_To John Paston, Esquyer, be this deliuered._
[Sidenote: 1471(?) / DEC. [1]]
I grete you wele, and send you Goddis blyssyng and myn. Desyryng you to
send me word how that your brother doth. It was told her that he shuld
have be ded, which caused many folkis and me bothyn to be right hevy.
Also it was told me this day that ye wer hurt be affray that was mad up
on you be feles disgysed. Ther fore, in any wyse send me word in hast
how your brother doth and ye bothyn; for I shall not ben wele at eas
till I know how that ye do. And for Goddis love lete your brother and ye
be ware how that ye walken, and with what felesshep ye etyn or drynkyn,
and in what place, for it was seid here pleynly that your brothere was
poysoned. And this weke was on of Drayton with me and told me that there
were diverse of the tenauntis seid that thei wost not what to do if that
your brothere came home; and ther was on of the Duk of Suffolkis men by,
and bad them not feryn, for his wey shuld be shorted and [_i.e._ if] he
shuld come there. Wherfore, in any wyse be ware of your self, for I can
thynk thei geve no fors what to do to be wenged and to put you from your
entent, that thei myght have her wyll in Ser John Fastolffis land.
Thy[nke][126-2] what gret sor[ow][126-2] it [shu]ld[126-2] be to me and
any . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . I had lever ye had
never know the lond; remembre it was the distruccion of your fadre;
trost not mych up on promyses of lordis now a days that ye shuld be the
suerer of the favor of there men. For there was a man, and a lordis
sone, seid but late, and toke it for an exampill that Sir Robert
Harecourt had the good will of the lordis after ther comyng in, and yet
within shorte tyme after here men kylled hym in hys owyn place. A mannes
deth is litill set by now a days. Therefore be ware of symulacion, for
thei wull speke ryht fayr to you that wuld ye ferd [_fared_] right
evyll. The blissid Trynyte have you in his kepyng. Wretyn in gret hast
the Saterday next after Sent Andrewe.
Lete this letter be brent whan ye have understond it. Item, I pray you
send me iiij. suger lofis, ich of them of iij_li._, and iiij_li._ of
datis if thei be newe. I send you x_s._ be the berer hereof; if ye pay
more I shall pay it you ageyn whan ye come home. And forgete not to send
me word be the berere hereof how ye don; and remembre the bylles and
remembrauns for the maner of Gresham that I wrote to your brother for.
Be your moder.
[Footnote 126-1: [Add. MS. 34,889, f. 211.] This letter may be of
the year 1471, when it would seem by No. 791 that the two
brothers, Sir John and John, were both together (in London, no
doubt) about St. Andrew’s Day. If so, it was written just two days
after that letter, on the receipt of unpleasant news, which was
evidently false.]
[Footnote 126-2: Mutilated.]
793