_To Sir John Paston, in hast. A matre._
[Sidenote: 1469 / SEPT. 23-30.]
I grete zow wele, and send zow Godds blyssyng and myn, letyng zow wete
that me thynke be the letter that ze sent me be Robeyn, that ze thynke
that I xuld wryte to zow fabyls and ymagynacyons; but I do not soo.
I have wrytyn as yt have be enformed me, and wulle do. It was told me
that bothe Daubeney and Berney wer dedee, but for serten Daubeney is
dede, God asoyle hys sowle; wher of I am rythe sery, and yt had plesyd
God that yt mythe abe other wysse.
Remembyr zow, ze have had ij. gret lossys withyne thys towylemonth, of
hym and of Sir Thomas.[57-3] God wysyth [_visiteth_] zow as yt plesythe
Hym in sundery wyses; He woole ze xuld know Hym, and serve Hym better
than ze have do be for thys tyme, and than He wull send zow the mor
grace to do wele in ale other thynggs. And for Godds love, remembyr yt
rythe welle, and take yt pacyentely, and thanke God of Hys vysitacyon;
and yf ony thyng have be a mysse ony other wyse than yt howte to have
ben befor thys, owther in pryde or in laves expences, or in eny other
thyng that have offendyd God, amend yt, and pray Hym of Hys grace and
helpe, and entende welle to God, and to zour neybors; and thow zour poor
heraftyr be to aquyte hem of her maleys, zet be mersyfulle to hem, and
God xale send zow the mor grace to have your entente in other thynggs.
I remembyr thys clawsys, be cause of the last letter that ze sent me.
I have sent to Hary Halman of Sporylle to helpe to gete as ze desyerd
me, and he canne not gette passyd v. or viij. at the most, and zet yt
wule not be but yf [_unless_] he cume that ze trust upon that xuld cume,
for they long a parte to hym. And Ryschard Sharman hathe asayed on hys
parte, and he cane not gette passyd v.; for thoo that long to us, thei
long also to our adversarys, and they have be desyerd be them, and they
woold nowte do for hem, and ther for they thynke to have magery of the
toder parte.
As for the jantylman that ye desyerd me to speke with, I spake with hys
wyfe, and sche told me he was not in thys cuntre, ner nowte woost wan he
xuld be her; and as for the toder man, he hath bowthe [_bought_] hym a
livery in Bromeholme Pryery, and have geve upe the woord [_world_], &c.
Item, as for mony, I kowde getee but x_li._ upon pledges, and that is
spent for zour maters her, for payeng of zour men that wern at Caster,
and other thynggs, and I woot not wer to gette non, nowther for suerte
ner for pleggs; and as for myn owyn lyvelod, I am so sympely payed ther
of that I fer me I xale be fayn to borow for my sylfe, or ell[es] to
breke up howsold or bothe.
As for the zeddyng [_yielding_] of the place at Caster, I trowe Wretyll
hathe told of the pawntements [_appointments_] how ytts delyvered.
I woold that [it] had be so her [_ere_] thys tyme, and zan [_then_] ther
xuld not a ben do so mykyle herte as ther is in dyverse weyes; for many
of our welewyllers arn putte to loosse for our saks, and I fer me that
[it] xale be long her yt be recumpensyd ageyn, and that xale cause other
to do the lesse for vus her aftyr.
I woold ze xuld [send] zour brother woord, and sum other that ze truste,
to see to zour owyn lyelod to sette yt in a rule, and to gader ther of
that may be had in haste, and also of Sir John Fastolf lyoeld that may
be gadyrd in pesybyle wyse. For as for Ryschard Calle, he wulle no mor
gadyr yt but yf ze comaund hym, and he woold fayn make hys . . acowntte,
and have zour good maystyr schepe, as ytts told me, and delyvere the
evydens of Bekkeham, and alle other thynggs that longyth to zow, that he
trustythe that ze wylle be hys good mayster heraftyr. And he sethe he
wylle not take non newe master tyle ze refuse hys servyse.
Remembyr that zowr lyvelod may be set in soche a rule that ye may knowe
how ytts, and wat is owyn to zow; for be my feythe I have holpyn as
mysche as I may and mor, savyng my sylfe, and therfor take hede er yt be
weers.
Thys letter was begune on Fryday was vij. nythe, and enddyd thys day
nexte afftyr Mychylmes Day. God kepe zow, and yeve zow grace to do as
wele as I woold ze dede; and I scharge zow be war that ze sette no lond
to morgage, for if eny avyse zow ther to, they arn not zowr frendds. Be
war be tymes myn avyse, &c. I trow yowr brother wyll geve zow tydyngs in
haste.
[Footnote 57-2: [From Fenn, iv. 396.] This is written, as will be
seen, in reply to No. 725.]
[Footnote 57-3: Sir Thomas Howes.]
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