_To Mestresse Margret Paston, or to John Paston, Esqier, hyr sone, in
hast._
[Sidenote: 1471 / SEPT. 15]
Ryght well belovyd brother, I comende me to yow, letyng yow wete that I
am in wellffar, I thanke God, and have ben evyr syns that I spake last
with yow; and mervayle for that ye sent never wryghtynge to me syns ye
departyd; I herde nevyr synes that tyme any worde out off Norffolk; ye
myght aft Bertlemai Feyr[109-2] have had messengers i nowe to London,
and iff ye had sent to Wykys, he scholde have conveyed it to me. I herde
yisterdaye, that a Worsted man of Norffolk, that solde worstedys[109-3]
at Wynchester, seyde that my Lord of Norffolk and my Lady wer on
pylgrymage at Our Lady[109-4] on ffoot, and so they went to Caster; and
that at Norwyche on scholde have had large langage to yow, and callyd
yow traytor, and pyked many quarellys to yow. Sende me worde ther off;
it wer well doo, that ye wer a lytell sewrer off yowr pardon than ye be:
avyse you, I deme ye woll her afftr ellys repent yow.
I undrestonde that Bastarde Fauconbryge[109-5] is owther hedyd or lyke
to be, and hys brother bothe; some men seye he wolde have deservyd it,
and som sey naye.
I purpose to be att London the ffyrst daye off the terme; send me worde
whethyr ye schall be ther or nott.
Item, I wolde wete whether ye have spoken wyth my Lady off Norffolk or
not, and off hyr disposicion and the howsoldys to me and to yow wardes,
and whether it be a possible to have Caster ageyn and ther goodewylles
or not; and also I praye yow undrestande what ffelaschyp and guydyng is
in Caster, and have a spye resortyng in and owt, so maye ye know the
secretys among them. Ther is moche adoo in the Northe, as men seyn;
I pray yow be ware off yowr guydyng, and in cheff off yowr langage, and
so that ffro hense fforthe by yowr langage noo man perceyve that ye
ffavor any person contrary to the Kynges plesur. I undrestonde that the
Lord Ryvers hathe lycence off the Kynge to goo to Portyngale now within
thys vij. nyght. I pray yow recomande me to my modre, and beseche hyr
off hyr blyssyng on my be halve.[110-1]
Item, I praye yow sende me worde iff any off owr ffrendys or wellwyllers
be dede, ffor I feer that ther is grete dethe in Norwyche, and in other
Borowgh townese in Norffolk, ffor I ensur you it is the most unyversall
dethe that evyr I wyst in Ingelonde; ffor by my trowthe, I kan not her
by pylgrymes that passe the contre, nor noon other man that rydethe or
gothe any contre, that any Borow town in Ingelonde is ffree ffrom that
sykenesse; God sease it whan it pleasyt Hym. Wherffor, ffor Goddysake,
let my moodre take heede to my yonge brytheren that they be not in noon
place wher that sykenesse is regnyng, nor that they dysport not with
noon other yonge peple whyche resortythe wher any sykenesse is, and iff
ther be any off that sykenesse ded or enffect in Norwyche, ffor Goddes
sake, lete hyr sende them to som ffrende off hyrse in to the contre, and
do ye the same by myn advyce; late my moodre rather remeve hyr
howsesolde in to the contre.
Even now Thyrston browt me word ffro London that it was Doctor Aleyn
that cawsyd yowr troble that ye had at Norwych; and that John Pampyng
roode ffor a dyscharge ffor yow, and that he hathe sped well, but
howghe, that wot I nott; iff ye be cleer owt off Doctor Aleyn danger,
kepe yow ther, and her afftr ye maye schoffe as well at hys carte.
I praye yow sende me worde off all the fforme off hys delyng with yow.
I had almost spoke with Mestresse Ann Hault, but I dyd not;
nevyrthelesse thys next terme I hope to take on weye with hyr or other;
sche is agreyd to speke with me, and sche hopythe to doo me ease as sche
saythe.
I praye yow sende me worde hoghe ye doo with my Lady Elysabeth
Boghscher; ye have a lytell chaffyd it, but I can not tell howe; sende
me worde whether ye be in better hope or werse. I her seye that the Erle
off Oxenffordys bretheryn be goon owt off Sceyntewarye. Sir Thomas
Fulfforthe[111-1] is goon owt off Sceyntewarye, and a gret ffelaschyp
ffettchyd hym, a iij.^xx., and they sey that with in v. myle off London
he was CC. men; and no man watethe wher he is become not yit.
The Lordes Hastyngs and Howerd be in Caleys, and have it pesebely; and
Sir Walter Wrettesle and Sir Jeffrey Gate be comyn thense, and woll be
at London thys daye as it is seyde.