[Sidenote: 1469 / SEPT. 10]
Ryght wershypfull syr, I recomaund me to you, thankyng you of your grete
labour whych I have nozt as yet, but I shall deserve to my power; and
ferthermore lyke yow to wyte that I have thoght ryght long after you;
nevyrthelesse I remember well that ye delt wythe ryght delayous peple.
My Lord Archbyshop and other of my Lords, and I, dempte by cawse of your
long tarryng, that by youre sad dyscrescyon all hadde ben sett thorow.
Neverthelesse I understend by your wrytyng that my Lord of Norffolks
concell thynketh that hys entent, whych ye sertefyed me by your wrytyng,
sholde be more to hys wyrshep than the appoyntements and rewll made by
the Lords of the Kyngs concell whych be to my seyd Lord of Norffolk ner
kyne [_near kin_]; whych appoyntements sythen yourr departyng hath be
largely remembryd amongs the seyd Lords here, thynkyng it in hem self so
honorabyll to my Lord of Norffolk, that ther shuld non of my Lords
concell well avysed mevyd to the contrary.
Jamys Hobard[42-1] was sent fro my [Lord] of Norffolk heder, and spake
with my Lord Archbyshop,[42-2] and answer he had of my seyd Lord; and
howe my Lord tendryd the mater yet and wyll I trowe he have told you,
and yf he have not, the brynger her of schall informe you; and he broght
thys same appoyntement from my Lord, that my Lord was well agryed that I
shulde ocupye. For my parte, iff I shud take no other apoyntement but
acordyng to your letter, it wer hard for me and for my tytell to putte
my Lord in that possessyon; for ther ys thyngs in erthe [_uneath_,
_i.e._ scarcely] to myn esse in your letter, gode for me in that
appoyntement, savyng the suerty of my brothers lyffe and my servants,
whych ye thynke dowtefull yf so be that thay lakke stuff, shotte, and
vytayll; mervaylyng sore, and thynk it impossybell in thys shorte
season, or in iiij. tyme the season heder towards, that thay shuld lakk
other [_either_], with owte it soo be that my Lords men have enterd
owght the place, and so had ther stuffe from hem, whych I cannot thynk.
Also, sir, for [_fore_] the tyme of your comyng to my Lord of Norffolk,
servaunts of [my Lords wer with][42-3] my moder at Norwych, mevyng to
send to my brother hyr sone, to delyver the place under such a forme as
youre lettere specefyeth, and so I cannot understand what regard my
Lords concell takyth to my Lords letter, and to your labour in thys
behalf, but that they offeryd as largely afore. Ze wryteth in your
letter that ye durst not passe your credens; please you to remember that
seyd your credens affore the Lords was ryght large, and as large as
myght well be in thys mater, both to my Lords concell of Norffolk to
withdrawe the seege, with moor other mater as ye knowe; and to the
Justice of the Peas and to the Shyryff and hys offycers, your awtoryte
was grete inow to iche of them.
Wherfor, Mayster Wretell, I never for this, nere zet wyll, take
appoyntement in thys mater, but as my Lords wyll and my Lord Archbyshop,
whych, as well as I my self, have holy putte our tryst to youre dyscrete
dyreccyon; and my seyd Lord sythen youre departer, zour zoyng,[43-1]
thynkyng you alls mete a man in executyng ther comaundement as cowde be
chosyn. Neverthelesse for awnswer to you at thys season, my Lord
Archbyshop ys north wards towards the Kyng; how be it, it ys seyd, uppon
a metyng with my Lord of Clarens, my Lord shuld retourne a yen; and as
zester evyn he send a servaunt of hys to me, wenyng to hys Lordship that
Sir Humfray[43-2] and ye wer in Caster as was appoynted, and ye shuld
send to hys Lordshyp answer of the gydyng ther by wrytyng, comaundyng me
that yff any such wrytyngs cam from you, yf hys Lordshyp wer not past
xx. myle fr[om Lond]on,[43-3] to com to hys Lordshyp with the same.
Understandyng for sertayn that he ys nott yet so ferr, wherfor I will in
althe hast possybell ryde nygt and day till I see hys Lordshyp, and
after comunicacyon had with hys Lordshyp, as sone as ys possybell that a
man may go be twext, ye shall have an answer of hys dysposicyon; for hys
intres is such that, as I have wryten, I shall never do therin withoute
hym, as my cosyn, brynger herof, more playnly shall enforme you; for I
canne thynke ryght well, that as ze wryteth to me, my broder wyll not
delyver the place to non erthly person, but yf he see wrytyng fro my
Lord.
It semyt be yowr wrytyng that my Lord of Norffolk conseyll intende not
that my Lord Archbyshop shuld dele in thys mater, for he ys not named in
your letter, wherof I mervayle; for it was movyd to you at your
departyng hens, the Kyngs concell shuld have take dyreccyon in thys
mater, or els my Lord Cardenall,[44-1] my Lord of Clarens, my Lord
Archbyshop, and my Lord of Essex,[44-2] &c. Neverthelesse, Mayster
Wryttyll, all profytht, maner, or lyflod, leyd apart, if it be so that
thorow reklesnese my brother and servaunts be in such joperte as ye have
wryten to me (whych shold be half impossybell in my mynd that thay shold
myssuse so mech stuff in iiij. tymes the space), and that ye have
evident knowlych by my seyd brother hym self therof, I woll praye yow to
se hym and them in suerte of ther lyffys, what so ever shold fall of the
lyfflode; how be it I wold not that my brother and servaunts shold gyff
upp the place not for a m^l_li._, yf thay myght in any wyse kepe it and
save ther lyves. And therfor, at the reverens of God, sycht it ys so,
that my Lord Archbyshop and my Lords all, and I, have putte our trust in
you, that ye wyll do your devoyer to have the verrey knowlech of my
brother hymself, and not of my Lords men, wheder he stante in such
jopertye as your letter specefyeth or net, for I dowte not uppon the
syzth of thys letter, and of the letter that ye had before, that my
brother will put no mystrust in you, consyderyng that he knowyth that ye
com from my Lords, and my Lord Archbyshop, and have my wrytyng; and as
for my Lord Archbyshop wrytyng and aunswere, such as it shalbe, ye shall
have it in all the haste possybell. But I thynke veryly that my Lord
eschewyth to telle you any thyng without that he myght speke with you
allone, and me thynketh veryly that thay ought not to lette [_hinder_]
you to speke with hym allone, consyderyng that ye have auctoryte and
wrytyng from the Lords so to do. And as for the justificacyon of entryng
the place, and sege layng to [the same][44-3] and the comaundement of
the Justice of the Pease and the Sherewe to assyste my Lord in thys
gydyng, I wote ye understond that the Lords knowe all that mater, and ye
herd it comened, and how thay toke it in ther consayts.
Ther ys no more, Mayster Wryttell, but I commyth all thys wrytyng unto
your dyscrescyon; and as ye thynk best acordyng to such menys desyre as
have entretyd you therin, and for my moyst avayle, I pray you, sir, soo
doo, and I shall se un to your besynes and labour, that ye shall have
cause to do for me in tyme comyng, and as the brynger herof shall tell
you. And I pray God have you in Hys kepyng.
Wryten at London, the x. day of Septembr.
By your frend for ever,