no
plow to till there lande; thei byd them lete there land lye on tilled
but if [_unless_] thei pay them. So that if the tenauntes have no remedy
that thei may pesibily, with ought assaught or distresse takyng, be the
seid Yelverton or his men, or of any other in there names, at there
liberte herye there landis, with in this vij. days there tylth in the
feldis be lost for all this yere and thei shall be on doon; and though
ye shuld kepe it here after pesibilly ye shuld lese the ferme of this
yere, for thei may not pay you but if [_unless_] thei may occupie there
landis; thei set not so sone a plow ought at ther gatis but ther is a
felesship redy to take it. And thei ride with speris and launyegays,
like men of werre, so that the seid tenauntis arn a ferd to kepe there
owyn howses. Therfore purvey an redy remedy, or ellis ye lese the
tenauntis hertis and ye gretly hurt; for it is gret pety to here the
swemefull[10-2] and petowse compleyntis of the pore tenauntis that come
to me for comfort and socour sometime vi. or vij. to geder. Therfore,
for Goddis love, se that thei ben helpyn, and desire my brothere William
to geve you good concell here.
Also it is told me that my Lady of Suffolk hath promysed you here good
will, if your bargayn of the mariage[11-1] holdyth, to do as largely as
she shall be disired, or largelyer if there be any appoyntment takyn a
twix you for any materes a twyx her and you. And [_i.e._ if] thei wuld
avyse you to geve any money to here to make here refuse or disclayme
here titill, me semyth ye may wele excuse you be the money that she had
last, and be the wrongis that were don be here and here men in fellyng
of wood and pullyng doune of your place and logge at Heylesdon, and
takyn a wey of the shep and your faderis goodis, which were takyn a wey
at the pullyn don of the seid place; wheche wele considered, she were
wurthy to recompense you. And [_if_] the Kyng and the lordis were wele
enformed thei wuld considere the redilyer your hurtis. It semyth this
Sir William Yelverton hath comfort that he is so bold, for [he[11-2]]
hath ryght prowde and fowle langage and ryght slaundrows to the
tenauntis, as thei have reported to me. Therfor be ryght ware that ye
bynde not your self nor mak non ensurance till ye be suer of a pesibill
possession of your lande; for oftyn tyme rape rueth, and whan a man hath
made such a covenante he must kepith it, he may not chese;
there[fore[11-2]] be not to hasty till your londe be clere. And labore
hastly a remedy for thes premysses, or ellis Sir John Fastolffis
lyvelode, though ye entre it pesibilly, shall not be worth to ye a grote
this yere with ought ye wull on do your tenauntis. I pray you remembre a
kerchye of Cremyll for your suster Anne. Remembre to labore some remedy
for your faderis will whill my Lord of Caunterbury[11-3] lyvyth, for he
is an old man and he is now frendly to you and if he happed to dye, how
[_who_] shuld come after hym ye wote never; and if he wer a nedy man, in
asmych as your fader was noysed of so greet valew he wull be the mor
straunge to entrete. And lete this be not for gete; for [if] ther were
on [_one_] that aught us no good wyll he myght calle us up to make
accounte of his goodis, and if we had not for to showe for us where by
we have occupied, he myght send doun assentence to curse us in all the
diosyse and to make us to delivere his goodis; which were to us a gret
shame, and a rebuke. There fore purvey hastly and wyssely therfore whill
he lyvyth, and do not as ye dede whill my Lord of York[12-1] was
Chanceller make delays, for if ye had labored in his tyme as ye have do
sith, ye had be thurgh in your materis; be ware be that, and lete slauth
nomor take you in such diffaught; thynk of after clappes and have
provysion in all your work, and ye shall do the better. God kepe you.
Wretyn on Myd Lent Sonday in hast.
Be your moder,