_To Mastyr Syr John Paston, Knyght, in hast._
[Sidenote: 1472 / MAY 14]
Syr, I recomande me to yow, &c. W. Gorney and I ar apoyntyd that ther
shall no mony be takyn at Saxthorp tyll thys terme be past, for he hathe
promysyd me to spek with yow and your consell, and that ye shall tak a
wey betwyx yow so that ye shall be bothe plesyd. He had warnyd a coort
at Saxthorp and to have be kep upon Holy Rood Day last past, and ther he
wold have gadyrd the half yere ferm, but it fortunyd me to be there ere
the coort was half done, and I took syche a wey with hym that the qwest
gave no verdyt, ner they procedyd no ferther in ther cort, nor gadyrd no
mony ther, nor not shall do, tyll syche tym as ye spek to gedyr, and
[_if_] ye be at London thys term; but and ye be not at London, I wold
avyse yow to let Townysend tak a wey with hym, for it lyeth not in my
power to keep werre with hym; for and I had not delt ryght corteysly up
on Holy Rood Day I had drownk to myn oystyrs, for yowng Heydon had
reysyd as many men as he kowd mak in harneys to have holp Gornay; but
when Heydon sye [_saw_] that we delt so corteysly as we ded he withdrew
hys men and mad hem to go hom a yen, notwithstandyng they wer redy, and
ned had be. And also my Lord of Norffolks men wyll be with hym ayenst me
I wet well as yet, tyl bettyr pesse be.
Item, as for myn ownkyll William, I have spook with hym, and he seyth
that he wyll make a byll in all hast of iche percelle be twyxt yow and
send yow word in wryghtyng how that he wooll dyell with yow; but I can
not se that he besyth hym abowght it, notwithstandyng I calle upon hym
dayly for it. As for mony, I can none get, neyther at Snaylewell nor at
Sporle tyll mydsomer, thow I wold dryve all the catell they have. I was
bond to the shrevys for gren wax[139-1] and for a _fyeri facias_ that is
awardyd owt of yowr lond, wyche drawyth in alle bettyr than v. mark, and
I am fayn to borow the mony to pay it by that Lord I beleve on, for I
cowd not gadyr a nobyll of areragys syn I was with yow at London of alle
the lyvelod ye have. As for John Maryot, he is payid of hys anuyte in to
a nobyll or x_s._ at the most, but as for all hys dettors I can not pay
hem tyll I can gadyr more mony, so God help me. I pray yow send a byll
to John Pampyng that he may ryed with me ovyr all your lyvelood, and tak
a clere reknyng what is owyng and what that I have receyvyd, that ye may
have a cler reknyng of all that ye owe in thys contre, and what your
tenauntes owe yow. Item, I pray yow send me word as hastyly as ye can,
how the world goethe. No more, but God lant yow lansmann,[139-2] and
rather then to stand in dowght, remembyr what peyn it is a man to loese
lyberte. The Flet is a fayir preson, but ye had but smale lyberte ther
in,[139-3] for ye must nedys aper when ye wer callyd. Item, I have fownd
Jamys Greshamys oblygacyon. Item, he comyth to Londonward thys day.
Wretyn the xiiij. day of Maye.